Happy hunting

Our house search seems to be going quite well but we have not ma de up our mind yet on which house is best for us. My parents are down and they have looked at a few houses which is good since my Dad has the contractor background. Ava has been so crabby the last few days she must be exhausted from being dragged around house to house to house. Laney is growing like a weed, she is just a BIG baby, much bigger than Ava was I think. I haven't written in her baby book at all so I really have to get on that poor girl is already getting the shaft. It has been nice to have my parents here I just wish Ava had been in a little bit better mood.

We have been busy here lately with the new addition but also we have started looking for a house to buy. Not my ideal location but I'm sick of paying rent for someone else for the past 2 1/2 yrs. Our house search has actually been going pretty decent and we are going to look at 2 more today. Ava and Laney were troopers yesterday while we looked at probably 10 houses. We went to Jason's softball game last night and they finally won which was probably greatly needed since they have been on a serious losing streak. Jason got the last hit to win the game so he was really excited. Ava loves going to the games because she can get her bucket and shovel and dig in the dirt. Laney has started cooing and making little noises she just looks so much older than her six weeks I guess because she is just a really big baby. Her cheeks are getting so chubby everybody has been coming up to my saying, "oh she has the cutest cheeks I just wanna pinch them" which is true she does.

Laney Bop and Angel Cakes

It has been the longest six weeks of my life I can say in all honesty. There has been so many changes physically and emotionally for all of us. It has been quite an adjustment for Laney to be brought into our family. I am very happy to say that Ava has adjusted very well and that she loves and is very protective of "Laney Bop" or "sister". I on the other hand have not adjusted so well emotionally I can admit to the fact that I have actually broken down in tears over the most ridiculous stuff but I guess that is part of it and will pass in time. Jason has done really well with all the estrogen in the house and has been a great help. I would like to write more but Jason is begging me to take Laney and try to get her sleep. It would be nice to go to bed before midnight. I will post pictures once I get the ones already on here saved on cd since there is no more room for pics on the website.

Bittersweet

Tomorrow I am going to be induced at 5 in the morning, I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate getting up that early especially for something so exhausting as birth as if someone wouldn't be tired enough from that by itself. I guess knowing when the baby is coming has really made me think today about the fact that this would be last day of what we call our "normal" life with just Jason, Ava, and I. The last time I will be able to devote all my time to Ava in the afternoons, or just the everyday things that just me and Ava do. Don't get me wrong I'm excited about the baby and I think every child is a blessing, but never will me and Jason's life be so simple again. I guess it sounds kind of like whiny but for me reality has just set in for the first time since I found out I was pregnant how different things would be. I have been worried about the adjustment for Ava but didn't really consider so much the adjustment for all of us as much. Anyways moving on, it is such a relief to have my mom come today so we know exactly what to do with Ava because before it was kind of all in the air. Jason and I still have not completely decided on a name which I can't believe, but oh well maybe we will know when we see her. I wanted to write something quickly but I have to try to get some sleep, try being the key word. I will write as soon as possible for all the baby details.

Waiting

Since I have been going to the doctor every week I have been informed that this baby could come "any day now" but I'm still waiting and waiting. On Wednesday my doctor said that she can't believe that I haven't already had her but she is taking her sweet time. Of course I've gotten Jason bugging every few hours asking me, "is it time? what about now?" he really wants a day off work after working the last 3 weeks straight. I guess I should have cleared something up with the doctor on Wednesday though because now I don't know if I'm 38 or 39 weeks along 2 weeks ago she said my due date was May 7th but then on Wednesday she said I was 38 weeks, so I don't know. Ava is growing and growing she is really using her imagination alot here lately. She treats her baby dolls like they are real and puts her puppies in time out and loves to play a game with Jason where they hide under blankets from a dragon. Yesterday I was folding clothes and one pair of socks that I had balled up she said was her pet fish named Judy, I don't know where she comes up with these things. I'm really hoping still that she will be OK with a new baby in the house, hopefully she will adjust alright. We haven't really been doing a whole lot especially in the last few weeks but Jason seems to really be enjoying his softball league and his first game is on Monday. He has been working out and trying to take care of himself so I have been proud of him for that and of course he insist that we go walking every night just to try to get me to go into labor.

