Tuesday, September 24, 2013

lately


Phone Dump! 
I've taken a lot of pics over the last few months....
These are only my favorites- I swear! 


This was taken on a morning when she wasn't feeling very well- she ended up having a nasty cold, but after about a week she felt much better!


Girl loves her toes



Always shoving her hands in her mouth


During Jeff's break we did a lot of swimming....


Michael Jackson swim baby




so so cute




polkadot baby bum




baby friends




just love this little dress on her



Jeff takes Ava during Priesthood and will text me pictures...this one's my favorite. 
I love how her nose is all squished up against her daddy. 



sweet kicks


this was from California- I stopped swaddling her a few weeks ago when she started rolling over from back to front like crazy, and I kind of miss my Ava burrito

Thursday, September 19, 2013

San Antonio

During Jeff's last break from school, we decided to drive down to San Antonio to visit my brother, Chris. We stayed all week and were so sad to leave! We loved being able to visit family and see where Chris lives. Chris just moved to Texas a few months ago, and it's so nice to have some of my family living somewhat close(ish). Chris is super busy, but was a good sport to hang out with us for a little bit each evening. Chris was a great host- took us out to dinner every night- and we had fun watching the BYU Texas game together. Ava also loved hanging out with her uncle.


Ava and Uncle Chris reunited


Chris got Ava even more toys- she LOVES this thing- thanks Uncle Chris!


Chilling with the babe






love this picture of her in Chris's BYU hat



sibs


we went to Costco twice



looking at the rain



caught her eating her toes....this is her guilty face


Dr. D home from the hospital and ready to par-tay.
Thanks for letting us stay with you and for being such a great host! 

Friday, September 6, 2013

Ava Rees *Four Months*

 This last month flew by!


4 Month Check-up
Weight: 17.0 pounds - 96%
Height: 26.5 inches - 98%
Head Circumference: 42.5 cm - 84%

This last month saw Ava's first plane ride, first time meeting the great-grandparents, and the first road trip. Through it all she has grown and changed and somehow gotten even cuter and more fun to be around. It seems like we were so busy that I felt kind of bad that I wasn't spending as much one-on-one time with her as I usually do. I missed my girl! However, I do think it was good for Ava to be around more people- she's so social and seemed to like being held by other people.

This last month Ava has really been obsessed with her fingers. Ava is constantly chewing on them, drooling on them, sucking on them. The only time I can dry them off is when she's sleeping- so I wipe them down and put some lotion on them to keep them from getting too irritated. I have to do the same with her chin. Ava is a drool machine! Her poor chin is always soaked and her skins gets red and sore. I'm constantly putting calming lotion over it.


Whenever my fingers get close to her face she tries to eat them. Hah, and when I held her upright she started eating my neck- guess she's a vampire baby. This whole last month has seen Ava chewing on pretty much everything. 
Ava was so good on her flight. She just ate the whole way there and the whole way back.


Ava's sleeping is still terrible. She goes to sleep so easy- I just set her down and walk away and she puts herself to sleep- however she does not do this in the middle of the night. Every few hours she's up and really wants to cuddle. She also only wants me when she wakes up, anyone else picks her up and she freaks. Even though in the moment I'm tired, that feeling of her snuggling into me and sighing as she  falls back asleep is the sweetest feeling. For right now- I'm all she needs. 
I'm starting to really not mind the all night waking up though, because it's the only time where she still seems like my newborn. During the day she has toys and books she likes to play with and explore- during the night she just wants to cuddle and no matter how many times I put her back in her crib she just loves to sleep in my arms. I know that this stage won't last forever and I'm trying to my best to enjoy all of it- the good and the exhausted parts- and I do love her cuddles.


She has a really funny laugh and responds well to mine and Jeff's laughs. She follows me around the room when someone else is holding her, sometimes twisting her whole body to keep an eye on me. I still miss her when she sleeps and don't love when someone else holds her for too long. When everyone else was going back to school this week, I thought about Ava's first day of school and teared up. Good thing I have years before that has to happen!


Ava's been such a wonderful baby while going with me to all of my baby showers, sister visits, and meetings. She's been extremely chill lately and content just to sit in my lap and play with her seal, Lucille.  A few days before she turned 4 months she rolled over. She now rolls over almost immediately when I put her down. She only rolls from her back to her tummy though- and then gets angry that she's on her tummy and whines until I flip her back over to her back.....and then two minutes later she's rolled over to her tummy again and is frustrated that she has somehow made herself do even more tummy time. Hopefully she'll figure out how to flip back over on her own soon.


With our trip to California and Jeff's break from school, Ava's had more Daddy time than usual and she's been loving it. They're figuring out their own rhythm together and it's very sweet. The other day I came home from a quick run to find them dancing around the apartment together. Another day I came back to hear Jeff singing to her while she was singing back. Ava's been very vocal lately- especially when singing to her- she always sings back or with you.


I can't believe she'll be 5 months next- that seems like a big one.
 I think I'll hold her a little longer when she wakes up tonight :) 
Love you Ava. 

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Lucille The Seal

So I think it's time I blogged about our newest member in the fam- and no- I'm not talking about Ava, that girl gets enough screen time as it is ;)
I'm talking about Lucille.
While in California, my grandma and Kate went into SF and came back with a seal for Ava. 
Ava LOVED it.
 I was talking to my Aunt Allyson and I told her Ava was busy playing with her seal- she thought I said Ava was playing with Lucille and....... bam- Ava's seal was named, ha.


It's the perfect size for her to hold and love on. 
She still plays with Lucille and falls asleep holding her. 
It's adorable. 








see. true love.


do you also notice her use of a pacifier? this is new people. she started taking one when she went to sleep right when we got back to texas- this is nice now, but a little exasperating since it would have been a million times easier on the airplane if she had taken one then....but whatevs.
babies be babies i guess.
Thanks Great-Grandma for Lucille!