4 Months Old!

4 month olds

She finally was interested in meeting her picture buddy. She decided to name him "Bubbles". She thought that was appropriate since she loves to blow bubbles. :)

Has 4 months really gone by since this little one came into the world? I think I ask myself that question with each passing month. This past month has seemed to be the most developmental for Ava so far. Since her 3 month old post she has started reaching and clinging on to her toys, burp cloths, her clothes, really anything she can get her little hands on. She is holding her head up on her own, with a tilt of course, so we have started putting her in the excersaucer so she can sit up and play with her toys. I almost got a little teary eyed when I saw her play in it for the first time. I cant believe she is old enough to be able to sit up and entertain herself! Up until this month all she could do was lay around and stare at the ceiling fan or toys dangling from her mobile!

Her physical therapy is continuing to go well. Each time her PT comes she shows us new exercises or stretches we can to help with Ava's neck alignment. She showed us some things to do on a yoga ball with her such as tummy time and some side stretches. The ball is great because the shape of the ball helps Ava to mold her body around the ball which makes the stretching a little more comfortable and easier. The rocking of the ball back and forth is a distraction for her also. She considers it playtime rather than "work" time. She still loves kicking her legs as hard as she can. It is extra funny in the bathtub because it creates quite a splash. We still have awhile before she can roll over on her own. We work on it in her physical therapy but I dont see it happening for at least a couple more weeks. This might be another area where she is a little behind other babies her age because of her torticollis and lack of range of motion.

Ava did have her first laugh a couple of weeks ago. Although we havent heard the belly laugh from her yet she does let out the occasion chuckle. As soon as we get the full on laugh we will try and capture it on video.

For the past two and half weeks Ava has woken up in the early morning, usually around 5. We are still baffled by this. At first we thought it was because of a growth spurt but now I think it is something else, maybe teething perhaps. We go to the pediatrician for her 4 month check up on Wednesday and this one is on my list of questions for her. I will have an update then with her measurement stats.
Happy 4 months old sweet Ava! I can't wait to see what firsts we will experience this next month!

I created this slideshow of pictures from the past month that didnt make it on the blog.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Some videos to make you smile

Ava's new favorite thing is to kick her legs as hard as she can and really fast too. I have also caught her with her legs in the air just staring at her toes. It is her new discovery. I have a feeling sometime in the near future those toes might end up in her mouth.

Another new thing she has been doing is making cute little motor mouth sounds using her tongue. It is really funny to watch her try and imitate us doing it because she blows tons of bubbles and it is hit or miss. She tries so hard! What a cutie I have!

July 12th- A Special Day

Today is a very special day for two reasons.

1. It is my baby sister's birthday!

Brianna,

Ever since you were little I knew there was something extra special about you. You seemed to have an awareness of people and situations well before what most children can comprehend. You have a wonderful spirit about you and anyone that knows you is truly blessed. I have always said that you are touched by God. I believe you were brought into this world to show us how to love each other and Jesus with our whole heart. The way that you care for those around you and the outward expression of your love for Jesus is inspiring. I have never met any child more prayerful and dedicated in their walk as you. I hope that Ava will grow up to be just like her Aunt Brianna. On this special day I hope you know how much you are loved and appreciated. You are one of a kind and I am proud to call you my sister. Happy Birthday Bri! I love you!

Love,

Your big sister

July 12th is also a special day because it was a year ago today that I found out I was pregnant with Ava. Here is the post from a year ago in which we celebrated Brianna's birthday.

