Saturday, October 31, 2009

Ava's words

Ya know it is soooo hard to tell when a baby actually says a word. They jibber jabber all of the time and make sounds and it sometimes sounds like things (especially if you listen just right! ha). WELL, today....AC said 2 things perfectly clear! She said "hi dad" just as plain as could be.......that was so weird to us because she had never really jabbered the "ddddddd" sound....we were beginning to get concerned about her inability to make the "ddddddddaaaa" sound....well now we know she CAN say it!
Also.....I know this is really hard to believe, but I promise.....Matt even heard it (and he doesn't exagerate ANYTHING!!!) Ava Claire said "Ava" just as plain as day. I was saying "wow Ava you are sooo strong! go Ava! wow Ava!" just acting silly and I'm dead serious when I say she just looked up at me and said "Ava". Odd--- I know. It sounds extremely odd because I hear many older kiddos that can't even say the "v" sound...it sounds like a "b" still....But I'm serious---she said her name. Go figure! Odd....weird.....cool....probably won't happen again for a while! ha
I've tried a lot already and no luck....anyway....it was cool when it happened! Very unexpected and exciting! She is just such a joy and everyday is a new adventure! I love it!!

Halloween Day!


Ava Claire's First Halloween!

Pumpkin Girl Going to Breakfast!

Helping Sort the Halloween Candy!

Hanging with Daddy!

Little Halloween Cat

I want to eat this Kit-Kat sooooo bad!

Two Little Ladybugs!

Tired Ladybug!

AC's friend Harper and her mommy Ginger

Playing with my friends....can you tell who they are????!
(Hint: Hayes is the chunky monkey and Harper is the cutest cow ever!)

Still playing with my friends....Lilly came to join us---she was such a cute bee!!

RRRRRRrrrrrrrr!

We had such a fun day!!! Ac really enjoyed her 1st Halloween even though she didn't actually go trick-or-treating. She had some friends over to play and then other friends would pop in and visit when they came to our house trick-or-treating...it was fun!! Ava Claire had a really good time playing with Jake and Sam too---she would just watch them and play (Jake is 3rd grade and Sam is pre-k). They played together really well...it was too cute! We are amazed at AC (yet once again)....she usually always go to bed around 7....but tonight it was almost 9 before she got in the bed and she wasn't even cranky!!! go Ava! We have sooooooooo many new things to post about! You are going to be amazed soon.....

I've got two teeth!!

Ava Claire got another tooth for Halloween!! She's up to two now!!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Tennesse Take Two

Here are some more pics from our trip to TN. Ava Claire loved meeting all of GrandMom Anderson's side of the family!!



Tennessee




Much Needed Pic Update







This is how AC shops with daddy!
Here are some of the pics we have taken here lately...she's growing too fast!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

What a day!!

Well, AC and I decided to go Christmas shopping today while daddy and Uncle Michael are at the AL/UT game....so we set off and went to Home Goods....as soon as we get in-- I start to put AC in the buggy and boom--she starts crying. So I'm like ok...I'll hold you this is fine. Twenty minutes later, my arm is numb, I'm sweating, and wondering why my back is starting to hurt. Sooooo, we leave!

We head to Target (I'm thinking it can't get any worse.....so why not???!) So here we go....get in the door (with AC, the diaper bag, shopping cart cover, and AC's much loved ladybug). Get the shopping cart cover on (one-handed) and get her in it...start to strap her in and boom--she starts crying. I'm like "too bad! you have to learn that you can't always get your way....I'm going to be real 'tough'". Meanwhile, I look up and there is one of my kiddos from my class and her mom. Soooo I HAVE to pick up AC so they don't think she's just horrible. (So AC gets her way again). So we talk to them and AC calms down. At this point, I've given up on putting her in....I'm just going to hold her. So we proceed to the toys (Christmas shopping for Blake)....AC was pretty good to start with....then boom---she throws a fit! When I say fit...I'm serious! She has done it 2 times now---she arches her back and just goes limp....it's crazy!!!!!!!!! At this point, I'm like "we've gotta just get outta here!" So we head to the check-out....there is actually a line open with NOBODY in it....at this point I'm thinking "whew! this is getting better! it can't get much worse" OK...so here we go! We pay and stop at Pizza Hut (inside the Target because I'm starving---we grab a pizza to go--AC's being fine). I put the pizza in the buggy, get my cup and fill it with coke, and place it in the buggy.....it SPILLS a little bit on AC's shopping cart cover. OK that's fine. So I pick it up. (Stop and visualize this----I"m holding AC on my right hip---coke in my left hand---and pushing the buggy with what I guess you would call my tummy/bottom of the coke cup). Sweat is pouring off of me from the stress and the coat I'm wearing. Anyway....so we're going...we are almost to the car. When I notice that somehow, someway, AC has got the lid to pop off the cup and is sticking her hand in the coke then putting it in her mouth. At this point I just start laughing....just couldn't stop...so of course, anytime I laugh like that AC joins me because she thinks something must be funny too...so here we are walking out laughing soooo hard together! All I could think was.....man---she better be glad I love her! hahaha

