Daddy and Ava

It's great to be home at the same time after work.  I get the mail while Ava walks around the driveway.   This time daddy came out and walked around with her. Be still my heart.

Another countdown is on.

What's this one for, you ask? Oh just for little miss turning 1! Oh goodness. It's already been 11mo and she's almost 1. Wrapping my head around having a one year old is not the easiest thing to do. I look back at this week a year ago and I was scrambling to get everything done before Ava's arrival. Last minute touches to the house,  making sure her room was all set, my bag was packed and trying to stay calm for all of it. And now look. A beautiful baby girl, walking around the house, happy as can be.  We are beyond blessed.  We are past happy. We are totally enamored with this girl.  Hearing Don tell me that she was his everything melted my heart.  I look at that little face and rub my fingers on her cheek that's as smooth as silk and thank God for trusting me to care for her. What could I have done to deserve something so perfect?  She's mine. Ours. For now our little family is complete. (I have some serious puppy fever though.  Working on that...)  Not a day goes by that we thank God for our life. Ahh...

because I'm still fancy

Wearing pink makes me happy. and it makes A happy too.  So we took selfies.

pink top, kohl's. skinnies, forever 21+, nude flats, burlington

A moment of panic...

A girlfriend of mine came over to go through all of Ava's clothes & the hand-me-downs that were given to us, for her little one due in May.  Ava was being very helpful pulling all of the clothes out, sharing cheerios and ransacking the room. So when daddy came home, I left her in his care.  He was in the living room, with some fishing on tv, and Ava was entertaining herself. At one point I even came into the room and asked if she was being a good girl.  Of course she was!  Well, a while later, I heard a snore, and after that, I noticed it had gotten pretty quiet out there.  Normally there's some banging around, but nothing.  Mind you, I am in the front bedroom, separated by a wall or two, and talking with my friend, awww'ing and separating clothes.  I decided to go peek out there, and when I did, I found daddy asleep.  Coco was sleeping on the love seat.  Not alarmed.  Ava was not on the floor.  I asked Don, "where's the baby?" He opened his eyes, sat up with a strange look on is face, as if to say I was crazy.  I did a lap around the room, b/c sometimes Ava will sit on the other side of the loveseat and look outside.  No baby.  Not  hiding behind the dining room table. Not in the kitchen. Panic slowly decides to show. I went to her bedroom.  Nothing. Not in the bathroom, either.  I came out and Don calmly told me to get my camera.  Sigh. Panic can go back to where it came from.  I was expecting to find her asleep in my closet, where she goes to play sometimes when we're in the bedroom.  Nope, she found a new bed. Up comes the cuteness.  I almost threw up.

 I've wanted another puppy, but kinda wanted it to be a boy.  I guess I'll settle.  When she woke up, she looked around like "where the heck am I?" I was watching her from the sofa, folding her laundry and gently called to her.
And thus the hashtag lives on... #sodamncute

(sorry mama)

Shawty is a 10

Well, she was a 10.  Tomorrow she'll be an 11-month old. I'm so behind on my updates!  My apologies.  A lot happened for Ava during her 10th month on this planet.  She started to walk around on her own for short bursts.  And then a week later, 3/20, she was on the move!  Now, her official mode of transport are her two little feet.  It's so stinking adorable to watch a little person walk around.  She'll sneak up on us, like a ninja.  My little one will almost be a year old.  Wow.  Insane.  She's officially in her 9mo clothes, too.  I moved her 6mo clothes from her drawers & closet. And my little obsession with baby shoes is growing.  I got her some adorbs garanimal shoes from wally world the other day. Oh my word.  I don't care if she grows out of them soon.  They're precious.  Ava's getting tired of formula, I think, so we're trying to introduce more foods to her.  She loves her some bananas, sweet potatoes, chicken & turkey.  Oh, and she is head over heels for cherrios.  I must admit I was looking forward to the day when we could introduce her to the yellow box of goodness.  Coco loves them, too.  Thank goodness, b/c Ava pulls them out of her little snack cup and shoves 10 at a time in her mouth, while the other 10 fall on the floor. So our girls love them.  Yay!

yay yogurt & sweet potatoes

cannot handle the cuteness with these shorts!  she looks so retro 

doing a little evening read. daddy called her kevin bacon b/c of the tank & jeans. 

cheewios!!

A mother's work...

Is never done!  Neither is a wife's. You could pretty much insert any role in that phrase.  I feel like for myself, though, that the laundry is never done. I feel so good about doing it, folding, putting it all away, and then I look in the basket that next day and it's overflowing. How? And then oh ya, don't forget the baby's stuff.  Just when you think that you have time to sit down and exhale after a long day's work, nope. Don't forget to pack up the baby's bag for daycare tomorrow, and oh ya, make husband's & your lunch, and why don't you go ahead and just finish those dishes you put aside two days ago? Throw in a baby weaving in & out of your legs, whimpering for your attention.  Ok, steal a couple of min- oh! Spoke too soon, it's bath time!  Splish splash!  Lotion rubs, maybe pin her down & use the suction thing on her runny nose thanks pollen!),  wipe tears away and coo her to calm.  Set her down and fill up the humidifier, before she gets back in the bathroom to open up all the cabinets & slam the doors. Make sure the music is on in her room, set out her outfit for tomorrow.  Maybe let her ransack her book basket.  Then snuggles on the sofa and then bottle as daddy dozes off & Coco sits next to us with panda. Baby can go to bed now (about 10pm), so we can now relax... Hubby is asleep already on the sofa.  Coco is following me around, waiting for me to settle so she and her panda can rest in my lap.  Don't forget to take an allergy pill!  Ok so now it's time to say ahhh.... Eyes feel heavy... sofa feels so soft... should I go take my makeup off? Brush my teeth?  Nah in a minute.
It's been a minute and it's now 1:45a.m.  Oops. Guess I'll move to the bed now. One more peek in at the babe, soundly sleeping. Heavy breathing, darn allergies.  Brush teeth.  Remove bra. Bed. Zzzzzzzzz
Alarm. Snooze. x's 3. UP.  Shower, get as ready as can be before baby wakes up.  Diaper, clothes, nose -wipe tears!! Bottle, out the door!  And so the cycle repeats itself.

psssssstt.... i wouldn't change any of this for the world. God sure has blessed me & I am ever so thankful.