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?