The Garrison Family: Ava's 5 months old!

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Ava's 5 months old!

I can't believe it...Ava's already 5 months old! It seems like it was just yesterday that we were in the hospital and she was about to be born. The months, days, minutes, and seconds that have made up the time since Ava Holt was born have flown by so fast. They've actually flown by way TOO FAST for our liking. Ava keeps changing and growing and as excited as we are that she's becoming more independent and fun to play with, we still miss the days of her being so little, new, and fragile. Long gone are the days of her sleeping on our chests or curled up in a ball zipped up in my North Face fleece jacket. Things like that make us sad but having her laugh, giggle, smile, and talk to us make our days so much fun.

Our tradition continues (much to Matt's chagrin) of celebrating Ava's monthly birthdays. Here she is with her birthday 'cake' and candle. As you can see, at first she doesn't realize that her 'cake' and candle are in front of her--but as soon as she realizes that they're there, her 'cake' gets demolished (not to mention her clothes get covered in chocolate!).

This is Take #1...

Take #2: Ava informed me that she was missing her Mater hat, so I had to go get it and put it on her head. So here she is with her complete Birthday gear...

Take #3: After a change of clothes and a nap, Ava said that she wanted to play with her cake again and that she wouldn't destroy it this time...that'll be the last time I listen to and trust a 5-month old!

Yes, that was both the candle and her 'cake' in her mouth. Don't worry, she didn't get any wax in her mouth...only a little chocolate on her face.

As you can see, she's had a very Happy 5 Month Birthday. She got to play with her Daddy all morning (Matt's night flying tonight so he didn't have to go in until noon), she got to go to the park to see the ducks, and she got to play with not one...but two birthday 'cakes.' Good thing Mommy had a back-up!

Here are Ava's 'official' 5 month pictures. She's such a big girl now--sitting up all by herself--but some things never change, like her refusing to smile for the camera like her Daddy. Ava's so spectacular and our hearts have grown with love over these past 5 months more than we ever thought possible. She never fails to make us smile.

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About Us...

Matt and I met on April 14, 2001 in Glendale, Arizona. I was in college at Pepperdine University and he was in F-16 pilot training at Luke AFB. We met through my brother, Matt (Goat), who was also going through pilot training at Luke. The two Matts met their freshman year at the Air Force Academy where they were assigned to the same squadron and lived next door to one another. Despite Matt being friends with my brother since 1995, we had never met one another before 2001. I fell in love with Matt at first sight and he fell in love with me shortly thereafter. We were married on October 4, 2003 in the Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy-it seemed only fitting. God has blessed us with almost 5 busy, exciting, and wonderful years of marriage. In that time, we have lived in 3 states, 2 countries, run in over 20 races (combined) in 6 different countries and 5 different states, traveled to almost 30 different countries, and have have been blessed with the most precious and beautiful little girls.

Ava Holt was born at 3:05 AM on November 1, 2007. At 2 weeks early, she weighed in at 7 pounds, 11.4 ounces and was 20 inches long. Ava Holt is a dramatic yet easy going little soul. She loves attention and is always happy. She is incredibly observant, freakishly strong, very independent, and a very fast learner. Her curiosity fuels her day, as she fills her hours getting into anything and everything under 5 feet in height. As much as she loves me, she loves her Daddy even more. She is the epitome of a 'Daddy's Girl' and the highlight of her day is when Matt gets home and she gets to perform, laugh, and squeal for him. Then, when her Daddy gets in her way, her favorite person in the world is her baby sister, Myla Grace. From the moment she met Myla Grace at the hospital on the day we came home from the hospital, she was smitten. There wasn't a jealous bone in her body, only pure love. We are beyond blessed to have the miracle of Ava Holt in our lives. Oh, and did I mention that 'You Are My Sunshine' is her FAVORITE song? The apple didn't fall far from the tree, as it's mine too.

Sweet Myla Grace was born at 5:04 PM on December 2, 2009. At 3 weeks early, she weighed in at 7 lbs, 0.4 ounces and was 19 inches long. Myla Grace is so disgustingly sweet. She is our cuddly little one who prefers to be carried and or held when at all possible. While sweet and cuddly, she also loves to destroy, dismantle, and disassemble most things within her reach...all while flashing the most precious of smiles. And through all of her sweetness, she has the uncanny ability to make you laugh all day long. Maybe it's the mullet she's had since birth, the gummy grin (which is starting to blossom with teeth), or her serious smirks, but whatever it is, we can't get enough. Although Myla Grace was a complete surprise, we can't imagine life without her. She is absolutely Ava's little buddy (whom Ava affectionately calls, 'the little one,' 'Mywa Grace,' and 'Mah-la.'), Amy's cuddle bug, Matt's giggling partner, and the most beautiful little blessing.

Harper Lee was born at 3:28 PM on May 31, 2013. Also arriving 3 weeks early, Harper weighed in at a hefty 6 lbs, 15 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. From the moment she entered this world, Harper has been the happiest, calmest, smiley-est {if that's even a word}, sweetest, and easiest baby we've ever had. She NEVER cries and is so incredibly easy going...to the point that I thought something was wrong with her. And unlike her big sisters, Harper has always been on the tiny side of small. After several rounds of tests when she was 6-months old to make sure she didn't have any development or growth problems, the Doctors came to the conclusion that she is just going to be "petite." So despite being in the 5th percentile for her age, our precious Harper girl is absolutely perfect as the tiny little package that she is. Oh, and did I mention that she is the BEST eater in our family? This sweet girl can mow through food like a 10yr old! I am a believer in miracles and Harper further confirms my faith. Her existence is a pure miracle (not to mention an ultimate surprise) and we thank God all the time for giving her to us. We thought our hearts were complete but we had no idea how big of holes we had until she joined our lives. Her laughter, giggles, rambling babbles, smiles, and 2-finger sucking are constant reminders that we are recipients of so much undeserved grace. At 21-months old, Harper's favorite things are cats (she calls them "nows"--her way of saying meow), dogs ("uf-ufs"), Ava ("aw-buh"), and balloons ("boons").