It was such an exciting day! In these pictures Mikey didnt even know I was pregnant. Here's the full story of how the day played out. I woke up that morning and something in me told me to take a pregnancy test. We weren't really trying to get pregnant but we left it in God's hands. We knew that whenever it happened it was meant to be. I was shocked when I saw two pink lines on the pregnancy test indicating I was pregnant! I didn't believe it. Mikey had already left for work and my mom and Bri were in town visiting so when my mom got up that morning I showed her the test. She looked at me with a smile and said "oh my gosh". It was a surprise to her too. I kept saying it can't be right, i'm not really pregnant and my mom assured me that yes you are pregnant. It is very unlikely to get a false positive on those tests. I called and made an appointment to get some blood work done to get some more information about what my hormone levels were etc... My mom and I kept my little secret all day because I wanted to tell Mikey in person. I was on cloud 9 all day long!! It was the best feeling although I still had my doubts. We had already planned on having some family over that evening to help us celebrate Brianna's birthday. I didn't want to say anything to them right away but I was so anxious to share the news with Mikey. He didn't get home till after everyone had arrived at the house so I had to wait till everyone left, around midnight, to tell him. Boy was that hard! When we were finally alone I told him that I had a surprise for him and behind my back I pulled out the pregnancy test. He read it and just looked up at me with a smile and asked if this meant I was pregnant. I nodded yes and we just hugged each other and kept saying "is this really real?". I will never forget that moment when the reality hit us that we were going to be parents. I don't think either of us felt ready but that didn't hide the pure joy and excitement that we were feeling. When I think back at that moment and the first appointment were we saw Ava as a little speck and heard her heartbeat I am reminded of God's power and grace. That tiny little being that was growing inside me is now in our arms and bringing us more joy than we could ever imagine. My love for Ava began on July 12th and will continue forever. Oh what a happy day to celebrate!

Here is our first post announcing my pregnancy.

Growth Spurt

Miss Ava is definitely going through a growth spurt. Over the past week she has woken up in the early morning to be fed, something she hasn't done in at least 2 months. Not only is she eating more but her whole body is starting to really fill out. Her legs are getting that chunky baby look to them and as of today she is officially wearing size 2 diapers! I recently boxed up her size 0-3 month clothes and hung up her 6-9 month clothes I had stored away. I rediscovered a whole new wardrobe for her that I had forgotten about. She is growing way too fast for her mommy! She is almost 4 months so I will have more of an update then.

Here are those cute legs that are growing by the day. Her favorite thing is kicking them as hard as she can. I have a video that I will post soon.

There is no way this was gonna fit her by football season so I had to dress her up in one of her Aggie outfits before she outgrew it. She is saying gig'em aggies in this picture!

And as I was typing this post Mikey and Macy came back from thier evening walk to the park and Macy had a brief doggy fainting spell on the way back home! She is fine now but the heat and lack of water must have gotten to her. Poor girl! He said they ran a ton at the park and of course it is still 100 degrees outside so I am not surprised. We made her drink a ton of water when she got home. So all of you with pets make sure they are well hydrated before and during walks. Now we know to be more conscious of that.

4th of July Weekend

This weekend Papa Jim and Gramielle came to visit. They got some Ava lovin' and Papa Jim helped Mikey repair some damage to our roof from the recent storms. It's becoming a tradition for them to come up for the 4th of July and help us with home improvement projects. Last year they helped us replace our fence. Since we couldn't go anywhere to watch fireworks this year we grilled at the house, played games, and watched fireworks from the street. The mall close to our house was firing them off and we could see them perfectly so we got our folding chairs and plopped them in the middle of the street and listened to music from the tahoe which we had parked nearby. It was perfect! Thanks Papa and Gramielle for coming to visit us and for all your help!

Ava and Papa

Ava and Gramielle

Would you believe this is Mikey's 1st tool belt?! He needed one to hold all his tools to repair the roof. He's a big kid now!

The men on the roof

My love for this little girl extends far beyond what I ever imagined!

Looking patriotic in her new outfit from Papa and Gramielle

Showing off how we can hold our head up on our own when sitting up

Making some progress with naps in our crib. What a peaceful little sleeper.

And she likes her paci now! Thanks Bri! It has been helpful in getting her to fall asleep in her crib.


And finally a tummy time video. She is holding her head and upper body up so much better in tummy time. Her head is still tilted to the side but that will get better with time.
I also think Ava is going through a little growth spurt. She woke up last night at 3:30 to be fed, which is pretty rare these days, and she has been sleeping a ton during the day. She is outgrowing so many of her clothes too. We go to the pediatrician for her 4 month check up in a little over a week!

