New Year's in Michigan

Here's some photos from our time in Michigan . . . .

My daughter, the bum. No idea where she gets it from.

Ava spent half her time in Michigan making laps around my parent's house with one of the double strollers they had bought. There were even times she was pushing two of them.
Opening up her stocking bag

Mom and Dad

Ava and Brynne playing with the dolls - can you tell twins are on the way in our family?

Both Addy and Brynne got twin baby dolls (even ones that talk to eachother) and twin strollers. Ava claimed them as hers while we were there. : )

More dolls

Helping Grandma Eloise open her present

Playing school downstairs with Brynne

Visiting Papa Willard

Singing for Papa Willard

Even though the snow was about gone, the kids all managed to get some sledding time in (my parents have the best backyard for it!) So Ava gave sledding another try.

Brrrr . .. it's cold Mom!

Ava and Daddy

Ready to go!

Sledding with her cousins

Ava went down about 5 times. She liked it alot the first time and wanted to go again. Each time was a little less exciting and after the 5th time . . .she got off the sled and starting heading up the big hill to the house by herself. It was pretty cold out. Mommy didn't blame her.

Getting pulled around by Daddy

Driving the city version of a John Deere.

That's all for now!

I'm back!

Whew.

I'm finally rejoining the land of blogging. I'm sure you were missing me SO much.

I have 3 different posts I could do today, but decided I better start with what I've been talking the most about lately: Ava's room!

It was a whirlwind of a week and weekend as we waded through the mess we'd made and finally came up with a much more organized upstairs and two rooms ready for little girls.

You see, the room Ava is moving into had kind of become my junk room.

I know you know what I"m talking about.

The room and closet you throw everything in when you don't want to deal with it, look at it or put it away where it really should go.

Please tell me I'm not the only one with one of those.

But losing that room means I had to deal with it all, look at it and finally put things where they should go (or at least KIND OF).

So I got to do some major reorganization this past week while Ryan cleaned carpets, finished painting and assembled pieces of furniture. Ava's heavy task work included spending a day at her Aunt Alisa's and saturday morning at Gpa and Gma Prevo's. Rough life - huh! It sure made the days more productive - so thanks all!

But both rooms for the girls are about as finished as they're going to get at this point. Ava's room has run out of money (and she's not offering to cough anymore up) : ).

And we're waiting on getting our second set of crib bedding for the twin's room as well as still need to put their letters up for their names. But the second crib is up (boy is that crazy to see!), all their clothes are put away and if they need to come home anytime soon, we're as ready as we're going to be. I'll put pictures up of their room when that is a little more completed.

But here's some pictures of Ava's room as it was assembled and as it is now.

And sorry, I didn't feel like straightening up the bed, picking up Ava's books or making it completely picture perfect. : )

the good news?

I LOVE it. And Ava seems to as well since it's one of the first places she wants to go when she wakes up in the morning.

When we put together her bed and added the bed rail, we realized we hadn't ordered the extra rail we need. So as soon as that comes in this week, Ava will officially move to the new room.

We'll let you know how it goes.

Ok, really, here's the photos now. : )

Here Ava is "helping" Daddy put together her new bed

Someone has to be quality control
Aunt Alisa and Grandma Bahr? Here's Ava saying "YAHOO" about her new bed!

More quality control

When Addy and Brynne came to get Ava on thursday Ava wanted to show them her room. Then she wanted them to climb on the bed with her and they all had to go to "sleep."

I think I see some future slumber parties in the making.

A view of the " completed" room - my goal is to add fun turquoise accessories and frames above her shelves and dresser

I know, all I had to do was get the extra dresser knobs and get them all painted. Notice what still isn't done?!?!?! : ) I had to save something for these next weeks!

Another view.

Ava's bookcase

And here's my UpperCase Living Expression - I LOVE IT!!!!

If you'd like one, I'd be glad to tell you how to get it (how's that for a shameless plug Brooke : ) )

That's all for now . . ..Have a great week everyone!

yes, we're still here!

Sorry for the blog silence - we were off to Michigan for New Year's and Christmas with my family. It was so good to be "home." I have to admit, a part of me was a little extra sentimental knowing that for the next few years, my visits home will be quite a bit busier. : )

Ava had a blast roaming all over Grandpa and Grandma's and playing until she dropped with all her cousins (and mommy loved watching it!).

We got back monday night and it's been a flurry of stuff ever since. We're working on getting Ava's room done by this weekend with a hopeful move starting sometime next week.

Gulp.

I was doing ok until I came out of Ava's room one night after checking on her before we went to bed and Daddy said, "it's her last week in her crib."

Way to make a pregnant lady sentimental.