Panic and excitement

I have been kind of lazy about posting but for the last month Ava and I have been sick with a virus that apparently is very hard to shake. Ava and I both have been on antibiotics but the sinus infection seems to be taking its sweet time to leave. Which leaves me to panic somewhat because I am nervous about having the baby being sick. Ava had an ear infection but thankfully it is gone. I feel very nervous and excited about having the baby I just don't feel very prepared which I was fine with until I went to the doctor today. I am 2 cm dilated and my doctor said the baby could come any day which shocked me because I still felt that it was so far away. I was supposed to only be 36 weeks but she said I am 37 now so I guess my due date is May 7th. There is still the tiny things that need to be done before the baby gets here but for some reason the last few weeks I haven't been able to get it together. I am a little anxious as to how Ava is going to handle all this but I pray everything will go smoothly. We had easter at Jason's Dads house and Ava had a blast easter egg hunting with her cousins and Tatum. We actually dyed easter eggs last night and put stickers and glitter on the eggs which Ava loved. I have a lot of pics to put on here I can't remember what has been put up so sorry if some are already on here.

Growing up

Ava has been getting so big and learning so many new things, she just matures and the things she says amazes me. We went and ate Chilis the other day and before we went I was talking to Jason to remind me we have to go get diapers after we got done eating. Two hours we were leaving Chilis of course on our way home because Jason and I both forgot to go to the store, and Ava was like no home, no home, diapers from the store! I couldn't believe she remembered and I wasn't even telling her anything about it. Ava never forgets anything, which is a really good thing because here lately especially in the last couple months I have been extremely forgetful once again she has a mind like an elephant. Only two more months till the baby comes and of course the sickness still has not ended but my weight is forever going up down each doctors appointment, but so far I have lost 5 pounds since the pregnancy. Jason and I have been going back and forth on names but nothing has been decided yet, at this rate we will be deciding after the baby is here. Ava has shown a little enthusiasm over her baby sister, I took her to the doctor with me yesturday and she kept begging to hear the baby's heartbeat. I am nervous about how she is going to be once the baby is here I pray that there won't be too much jealousy. We are in Houston since Jason had five days off so me and Nicole took Ava shopping for shoes today and to my amazement she got a pair of size 9 shoes! Poor girl never even has a chance, she is obviously taking after me in the feet department. It has been cold here which is really unfortunate because I really wanted to take her to the zoo with her cousin Hayden but it is supposed to be cold like the whole time we are here.

First haircut

Ava got her first haircut today which she has been asking for a long time. She did really good, I was really proud of her she just sat and didn't move or complain or act scared at all. Actually I think she was really excited about it, but Jason and I really were not it is too sad to think about the fact that all the baby hair she was born with was just cut off. She is just getting so big so fast and now she looks even more grown up. She is 2 going on 16 and she wants to wear her high heels everyday and wear perfume and put on makeup and take her purse with her everywhere we go. She is very much a girly girl which kind of surprises me as much as I'm really not. It was Jason's first day of actually having class at the college and I think he was kind of nervous since it has been so long. It is definitely the beginning of a long journey for Jason and I both to get through school but with patience and determination hopefully we can see it through.

The Aquarium

We went to the aquarium yesterday and we all had a really good time. Ava was a little scared at first because she didn't understand that there was a glass between her and the animals but once she realized that she had a lot of fun. We were looking at the aquarium with the sharks in it and I said look Ava a shark and she turned to me with a surprised look and said, "Shark! Run Mommy run!" I didn't know even know she knew what a shark was but all I can guess is she learned it from Dora The Explorer. Ava really loved the dolphins and we went to a show where they had something like a cheetah, owls, anteaters, and eagles and she really loved that too. I don't know if we should have taken her yesterday since it was so cold but she was feeling fine and now today she sounds all congested again. We are going today to the college to register Jason for his classes and I think this semester he will actually be taking some of them there at the college at night instead of all internet classes which he hates. Lucky us we are back to the gym today, which has been extremely put off but we have got to go back. I actually gained a pound this time I went to the doctor instead of always losing weight so that was good. I think the morning sickness is starting to subside a little although it is still not completely gone.


