Wednesday, October 10, 2012

UPDATES! Moving/building/Growing Little Babies!

As always, I am behind on blogging but we have had SO MUCH going on the last few weeks! We have been so busy packing, moving, and getting things in order to build our new home! We were told we would be closing on our current house the very end of September or very beginning of October so we rushed packing and got out of the house, bought a storage unit, and began moving into my parents where we are staying while our new home is being built. Well, we are now officially moved in and settled at my parents and guess what? We still haven't closed on our current house! Ahhh! Talk about stressed out! We could've stayed in our home at least 3-4 weeks longer because we just found out yesterday that it will probably be another couple of weeks before we close! Something had happened with the buyers financing and everything had to be worked out first and the whole process had to be started over and an extension on the contract had to take place. Very irritating but what can you do?!?! Anyways, we now are just playing the waiting game. Waiting to close and waiting for our new home to be built. Luckily, my amazing parents are helping us out and allowing us to stay with them so we can try and save some money while our new home is being built.

We are extremely excited about our new home! It is around 2200 sq. feet with a basement and has 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths (including basement bathroom) and everything we need for our growing family. The kiddos will have a nice big playroom which is a must have at this point with all of their toys! It is located in Mt. Washington which is a great area with wonderful schools! We can't wait to get in it!

In the middle of all this craziness the kiddos are adjusting just fine...Thank goodness! Liam is LOVING getting all this time with Grandma and Papaw! They spoil him rotten! Ava just goes with the flow and obviously at this age, doesn't really know what is going on. I can't believe how big Liam is getting! He is such a fun loving little boy although he can also be extremely mean and rotten...Terrible 2's right?!?! Last week, Thursday October 4th to be exact, Liam peed on the potty for the first time and did so 2 other times that day! Yay Liam!!! Not only did he actually go, unlike all the other times I've tried, he inititated it! He came and got me while I was in the kitchen and told me he had to pee pee in the potty. He took my finger and walked me down the hall to the bathroom and then got undressed and sat on the potty. I was in shock! He sat there a few minutes and then I asked him if he wanted his diaper back on since he wasn't going. He yelled, "No pee pee on potty!" I ran to grab my phone so I could get a video in case he actually did it (to send to Daddy who was at work) and when I came back he had already peed and well, most of it was on him and the floor but HE DID IT! I was sooo excited for him! I didn't get it on video but Daddy got to see him do it later that evening and we did get the excitement afterwards on video. So, now we are working on potty training. He hasn't done so well this week but we will get there! I am not going to rush him because I don't think that is the right approach but I am just trying to be consistent with taking him to the potty and prasing him when he goes. My goal is for him to be fully potty trained before his third birthday but if it takes a little longer that is ok. He wont go to Kindergarten in diapers! LOL! Here are a few pics. of my growing little man!
Liam wearing Daddy's hat...LOL


Cool Dude!

Liam and his Papaw playing
Inside the cabinet selection turn table at the model home for our builder ...Silly boy!

Sticker fun!
 


Ava is now 3 months old, close to 4 months, and growing up so fast! She can now roll all the way around from her belly to her back and from her back to her belly. She has great neck support and is trying to lift herself up when laying down or sitting back in her buncy seat. She loves to sit up and look around at everything going on around her. She now bats and plays with her toys and really enjoys her play mat. She is a very relaxed and happy baby! She has the most beautiful smile and an amazing laugh ( she now laughs out loud and it's SO CUTE! ) She also LOVES to talk! She just goes on and on cooing! She will definitely be a little social butterfly...I am sure of it! We didn't see the Pediatrician at her 3 month marker so I am unsure of her stats at this point but we will be going soon for her 4 month check up. Here are some pictures of her at 3 Months!
Isn't she BEAUTIFUL?!?!




Ava cuddling with Daddy

Mommy's big girl during tummy time


 

Liam and Ava love eachother so much! Liam is always giving her kisses and hugs and talking to her. He is always asking to hold her! If she were to cry, which is rare for her, he runs to her side and asks, "You ok sisis?" It's the sweetest thing! She just adores him and is so interested in everything he is doing. She loves to watch him and gets so excited when he talks to her. Big brother, little sister love!
I am so blessed to have these 2 sweet babies call me Mommy!
 
Thanks for stopping in! I will try hard to get better at this and blog more frequently!

