First Cut

I finally took Ava to get her first haircut this week, hoping to trade that mullet she had been rocking for a more sophisticated do.  Other than the complete melt down after turning off the Elmo DVD, things went fairly well.

Our big girl sat in the chair with the cute penguin smock on, while Rebecca trimmed up the back.

And when it was all over, a sucker makes it all okay....

Thanks, Rebecca, you did a great job!

A short bonus video....Ava LOVES Elmo!

Random Fun Stuff

I just realized that it has been almost a month since my last post.  A Month!!??!  Where has the time gone? Can you believe that it is almost December??!  Ava is now 14 months old...almost 15 months.  So here it is, just a bunch of random things from the last month.

First of all, Ava is climbing on EVERYTHING.  Things that I had not even thought about her climbing on.  Here is proof....
Chairs...

Boxes...

Fireplaces...

Speakers...

More chairs....

And her train.  Which is NOT a stable object! Ah!

 Will and Ava played together, too.  These buddies are just too cute.

Ava loves playing in the kitchen, especially in the dishwasher...

Signing "Please" - asking for more animal crackers!

Looking under the couch for us!

Hugs to Big Bear.

The bear must have been hungry.

Helping dad fix the dishwasher.  THAT was an adventure!

Practicing feeding herself.  Oh, goodness!

Hat Ava made at school....she was not a fan. 

Hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving!

November Days of Thanks....

I am so very thankful for....

1. Jesus.  He loves me more than anyone in the world, despite knowing me inside and out.  His grace and love covers me and has given me the freedom to live with joyful abandon.  He is the only thing in this world that I can never, ever lose.  There are not enough words to express how thankful I am for Him.

2. My wonderful partner in life, Josh.  7 years of marriage later, I love him more than I did the day that I married him, and my love grows more every day.  I am so thankful to have such a supportive person in my life.  He has suffered through the last 7 years of medical training with rarely a complaint.  And now he is a wonderful father to our beautiful daughter.  I love you Josh!

3. Miss Ava Eloise.  How do you even attempt to put into words how much you love your child?  I don't think that I can.  I look at her and all that I see is how perfect and beautiful she is, and I am simply overwhelmed.  God is so good to allow me to be her mommy.  It has absolutely been one of the greatest joys of my life.

4. Being able to continue to breastfeed.  It's been a long road but I am so lucky to be able to keep nursing, when so many others struggle to make it past the first few months.  I love that despite her chicken/fruit/spaghetti/hotdog diet, I know she is getting all the nutrition that she needs in just a few minutes a day.  And she's getting smarter, lowering her risk of developing asthma, allergies, and diabetes, as well as protecting her against infections and obesity.  And nursing her will continue to help her emotional development and ability to be independent. Plus, the small amount of time that I have with her by myself each day, when she is peaceful and not climbing the walls, is just perfect.

5. My treadmill, and the fact that I am physically able to use it.  I am so thankful that I can run inside (and watch TV!) when it starts to get chilly out.  Saves my lungs from asthma attacks and takes away an excuse not to run!

6. Our church home, Heartland Community Church.   We found this place just after we were married, and it has been an amazing source of love, friendship, and encouragement to us.  We have met some of our closest friends (including Ava's godparents, John and Liz Indellicate) through Heartland and have grown so much in our relationship with Jesus over the last 7 years.  If you are looking to explore the claims of Christ in a no-pressure location, this "Church for the Unchurched" is for you.  We have been soooo blessed to find it!
[http://www.heartlandchurch.org/]

7. Our home.  Giving thanks today that we have a roof over our head, air conditioning in the hot summer months and heat in the cold winters, as well as running water.  Boy do I take these things for granted.  Last week we found out that our heater was broken and had to be turned off until we could replace it, in fear that it would start leaking carbon monoxide.  Thankfully it was not too cold this weekend, but it still became quite chilly in our home.  When it was just Josh and I, it would not have been a big deal; but now we have baby A to think of, too.  My heart hurts for those who do not have these kinds of "necessities," and have their small children to worry about, too.  We are so blessed.

8.  My job.  Sometimes I have to remind myself how blessed that I am to be a physician.  I would have to say that the vast majority of the time I LOVE my job.  I love being there, I love my co-workers, I love the hospital where I work, and I love working with the families and seeing those precious faces each day.  I am humbled when I think that God has called me to such an amazing profession, to have such a huge part in some of my patient's lives.  I know that this is my calling because frankly, I could never have done this on my own.  Nor would I have ever chosen this profession for myself.  Not because it isn't amazing, but because the selfish part of me sometimes becomes frustrated at the things that my husband and I have given up to get to this place.

Ava and Miss Heidi.

9.  Our daycare providers.  They are wonderful, beautiful women who love my daughter as much as Josh and I do.  If you are a mommy, you know that people who love your children are worth more than gold!

10. Family.  We are so blessed to have them all in our lives.  Both my family and my in-laws are wonderful people.  They are loving, generous, and so great to be around.  This weekend we are so thankful that family is able (and willing) to help us when we are in need.  What blessings they are!

11. All of the veterans who have fought for my freedoms, especially the freedom to worship.  Thank you!

12. Friends.  We have the best friends, near and far.  People who have loved us through good and bad, people who have supported us through all our endeavors and who are there for us no matter what.  We are so blessed to have friends who love our Ava, too, and are more than willing to help take care of her when we are in a pinch.  We love you all!

13. Football season.  From Josh's football games to Sunday afternoon football, is there anything NOT to love about football season??!

14. *This one is a private thanks to God; He is so good!

15. The fact that God has increased our income through my new job, so that we may give more generously.

16 and 17. Our reliable vehicles and the toasty warm garage.  I take it for granted every day that I am able to walk out to my garage, get into my warm car, start it without any problems, and drive wherever I need to go without a second thought.

18. The way Ava holds my hand when she walks, plays "Ring around the rosey", or wants to show me something.  It melts my heart every time.

19. Food.  I absolutely take for granted the ability to open my fridge and pantry and see an abundance of food, or to go to my grocery store and buy whatever I need to eat.  God says "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:25-26.  From living on generic mac'n cheese and tuna helper when we were first married, to the ability to eat out a few times a month, God has never forgotten His promise.

20. Newman and Emmitt.  Emmitt has been amazing with Ava and Newman actually acts like he is kind of fond of her, too.  They are just great dogs, I couldn't ask for better.  Their wagging tails and sloppy kisses can put a smile on my face even when it's a not-so-good day.

21. A nice glass of wine at the end of the day.  Enough said.

22. The nights that Ava actually sleeps through the night!  Praise the Lord, she slept from 7:30-5:30, then went back to sleep until 7:30 last night!  Just when I don't think that I can take the night time awakenings any longer, I get a good stretch of sleep and feel completely recharged! Let's keep this up Little A!

23. Coffee, and lots of it, especially with lots of yummy creamer.  Otherwise I'm a bleary-eyed kind of girl because #22 is very rare. *sigh*

24. Thanksgiving day.  Today I am thankful for the beginning of the wonderful holiday season.  I love, love, love this time of year.  The decorations, the giving, the parties, the general spirit of things, but most of all I love the time with our families.  I am so looking forward to the next month of celebrations!