Waiting for 2009...

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:7

Every year around this time I find myself looking back at the last 12 months. Remember what I said about being sentimental and hanging onto things? Every year, it never fails...I hang onto the year until the very last second. When that clock hits 11:59, I relive the year in 60 seconds. It's almost like when that clock hits midnight, that's it! The year is gone. Last year was a little difficult because at 11:59 I stared at the clock thinking "This is the year our sweet Ava was given to us. The new year is about to begin....2007 will be in the past." Does it sound strange? I have thought of New Years like that ever since I can remember. And I will let you in something personal. In those 60 seconds as I am waiting for the next year to hit (and yes, I am well aware that Diane next door could have been sitting in the next year for 5 minutes already) I thank God for every last thing that happened that year. I mean everything. I pray the fastest most all-in-one prayer He has ever heard and I also pray that He can understand me as I pray the fastest all-in-one prayer He has ever heard. It is literally as if I am holding on to the year with my finger tips and then I let go when the clock turns 12 midnight. And when I let go, it's a new year. A new file for that mental file cabinet. New memories. New hopes.

This last year, I have learned a lot. I can't even go into some of it otherwise we would miss the new year all together and my entry today would be wrapping up in 2010. But I can tell you one thing. I have truly come to realize the power of prayer, the power of God, the power of love, the power of trust. This year has brought with it the realization that if you wait, God's grace will show itself in your life. And it is hard to wait for it. My goodness, is it hard to wait. But it comes. He comes. And this year, He has certainly been present. And of course, He has always been with me -- sometimes I was the one who stumbled. But this year, and I think I can speak for Keith, too when I say that I have really felt His presence.

My heart is overflowing with thanks for our family. It is through our family that His miraculous work has made it into our lives. Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over. I have said it before and I will say it again, we are so incredibly blessed. Our pastor at IBC, Andy, once spoke about spiritual barriers. Spiritual barriers are anything that stand in our way from living the life that God made for us. Sometimes we break down those barriers all by ourselves. Other times, people in our lives lead us to break down those barriers. I look back at my life and I can very easily think about the people who led me to kick my barriers down. My family members are at the top of that list. The grace they have shown Keith, Ava, and I leaves me saying "Wow...this is God's work." Vague, I know...but just break down the barriers, hang on, and wait.

As for 2009...who knows what it will bring. But for some reason, I feel like something great will happen. I don't know why. There are still prayers that I am hoping will be answered. I think God is just mulling them over. And I will hang on and wait patiently for Him.

Happy New Year ~ Thanks for reading.

Christmas Memories

Oh...my poor sweet Christmas angel. This picture was taken after Christmas Eve Mass. Ava was so tired after being so so so good all the way through church. It was probably about 10:30 when this picture was taken and we just couldn't get a smile outta her. But doesn't she look sweet? And doesn't my hubby look so handsome?! I'll take the credit for his attire...sorry, Honey...

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There she is! Yeah, this was taken before church.

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Ava and her cousin Natalie were so precious. Natalie just reached her hand out and Ava held it. They were walking around the entire house like this. All the cameras busted out like papparazzi. Ava was so slow and Natalie just waited for her. Sigh. It was so cute.
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Ava with her Granddaddy. At least I can rest assured that our baby grand will be put to good use. Ava loves to play the piano!
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We developed a new skill. We can now get up and down from the couch! It's pretty funny to watch (and listen to as well!) Ava's new trick comes complete with a bunch of grunts, uh's, oo's, and when she gets up she concludes with a hand clap (which must be followed by your own), and a "Goot gul"...("Good girl," in Ava-niese.)

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Uh huh...you know that's right. The shirt says it all.

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We met Keith's parents about 2 hours away and had a 5 generation picture taken. Yup -- Keith's great grandmother, his grandmother, his mom, and Ava all in one picture! How often do you get that? Ava wore this sweet dress for her glamour shot. It was made by Keith's mom for Ava. This is a very special dress. The fabric that was used for this dress was left over from Keith's very first Christmas outfit. How 'bout that? Thanks Granna!

Thanks for reading ~

Remembering the Miracle...

Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus.

Merry Christmas to you all.

With Love,

The Wood Family

Best Pals...

"You know, my Mum let's me watch my shows (or 'stories' as we call them) everyday from 4:00-5:00. I personally do enjoy my Blue's Clues and Max and Ruby. Usually my Mum sits with me, but when she doesn't, I would sure love to have my own chair to sit in! That way, I can kick back, eat my Goldfish Crackers, and recoup after this long day!"

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"Silly Mommy! Thanks for the chair but I know what this used to be! It's an old potty chair! It's even had a makeover! Don't you try to pull a fast one on me!"

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"Well...I guess it's worth a shot.........."

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"Hm...Yep...I don't think I'm gonna be able to sit in this."

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"What Mr. Joojoo Bear? Aw...you don't look so hot... Are you feeling okay?"

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"Awwww...it's okay Mr. Joojoo Bear...I got your hair....it'll be all over soon...shhhhhhh..."

"Santa, you know Ava. Ava, this is Santa Claus..."