First Family Vacation

We just got back from our very first vacation as a family. Most people who know me know that we go camping on the Frio River every summer with my family. I have been going since I was Ava's age and I was so excited to bring her to one of my favorite places on earth. Nothing beats being in the Texas Hill Country and being surrounded by such beauty and the company of the ones I love. I have so many memories at the river and I look forward to making many more with Ava. We made the long trek to the river starting on Friday, our anniversary. We would have preferred to not be in the car all day on our anniversary but we didn't have much choice. The drive is just too long to make in one day. Our plan was to drive to my dad's on Friday, he lives close to San Antonio, and then leave for the river on Saturday. We had a little scare on the road Friday when we got rear ended in Hillsboro. Luckily we werent hit really hard and we were all ok. It scared me at first since Ava was in the back seat but she woke from her nap with a little cry once we got hit and then she was smiling and talking to me. I knew then she was perfectly ok. We are so thankful that it was only minor and that we were together and I wasnt alone with Ava. That would have sent me over the edge. After about an hour of dealing with the accident we finally got back on the road, only to stop about 30 minutes later to feed Ava. This was the first of MANY stops to feed her. We stayed on her normal feeding schedule but it seemed like we were stopping every hour. It slowed us down quite a bit and made the drive extremely long. Thankfully Ava was such a good girl in the car. She barely cried and she either slept or talked to her toys. I couldnt have asked for a better little traveler! We stopped in Round Rock to visit the Isaacsons. We had lots of people that Ava needed to meet before going to the river so they were our first stop. Alex was such a cutie and was intrigued by Ava, well her eyes at least! He wanted to poke them like he does with the baby dolls and I thought it was hilarious! Here are some pictures to sum up the rest of the trip.

Every year on our anniversary we eat BBQ since that is what we ate at our wedding. We didn't really think it would happen this year since we were on the road all day. Luckily we came across this BBQ joint in Kyle just outside of New Braunsfels. Mikey ran in and got it to go and we ate in the car. (excuse this horrible picture of me. it's the result of being in the car for 5 hours!)

Meeting Alex for the first time

Meeting my Dad's wife, Shirley (aka Nana), for the first time



Me, Dad, and Ava

On Saturday morning we had coffee with some of my high school friends. This was also the first time for them to meet Ava.

Paige

Ok, so this one is out of order but we also stopped in to see Paige Reynolds on our drive back through SA after the river. She is due with her first baby in the next two weeks, maybe sooner! She looked great and I am happy we got to see her before her little one arrives. We'll be back Paige to meet Baby R! (they dont know what they are having!)

Addie

Carla

Kristen

Shelby was also there but I didn't get a picture of her and Ava. Sorry Shelbs!! How did I let that happen?

Finally made it to the river by late Saturday afternoon. This is the view of our private river spot by the house.

Every morning we hung out on the back porch over looking the river and drank our coffee. Ava chilled out in her swing. She loved being outside and so did Macy!

Coffee Chat with Ava

Yes, we love the river! Macy couldnt wait to go swimming and dive for rocks. We would throw a rock in the water and she would submerge her head and retrieve an even bigger rock than we threw. It was funny!

So this pool was supposed to be for Ava but someone decided it was a lounging spot for her to rest after swimming.

Mikey grilling fajitas

The trade off for Ava to dip her toesies in the river water.

I know Mikey's mom and dad would appreciate this picture. This is how Mikey used to suck on his fingers, no it isn't a hookem horns, so when I saw her doing it I had to laugh. Like father like daughter!

Trying to give our best p p p poker face! (who doesn't love that Lady Gaga song?) We failed as you can see. I don't know who cracks first!

The crew (Mikey, Mom, Mimi, Brianna, friend Kaylee, Big Bob, Macy, Me, and Ava)

My Aunt Lisa and cousins stayed at another house close by so we got to see them too. It was such a short trip but we enjoyed every minute! Ava did wonderfully on our first vacation. It's hard to believe the next time we are there she will be walking!

Physical Therapy

Ava's physical therapy is really doing wonders for her. I see improvements every week. We love her physical therapist Lakina and Ava actually seems to enjoy all the stretches. These are some pictures I took last week while Lakina was here working with Ava.