Painting ornaments for christmas

This is from when we went to the aquarium yesterday

Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a good new years, ours was pretty uneventful which I think is pretty common when you have a kid. Thinking back on the last year has made me wish this year to be so much greater. Not that last year was just so completely horrible but there were things that I definitely could have lived without like my Mom and Grandma both having congestive heart failure and of course the dismal election scares the crap out of me. Even Christmas which I have to admit I still love just as much as I did when I was a kid was kind of a downer because everyone had the flu. I'm going to try to be positive about this year though, we found out on Tuesday that we are having a girl so that's some good news. Jason and I were both shocked by that because we were both pretty sure that it was going to be a boy. Ava ask me everyday, "Where's sister Mommy?" that is hard to explain and Jason's explanation for that question is mommy ate her, I tell him all the time that this is going to scar her for life but he thinks it's funny. Today I have been taking down all the Christmas decorations which I'm kind of relieved to be putting away the tree was starting to shed horribly. Jason is planning on continuing taking his classes next semester but I think I'm going to hold off on mine considering my due date is May 14th. Ava is hilarious now she says the funniest things and is talking in full sentences, but some of the things she says shocks me too. Like Ava remembers everything she never forgets any detail ever so Jason was telling me she has a mind like an elephant and she turned to me and said, "Well Momma is a cow!" Of all things a cow? All I can say is thanks Ava though I was laughing pretty hard which made her repeat it over and over again.

The Holidays

We decorated the Christmas tree last night after having it for week, Ava was so excited but so tired. She fell asleep in her high chair last night at like 7 and we had to wake her up because that's just to early to go to bed unless I want to get at 3 in the morning with her. She hasn't been taking naps though which might be a good thing just because she is so ready for bed by that night. We tried letting her cry it out 2 nights ago so she would sleep in her own bed and she finally did go to sleep after almost 2 hours of crying. However that night she slept horrible waking up constantly, I just don't know if crying it out is for me. I feel like this horrible monster and Ava is screaming bloody murder, "Mama!! help me!!". Jason absolutely refuses to do it again so I'm not sure how we are going to get her in her own bed. I still have lots of Christmas shopping to do, but I'm excited I still love Christmas. We put lights on the outside of the house and Ava gets so excited whenever she sees any lights on houses. Ava is learning so much she was counting to 5 in spanish today and she count to 13 in english, and she is learning so many songs. She can sing twinkle, twinkle little star and jingle bells by herself it is so cute! Jason and I have two more finals to take this week and we will be done with semester, yeah! I'm a little nervous about taking classes next semester with my due date being May 14th I'm still trying to figure that one out. We will find out what the baby is going to be on Dec 30th, Micah's bday so that will be exciting.

What's new

It has been so busy since the last time I wrote since I went into the hospital with dehydration and then my Mom going into the hospital right after that. Thankfully though my Mom is OK now. We spent Halloween at Jeremy and Cyndi's house so Ava could trick or treating with her cousins, I think she had a really good time. There was a few costumes that scared her a little bit but she did really well for the most part. I went Halloween day to find her a costume I know that I'm the biggest procrastinator in the world but I went to this party store where it was the only place I could find costumes at all. I waited in line for 45 minutes with Ava crying and whining because she needed a nap only to find out that they were out of costumes her size by the time I got to the counter I was so frustrated I just left. We dressed her in a one of her dress up princess outfits she had gotten for her birthday so it worked out OK. It was a little strange taking her since we never really did that much as a kid. We are going to drive to Victoria when Jason gets off work because Jeremy and Cyndi had their baby yesterday 7lbs 9oz boy named Jaxson, so I can't wait to see him. We got our second ultrasound done a few weeks ago, I really liked my doctor she seemed really sweet. I am 13 weeks now and I'm on like 4 different medicines for the nausea but it hasn't subsided yet, I pray that the nausea will be over soon! Jason and I have like a month left of school, but it hasn't really been too bad with the work as long as I don't get behind in it. The internet classes have been so nice to be able to do it that way.