I would definitely say that I am a sentimental person. When I was little I remember going to a school carnival and getting my face painted. Then of course, when I got home my mom made me take a shower. Boy did I love that face paint. I mean, it had become a part of me. Of course the water from the shower made the face paint start to come off. So, since that rainbow (and clouds) had made it's home on my cheek for a whole hour, it deserved to be saved. I remember taking the pieces of paint off of my cheek and putting them on the edge of the bathtub so they could hang for dear life. It was like watching my best friend dissolve before my very eyes.

I bring this up because it was ridiculous. Therefore, the sentimental moment that I had today won't seem so dramatic. Thanks to our dear friends Jenna and her Mommy Adrian, Ava and I (along with Adrian and Jenna, of course) went to the library for crafts and story time with Santa Claus. Now, I think I may have at some point mentioned Ava's run in with Santa (the plug into the wall species) at Home Depot. He was shakin' his hips (and shakin' it twice....sorry, couldn't resist...come on! You hear it, too) and singing. He had to have been 6 feet tall, this Santa. Anyway, Ava just sat there and watched in amazement. All that to say, I was looking forward to the first moment she would see the real Santa. I was a little nervous because I predicted there might be a meltdown. After all, a couple of weeks in Sunday School, Ava had a breakdown when "the man with the guitar came in"...those were her nursery lady's actual words. So, I thought Santa might freak her out a little bit. Well, Lil'Bit got all dressed up for her Santa. Complete with tights and shiny shoes. And actually, the dress she wore was made out of the same fabric that one of her Daddy's outfits was made out of when he was little like her (thanks, Granna!). The girls loved making Christmas cards and eating cookies and drinking ginger ale...I mean this was a high class party! But just prior to that was my moment. There must have been 25 kids there all ranging in age. Everyone was sitting on the floor waiting for the magical moment when Santa would come through the doors. I could feel my heart pounding through my chest. Everything was in slow motion. Just kidding. I 'm just trying to add some dramatic effect. But then there he was. This Santa was beautiful. And when he came in, those kids cheered and laughed and smiled. I looked down at Ava's face and she just looked at him in awe. I'm serious when I say I got a little lump in my throat. I mean, out of all the real Santa Clauses that she is going to see, this was her first. I just took a few seconds to look around at all of the precious faces. One little girl turned to another and looked right into her eyes and said, "That's Santa Claus." Almost as if she was saying "Now, he's the one...he's the one you want to be good for." Oh, my sweet precious baby.

Santa read a book called "Things Santa Can't Do." Ava and I learned that Santa can't shave, he can't drive a car, he can't remember what Mrs. Claus told him to get at the grocery store, he can't use a door knob, and he can't wear Bermuda shorts and t-shirt (except when he goes on vacation to Hawaii after Christmas is over). Very informative book, I think you can find it at your own local library in the reference section by the encyclopedia.

Anyway, I could tell this Santa had been doing this for awhile. Not just because he broke down and told us his age (which was something like 1,723 years old...) but because of the disclaimer he gave us Mommies and Daddies. He said, "Now Mommies and Daddies, if your child says they don't want to sit on my lap, they probably don't want to sit on my lap." So he invited us to sit in the picture with them. Whiiiiich is exactly what happened. The closer we got to Santa, the bigger the frown my Ava got on her face. She screamed. And she screamed. I sat with her, and she screamed. But that Santa was so sweet. He looked at her and he just said, "You know? You just don't understand it yet, do you? And that's okay." We got our kodak moment and we were done. And Ava continued to hold a grudge until we got to Chick-fil-a. But it was a fantastic morning and yet another bonding experience that I shared with my Ava. We missed you Daddy! And thank you Adrian, for driving and for eating lunch with us. We had a blast with you and Jenna-bo-benna!

So here are a collection of pictures from the day. In the haste of things, I couldn't check the pictures to make sure I got any good usable ones (and Keith's camera is a little too high-tech for me so there was a menu blocking my picture on the viewer screen! I couldn't figure out how to get it off and thought the camera would explode if I pushed a wrong button.) Enjoy the sequence with Santa. I absolutely adore my baby girl.

We love our Jenna! (by the way, might I say how excited the girls look?)

"oooohhhhh no Mommy....here he comes." (cue music from Jaws...)

I really look like I am experiencing joy from this situation. The whole thing was sort of funny, I'll admit it. She was just clinging on to me with everything she had. I have to laugh at this picture, too because it looks like I'm just hangin' with Santa like we're sitting my living room. Well, you know, I'm tight with Santa...we're like this. I mean, he did say that he was going to deliver a bright new ToyWatch with crystals bordering the pearled face and a white wrist band that he found in the watch department at Nordstrom. He did say that. And Santa wouldn't want to let me down. He said that, too. I'm kidding friends...well not really, but Santa did aleady go in on the treadmill with Keith. And you can't run on that with a fancy watch.

"What?" Asked Santa. "You want a duck for Christmas?"

"Ohhhhh why do these Mommies do this to their babies?"

Thanks for reading. May your days be filled with sentimental memories.

