the Proverbs 31 woman has nothing on Ava

I mean . . .I don't recall ever reading a verse where she scrubbed her floors in high heels.

Ava must just be modeling what she sees at home.

Right (that might have been a somewhat false statement).

monkey see, monkey do?

I came around the corner of the office this morning to find my daughter like this . . .

. . .I'm trying to decide how I feel about this.

Is mommy spending too much time at the computer?

It felt a little "nicer" posting the picture of her here. : )

success? the jury is still out!

Well wednesday night we moved Ava into her new room and bed. I was fairly hopeful it would go smoothly as she had already napped at my sister's in a big bed once and did pretty well.



We talked about it all day and Ava would get excited and answer "yes" every time I asked her if she was going to sleep in her big bed that night.



The time came and we all went upstairs.



Things were going according to plan until we turned off the lights to tuck her in. It was like it all of a sudden dawned on her what was really happening and she suddenly wasn't sure this was such a great idea after all.



After lots of snuggles and kisses and goodnight prayers, we left a little girl who still wasn't too sure about the idea.



Two hours later, we thought we had finally achieved a peaceful night when this was what we found in her bed and went to bed with a sigh of relief that it was over.



Well, to make a long story short . . .it was an AWFUL night.



Correction, it was a HORRID night.



I think we were up about every hour through a little after 4 . .. and she still managed to wake up early too.



Let's just say at 3 in the morning it was all this pregnant, worn-out, and very tired momy could do to not to march my daughter back to her crib and yell out "SURRENDER."

So thursday morning Ava and mommy packed up and went to Aunt Alisa's where Mom crashed into bed and Ava got worn out by 5 enthusiastic cousins.

While I was a little nervous heading back home for Ava's nap to try for round 2, I needn't have worried.

After her night and morning, Ava was so tired by the time we got home I think she would have slept upside down. So mommy at least got a more normal and peaceful nap.

Round two came last night with both mommy and daddy a little nervous.

Ava was still pretty clingy as we took her to bed but success came when after just a few minutes of weak protest (like she was just letting us know that she still didn't think this was the greatest idea and wanted to make sure she had told us), silence came after about only 5 minutes.

When I tiptoed in to check on her about 45 minutes later, it was all I could do not to laugh out loud when this is what I saw.


It was kind of like even in her sleep, she was silently protesting the plight we had brought upon her.

"If I just don't look, it won't be real."

Well I'm happy to report that Ava slept through the night last night without waking up once. While she was up early, we didn't have anywhere near to a repeat of the first night.

I'm not calling out victory yet.

But I will say I'm cautiously optimistic we'll make it through.

Here's one last picture of Ava in her big bed with hopes for more restful nights!

Go ahead . . .you can laugh

On our trip home from michigan, Ava and I got bumped (Daddy had to be back at work monday morning and couldn't volunteer).

When the flight attendant asked for volunteers, it was due to weight limits being over what is considered safe.

I don't know how many of you have ever flown on the small prop planes we take from Bloomington to Detroit, but there are times they will even move a half-full plane around to distribute the weight for safety reasons (comforting - huh?!?!). I've had it happen to me dozens of times and seen them bump people for the same reason.

I didn't think too much of it until I talked to Ryan after he landed.

When Ryan called me to let me know he had made it home safely he asked, "Hun, did the gate agent say anything more to you after the plane left?"

"No. Why?"

"Well she came back to the plane, counted people and left. But your seat next to me was empty the entire flight . . .and was the only empty seat."

"Yes . . .what are you trying to say?!?!??!" : )

This is when I can hear Ryan silently trying to guage my mood and emotional fragileness at the present moment.

"Go ahead, say it honey . .. .you're finding it humerous that the lady who got bumped due to weight limits being exceeded is the one who is pregnant with twins."

He was lucky.

I found it funny too.

I still do.

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!