Family fun

We enjoyed a nice, relaxing, very rare weekend at home and LOVED every minute of it.
Here is Ava hanging out with the family watching football & grilling burgers.

Update

Time is flying by….I have not posted in a long time. So much has been going on with Ava since my last post. Where to begin?!

Car seat - We decided it was time to upgrade Ava's car seat. Her little legs & feet were starting to hang off her infant car seat. Plus she was starting to throw a fit in the morning when her daddy put her in it. So we bought 2 Britax Marathon Classic - Solstice Car seats. So far, so good! She definitely likes it a whole lot better then her infant car seat & she has plenty of room to grow in it. This will be her car seat up until she is 65lbs.

Crawling - she is getting really close. She gets up on all fours and rocks back & forth until she falls face 1st or falls over on her side.

Sick - We noticed Ava had a slight cough over the weekend. It progressively got worse. She even slept with me a few nights because her coughing would wake her up in the middle of the night. So I took her into see her pediatrician. Poor baby was diagnosed with croup. She gave us an oral steroid and told me what to watch out for.

Birthday Party - Ava was invited to Brayden Torberts 1st birthday party. We all had a great time. Ryan & I got to visit with good friends.

New things with Ava - my favorite….when I pick her up at daycare she is so excited to see me (I'm just as excited, but I refrain from squealing & jumping up & down like Ava).
When her daddy comes home she is just as excited. I love her little high pitch squeals & laughter.
She is definitely starting to recognize us & other people. She reaches out & lunges for us, my parents, Ms. Hiba & Ms. Geetha at daycare, but will let you know if she does not want to go to you. Will hold on tight to the person who is holding her.
She is starting to give hugs…it just melts my heart to see her hug Ryan. She is so sweet!
She is starting to reach for the dogs. Once she gets a hold of Teddy she will pull his hair. Soon he will learn to stay away.
New BF's - Teddy will stay parked under her high chair when she is eating snack.
Enjoys walks in her stroller, but its just too freaking hot. So we go to the mailbox & back about 6:30.

7 months

I think she is starting to resemble Ryan.
His hair line & color
His ears
His chin
Little Bentley nose (Ryan's mothers side)
My eyes & color
My lips
Villa frown & brow line
...and as Ryan says, my attitude

So hard to get a good picture. She is always moving or watching the dogs.

Clothes size - 9 months
Shoe size - 1 some 2
Diaper size: 3
Bottles per day - 4 8oz bottles
Solids per day - 2 servings of fruits, 2 servings of veggies & 2 servings of cereal. This month we have added sweet corn casserole, corn & sweet potatoes and her fav veggies puffs/cheese puffs to her variety of solids/snacks
Health - has been great (knock on wood). A stuffy nose here & there, fever due to teething, thank goodness no diaper rash or ear infection.
Routine - finally we have a great weekly routine. The weekends we just load up & go. Ava has adapted very well to our active schedule

We have packed up all her 0-6 months clothes & all her baby toys
Her hutch (top piece of changing table) finally came in (it was on back order FOREVER). It looks great in her room
She is sitting up so well. All by herself, no assistance.
Still not interested in crawling. Just extends her arms & lifts her chest off the ground. She will roll if she want to get some where or make grunts until her human taxi picks her up.
Will only go backwards in her walker
Loves, loves bath time
Loves to go on walks/runs in her stroller
She is a great little shopper
Has 2 bottom front teeth. We think she is getting an upper front tooth.
She is loud…boy can she be loud. She will just babble & scream
- Ryan swears she has said da-da. I choose not to believe it
Thinks her daddy is so funny
Still a mommy's girl
Very interested in her surrounds, loves to explore new things
- at restaurants, shopping, etc. will just stare at everything & anyone
- try's to grab anything you are holding, eating, etc.
Is sleeping so much better. I just miss seeing her in the mornings :(
- is a wild sleeper. All over her crib.
- Her angel monitor has gone off once or twice & scared the crap out me, but when I check on her its because she is all-the-way in the corner of her crib. So the monitor can not detect her breathing.

I'll have to admit. This age is so much easier & very, very enjoyable. I'm just obsessed with that little girl. I love to see her explore & learn new things ever day. I look forward to each month. Each new milestone & memory with our sweet love bug.

Ears pierced

We finally got Ava's ears pierced yesterday. I took her to an E.N.T. located in a near by hospital. They were amazing! They numbed her ears for a good hour (applied numbing cream twice), so we strolled around the hospital to kill time.

They finally took us back. Ava sat on my lap & 1 ear, 2 ear....done. Ava didn't even flinch nor cry. I was shocked how well she took it. Later that evening I was waiting for her to get fussy or start tugging at her ears and nothing. She was her happy little self.

Visitor

Such a sweet picture

Grandpa Ricky came to visit us last weekend for Ryan's 31st birthday & to get his Ava fix. He visits at least once a month & spoils us all rotten. This time he even helped Ryan watch Ava so I could spend the whole afternoon with my college best friends.

Look at me!

....Look at me! I'm sitting so much better "unassisted".

New Schedule

I just LOVE our new schedule! Since Ava turned 6 months (and is sleeping so much better & longer), Ryan has started to dress her in the mornings & take her to daycare (instead of me pulling double duty -taking her & picking her up). This has worked out perfect for the whole family. Our sweet Ava gets to wake up on her own, go to daycare later, & gets picked up earlier. I get to work way earlier (like by 7 - I'm an early bird) and leave to pick up Ava up 4. Only sad thing is I cant love on her in the mornings. So I'm even more excited to see her after work. Ryan….hmmm. Well, he has no complaints. Only ask that I set out her outfit the night before & something easy.
Fun story: The 2nd day he took her to daycare. I set out a onesie & cute little skirt. Well Ryan put the skirt on 1st, then the onesie, only to realize that the oneies needed to go on 1st. So needless to say, he has requested "Dresses" only.

On the other hand, I'm trying to smooth out Ava's feeding schedule. I don't know why I'm stressing out over her solids/formula schedule.

Schedule:
Morning Feeding - 7:30 8oz
Play
Breakfast - By 8:30 1 jar fruit & cereal
Play & short nap
Mid Morning Feeding - By 11:30 8oz
Play & long nap
Lunch - By 2:00 1-2 jar(s) veggies
Play & short nap
Afternoon Feeding - 3:30 8oz
Play (might take a short nap)
Dinner - 1 jar fruits with cereal
Bath
By 8pm - Night time bottle 8oz

This is working for now, but I want to combine formula feedings & meals once I introduce meats to her variety or solids.

Not very pleased with Garden Mixed Veggies