Runnin' Around the Christmas Tree

Well here you have it. The newest addition to the Wood family. Can I just tell you how excited I am to have this 165 pound bundle of joy in my home? It just glows doesn't it? Keith and I went back and forth of what we were going to do for eachother for Christmas. You know, it all comes down to the fact that being active makes us feel good and good about ourselves. Keith used to go to the gym on a daily basis and now he chooses to be home at night with his two girls instead of going to the gym (he's just the greatest). We would go to the gym nightly before Sassy came. That was our time to let off any steam that had collected throughout our day and we really got in some husband and wife bonding time (even if we were across the room from eachother.) Since I am so blessed to be able to stay at home with our Ava, I do have the opportunity to take my jogging stroller out -- last year's Christmas present....do we see a trend? It's sorta increasing with the years isn't it? Next year it'll be our own gym! : ) -- but as I have brought up in former blogs, it just gets a little well, boring. But now! My friends, Keith has used it at night, and I use it in the morning before Sleeping Beauty arises, and it is fantastic! There's nothing wrong with a little variety...now we have options. And, ugh, if I say this I am commited....hold on give me a sec...okay. And now I can train for a half-marathon I have my eyes set on. And Mom! We are SO on for the turkey trot next year. I'll be one trottin' turkey.

Well, I am going to have to sign off for now. I am in the middle of baking (cue "Psycho" music). It usually isn't too pretty when I get in the kitchen. But I am proud to say that I, Emily, made yummy cookies from scratch. Yes, I made everything. Me and my "Chocolate Hazelnut Sandwhich Cookies" are off to a cookie party tonight. Daddy's gonna be home to spend time with his princess and Mr. Gold's Gym 550.

Hope you all have the most pleasant weekend.

Thanks for reading...

Turn Around and Run!

No really...turn around and run! This one's a doozy cause Momma's a-venting! You know, sometimes I wish I was a nurse. If I was a nurse, I would not have been up at 3:30 in the morning on the Internet trying to find explanations for all of my sweet baby girl's troubles. Poor Sassy has not been feeling so well. But you know, the only things she is struggling with are a little stuffy nose and a fever. Now, her fever has gotten a little high (102.6....I know, I know....it's nothing...), but we are going on day three and by golly, I just want her to feel better! It just really puts me in semi-panic mode when I can feel the heat radiating off of her body onto mine, you know? And she just looks up at me with her snotty nose and those baby blues saying, "Mum, will you give me anything I want?" And I say "Oh yes, Baby! Of course!" Anyway...she is playing the part of Sleeping Beauty miraculously right now. It's hard for me not to go in there and crawl into her crib with her, but I know she needs her rest (and frankly, I would break the crib...).

I have to admit, I am pretty bummed out this morning. With Ava being sick, I am missing out on a morning pj party. My MOPS group is gathering as I sit here listening to the ever-so-familiar lullaby CD through the baby monitor. I even had Ava's fresh pajamas laying out ready for her to change into (she tends to take more than a couple of potty breaks during the night.) We were going to go over to Kristi's house this morning along with the other mommies and kiddos from our MOPS table and bake cookies, and read books, and play until we worked off the cookies, and then eat more cookies. A blissful cycle. But you know? It just didn't work out for us and that's okay. I just imagined how awful I would have felt if we got another baby sick or if her fever just sky rocketed. So, we're staying here today at the Wood Stay in Your Pjs Day party.

I am in my second set of pjs myself. Why? Well (let the trumpets sound!)....I have decided that I am going to get up with Keith (that's 6:00am, friends) and go for a morning run. That way, I know I will do it! Ava and I do a really good job of taking the jogging stroller out maybe 3 or 4 times a week (lately it has been less). But it is just so windy lately. Running is not fun while pushing a 10 or 15 pound stroller with a 21 pound baby inside of it, against the wind. And walking tends to get a little boring in our neighborhood (I don't especially enjoy reminding myself how much I hate not having any trees around here every time we walk). So, Ava and I will continue to go out for a walk for enjoyment and I will make sure I do my run in the morning! It was a good run, until I turned a corner and saw my street's "guard dog" waiting for my arrival. And I couldn't turn around and run, because Lassie would chase me. I tell you, people, put your dogs on a leash! I won't spend too long on my soapbox just because my legs are tired from my run, but dogs belong on a leash. If you are at a dog park, fine. But in a neighborhood? Where there are cars and kids...nuh uh. And this dog is dark brown. I almost ran right into it because it blended in with the dark. And I always see it walking up and down the street. She's beautiful, don't get me wrong. Would I want one? Sure, give me 20. But when I have to walk the other direction because I don't want her to attack my stroller, or change my running route because she is standing there saying "I dare you...come closer...", that's not right. Okay I'm stepping down from my soapbox. Wait! Only with one foot! One more thing! I did call the animal protective services, or whatever you call them, a while back. I was told that they couldn't come out right away but maybe the next week. Whatever! That dog is going to know you are on your way and it is going to hide. That dog will get all cammo on us and sit in a dark bush or something. She's smart! She's already got me changing up my exercise route. Anyway...the moral of this story (is there one?) is never give up on your law enforcement representatives. Maybe 10 minutes after I got back home (my heart still racing from both my run and my near death dog attack) what did I see? Well, I saw my dear friends in their shiny black Navigator with pretty lights on top driving down my street. I think it said something like, oh, "Sheriff" on the side. They were on their way to rescuing that dog. I guess they could hear my mind grumbling this morning...I don't know how they knew. It was 7:00 in the morning after all. Okay, now the other foot's off.

