Christmas time for Ava!

Christmas went as fast as it came this year!
I was totally ready for Christmas. I did most of my shopping and wrapping on Black Friday this year. On Black Monday (the Monday following black Friday) I got some great cyber Monday deals! I got two phones, one for Phil and one for me! The total came to $789 dollars minus $788.98. I paid a total of $.02 cents for the phones plus shipping. I got some killer deals on toys for Ava on black Friday.
So the week before Christmas everything turned crazy. I wasn't feeling the urge to push my students on the buses that send them home, I was actually kind of disappointed that they were going home. Then my mom ended up in the hospital. I wasn't in the mood for the semi annual pot luck. We had half days at work the first week the students were gone. I spent some of the time traveling to the hospital, freaking out about Ava because her nanny took the week off. Luckily I have some of the best co-workers in the world!!!! Roni, took my little Ava and she and her kids had fun hanging out with Ava.
Friday came and my dad, Ava and I woke up early to do some extra last minute Christmas shopping. I finished up Ava's Christmas shopping getting her a car seat for Phil's car and lots of snacks then a thermometer that you just swipe across the forehead and it reads your temperature.
Ava and I went home, Ava needed a nap and I got some laundry and house work done.
In the afternoon Ava and I went to the Christmas Eve service at church. My mom came home from the hospital during that time and then after Phil got home we went over to my parents house, then went back to Target for some REAL last minute shopping.
Christmas Day was interesting. Ava loved ALL of her toys!


She got:
A bouncy turtle (it seriously looks like something that came out of Mario brothers)
Mini play kitchen
Mini sports station complete with bat, balls, and hoop
Play gum ball machine
Clothes-outfits and shoe socks
Shoes
Tent


She had such a blast! She didn't even like the boxes! She liked the actual toys! I was super impressed! She loves her toys and she knows how to use them.
After we opened presents we went over to Denny's because they cook breakfast and I don't! :) We had a nice family breakfast.
After breakfast we went to see my parents. We visited for a while and had our family picture taken.


Phil went over to his mom's house and I stayed at home while Ava napped. I started not feeling super great. At 4:15 I headed over to Phil's mom's house. It was fun. We got to see Billie, Steve, Luka, Juno and the rest of the gang. It was fun.
We've had a fun weekend as a family. We really got to enjoy some time with Ava. It has been nice.

Resolutions

Resolutions
New Years Resolutions usually happen at the beginning of the new year.
But this year, I have so many things I want to resolute!
I want next year (2011) to be a lot different than this year.
I want to be happy, healthy and a better mom and a better wife.
I want to be more focused at work and be a superior worker, helpful, confident and stern.

1. I will go the dentist twice in 2011
2. I will exercise at least three times a week, during the winter work out videos, during the summer walk with Ava in the stroller
3. Organize my bills every month. Get my office area/ guest room organized
4. Cook meals 5 days a week, thats including breakfast, lunch and dinner
5. Get my car paid off
6. Get Phil's car 2 payment away from being paid off
7. Get more experience for job
8. Get my certificate for Quality Improvement Associate

Meeting Santa, Again

On Saturday, we had such a busy day!
Ava and I got up early. We went to the Santa Breakfast at the Lodge. Boy, Ava was everywhere!!! She ran out the door (almost to the parking lot) at least 5 times if not more. Our friend Cheryl came with her baby Addison. Ava and Addison had a blast playing together!


We ate breakfast, then headed into the meeting room where the girls were able to meet Santa and run around! And boy did Ava run. EVERYWHERE!


In front of people taking pictures, out the door, up the stairs, around the big kids, hugging the moving bears that were just as big as she was.


Finally Ava got to meet Santa. She did pretty good. She didn't really want to sit on Santa's lap. She didn't cry though. She just reached her arms out to me. Not sure if it was the beard or what, but she is not Santa's number 1 fan.


After meeting Santa we had a church sing to go to. Which was really convenient, it was basically the next building over! We made it just on time. I was able to put Ava in the child care so she would be tempted to run ALL over the church or attempt to get on stage, which seems to be the place she wants to be the most.
It was a great Christmas program. The singing was great. I love music!
I also ran into my math teacher from Principia; Ms. Korp. It was great to see her again!


After the Christmas program, my Aunt, from out of town, and I spent the entire afternoon together! It was so much fun! I enjoyed the time together with her. I feel so inspired after speaking with her. It was a great afternoon.
Then Ava and I visited with my mom while my Aunt and my dad went shopping. They came back and they made dinner. We had rack of lamb, asparagus, baked potato and cheesecake! YUM! What a dinner!
It was a great day.

