Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Ava's Nursery

9 months later, I'm finally documenting Ava's nursery.  Mostly for me, so I can look back and remember how it was.  It's been so fun transforming her room into a sweet, girly, safe haven of sorts!

8 Month Ava

This summer has been pretty busy for us, especially this last month.  Which is why I am just now getting around to an update about Ava.  She is now 9 months old, can you believe that??  Cause I can't. 9 months was as long as I carried her in my growing belly.  I'm amazed at how fast the time has gone!  It never went by this fast before she was around.  3 more months and we'll be having a first birthday party! 
I entered Ava in the Lehi City Baby Contest on June 25th. The day she turned 8 months old.  We did it with Tessa and Cooper and Grandma Julene came along as well.  Unfortunately, we didn't win, but it was still fun!  What do stupid judges know anyway?  My child is gorgeous and I don't need strangers to tell me that!

Jace picked up a love for cycling and at the end of June, rode in the MS 150 up in Logan with a team from eBay.  He trained so hard for this race and I am so proud of him for doing it.  He's very much enjoying his new hobby and plans to do more races later this year.  
While he was gone for the weekend doing the race, Ava and I spent some time down south at my parents' house.  Ava LOVES these girl cousins of hers.
Our July 4th was pretty low key.  We went to lunch with Gma and Gpa Park and walked through Provo's Freedom Festival booths.
 Our little firecracker!  She looked so darling in her patriotic outfit :)
Later that night we joined Gma and Gpa Helean at their neighborhood barbecue... 
Poor Jett was so freaked out by all the fireworks.  She just laid next to Ava the whole time!  This never happens :)

We ended the evening with our good friends watching the Thanksgiving Point firework show.  Ava actually stayed awake to watch the fireworks!  Until the last 10 minutes or so when she fell asleep in my arms.
July 4th still is and always will be my favorite holiday!  

We went to an Orem Owlz game with Tessa and Cooper in mid-July.  It was bloody hot, but so much fun!  The babies played on the grass and we ate hotdogs and shaved ice :)  
Can you tell these two are related??  Jeez...
Poor Coop!  He puts up with so much!  Ava just loves him :)
I don't have many candid photos of me and my sweet babe so props to the husband for capturing this moment.  I just love this picture so much!

I signed Ava and I up for a "Mom & Tot" swim class at the Lehi Legacy Center in mid-July.  It was two weeks long and we had a blast!  I had been wanting to do something like this with her for awhile and I am so glad I finally did.  It really got her used to being in the water, and really made me a lot more comfortable putting her in the water as well.  She LOVES the water and has become quite the little fish.

And.... cue random photos from the month...
We finally started putting Ava in the shopping carts at stores.  She's just been too tiny until now!  She still looks ridiculously small in those giant carts, but I know she feels like a big girl.  Every time we go somewhere now, she gets so excited when we put her in the cart.  Not to mention, it's so nice not having to lug her around in her carseat anymore! 

This little Diva LOVES seeing herself in the front facing camera on my phone.  Here we are snapping a few at church... don't judge, it kept her occupied for a few minutes. 
Haha!  Love that face! 
She is the craziest sleeper I know.  I'm always finding her in the weirdest positions!
This was taken after one of the roughest days we've had thus far.  Poor thing is trying to push through her top two front teeth.  She was miserable that day, and still is.  Did I mention that I HATE teething??  It is so cruel. 
I like it much better when she's like this :) 
 First taste of a dill pickle.  That's my girl!  She loved it.

And so that puts us at the present day!
Ava had her 9 month checkup last Friday and is as healthy as can be, and perfectly petite in every way.
15 lbs. 3 oz. 
26 inches long.
She has literally gained one pound a month since she was born. 
6 lbs-15 lbs in 9 months!

She still scoots around on her back and army crawls on her belly.  She has gotten really good at it too. She even steers herself and goes from room to room throughout the house! When we put her on her hands and knees, she sits there for a minute, just rocking back and forth, and then falls to her belly and rolls over to her back.  Cracks us up.  But she will probably be crawling within the month. 

We have been blessed with such a good eater!  She loves her food and will eat pretty much everything. I'm surprised that she hasn't chunked up more, with all that she eats.  Fast metabolism I guess.

She is still wearing mostly 6 month clothes.  A few 9 month things fit.  Sort of.

She has become quite the little social butterfly and loves smiling and talking to people.  Along with all of the squawking, squealing and bubble blowing, her latest sounds have been, 'Da-da' and 'Ba-ba', and loves to click her tongue on the roof of her mouth.  We're still working on the 'Ma-ma' part :)

She graduated to size 3 diapers and get ready for this... we've switched to Luvs!  I know I know, WHAT?!  I have always been in love with Pampers, like in an unhealthy obsessive way, but when our supply ran out unexpectedly, all I had were Luvs.  So I put her in those while we ordered another shipment of Pampers.  But to my surprise, I really liked them!  We cancelled our Pampers order and ordered a shipment of Luvs instead :)  Call me crazy I guess.  
Bonus:  They are insanely cheaper!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... we are so in love with our little lady and each day with her is such a joy.  She has richly blessed our lives and we couldn't imagine life without her!