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Zoo Day/ Church Marriage Class

Today was a fantastic day! We started the day going to the Zoo with my good friend Carrie and two of her little boys, Camden and Grayson. We got there early so we could get through most of the zoo before the sun came out and I'm glad we did because it was beaming! The kiddos had a great time seeing the animals and Carrie and I got some exercise pushing our huge double strollers around the zoo! It was Ava and Grayson's first time at the zoo but like most one and two month olds, they slept! I'm sure they enjoyed getting some fresh air and getting to ride around in the strollers.





After the zoo the kiddos and I came home and we all took a nice NAP! Yup, Mommy too! It was AMAZING!

Once Damon got home we quickly got ready and headed to church. Our church started a marriage class tonight and we are very excited about it! Tonight's class focused on the biblical way of marriage. We studied the biblical meaning of marriage and passages related to divorce. Step one in establishing a lasting marriage is closing the road to divorce. This means recommitting our hearts 100% to the viability of our marriage. Damon and I made this committent to each other tonight and it felt amazing. Next we explored the positive guide for marriage--Jesus Christ! Ephesians 5 states that Christ's love for the church is the basic paradigm which best explains marriage. Thus, any marriage which hopes to flourish at the highest human level must be a marriage surrendered in obedience to Christ.
Damon and I are very committed to one another and have a great marriage but like all marriages, ours isn't perfect. There is no such thing as a "perfect marriage." We have gone through a lot together and we have pulled through many obstacles. When it comes to marriage we need to know the way to keep it all together through all the ups and downs, beauty and pain, and joy and sorrow. Jesus Christ will keep us on the path to staying together through it all. He is the way!

* I would like to take this time to invite all married couples to this class. Singles may come as well! It is going to be very inspirational and enlightening. We meet on Wednesday nights at Cedar Grove Baptist Church at 6:45 pm. There are also classes going on at this time for children and the nursery is available for babies. I hope to see some of you there! Have a blessed evening!

*Biblical passages we looked at tonight related to divorce:
  • Mark 10:4-12
  • Luke 16:18
  • Malachi 2:16
  • Romans 7:1-3
P.S. Did I mention we sold our house??? We did! We signed papers on Monday, Labor Day! Next step is getting our house appraised which will occur on Friday and then onto building our new forever home! We are so excited to begin this new chapter in our lives!




Watch Ava Grow: 2 Months

This post is almost a month late (bad Mommy!) Ava's 2 Month Check-up was 2 weeks later than the day she turned 2 months old because we needed a Friday to get in and that was all that was available. Ava is doing extremely well and growing like CRAZY! Here are her 2 Month stats:

* Ava weighs a whopping 11lbs. and 4oz. (60th percentile) and is 22 inches long (30th percentile)

* wearing 0-3 month clothing

* Newborn size shoes (some of those don't even fit her tiny feet....She doesn't wear shoes often )

* Still on the smallest setting on cloth diapers (size 1 with disposables)

* Feeding: Ava nurses about every 3 hours and will go 4-5 hours now in the night (Yay for Mommy!)When Mommy is working, she eats 3-4 ounces by bottle. Ava is still exclusively breastfed and has only ever had breastmilk. We are so thankful breastfeeding is working out! Breast is Best!

* Sleep: Ava is still sleeping in her pack and play beside our bed at night and does well. She wakes up to nurse and goes right back to sleep. She still sleeps quite a bit during the day off and on.

* Development: Ava is now full of coos and gurgles and is smiling ALL THE TIME! She has such a beautiful smile and just melts my heart! She is beginning to focus on faces, objects, bright colors and designs, and follow them. She sometimes lets out a little laugh out loud! It's the cutest thing ever! She can grasp small to moderate objects and loves to sit in an upright position and look around.

* Play: Ava loves when we talk and sing to her. She gets extremely excited and grins ear to ear! She LOVES her big brother and loves getting kisses from him! She doesn't enjoy his dinosaur roaring at her though! Silly Liam! She enjoys laying on her play mat and looking up at the toys and kicks her little legs around everywhere. She also enjoys her supervised "tummy time."

       Here is our growing baby girl at 2 months old!

such a Happy Girl







Ok Mommy, I am done with this photo session!



Exhausted!


Our little Princess is growing so fast!