Ava's Crawling!

Here's more video footage of Ava Holt's second day crawling (May 15, 2008)...

Ava's crawling after a purple ball...

Here's Ava crawling to her Aunt Casey...

Here's Ava crawling to get her yellow ball...

Mess Maker...

Here is a slideshow of pictures of Ava that were taken on May 22nd. There's just so many to post but they somehow tell a very cute story...

This speaks for itself...

6-Month Shots

On May 22nd, I took Ava to get her 6-month shots. I hadn't really given her a pep talk for the shots like I usually do, so I think they caught her off guard. When we went for her 6-month well-baby visit on May 2nd, we were a week too early to get her shots (since her 4-month visit and shots were on the 10th of March, we had to wait until the 10th of May to get her 6-month shots). Anyhow, here are some pictures of our brave little girl getting her horrible shots. The one perk from the shots this time is that I got to administer the oral vaccine (it has the Rotavirus and some other vaccine in it). Ava Holt has never had a problem with other people giving the vaccines to her, but I thought it was nice that they asked me to do it. It's not like I won the lottery or Wheel of Fortune jackpot, but hey, it was a 'monumental' day for me as a mommy.


As always, Ava did so well with her shots. She did cry when they stuck her legs with the needles though. I think that as she gets older the shots get worse...since she is more alert and knows what's going on. I remember crying when Ava received her first shots and she didn't even really shed a tear. Anyhow, because of her alertness, I actually gave her her sucker (aka nummy, dummy, or pacifier in our house) to help soothe her during the shots. I don't think it did much good, as the pain of the pricks over-ruled any possible dummy soothing...but I thought I would give it a try. Once both shots were administered, I got to pick Ava up and give her a cuddle...and the tears quickly vanished. It's amazing what a parent's cuddle will do for a child.

As with every visit to the immunizations clinic thus far, Ava Holt got to pick out some bravery stickers. However, this time Ava actually picked out and picked up the sticker of her choice (as apparent by the sticker that she chose--I wouldn't have picked it out!). The immunizations tech handed Ava a basket filled with stickers and she actually stuck her hand inside the basket and felt the different stickers. Since she now has a pretty good pincer grasp, Ava picked up the sticker that she wanted all by herself. And of course, she got the 'Brave' sticker that she gets each visit. Here's Ava showing off her new 'battle wounds' and her prized 'booty' that she got for being so brave (her stickers)...

Bye Bye Hammock

Ava's 1st night un-swaddled in her hammock

Since birth, Ava has slept swaddled in her baby hammock at night (she's been napping in her crib since February when she rolled off the couch and we went to the ER). She has really loved her baby hammock up until April 29th...the first night she slept un-swaddled. It wasn't until she was given her arms that the baby hammock was no longer as comfortable as it used to be.

We decided to un-swaddle Ava, as it was starting to get warm here in Vegas and we thought it was cruel to have her sleep so confined in the hot weather. We thought it was going to take a while to break her from being swaddled, but we were very wrong. Ava did amazingly well the first night she went un-swaddled and has continued to do so ever since. We transitioned her to a sleep sack and she loved using her fingers to play with the inside of her hammock. We would hear her wake up in the mornings talking to herself while brushing her fingers back and forth across the hammock fabric and netting. It was hilarious.

Anyhow, we knew that we were going to need to move her to her big girl crib at night, as the sunlight in our room would wake her up at about 5:30 am each morning (as soon as the sun would rise, Ava would rise). In addition to the sunlight, we knew that she needed to learn to sleep in her own bed in her own room and not be in our room anymore. We mainly hadn't forced Ava to sleep in her crib at night due to the hassle of walking to the far end of the house to check on/cuddle/or feed her in the middle of the night...as having her in her hammock in our room was just so much more convenient. But, we knew that the 'big move' was imminent. Now that she was un-swaddled at night, Ava wanted to roll around and turn over--things her hammock didn't permit.

Well, when we went to Tennessee, Ava had to sleep in a crib. We didn't want her to learn to co-sleep with us, so the crib was her only option (in the past, she has been able to sleep in her pram, but now she's too big). So, Ava slept in the crib at night (she woke up a few times at night, mostly because she was in a new place in a new bed and not in her hammock) the whole time we were home.

Upon returning to Vegas, we took the opportunity of her sleeping in a crib for the past week as a segue to moving her straight to her crib in her room. We didn't even let her see her hammock or allow her to stir up any memories or attachments to it. We just pretended that her crib was where she always slept at night. Matt had bought a humidifier to put in her room (she slept with one in our room) and back when Matt's parents were in town, John put up a darkening shade in her window so that the sun wouldn't wake her up in the mornings.

Well, Ava has been successfully sleeping through the night in her own crib in her own room since we returned from Tennessee on the 19th. We usually put her down around 8 or 8:30 and she'll wake up around 5:30-6 to nurse and then go back down until 8:30 or 9. This past weekend she extended her sleep a bit and didn't wake up until 7:45 for her feeding...then went back down until a little past 9. But, as of Tuesday, she's back to her normal routine of waking up at around 6 and going back down until about 8:30...all while teething again. It has been glorious. She's amazing.

