full bellies are fun!!!!!!!!

Last night after Ava had her bottle before bed, Ryan had started to change her but she just wanted to play. Ryan was standing her up and she kept getting this huge kick out of arching her back, sticking her belly out as far as she could . . .and looking to me like, "Aren't I great mom?!"

I assured her she was. : )

Last week, I went to go check on Ava during her nap and found her laying like this with her hood over the back of her head. I had to run and get the camera. It kind of reminded me of what I might look like to Ryan in the morning . . . ."Do not disturb. Do not wake me up . . .. "

Help Mom - I'm Stuck!

Crawling backwards? check. Forwards? We'll still work on that!

(in case it's a little unclear . . .Ava has herself as far under our coffee table as she can get)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

we may never be asked to babysit again!

Ryan and I got to watch Ben & Kristy's boys the other night while they went out. Here's some fun pictures from the night.

strollers are fun mom!

bumbo seat, the new recliner


Do I see a packer fan in the making. disclaimer - cade went and got the cheesehead himself, we just ran and grabbed the camera. I think his next words though were "Go Pack Go!"
ok, this one was all us. guilty as charged.
Cade loved pushing Ava around and would stop every now and then and cuddle her head in his hands. It was pretty cute.

6 months old!

It seems unreal but Ava is 6 months old today! At her Dr's Appt this week she was:

Weight: 16 lbs 1 oz (50th percentile)

Height: 25 3/4 in (50th percentile)

Head: 16 1/2 in (30% percentile)

She is SO close to crawling. . .she's scooting backwards and around but

hasn't quite gotten the hang of moving forward. She's really close though . . .

check out these beautiful legs . . ..I love them!
keith stopped by with the kids (and puppy!!)
playing with auburn
girls are so much fun!

some recent photos

Ava has a recent fascination with her toes . . .and chewing them

getting big!Recent Fascination #2: her tongue
I can do it myself daddy . . . .
I love that it looks kind of like they're holding hands! : )

call me a copy cat

I've had so much fun reading others' posts like this and so here you go . . ..

7 Random Things

1. This semester I started (Very part-time) back to school for my Masters of Art in Counseling at Lincoln Christian College's Seminary. How God is going to use this? - I'm not quite sure yet. This has been a step of faith. My heart is in more intensive residential style treatment but I don't have a desire to ever work full time away from home. So since this will be a very long process (I'd like to maintain a sane household and marriage), I've leaving the end of this journey to God. I couldn't do this without a husband who at times I feel God has given a greater passion for me to pursue this than I have and a willingess to pick up my loose ends - he is a gift.

2. Speaking of school - when I went back to finish my bachelor's degree after Ryan and I were married, I started having a recurrent "nightmare:" It my senior year of high school and due to some struggles in my life, I am fighting to be able to graduate and not have to be heldback another year (and may I mention I'm engaged to Ryan too in my nightmare?!?!?!). It's awful. Crazy thing? It stopped when I graduated. Crazier thing? It's come back since I went back to school for my master's!

3. As I've gotten "older" I have become more introverted and more of a homebody. I'm not sure if this comes from being put more out of my element (and therefore not as comfortable) or just my personality evolving from some hard experiences I've been through. I believe it's some of both. People knowing me, especially growing up, can be surprised by this at times as they would consider me a "people person". It's made transitioning into what seems like a very large church (I grew up in Detroit) a rollercoaster at times. I'm working on making myself step out more. Mark's family night on fellowship was good for my heart to hear the other night. Hmmm . . .I think that one will count for #4 too.

5. I've been much more of a "Clingy" mom than I expected to be (or said I would be). Maybe that's not the right word but for now that's what I'll use. I don't care who holds her. I don't care if I don't see her. It's not that I really worry others will do something wrong . . .I just don't always feel like leaving Ava. I still prefer to hold her myself. I knew I'd love being a mom but I think I was unprepared (as I think any mom is) how incredibly fun and awesome of an experience it is. So it's not always fun for me to leave her. I always enjoy the time away, it's just thinking about it before hand that sometimes it sounds more fun to stay home as a family or as her and I. I do, I have, and I will continue to - for my marriage. For my sanity. For her. I'm also not niave enough to think it will always stay this way. : )

6. It is a big struggle at times for me to live far away from my mom.

7. Wow - some of those were a little deeper than I intended. : ) So let's see . . .I love broadway. In my dream world I am an incredibly talented singer and dancer with a starring roll in a hit broadway show. Like I said, my dream world. I told Ryan I would settle for a long wknd sometime where we hit as many broadway shows as possible each day. : )