But my parents have a toddler bed in their basement at home and Ava thought she was pretty cool when she'd climb up, lie down and have me bundle her up. So I do think she'll think this is neat. It might take mommy a day or two.

The list of things "to do" before babies come is starting to blatantly stare me in the face.

Not to mention the Christmas Decorations that mock me as I pass them by. We did get the tree taken down last night.

So with all that said, if I'm not quite as "verbal" these next few days or so, know it's because we're busily trying to get things done, before I can't do them anymore!

I'll try to get some of our pictures from Michigan up sometime soon . ..but until then, here's Ava and some of her cousins before we opened up presents with my parents.

Happy New Year!

28 weeks

We had our 28 week appt and ultrasound today. It's always so much fun to get to see the girls (we got confirmation again today that one of them at least is still a girl) : ). It was extra fun to have Ryan along this time too.

Both girls had good movement, good heartbeats, good measurements (on track) and good fluid levels (which I was worried would start being a problem since that is why I was induced with Ava).

Another huge praise was the fact that my glucose and hemoglobin levels were really great . . .especially considering I'm carrying twins. In fact, they both were better than when I was pregnant with Ava. So hurray for no diets (although not that it would be all that bad for me to eat better). : )

Currently, baby A was measuring at 27 weeks, 5 days with a weight of 2 lbs 9 oz (they want their measurements within 2 weeks of your gestation).

Baby B was measuring at 28 weeks, 1 day with a weight of 2 lbs 8 oz. It's crazy to think how close we're getting to babies who could come home from the hospital! I'm starting to panic about what we still need to get done.

But both girls seem to be right on track and doing great which we're so thankful for!

I've been feeling much better since I've slowed down, albiet tire pretty easily. I currently measure bigger than I did the day I delivered Ava (as I should) and I am starting to daily shake my head and ask how my belly is going to keep stretching for 2 more months! I may just start wearing a cow bell in another month. : )

I find myself riding a see-saw of wanting to be assured they won't let me go past a certain time frame so I"m not a complete whale (movements are starting to get pretty ackward and I"m definately noticing the extra weight on my back) . . ..with wanting to avoid induction at all costs if I can. As some of you know, I had a horrendously awful and VERY long post-partum recovery with Ava which I am convinced is partly due to being induced. So it's kind of one those, "one day at a time God!"

And even when I try and pretend to myself that I can control any part of when or how these babies will come, I know in reality the 3 of us are all in God's hands and He'll get us through whatever outcome we find ourselves in. So it's a daily conversation of surrender on that end! And some days, it's an easier surrender than others.


Thanks so much for all your continued prayers!!

it's nice to see my daughter's devotion habits starting early

christmas's galore

It's been a whirlwind of christmases .. ..yesterday found Ava and Mommy both exhausted, grumpy and a teeny bit emotional (poor daddy . ..can you just imagine his life in 15 years when all 4 of his ladies are that way?!). Thankfully, today has gotten increasingly better as we all finally got a good night's sleep, we celebrated Christmas with our little family, Ava FINALLY took a good nap for the first time all week and life slowed down a bit. Ahhhh. I love a day with no agenda!

But here's a massive recap of our past few days!
Christmas Eve found us celebrating Christmas with Ryan's family.

Ava opening up her stocking

Tasting Pez for the first time . ..someone is a fan! : )

Playing with Grandpa's Race Track

Going "fishing" with Daddy and his new fishing pole

Ava didn't think the matching aprons she and Grandma got from Grandpa were as cute as we did.

Playing with Uncle David's present

Ava's new stereo for her bedroom was huge hit. Here's she's showing me how she sings along with her new cd.






Dancing to the music

This "play/pause" button is REALLY neat mom.

Snuggling the babies

Opening Aunt Callie's present

Playing hide and seek in her christmas pj's and slippers

Playing with the "choo, choo"

Christmas morning we opened stockings before church . . ..Ava's ring pop and new necklaces made for one happy little girl. The rest was just extras. : )




After church we headed off to Mattoon to spend Christmas day with the Prevo's. Ava got this cozy bathrobe from Uncle Bruce and Aunt Debbie.

Here's our resident trash picker upper hard at work

Grandpa Prevo opening up his presents

Ryan's cousin Zach was Ava's favorite playmate of the day!

This morning, Ava got to open her presents from Mommy and Daddy (and a bonus present we saved) : )

Playing with her new stroller and one of her twin baby dolls (thanks Annika for such a fun gift - Ava loved her new babies!!)

Driving her new car around with Daddy - we had to pull her out from it to eat Breakfast. She just kept wanting to drive her car and didn't want to get out!