Matt loves going to check on Ava before going to bed and then throughout the night. If he gets up to go to the bathroom, I'll hear him sneeking out of our room to go watch little Ava sleep. She's just so precious when she sleeps and he likes making sure that his baby is doing okay since she's a tummy sleeper.

Swim Lessons

It's probably old news, but I thought I'd write about it since I have a few spare minutes with Ava currently taking a nap. On Wednesday, May 7th, Ava Holt had her first swim lesson at our local YMCA. The Y was just built last year and has great (and clean) facilities for swimming. Anyhow, I signed Ava up at the end of March and we anxiously waited until the 7th for her swim lessons to begin. The classes are 30 minutes long and are taught in an indoor pool. The basis for the classes is repetition, which turns into expectation.

There are only about 8 other babies in Ava's swim class, with her being the youngest. Even though she's the youngest, she's definitely not the smallest or weakest. Since her first swim class, Ava has progressed so well. This week, Ava got to advance to a big girl exercise where she got to be submerged in the water like a torpedo without having me blow in her face before going under water. The swim instructor was so proud of Ava, as she couldn't believe how well she has been doing in such a short amount of time. Since the class is so small and the babies vary from Ava to 2 years old, the instructor can individualize exercises for each child based on his or her capabilities. The submersion without blowing in Ava's face is usually used for babies around a year old, so Ava seems to be a little bit ahead of the curve...at least this week she was!

Matt has made it to every swim lesson except for this week's. He loves going and watching his girls splash around in the water like 'seahorses.' The whole class is based off silly songs and movements, so I'm sure it gets old to him each week. But, the fact that after doing each exercise, Ava straightens her neck and flings her head back and looks for his praise, makes him come back each week. It's the cutest thing watching her 'perform' for her Daddy. This week, Ava kept bobbing her head up to look for Matt (he sits in the same place each week) after each exercise, but since he wasn't there she would just turn her head from side to side to look around the pool for him. She's so dramatic.

Ava still has a long way to go until she can swim (obviously), but we wanted her to be in the classes so that she will learn to always be comfortable in the water and so that she can have some social time and interaction with other babies. Each week she remembers more and more of the exercises and she can kick and float 'like a pancake' quite well. Matt hasn't told her that pancakes don't really float just yet. He'll wait to tell her that sad story when she's a bit older. It's a buzz kill.

Off to Tennessee We Go

On Wednesday, May 14th, Ava Holt and I hopped on a last minute Southwest flight bound for Nashville to go surprise my mom for a late Mother's Day gift. My dad and I had been working out the details of the ticket and the trip and on the morning of the 14th, Ava and I decided to go ahead with the trip. We waited until the last minute, as I had told my dad that it was all dependant on how Ava was doing that day. If she was a tired mess, we wouldn't take the flight...but if she was her normal well rested and well behaved self, we would come. We were hoping that our arrival would be a surprise for my mom, but she had already called the airline to see if we had tickets booked (she's sneaky and a tad bit nosy like that). Even though our arrival wasn't the biggest of surprises, Ava's Nan was over the moon to see her.

Ava and I stayed in Tennessee until the afternoon of the 19th and we had a great time while home. Ava got to take her first ride on the golf cart, had her first experience on a tractor, had her first pedicure, sat in a high chair for the first time, crawled through a side table, and had her first kitchen sink bath. She also stood up all by herself while holding onto my parents' hands and she hasn't stopped standing up since. Ava Holt loved playing with Lucy and Patton and was truly amazed by Iddy and Hambone (the cats). While home, we got to spend some time with Grandmother Chambers, Grandmother and Grandpoppa Allen, Aunt Claudia and Uncle Scott, Aunt Tracey and cousins Natalie and Molly, and several family friends from church whom I haven't seen in a long while. Ava did great at church...although what child wouldn't if they were being constantly held by her Nan and Poppa?

Here's Ava Holt taking her first kitchen sink bath...

While in Tennessee, we also discovered that Ava has quite the gastronomic palate...but only if her food is homemade. We tried feeding Ava various brands of organic baby food (sweet potatoes, butternut squash, green beans, pears, apples, etc) and she wouldn't eat them. So, we went to the store and I bought her some organic butternut squash, one of her favorite foods. Well, I roasted the squash as I do at home and pureed the flesh in the blender...and voila...she ate them. So, we did a 'blind' taste test with her using the homemade butternut squash and the Earth's Best jar of butternut squash, and it was VERY apparent which one was jarred and which one was homemade. When given any jarred food she would grimace, wink her left eye, and refuse to swallow. It was hysterical. We even poured the jarred food into an identical bowl as the homemade so that she wouldn't see that it was coming from a jar. I was so surprised at how developed her taste buds were and the fact that she was able to distinguish the difference between homemade and jarred food. So, I was glad (for future reference) to learn that we will be needing to make Ava's meals when we travel. Luckily, it's not very hard or time consuming at all.