Emergency Stop At The Doctors

On Tuesday night I came home to a pretty happy Ava. I fixed her dinner and then we played. As we were playing with Ava's big puzzle, Ava's nose began to run. Ava is not one to get sick so I just thought that it was part of teething. So we went about our business and I gave her a bath and put her to bed around 7:30pm. Around 9:15pm Ava woke up screaming. I went to get her from her crib and her face was swollen like a ball and her cheeks were red as a tomato! It was so scary! I had to wait until almost 10pm to give her Tylenol.
Once I gave her Tylenol, we went into our bedroom and I put her in the pac'n'play and we watched two Disney movies. Ava would not sleep. She wanted to be on the bed and she would be perfectly fine then she would be unhappy. So finally around Midnight I put her upstairs and eventually she fell asleep. She did not wake up until 9:30am. Nanny K called and said that Ava woke up screaming, soaking wet and her face was swollen. She gave her Tylenol and she was a new little girl.
I was a little concerned about the swelling so I called the nurse. Our doctor called back and said that he could see Ava in the afternoon.
I met Nanny K at the doctors office.
Ava was running all over the office, not acting sick at all, of course. She was running all over, waving and blowing kisses and bringing me books saying "Thank you".
Finally we were called back. I told the nurse she woke up soaking wet, her face was swollen, but the swelling went down with Tylenol. So I undressed Ava getting her ready for her weigh in and I took off her diaper. There was a huge rash all over her hoo hoo area! Poor baby! I told the nurse I had never seen that before. It made me sad that not only was Ava in pain from her face swelling but now she had a rash in her diapered area.
We went to weigh Ava. Ava weighed in at 17 lbs 13 oz. Still small. Oh well.
Ava had a fever of 101. Her heart rate was a little fast, but they said that was probably from the fever.
The doctor came in and said her ears looked fine, her color was ok, and she didn't have much swelling anymore. Then he looked in her mouth, and he confirmed my worst fear. Ava is getting all 5 teeth at once! 5 teeth! Thats just crazy.
Then I mentioned the rash. The doctor looked at it and said it was a yeast infection.
Poor Ava. Not only teething but a yeast infection too.
She has been feeling better today. Poor little girl.

Amazing!

Sundays for me are always a day to reflect.
Ava and I start out the morning usually by watching a movie, followed by getting ready then heading to the 8:30 service at church (yes, our days usually start at 5am).
I am so grateful for all that has happened lately. I am thankful for Phil and for Ava, and my parents and our friends. I am thankful that our friends who we haven't seen much of lately, we are starting to have more contact with again! I am grateful to have found a wonderful nanny for Ava, found a carpool buddy for myself for work, to have great friends, that Phil has found more part time work and that we seem to be working better as a family to get the t-shirt business out there, or at this point, running while the crazy hours occur for Phil's part time work. I'm grateful that Phil is starting to feel a little better.
And I'm thankful for God coming into our lives when he did. I don't know how I would have gotten through this year without faith, love and hope.

100 posts!

This is my 100th post since finding out I was pregnant with Ava!
Ava is such an amazing little girl!
She plays with us. She plays ball, she now gets the hang of the game chase, and she now pays train (I put my hands out behind me, she grabs onto my thumbs and we run around the house like a choo choo train. We are wild and run crazy). Ava has a million kilivolts of energy! I have no idea where she gets all this energy!
This week her little personality is developing!
She likes to give "knuckles", "high fives" and what we like to call "cool dude" which is basically a thumbs up!
She says so many things now I'm not sure where to start!
She does say one naughty word.
She does say "Oh shit". Now we aren't sure if she says "Oh shit" or if its "Oh sit". She says this phrase when she jumps up and lands on her bum (because the entire world is a bounce house)!
We ask Ava, "Do you want more". She answers "Mo" then signs more.
I ask Ava; "Ava, can I have kisses" she comes over to me and sticks her lips out and plants a big kiss on my lips.
Its the cutest thing ever!
I ask Ava, "Ava, can I get Ava snuggles?" and she will lay her head on my shoulder.
Other words she says are:
"Nana" for banana
"Blank" for her blanket
"Oh no" is still her favorite word
"Uh oh" has taken a step back but she still says those two phrases quite a lot

Another conversation we will have goes a little like this:
"Ava, do you want to go night night?"
"Ni"
"Ava, do you want your bottle"
"Ba Ba"
That entire conversation will take place and if she says "no" to those questions we know she is not ready for bed.

This whole new level of communication is just extrodinary! Its amazing at how much we can get accomplished with communication instead of tantruming.

Well I hope that I will be able to blog and update again before the weekend is over. I hope to get a family picture in this weekend too! If I get pictures I will post them!
Thanks for reading!