Phew! I need to put something sweet in here now after all of that! Speaking of sweet...Keith and I had a garage sale this weekend and made some sweet money. Boy did we clear out some clutter. And a lot of what we didn't sell I either convinced myself for the 10th time to keep it or it went to our good friends at Goodwill. Keith took my Tribeca to drop the stuff off and it was full. Anyway, this time of year is great for garage sales because the earnings turn into some extra Christmas gift funds. And these days...well, you know how it is. But it felt good to drop off all of that stuff! And I know it will all go to someone who won't just put it in their garage like we did. We are so blessed to have everything and more of everything to give it away.

Now...out of today's blog you can get 6 things (yes 6! I was very informative!)

1. Don't be afraid to get on your soapbox from time to time. Just remember to get down.
2. Stay away from guard dogs. When all else fails...turn around and run.
3. Have a garage sale.
4. Let your hair air-dry every once in awhile (I didn't address this before, but, yes, it's good for the soul.)
5. Thank God everyday for your blessings even if they have snotty noses.
6. Go home and put your pjs on.

Have a wonderful day--hope you smiled. Thanks for reading.

Ava's Christmas List

"Um...hello, God? If you're up there listening...and I know that you are...can you talk to Santa for me? Can I have a real duck for Christmas? Oh! And can you make all my teeth magically appear for Mommy and Daddy...specifically my molars? Okay, God. Thank you, God. Amen"

Hot off the press!

Well, my paparazzi turned in their latest work. So, as promised here are some pictures from Thanksgiving. You'll notice that the pictures have a common theme. But who wouldn't want to see how big our little turkey is getting?

A-Claire began to show a new side of herself during Thanksgiving. I knew she was funny and I knew she thought I was funny, but it turns out she now thinks everything is funny! For example, on the way home from Houston, I almost had to have Keith pull over so I could stretch my abs from laughing so hard. All I did was turn around in my seat to look at my precious angel and she thought that was hysterical! I got sorta dizzy from doing it so many times. Then she would get tired and start to fuss, but immediately her crying would turn into a gut-filled laugh. If you haven't seen this precious video, take a look. That's what our ride home was like. http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1181237/4213664 Sigh.


I am so proud of my brother. He is a very accomplished camera man for NBC in San Antonio. Ava found some of his media tags from various things he covered. Being the natural Elizabeth Taylor that she is, she put those things around her neck all by herself. She calls it "joo-joo" (you and I would translate that to "jewelry.") She clunked around in her Keds like she was America's Next Top Model. She was so proud.

Can you tell who wants to go home?




Chunky Monkey loves push stuff around on the floor (she likes to pretend things are cars or trains...she gets that from Daddy). And, if it doesn't have wheels, she'll pretend. And if she hits a surface that won't let her move at a high rate of speed, she'll just pick it up! Here you see Ava showing off her Hercules skills, converting her stool-mobile into an airplane. I was in the other room, and all of the sudden I heard this horrible sound...almost like a seal just squacking (do seals squack?). I went out in the hallway and there she was. Pushing that stool over the tile...back and forth, back and forth, oops! Carpet! Pick it up! Turn around! Put it down! Back and forth...back and forth!

And this is my Emmy. I won it for sitting in the car with Lil' Miss Priss the whole way to San Antonio. Then I let my brother hang onto it for me. I figured it belonged with him. But just because it has his name on it, doesn't mean I won't kidnap it someday. I mean, it just felt so... so natural. It's real! It doesn't even have chocolate on the inside!

I hope you all have a good day....

Thanks for reading.

Emily

Filled To The Rim!

Boy, am I full! I tell you...this Thanksgiving left me feelin' full to the rim. I am filled with SO much thanks, love, appreciation, admiration, and hope (and yes, of course turkey, stuffing, Mexican food, and sweets.) You see, Keith, Ava, and I had not one, not two, but THREE Thanksgiving gatherings this year. And I think we traveled the entire right side of the great state of Texas. Not kidding. From Dallas on Wednesday afternoon to The Woodlands, from The Woodlands to San Antonio, from San Antonio back to The Woodlands, from The Woodlands to Sugar Land, from Sugar Land to Rosenberg, from Rosenberg to Sugar Land, from Sugar Land to Richmond (TX, not VA...we aren't that crazy), from Richmond to Sugar Land, and Sugar Land back to Dallas on Sunday evening. Are ya tired? I AM!

And I have to chuckle. The house is a mess filled with everything we had packed in the car yesterday, there is unpacking time to be had, grocery shopping to partake in, and a nap to wish for. But it is necessary to blog. I don't feel like cleaning, I think I could live out of suitcases for one more day, I don't really feel like skipping down the grocery aisle, and a nap? Psh. Forget about it...I am stretching my eye lids to prepare for a long afternoon post Ava's Flu-shot (in T minus 1 hour and 31 minutes.)

I do have a lot of pictures from this Thanksgiving family time. My paparazzi took a bunch but they are at work. I promise to post very soon, so stay tuned! But until then, boy oh boy! I'll just give thanks...

