Getting Big - Crawling and First Steps

The last few weeks seem to have really brought Ava into a new "big girl" stage. She's not my tiny Little Miss anymore. The spring and summer baby clothes are coming out, and as I gaze at them, I realize some of them only go up to size 6-9 months. And that's just not Ava anymore. Instead of footie pajamas all over the stores, we now are shopping for two piece pajamas. (I may have picked up the CUTEST kissing fish pjs a couple weekends ago...I'm a sucker for anything fish-related for this little daddy's girl).

Back to the subject...this last week Ava finally got the hang of this crawling business. She's been perched on hands and knees, rocking back and forth, since before Christmas. But this week she mastered the (semi)coordinated movement of hand and knees, back and forth. Now that it's been a few days, she's quickly perfected her form.

Cruising (walking around furniture, holding on for balance) has been in full force as well for about one or two weeks now. Wynston diligently pushes Ava to strengthen her balance, holding her up then letting go, catching her when she chooses her seat over her feet. We can now get several seconds of independent standing out of our strong little one.

Several nights ago, while Ava was cruising around her ottoman in the nursery, she let go and took two brave steps over to her daddy. Luckily we were both sitting in her nursery with her, and got to celebrate this event as a family. She's a long way from walking (maybe) but there were definiely two big ol steps taken all on her own. Proud momma right here. :)

Time to drop the mattress. Big girl right here!

Feeling Like Mother Hen

Lately, I often find myself reminiscing about life while pregnant with Ava. After a bit of "middle of the night, laying in bed, no sleepy" pondering, I think my mind is wandering back to these times because it was a time when I could keep my Little Miss pretty darn safe, with minimal effort. Eat healthy, drink lots of water, take your prenatals, don't do anything stupid. She was all tucked in, warm and secure. I wouldn't find her staring longingly at the outlets, or trying her best to flip head first off our couch, or escape the slippery confines of her baby tub, or fit anything and everything into her mouth. And there weren't all those darn stomach bug and cold germs to keep her away from.

This reminds me of Ava. I should've known it'd be a preview of our active Little Miss.
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Since we are now less than two weeks from surgery, we are trying our best to keep Ava safe, sound and healthy. This means staying in, hunkering down with toys and books and large plastic serving spoons. And of course The Lion King.

Staying in does not always sit well with my soul. So, even though I could spend all of Ava's naptimes cleaning, instead I've decided to reincarnate my sewing adventures during these down times. I've made my first dress for Ava. While it's far from perfect, it's still pretty darn cute. In fact, I've purchased two more pieces of fabric to make another this weekend. I'll post about those soon. Once I can get Little Miss to be a willing model. :)

Here she is modeling her new sunglasses for Grandma Cheryl.



I hope you all have a nice weekend coming up. I am planning on attending a Chili and Soup Supper Benefit and Silent Auction for an infant in need on Saturday. I don't know this little guy or his parents personally, but I'm acquainted with his family. This baby's grandpa has done some renovation work for our family in the past. They are the nicest of people. If any of you can attend and help them out, you should go! Unfortunately, I am not bringing Ava. I just can't risk having her around so many germs right now. Which makes me sad because she would be able to meet a lot of people from my childhood church, including those who so kindly gave her baby gifts. That small town can be amazing.

In Need of Distractions

Ava's surgery is 16 days away. And if you know me, you know that my lists are already started....my packing list, Ava's packing list, nonperishable food that isn't gag-worthy, etc etc. One list I need to work on is a "distraction" list. Her surgery will last several hours. The nurses will be calling frequently with updates (I think once an hour) but I'm sure we still need some time wasters.

Got any ideas?

• Anyone have a great book you'd like to lend? (we have a Kindle too, if you have a loanable ebook!)
• Anyone watched a good DVD lately?
• Maybe bring some felt, fabric, ribbon and thread and make some bows or flowers for Little Miss? She'll probably wear those nice large knit headbands for a while to help keep baby fingers off her healing incision (once it's can be covered).
• Anyone need me to file their taxes? I'm sure I could figure it out in 4-6 hours!! (kidding, obviously)

When Dad's In Charge

When Dad's in charge...he found a way to free up both hand's at Wal-Mart.

Pardon the stringy bangs...she get's those from her mom. :)

When Dad's In Charge

When Dad's In Charge...he let's Ava sign for packages?

Doctor Visits

Last week we completed the last of our pre-surgery doctor visits to St. Louis. Since Ava's CT scan, we've met with five different doctors, over three different visits...one in October, one in November and one in January. It's been pretty crazy, but after surgery Ava's follow-ups will be in a "team" setting, which means several doctors will be with us all at once. This will make our trips immensely easier and make it easier for all of them to work together, since they each specialize in different areas. Anything we can do to cut down on gas bills and time spent in the car is okay with me! Good thing this last time we had both of our mom's with us to help entertain Ava during the long drive.

This was our first trip to meet the Craniofacial team. We were so unsure of what lay ahead. Ava looks so small here to me, and her hair has grown so much since October.

Playing with a fun toy at the doctor office last week.

Waving!

I just realized Wynston wore the same shirt to see the last doctor as he did on our first visit!

Ava loved that little bead maze so much that Grandma Janie got Ava one of her own!

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