Emergency Room

When I woke up this morning I felt horrible to say the least I thought maybe I was getting dehydrated. I tried to call my doctor that I haven't even seen once yet but she's been on vacation for like 3 weeks now which is a little weird considering she was only supposed to be gone a week. Anyways though they couldn't see me so Jason took me to the emergency room and it turns out I was just a little dehydrated nothing too severe I would hate to see what really dehydrated would feel like. I just haven't been able to keep anything down so they gave me another prescription my 3rd one this month to see if this helps so wish me luck. When I was at the E.R. they gave me an IV and I was liking freaking out I don't know why but I just felt like claustrophobic or something because I couldn't move and the drip was going like 1 drop an hour it was so slow. Finally they speed it up though I don't know why I was flipping out so bad it was just an IV but I guess I just really really don't like needles. Anyways I'm glad it was nothing too severe that was a relief. Ava stayed at my neighbors house while we were gone and we came back and she didn't even want to come back home with Jason, I was glad for her independence though. I have count down until my first trimester is over and praying for this sickness to end I have like 2 more weeks or something like so they estimated.

Ava's Trip

Since I have been so sick with this pregnancy mostly the morning sickness Ava went to go stay with my parents last weekend. I was feeling horrible when I woke up last Thursday since I had been getting so sick I thought that I might have been getting dehydrated so my Mom offered to watch her. I was nervous since she had never been away from us for more than one night but I think she did OK so she stayed three nights with them. The doctor at first put me on some kind of nausea medicine and it didn't do anything at all so I called them back and asked for something different but they said no. I went to our family doctor in desperation and they gave me a different medicine to try and it seems to be working a LITTLE better not much. I just hope and pray that this won't be another pregnancy like I had with Ava I don't know if I will be able to make it that long being sick. I just keeping staying positive though and try to have a good attitude. I don't have my first doctors appointment until Oct 27th and they estimate that I will be 13 weeks then but we will know a little better then. School is going well it is just keeping us busy. Jason has his days off today so we can catch up on the house as sick as I've been it has been hard to do much of anything. Ava is getting so big I was really proud of her for staying with my parents for those three days she did really well. She loves playing dress up as you can tell from the new pics that I have posted. She is just learning so much like she starting to know her ABCs really well and counting and all these different songs and she surprises me a lot with the different words she knows like she was talking about a pier on TV yesterday and I didn't even know she knew that word.

Hurrican Ike

We thought we were going to have evacuate for Hurricane Ike but since it shifted up to Houston we didn't even get wind and maybe a little rain. Our beaches though just from high tide were gone there wasn't even a beach so there was minor flooding just from that and that was before it had even rained. Houston got slammed though my parents and grandparents and aunt and uncle's house all had some damage. At my Mom and Dad's house they lost their whole fence and had a little bit of flooding minor I think though. My brother stayed at my Mom's house through the hurricane and I don't think he has ever been so scared he said the house was just shaking and the wind had this evil howling like he had never heard before which is a given with a 110 mile an hour winds. We are trying to play catch up with our homework so we have been pretty busy we have our first test in economics this weekend so wish us luck.

Ava Doctor Visit

Ava went to the doctor for her 2nd year check up. She was 27 pounds and 2'10" she was like in the 60 percentile so she's had a big growth spurt since we went at like 18 mos because she was only in the 50th percentile then. She got a shot and shockingly we didn't have to hold her down the nurse just told her she would get a sucker and she was fine. My niece Larissa is spending the night with us tonight since my sister in law hasn't been feeling very well I think Ava is glad to have someone to play with they have been doing really well together. Jason is working late it's like 8 and he had to go back I think they are trying to prepare just in case the hurricane comes but hopefully it won't. Jason found out yesterday that he has lost 8 pounds since we started working out but since we weren't able to for like 2 week we are both extremely sore today. Jason had to sleep in the recliner with the heating pad just because he was so sore. I better go I've got homework to do and baths to give.