From this Thanksgiving:

- I am thankful that when we left on Wednesday, we made it to The Woodlands safely, but I am still holding a little grudge on the roadways between Huntsville and Conroe. Traffic = a test on Emily's patience.
- I am thankful for the yummy dinner we had at Willie's Wednesday night with my parents. I felt so special ordering Ava her very first kid's meal. Thanks Mom and Dad! We love ya'll SO much!
- I am thankful that Ava went down without a hitch on Wednesday night. I am also thankful that she and I got to spend some one on one time from 1:30 till 3:00 am (I say that still feeling sleepy 5 days later). I am thankful that she finally fell back asleep. I am thankful that I couldn't so I got to spend some time with my mom....at 3:00 in the morning...watching The Young and The Restless on her computer...at 3:00 in the morning...did I mention that I never went back to sleep?
- I am SO thankful that we got to drive to San Antonio on Thursday to spend Thanksgiving with my brother Chris and his wife Cathe. I am also thankful that Ava's healthy lungs were tested almost the whole way there. They work.
- I am thankful for the awesome Thanksgiving Day feast we had at Chris and Cathe's. It was so great to see the two of them. I am still getting used to the wedding ring on my brother's finger. I am sure he is still getting used to the fact that I am a Mommy. It was just precious to see him interact with Ava. It was precious time all together.
- I am thankful that Ava's lungs were still healthy on the way back to The Woodlands Thursday night. Ava-tested and not mother-approved. But I am thankful.
- I am thankful for Elmo and DVD players (thanks to Santa and Mom and Dad!)
- I am thankful for the second round of family time and yummy food as we spend Thanksgiving #2 out at Keith's Grandparents' house on Friday. I am thankful for the beautiful orange tree in Meme and Pop's backyard. I think we left with at least 60 oranges.
- I am thankful that Ava's legs are healing after they were covered in bruises. Don't call CPS. My little wiggle worm discovered steps. Steps in the side walk, steps in the house, even just steps from grass to concrete. Gosh, she is changing everyday. I am thankful that she loves her life and has all of this loving family surrounding her.
- I am thankful for Maestro for not having a single accident the entire trip. I think at age 6 he has finally figured out how to hold his bladder (well, that was a big shift from the last bullet...sorry.)
- I am thankful for our 3rd Thanksgiving in Richmond. More family than ever! I am thankful for Aunt Barbara and Uncle Jim for choosing to provide Mexican food. Mmmm-m!
- I am thankful for all of the new beautiful babies in our family. All healthy, all loved, all ready to someday get into trouble.
- I am thankful for the opportunity to watch Ava interact with her family. Last year she was only 2 months old at Thanksgiving. This year, she was somethin' else. She was laughing hysterically, playing ball, pushing foot stools around the floor (she LOVES to push anything), and giving away kisses. I took a bunch of mental pictures to keep forever.
- I am thankful for Granna for spending the entire church service on Sunday out in the hallway so that I could learn about finding Blessings in Disguise. I needed to hear it.
- I am thankful for the ducks outside of Beck's Prime Rib. Ava loves them and I love watching her love them.
- I am thankful for my father-in-law for buying us lunch and filling our gas tank.
- I am thankful for my mother-in-law for walking up and down the stairs with Ava 12 times.
- I am thankful for my mom for spending the whole way to San Antonio and back in the backseat with me and my Energizer Bunny.
- I am thankful for my Dad for making our trips home worry-free.
- I am thankful for my husband for always putting me first, especially when I am busy taking care of our daughter on a crazy whirlwind trip.
- I am thankful for my baby girl, for laughing so hard on the way back to Dallas that I cried hearing it.
- I am thankful for the beginning of this Advent season.
- I am thankful for the birth of Jesus Christ.
- I am thankful for the life He gave me and the hope I can have for the future.

Thanks for reading...

Emily

Back From My "Sob"batical

Well, Life with The Wood's has been rather busy (hence the 7 blogging days that have mysteriously disappeared without a single word...) I guess that's what happens when you are transitioning from 2 naps to 1. You see, I used to sleep at 9:30am and then...no, not me, sillies. Baby girl just decided last Thursday that she had HAD it with morning naps....I mean, they are for babies! So, I had to surrender my morning blog time to play with my sweet morning-nap-free bundle of sassiness. And, let's face it folks, by the time she goes down for her afternoon z's, Momma is beat. AND I still have to squeeze even an hour 1/2 out of her. Ava used to sleep for a total of 4 hours during the day. She's just not in the mood...this girl wants to PLAY! As a matter of fact I am listening to her sweet voice talking to "Quack Quack" right now through the baby monitor. Sigh. We'll figure it out. I think God is trying to get me to be more flexible. So all that to say, she has been keeping me pretty active. I know....get used to it, right?

Fast forwarding to Sunday. Church is always interesting with a little one. Our church has an awesome nursery that Ava has been going to since about 6 months or so. She is also going through a little separation anxiety. I have to be honest...in everyone I have spoken to (including her Dr.) and in everything I have read, I learned that something like 85% of babies go through this separation anxiety by 9 months of age. Well, I felt like I deserved to frame a Star Mother of the Year certificate when we got through 12 months and Ava hadn't gone through it. Low and behold, she was saving it for a rainy day. It hit me like a brick wall. Come to think of it, it started when we began transitioning her off of bottles so now it makes a lot of sense. But anyway, if I started to walk away, there was a penalty to pay. And leaving her in the church nursery? Nuh uh. We tried a couple of Sundays ago and they paged us to come get her. It was really a distressing thing for me to experience. BUT, her Dr. reassured me and told me that I would need to worry if she wasn't going through this right now. So, everytime I get stressed, I remind myself of that. So now we take her to the cry room and enjoy the service together (and 5-6 of her closest screamiest friends). But it takes us back to when she was really little, so it's a-okay with me to get her through this right now.