Overall, we had a wonderful visit home. Ava loved being spoiled by her Nan and Poppa and it was so great to see them love on her. Seeing my parents as grandparents is a truly amazing gift and my heart has grown with even more love for them, as I love how they love on and interact with Ava. Here are a few pictures from our trip home. There were so many fun pictures that I put them into a slide show. Enjoy...

Amy's 1st Official Mother's Day

Mother's Day 2007

Last year on Mother's Day, I was only a few months pregnant (13 weeks and 3 days, to be exact) and in Sardinia, Italy. I had just finished my 1st trimester and had what seemed like forever left until I had our baby. This year, I am the Mommy to a beautiful, active, witty, smart, and remarkably loving little 6 month, 1 week, and 3 day old little girl who has more than captured my heart. It's unreal.

Mother's Day 2008

When I look back on the last year, I just laugh as my priorities, my life, and my sense of self have completely changed. I've never thought of myself as a selfish person, but now that we have Ava, I could completely care less about things for me. My mom always told me that one day I would understand, and on November 1, 2007, I, for once, completely understood. Last year, Matt bought me a Maya Wrap (a baby wrap) for Mother's Day and I was over the moon. This year, Matt bought me things for Ava...and I am even more over the moon (it's what I wanted!).

Mother's Day 2007

As I mentioned earlier, last year Matt and I were in Sardinia, Italy basking in the beautiful Mediterranean weather with a little peanut inside me. This year on Mother's Day, I was inside P.F. Chang's in Summerlin, wrestling with a precious little girl who looks a lot like me but who is stubborn like her daddy, trying to get her to let go of the blinds that hung on the windows while making sure that she didn't choke on a straw (and also trying to get the mangled fortune cookie out of her hand before she punctured the plastic and choked on it). A lot changes in a year and within 366 days (it was a leap year!), I am now a bona fide Mother and I am so very proud to be Ava's.

Mother's Day 2008

Aside from the wonderful baby things that Matt allowed me to buy for Ava and our day out in Summerlin (PF Changs for lunch and then to the Red Rock for some Wheel of Fortune), my greatest present came from Ava herself. On Mother's Day, Ava crawled for the first time. Matt, Casey, and I all watched her as she took her first crawling movements across the floor and I was even able to get it on camera. Since that day, Ava has done nothing but crawl all over the house. It's amazing how fast she has picked the movement up and how quickly she gets into things throughout the house.

My first real Mother's Day was a memorable one and I will remember it forever. I am one very blessed and lucky girl to be the Mother to and the Mommy of such an extraordinary little girl.

Aunt Casey's In Town

Friday, May 9th, Ava's Aunt Casey (Matt's sister) came to town. Ava was so excited to see her Aunt Casey and she had several tricks up her sleeve that she couldn't wait to show her. Ava hadn't seen her Aunt Casey since Christmas, so seeing her once again was a whole new experience. At Christmas, Ava was just an immobile little baby...but now, she's an active 'big' girl.

While here, Casey was able to feed Ava several meals like carrots, sweet taters, apples, and pears and was even able to feed Ava a new food for the first time (acorn squash). Casey also got to feed Ava solid foods for 'breakfast' and 'lunch' for the first time (Ava usually only eats solids at dinnertime)...to which Ava was very appreciative.

In addition to the mealtime firsts, Casey also got to partake in our first crib lowering. On Mother's Day, Ava decided to stand up in her crib for the first time. Since the crib was set at the highest setting, Ava's new trick of standing up really posed a safety danger, as she could have easily fallen out of the crib. So, Matt and Casey got the pleasure of taking the crib apart and lowering it. It was quite a task undoing all the screws and then putting them back in, but they managed to get the crib lowered to a safer position (it's now on the next to lowest setting).

Unfortunately, Matt had to leave on Monday for a TDY to Florida, but Casey, Ava, and I had a great time venturing out and about in Vegas. The Wheel of Fortune machines weren't looking in our favor though, as we only got to spin a handful of times between the two of us and we ended up losing a few dollars along the way! Bummer!

Despite the bad luck at Wheel of Fortune, we had a wonderful time having Casey in town. Thanks so much Casey for coming to see us! Ava loved being able to spend time with you (and she loves her stacking cups and book!) and can't wait to see you again.

Sorry For The Sabbatical

I apologize for the lack of upkeep on the blog over the past few weeks. Matt's sister, Casey, came to visit us for a long weekend and then the day after she left, Ava and I took a last minute trip to TN to surprise my mom for Mother's Day on the 14th (it wasn't much of a surprise though, as my mom called the airlines ahead of time to see if we were on the flight--she is a surprise pooper!). Since returning home on the 19th, we've been really busy with everyday life and the Memorial Day weekend. I've been meaning to put some posts on the blog but haven't had the time to do it. There has been so much going on in our lives since the last post, so you'll have to forgive me for the overload of posts to come. Ava has changed so much in the past few weeks and she continues to change each day. Please keep checking the blog to see some updates on what we've been up to since the beginning of the month!

Thanks for your patience...