Pure Joy!!

Pure Joy - that is what life is with this child! Notice all of her expressions - she has been little Miss Personality these days!

4 Months

Reece turned 4 months old on July 4th. Reece your daddy went all out - we took a trip to Florida, had a concert, and a huge fireworks display ALL for your 4th month birthday! I can't wait to see what he does for your 5th month!
Here is what you have been up to:
Weight - 13lbs 5 oz - 35th percentile
Height - 25.5 in - 80th percentile

- You are the sweetest baby - so smiley, so happy, so content.
- Your little personality is starting to come out - you LOVE to squeal at the top of your lungs. I am starting to think that we are going to have two little drama queens on our hands! There are sooo many similarities between you and your sister.
- You recognize certain faces and voices
- Sleep 12 - 13 hours at night, go to bed between 7 and 7:30. Usually wake up about 8:30
- Nap in the morning at 10:30 for a few hours, and again in the afternoon around 3.
- Love love love to chew on your finger
- Love love love your baby Einstein mat with the flashing star that plays music. You start smiling and laughing even before I turn it on.
- like to sit in your bumbo
- Usually eat 6 oz at time - about 4 times a day
- Think Kobe (our dog) is pretty funny
- Still love to be swaddled real tight when you sleep
- wear a #1 diaper
- Are just the most Perfect gift from God! Your Daddy and I don't know what we did to deserve you, but are so grateful to your creator for you!

Seaside 2009

Once again my Mother treated us to a fabulous family vacation in Seaside Florida. Thank you sooo much Peaches. We had a blast! We were there about 11 days over the 4th of July week. Seaside is Steven and I's favorite place in the world -my family has been going there since I was little and Steven has been coming with us since we first started dating - now we are married with two children and still going! It's such a great place - you park your cars and don't really get back in them. Our main mode of transportation was a bike! Ava would ride in the wagon behind my bike - and thank goodness for the wagon because we could load it up with all of our beach necessities. Reece rode with Steven in the baby bjorn in his bike. Good thing he never crashed! ha!
Ava was in heaven - she loved the ocean water this year and played her little heart out from sun up till sun down - then she slept like a rock! We would make it to the beach every morning before Reece's morning nap and she would sleep down there. Now that we have been home for a few weeks - I am already ready to go back! I had such a hard time narrowing down the pictures so here are a few of the million we took. Most of the 4th of July pics are on Haley's camera so I will have to post them later.

Pajamas...

The other night I told Ava to go to her room and put on her pajamas and this is how she came out.....

Too bad I don't have any of my Git in Shape Girl stuff anymore!

Swim Ranch

Ava had swim lessons last week at the Swim Ranch. She was in lane 1 - so hard to believe because she is only 3 - but she did sooo good, I was proud. The past two years we had done "swim babies" where I have to get in the water with her - so I had been talking up "big girl swim lessons, where mommy doesn't get in the water" with her for a long time now. I did not know how she would do without me, or if she would even get in the water without throwing a fit - but she did better than I could have imagined. She was so brave and turned into a little fish. Ava has always loved to swim but had never really swam with her face in the water, and didn't like to go under all that much. That has all changed now! She just hops in the water and goes. We have been spending a lot of time and the pool lately, so this makes it so much easier for me in juggling 2 kids at the pool. Ava even conquered her fear of the diving board! She was so tiny compared to the other kids in her lane, but she loved every minute of being in lane 1.

A was loving her pink and blue goggles. They made all the difference in the world - once she had them she had no problem putting her face in or going under!

Waiting to be called to her lane! Watching her sit there brought back so many memories of when i took swim lessons at The Swim Ranch! I am sure my mom has the same picture of me!

Front Float

Go girl!

Waiting in line for the diving board - yes she is posing.

Getting a little help from Miss Halsey!

She did it! (With some help!)

This was one of A's teacher's Miss Mary. Her and Halsey were great with the kids. They made the week very enjoyable!

Photo Shoot

I started to feel bad because all of my posts were about Ava - so I took some updated pictures of little bit. Reece is about a 10 days shy of being four months, and continues to be such an easy, happy, laid-back baby. I think I have finally figured her out - when she's hungry, tired, bored, etc. We are in a great groove right now! These pictures don't really show it because she was startled by the flash - but she is such a smiley baby.

This picture cracked me up because she would not stop checking her feet out! It was like she just discovered them!

Discovery Zone

A few weeks ago we took Ava is a Children's Science Museum in Springfield called Discover Zone. It was a great little day trip - we ate lunch downtown, went to the museum, then got ice cream and headed home. The museum was a lot of fun. Ava's favorite part was a mock grocery store and house. We played there most of the time. This was no surprise is us - she is such a little mother Hubbard! We filled our grocery cart, checked out at the cash register over and over again. Then she would take the groceries to the "house" and cook, grill, set up the table, and feed the babies. All very to cute to watch! I had the thought that I should just set her play room up like this. But somehow I don't think it would quite have the same appeal. Although she didn't understand a lot of the exhibits - she still had a great time. It was a fun family outing!

This machine made HUGE bubble when you turned the wheel - and then when you pushed a button, the bubble would blow out and pop over your head. Ava thought it was great fun to pop huge soapy bubbles on top of Steven and I (and herself) numerous times! Oh the things we do for our kids!

Reece was quite a trooper. She just rode along in her stroller for most of the day. Such a happy baby!