And then the triumphant morning came! I had my MOPS meeting on Wednesday (which I had been dreading because I would need to leave my nursery drop-out back in the nursery). I literally lost sleep over it. I handed her over to the fabulous girls who work in her room and she did get upset. I did my motherly duty and walked away, leaving her, as she cried "Mum." It was pitiful. About 10 minutes later, one of the girls at my MOPS table (thanks goes to Liz) went to check on her for me and when she came back (trumpets, trumpets, trumpets) she told me that Ava was playing quietly with her friends. I cried. I'm not going to lie. I was so happy and proud of my sweet independent Ava. So, maybe, just maybe, this is the start of something good. And Thanks to God for answering that prayer that I repeated over and over again on Wednesday around 3:30am. (I wanted to make sure He was awake and got my message).

And then today, I spent a wonderful day with Ava and our friends Adrian and Jenna. We went to a yummy lunch and then to the Galleria (Thanks again Adrian! -- send some pics!). We walked around forever, let them play, and even stuck them in the Santa-less chair for a kodak moment. Those girls are too funny.

So that's what we have been doing. Phew! I had MOPS, I had an Uppercase Living Open House, I cleaned, I cooked, I went to the Galleria, I let Keith shave the dog (what?!?! ...nevermind. I'll just let you picture a shaved pug.), I have been to Walmart daily, watched Blue's Clues nightly, and loved my husband and baby hourly. It has been a busy 7 days.

And now, I get to look forward to the weekend with my husband and little A-Claire, and I get to pack till my heart can't take it anymore. Next week we are going to Houston! Yaaaaaay!

"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods." (Psalm 95)

If I don't blog before we leave for our trip on Wednesday, have a blessed Thanksgiving. Don't worry, I'll be back...don't have any separation anxiety. It'll be okay.

...My Busy Beaver (or bear...)

Our Big Day

For some reason, today was a big day for Ava. She picked today to demonstrate all kinds of new skills. It got me thinkin'....she's a genius. No...she really is a genius. This little stinker has the memory of the C drive on my computer. You show her something once and she'll do it back. And she'll do it first 5 days later. So needless to say, I must brag. So here you have it...

This is Ava's Dictionary/Vocabulary (at 13 months, 19 days, 1 hour and 17 minutes of age...yes, folks, I DID figure that out! What...Keith is at work late tonight and Ava's asleep...I have the time.)

joos = juice
joos = shoes (see? you have to pay attention!)
dypa (accent on the "pa") = diaper
two....two...two...! = one...two...three! (complete with the change of inflection in the voice on the 3rd two...)
Bubba = "Maestro" (the first born, our pug)
mmmm (sometimes with a nice change of pitch half way through) = this is yummy!

bk = book

sh-sh = I think that's "Gigi" (my mom)

Bebe = baby (she's French)

Mum = Mommy (she's British)
Dada = mostly Daddy (but can also mean giraffe, remote control, car, or man at Walmart)
Kaka = her best friend "Quack Quack," the duck
Baba = bye-bye (can sound very similar to Bubba and Bebe...again, one must pay attention)

Here are the skills that Ava demonstrated this big day:

- The phone rang and Ava said "Dada"...it was Daddy. A while later, Ava kept trying to get the phone, saying "Dada...Dada." It was so pitiful. We already bothered him enough at work so we called Gigi just so Ava could listen to something else besides the dial tone.

- Somewhat related, Ava and I were at Michael's (a craft store for you out-of-towners). Ava was a little fussy (I think we are transitioning to one nap a day...yikes...) so I gave her a piece of paper out of my purse. She at that point, curled it up and put it up next to her ear saying "ha-o." Now, I don't think it was the ambiance that influenced my daughter's creative actions...I think it's her IQ (you know, it's at genius level...like mine.........why do I hear crickets churping?)

- Earlier today, Lil' Miss Priss was stiiiiiiink-y! (Disclaimer: If you don't want to read about topics pertaining to poopiness, continue to the next bullet) Well, Ava has been known to "start" her dirty diaper and then when I change it, she decides to "finish" her dirty diaper. Well like I said before, she was stiiiiink-y. But I checked her and it wasn't a lot so I waited for her to conclude her number 2 bathroom time. About 10-15 minutes later, I couldn't do it anymore. Ava was playing very contently in the living room (which is blocked off from the kitchen with a big gate). I was sitting right by her and casually leaned over to her and said, "um...do I need to change you?" That girl jumped up like she had been bitten on the bottom and walked faster than I had ever seen her walk before ( I think it was almost a run!). She got to the gate, grabbed the bars, and turned to look at me as if she was saying "Mum, are you coming????" I was dumbfounded.