We made it to the car.....FINALLY found the keys...and came home! I learned two things today:
Christmas shopping will only take place when daddy can watch AC.
and
How in the world could I even think about adding another kiddo to this mess?!!! ha

So we made it home....AC went straight to sleep (the trip exhausted her too!) and she has just now woken up...so I'm off to get her up!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Slide Show

NIght time Trick

Well, tonight when daddy put that sweet angel down for sleep...she played around in her crib a few minutes and then all of a sudden I started hearing a loud heartbeat----very confused....I"m looking at her on the monitor and she appears normal...so I'm trying to figure out what I'm hearing! Finally I realize that she has her heartbeat bear----has picked it up---and TURNED IT ON HERSELF---and it is beating LOUD!!!! It has been about 10 minutes now and I'm watching her right now...the bear is still beating loudly and she's just holding onto it. She is "talking" to it and just laying there....it's really one of the sweetest things! (Poor thing has the hiccups though...) I want to go in there and turn the volume down...but we know I can't do that!! So I guess I'll block it out, hope she falls asleep, and then go turn the volume down. She sure is a smart girl---turning that thing on is not that easy!! I guess those Kindermusik classes are paying off after all! ha

KISS?!!

One of the things she is doing is....you can say "KISS" Ava...and she will stop what she is doing and come kiss me!! It is the sweetest thing ever!!!

Tubbie Tinkles

Well, AC's favorite time of the day now is tub time. She gets soooo excited when it's time for a bath. She will just stand on the side of the tub and try and crawl over the side to get in (it won't be long until she can do that!) Well, the last two times during tub time...she will be standing on the side of the tub- naked- waiting to get in....and she just starts tee-t-ing!! She makes some big puddles. Daddy got to witness it today!! He even cleaned it up...what a sweet daddy we have!!! We sure are lucky!

Cutest Clown Ever!


Mommy's Little Clown!
Here was one Halloween choice....it's not the winner! But she sure is cute in it!

Ac and Blake Playing!


Here are some pics of AC and Blake playing at MaMaw and Papaw's house. They had soooo much fun!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Trip to Tennessee

Our trip to Tennessee was great!! It started off amazing...we left here at 5 and put in Elmo for AC to watch...she watched THE SAME video 3 times in a row (she was loving it and mommy and daddy were about to go crazy hearing Elmo over and over...yet another sacrifice for this little angel!) At about 8 o'clock she started rubbing her eyes, we gave her a bottle, and she fell asleep! Wow! We're thinking "man, she really is the perfect baby...this trip is a breeze....we can go on more trips....who said traveling with a baby was hard?!!....not Ava Claire....she's doing great!" BOOM----EYES WIDE OPEN! I pretend to not see her and "look away" (like when you don't want to be called on in class). Well, that didn't work. She started crying....so I gave her a bottle...that didn't work. So, we turned back on Elmo and boom....smiling and laughing (at 9:30 at night). OK she hasn't been up that late since she was a newborn.

Anyway, we go with it (because we are in a car and don't really have much of a choice). So around 11 pm we get to TN and AC is still AWAKE! We go inside...and she is STILL AWAKE. She plays and "shows off" for Matt's parents and then we finally try to put her to sleep. I'm not even going to talk about that night of sleep because I try and block it out--let's just say I didn't get much sleep at all...and AC didn't really either.

So you can imagine how worried I am that she is going to have her nights and days mixed up...we were lucky enough to not have to go through that when she was a baby...so I'm really worried!

However, the next morning, she woke up happy and did fine all day! She was back to perfect baby Ava.