Sickness & School

Unfortunately Ava was sick AGAIN on her actual birthday I can't believe it! She was sick her first birthday and then this birthday, poor girl! I thought Ava was feeling better because she didn't have fever so we went ahead and took her to Houston for her birthday party on my side of the family and she got my Dad sick and he's got strep throat now. Once Ava was finally over her sickness completely I was like thank God like can get back to normal and then I got sick, so it's just been a crazy week and half. We got a little behind with school work since we got sick so we were up till like 2 last night trying to catch up but we finally did. We have been working out pretty steady for about a month now with the exception of the last 2 weeks because of the sickness but I lost five pounds! yeah! I'm not sure how much Jason has lost the only reason I know mine is because I went to the doctor. Anyways it's been a crazy couple of weeks. School has been good though I don't if Jason's has adjusted to being back in school yet but he's getting there but he is making really good grades so that's good.

Ava's 2nd Birthday

We just had Ava's 2nd birthday party here at our house in Portland. She made out like a bandit but she was just so excited and had such a good time with all the other kids. She is getting so big. She had a Little Mermaid cake and all she wanted to do was stick her hands in it. We also had little cupcakes to go around the cake but the kids just weren't that into them to my surprise. Ava got a tricycle, care bears(grumpy and sunshine because according to my neighbor she is drastically one of those two), a princess couch, dress up clothes, regular clothes, a pretend make up kit with a purse and phone, and a puzzle. I set some of the toys in her closet for a rainy day so she'll be able to appreciate all them eventually. Ava has pretend painted my nails her nails and even Jason's nails a million times already and she has only had it for a couple of hours, she is such a girly girl.I have not written in a while so a lot has been going on and I don't even know where to start. Ava is potty trained now finally! Yeah! NO MORE buying stupid diapers that cost a fortune. She was actually pretty easy to potty train I think it was more me that was procrastinating it. Jason and I start school on Monday so we're a little nervous and excited but hopefully we will do good. I just can't believe Ava is two she talks so well for her age everyone we see is always making a point of how well she enunciates her words which I don't know where she gets that from because my Mom has said to me a million times, "Enunciate your words Emily, I can't understand you!". I am going to put some pics on here and videos of Ava.

Exhaustion

We are so worn out from vacation, we just can't seem to catch up on sleep. We did have a really good time though. I think one of the things that I liked most about our vacation was going to a show in Branson. We went to the Shanghai Circus and we all really liked it, it is unbelievable how strong these little tiny girls our they were lifting like 3 times their weight. Ava is cuter than ever, every time she does even the smallest thing she gets this really excited voice and then she'll shout, "I did it!!!!!" it is the cutest thing ever. I have decided to take some classes at the college, so I have been looking for a mothers day out program for Ava and I think I finally found one. This is not the first time that I have said I'm going to take a class but for some reason I feel more determined this time. I guess because Ava is a little older and more independent and I think being around some more kids would be great for her. The thing that gets me is just finding the right place for her where I feel I can trust whoever I am leaving her with. I'm a little nervous because one of the classes I will be taking is Calculus 1 and it has been a long time since I've taken math. I'm sure it will work out though. My birthday was on the 9th and we actually got to go out for my birthday we went to the movies and out to eat and it was fabulous! We went and saw Get Smart and we laughed our butts off, it was hilarious. Ava stayed with my brother and sister in law and it sounds like she really well with them which was a relief since we don't really leave her that often.

Vacation

We are about to go on vacation to Arkansas, I am really hoping that Ava will do good on the car trip. As long as Micah is in the car I think she will do ok though, she loves her "bubba". We finally sold the car for even more than we thought we would get for it, yeah!. Ava is getting so big she is getting really brave trying to jump on the couch the bed whatever she can. She is also trying to do a somersault on the bed now too, which she can almost do. She is just fearless, well she is scared of the bathtub but she would jump in any pool no problem so I don't understand that. Jason hasn't been able to do any real estate in a while but it hasn't been all that promising yet. On vacation we are going to go to Branson Missouri, Eureka springs, and we are going to stay in Cotter AR. I think we are going to go to an amusement park in Branson and we are also going to see a show there but I don't know which one yet. I think there is also shopping in Eureks Springs which will only be 20 minutes away so we will probably do that a couple of days. We will be staying right off the river in Cotter so we will also be fishing alot I'm sure, I am going to get ava one of those little fishing poles and just not put anything on the end so she can fish too. I think we are going to take the wii too since there is a tv where we are staying and so we can play in the car.