- This one melted my heart. Like I said, Keith was at work late tonight. So since we all normally eat together, bathe Ava together, and get Ava dressed for the night together, our routine was a little out of wack. Normally after Ava gets a bath, we immediately get her dressed and put her in her crib for the night. Well tonight, since Ava Claire amazed me to pieces, I let her stay up a little longer after her bath. I was holding her watching the last 10 minutes of The Biggest Loser that I had DVR'd, and she was holding Quack Quack. I looked down at her and she had Quack Quack draped over her left shoulder and she was patting him on his back and rubbing his head. I cried. I will admit it. She moved me to tears, this little girl. I know that babies pick up on things, but for her to do that just melted my heart.

You know, so many times throughout this sweet child's life I have felt a variety of things that represent my "newness" as a Mommy. I have felt clueless, I have felt embarrassed, I have wondered "what if's", I have asked "is this enough?", I have doubted my decisions, etc, etc. But my baby girl loves me and she is watching me -- learning and remembering all the time. And I think that's why I am getting sentimental. It is the absolute smallest of things that she demonstrates back that shows me I am right. Although I am new at this and at times I am a clueless, embarrassed, and doubtful Mum, I am a good Mum. And that is made clear by Ava every day. My daughter loves me and I am SO blessed that I am home to witness these things and SO thankful that I have a husband who loves to hear about them on the phone seconds after they happen.

What a big day...

This Little Light of Mine

It's a little gloomy outside today. Is it weird that I sometimes like days like these? It's gloomy and it's cold...okay well it's not cold, it's probably 60 degrees outside but if I say it's cold then it justifies my sitting here in sweatpants and fuzzy socks. When I was growing up I loved days when it was gloomy like this because my mom would always turn on the lamps to bring some light into the house. I loved that! It felt so cozy and comfortable having those lamps on in the middle of the day. To this day, I am very much in favor of lamps vs. overhead lights. Keith always says I am a "direct light" person as opposed to an "indirect light" person. So today, my house is glowing with direct light.

This weekend we did something that I am oh so proud of. No, this does not have anything to do with organization (silly friends, you're hooked! Sorry to disappoint!) but I suppose it does sort of relate. Would it simply amaze you that being the insanely organized person that I am, I am a bit of a procrastinator? Yes, yes, I am. Well, listen to THIS! I am on-the-ball! Okay, let's rewind briefly to Wednesday. At my MOPS group on Wednesday we had a lady come in to speak about getting (breathe with me, breathe with me) organized for the Christmas Season. Let me tell you, this lady is our own local Martha Stewart on steroids. Martha Stewart II has 5 children, and she left me with my jaw dropped. She was a-mazing! She had idea after idea after idea...I found myself feeling a little ashamed at times! But I did leave feeling inspired to jump on it and get ready early! So let's move forward to Friday...ish (when you are a stay at home mom the days run together like my daughter's attempt at finger painting...side story...I took Ava to the pediatrician a couple of weeks ago and I was filling something out that needed a date. I asked the nurse "what is today, the 23rd?" and the nurse said "um, the 29th...Halloween is in 2 days." WHAT?) Anyway, on Friday...ish, I was looking at ideas on the computer for Christmas cards and I was madly inspired by someone else's idea. So I asked Keith if we could try to take Ava's Christmas picture this weekend and of course he was on board (a little less when I told him I needed the Christmas Tree out of the attic). But, he was the supportive husband that he always is and he thought it was a splendid idea. So this weekend, we very successfully took care of our Christmas card picture. Indulge me and say to yourself "Emily, it is only November the 10th! Way to go! " Yes, yes, it is early but I avoided procrastination! Yay! Keith took an amazing picture of our angel as he always does...he said it's because she's beautiful....(*sigh*).

It's November the 10th. My pictures are being printed as we speak. I can proudly say that my Christmas cards will be sent out weeks before Christmas. My husband is awesome, my daughter is precious, and I found out this weekend that we get to spend Thanksgiving with my family in San Antonio visiting my brother who I haven't seen since March. The weather is perfect, just how I sometimes like it, and I now have a beautiful Christmas Tree. It's assembled a little early, but it's joining my lamps -- lighting up my house with it's beautiful direct glow.

"Let the Suuuuuun-shine In!"

Brace yourselves, folks! This is an exciting entry! For those of you who really know me, you probably already know that I thrive on being organized, orderly, consistent, what have you. Sometimes it can tend to be a little extreme. I do prefer my clothes to all have the same colored hanger (white). I give all of the wired ones and assorted colored ones to Keith who could care less. It just looks neater when they all match, admit it. Now Ava's closet must have the pjs on the bottom row and all other clothes on the top...jeans on the left, bigger clothes tucked nicely toward the right. The kitchen MUST be clean before I can go to bed (everything else can be a little messy if it must be, but the kitchen has to be clean...I'll have nightmares.) The bed needs to be made. Keith can confirm that in the past I have in fact made the bed just minutes before we get into it for the night. I asked for and graciously received a label maker for Christmas last year...I almost labeled my husband out of excitement. I love getting new items for Ava because I can't wait to put them in their appropriate place (closet, bathroom, drawers, so on and so forth.) It's serious.

For those of you who really know me and for those of you who don't, you now no longer think that I thrive on organization, order, and consistency, but you now think I am simply obsessive-compulsive. Be that as it may : ), boy, do I have some pictures for you! Okay! (*clearing throat*) First we have my longtime friend -- The Junk Drawer. See Exhibit A.