So we headed to Mom's house and I was so worried that she would be scared when she saw mom (and I knew that would hurt Ma-maw's feelings)....but little AC leaped for her Mamaw as soon as she saw her!!

The anniversary party went great (and mom only figured it out about 30 minutes before--which with our family is great!!!) I totally expected someone else to blurt it out wayyyyy before then! So that was great! The party was good and it was great to see everybody.

We had a really good time and have some good pics....but it's late and I want some rest--I'm still not rested from the trip! It was great...but we probably won't be doing it for a while...it's just too exhausting with AC right now.

Last thing, and then I promise to hush. I really think AC enjoyed playing with her cousin Blake (2 and a half). She would just watch him and then try and do what he was doing. It really was fun to watch. My favorite thing they did (and my camera battery was dead- of course!) But I've got the picture in my head and I can just see them there.....they both were at Mamaw's end cabinet where she keeps her spices and "junk"--mostly little bottles of stuff.....and they were both on their hands and knees with their little booty's in the air just a messin as hard as they could. They were picking up bottles, putting them in their mouth, messing with the measuring cups and lots of things. And Blake (messing as fast as he could!) would look at AC and say "No Ava, no mess!" It was priceless!!! And of course AC would just laugh!

toooo cute!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Climbing the Steps

While playing in the yard....AC crawled over to the steps and went right up them!! She's never been around steps before (because our steps inside have been gated off for about 4 months....I know I did it wayyyyy to early! ha) Anyway...so I let her crawl up them to see what she would do. Well, she just went right up them like she knew what to do! Just another thing we will have to start being careful about!!!

One of my favorite pics in a while...

not really sure why I like this one so much....but I do!! Just wanted to share it! Look how little and precious!!

Fall Fun Outside



Ava Claire and I played in the yard all afternoon on Saturday. It was soooo much fun!! She was too funny...she would roll down the hill and just laugh. I tried to get her to take some fall pictures near my scarecrow scene....but of course, she didn't want to sit still! Here are some pics.... all I can say is I HOPE she does better next weekend when she has her Christmas card pictures made....hopefully the photographer will be able to get her to cooperate better than I did! We shall see.....




Fun at Daddy's Work

Well, we had to go to Matt's office this morning and hang some pictures in his new office....so of course Ava Claire helped!!! She re-decorated daddy's office by throwing down all of his magazines, eating his work keys, and eating his business cards. Here's the proof!
(Hey mom, does this remind you of anybody???!! OK-- since I know you will be wondering what the inside joke is...I'll go ahead and tell you. When I was small, I used to sit on my Ma-maw's table...and even do other things on there!! ha....so it looks like AC is taking after her mommy after all!!

Ma-Maw's Little Ladybug


Check out Ma-maw's "Little Ladybug"....some of you might not know that when I was little....my Ma-maw (who I was very close to and AC is named after) used to call me Ladybug. Now my mom is calling Ava Claire her Little ladybug. So I thought it was appropriate to post this picture to her!!

Your Ladybug Loves You Ma-maw!!!

Friday, October 2, 2009

AC's words...

She has two words down!!! They are: MOMA and UHNT UH
We are counting moma and her first word....but she says uhnt-uh alllll the time! That's pretty sad....because that really shows how MESSY she is!!! We have to say uhnt-uh to her ALOT! ha She's a silly goose......

1st TOOTH!

Ava Claire got her first tooth today....it is sharp! I am charging the camera battery right now (still dead from the zoo!) and I'll get a pic of her tooth tomorrow. I haven't put pics on in a while...I'm sorry! I'll take some tomorrow and get them on there- I promise! (good news---I was able to make pics from the videos I took at the zoo...so we WILL have zoo pics tomorrow too!! yay!)

We still haven't decided what AC will be for Halloween...so I'm going to need your help on that too. We are going to try on all of her (six!!) costumes tomorrow and post pictures so you can vote on which one she should wear! Her choices are: ballerina, ladybug, pumpkin, clown, cheerleader, or chick. (The chick is way too small and way too hot for Alabama weather...so it's a no!) Anyway...I'll post pics tomorrow and you can help us decide. Probably will be a ladybug because I have a ladybug costume too....so we can match!!!! hahahaha Daddy will LOVE that! Maybe we can get daddy to be a bug too???! Doubt it....