Exhibit A

Now, Exhibit A is actually The Craft Drawer (one of many). The Craft Drawer is on the waiting list. But this is what The Junk Drawer looked like before I was let loose to work my magic on it. So we'll call this the "before" shot. Now let's see Exhibit B.

Exhibit B

As the Angels are singing "Hallelujah!" in all of our minds, we can now see the miraculous organization that has taken place. To the left we have a contained space which houses pens, pencils, small tools for quick access so I don't have to go into the garage, suntan lotions conveniently placed next to our pool key, and an ink pad with spare ink...I probably should move that to the craft drawer, doh! To the right we have our coupons separated in zip lock baggies (one for Baby stuff, the other for grocery items) Underneath that we have our to-go/delivery menus and restaurant coupons. Ahhhhh...the Earth is more balanced now. Where did I put everything else? (cue the drum roll)

Exhibit C

Look what we got! Who else has dreamed of having a file cabinet? Anyone? Anyone? My friends! We have a place for receipts, instruction manuals, Uppercase Living stuff, house stuff, bills, music therapy stuff from school, we-have-it-all! What? You want to see when the pest control people came out last? Well, here, let me tell you! July 8th! What does Maestro need to get at the vet? His Bortetella shot! (...oh, October...yikes...I better do that.) Where is my husband right now? Work! It's THAT easy! Everything that once filled my life with clutter is now in its place. Now, focus on your breathing and allow yourself to calm down. Now don't you see how exciting this is?

Next time you can't find something, go ahead, think of me and this bliss that I am in. Go and clean your junk drawer and give yourself a little shot of organization. I am telling you, it will bring sunshine into your WORLD!

.... I think I have had too much coffee.

Our Halloween On The Run

Well, just like every other mom out there is probably doing today, I am of course going to share my precious baby girl's Halloween pictures with the world. I have to admit that I was indeed a slacker this year. I was a slacker because we evacuated our house on Halloween night as if there was a hurricane coming. We closed up shop. We put the dog in our bedroom away from the front door, we turned off our lights, and we ran.

You know, Ava is just too young to take out trick-or-treating. And I certainly did not want buckets of candy in the house. Last year, we put our one month old pumpkin in her Halloween pjs, sat on the front porch, and handed out candy. Here's a thought...aren't kids a little too old for going door to door trick-or-treating when they aren't in a costume, mumble what I think is a "Trick-or-Treat," and hold out a Walmart bag for you to fill up? So, Keith and I decided to avoid it all! We dressed our little Miss Priss up in her tutu, tights, and tap shoes, and hit the road to go explore another pumpkin patch. This girl had so much fun running around that place. There were so many pumpkins, a playhouse made out of hay, a playground, a petting zoo, a few tractors....it was great! She wouldn't stand still for 5 seconds. And get this...this is great...there was a little boy there dressed up as Winnie the Pooh. Well, Miss Ava caught a glimpse of him and went after him growling like a bear herself (just picture a child pointing at what she wants and walking like a zombie in a trance...that what she was doing...while growling....) When she got up to him she grabbed a hold of is hood (which was the head of his Pooh Bear costume). She tried to rip the poor boy's Winnie the Pooh head off of his head! She wanted to play with it so badly! It was great! Another priceless moment brought to us by Ava Claire.

We had a great time. I love putting this little busy bee down and watching her go. She just takes in everything, watching every person and checking out every object. Everyone just stops to watch her and talk to her. She makes everyone smile. Our Ava is just such a light in our lives. I know, I know, my blogs tend to have a common theme...but this little girl is my life. She is everything to us. And she has made me a better person. So why not write about what makes me whole?

Our faaaaaab-ulous weekend

Well, we decided that this weekend was a great time to take our little pumpkin to a pumpkin patch. Of course, being the sentimental woman that I am, I had flashbacks of last year when we took our brand new, fresh out of the patch pumpkin to her very first pumkin patch. My, what a difference a year makes, right? Ava wouldn't even sit still for a picture (if we wanted one with her we had to work fast!) But it was a lot of fun and more precious family memories. I don't know if you watch "Jon and Kate Plus Eight" on TLC (I am obsessed with that show! Love-it!) but Kate always talks about how she doesn't give her children things but she gives them experiences. Keith and I do keep that in mind with Ava. That's why we find any chance to bring her somewhere where she can learn something and experience something new (such as driving an hour away so she could feed camels through a fence...yes, we did do that...) We just love to see her reactions. I want her to have wonderful memories (I know she is a little young still) from her childhood like I have. So this last weekend, we took her to a really big pumpkin patch and she also enjoyed her very first helping of McDonald's chicken McNuggets. I know...HUGE! Then on Saturday, we went out and got her a new pair of walking shoes because she is now such a big girl. Of all places, we found her shoes at Bass Shoes. Now, when I think of Bass I think of leather and loafers. But we did find her a pair of really cute shoes suitable for walking (and complete with three pink rinestones on the strap...very Ava...and Mommy). This weekend Ava also started a new love...dress-up. I put a hat on her thinking it would come off in 5 seconds as hats always do. She kept it on! For a long time! Then I threw on a couple of scarves...she loved that, too! Our little Coco Chanel was prancing around with her latest work looking at Keith just waiting for him to take a picture. *sigh* This weekend was filled with just so much laughter and family time. I highly recommend it.