Catching up!

And once again I am WAY behind on my posts here! There has been lots of activity in the Paten household these past two months so I will try to catch you up on our comings and goings:).

When last we left we were coming up on Christmas. We had such a wonderful Christmas this year, of course, because it was our first with Ava! She didn't really know what was going on but was a trooper as we traveled all over western and central Kentucky and southern Indiana visiting families and celebrating Christmas. Ava was spoiled rotten by all her grandparents, aunts and uncles, and of course by mommy and daddy! She loved helping to open her presents and always managed to find the smallest piece of wrapping paper to put in her mouth. It was a wonderful first Christmas as a family of three.

Waiting in line to see Santa

Our favorite present...

Much more interested in the bows and paper than the actual presents themselves!

We then rang in 2013 with a group of friends at an old watering hole of ours;). James and I went to our favorite sushi place, which I had not been to for over a year! It was amazing at usual and we very much enjoyed a night out with just the two of us (thank you YaYa for keeping the little one!).

January also brought with it the beginning of my job search. I have enjoyed the time I have had at home with Ava more than I can ever explain and am so grateful to have been able to do so for so long. But the time has now come for me to head back to work. Still searching but ever hopeful that a wonderful opportunity will be offered to me soon that will allow our family a fairly easy transition.

Ava is growing up so fast! I was just looking at the last post I put up at the end of November and thought how little she was just a few months ago! She will be 9 months old in a couple weeks! Crazy!!! Every day Ava is becoming more and more mobile. I'm getting scared, ya'll. With mobility come the serious baby proofing, and I just haven't gotten there yet! Ava's big "thing" she's doing right now is getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. Sometimes she will launch herself forward when she's doing it and totally face plant. And I just can't help but laugh at her and also be so amazed at her at the same time! The other day she also starting sitting herself up from lying in her crib. So now nap time consists of about 30 minutes of her rocking back and forth, launching herself around her crib, and sitting herself up and playing with her bumper. Oh and launching her pacifiers out if the crib. It's like a paci graveyard back there at the end of the week...

Standing up is one of her new favorite things to do. She hasn't learned how to pull herself up quite yet, although I see that going down very soon, but she loves for someone to stand her up and hold her hand while she bounces and plays and looks quite proud if herself! We got her an activity table for Christmas and she also enjoys standing up and playing on that.

Ava is still nursing 4-5 times a day and eats 3 meals a day as well. And she loves her food!!! We always give her some type of finger food so she can practice feeding herself. Ava's favorite finger foods include puffs, peas, grapes, yogurt drops, banana, pasta, beans. shall i go on, lol?! The girl can eat! We also give her a sippy cup with every meal and she does pretty well with that too.

The beginning of January also brought teething to the Paten household in a serious way! Ava had been quite fussy and temperamental for a couple days in a row and low and behold we discovered a bottom tooth! And a couple days later I noticed a friend popped up right beside that tooth! So far it's just those two teeth but if Ava's mood of late is any indication, more are on their way;).  In looking for teething solutions that didn't involve me drugging my child all day every day, a couple friends recommended using an amber teething necklace.  It is supposed to be a natural remedy to ease the pain of teething.  It is a short necklace that the baby wears around the neck and is made up of Baltic amber beads. It really has seemed to help A LOT for Ava. 

Ava is still in 6-9 month clothes and size 2 diapers, although the next box of diapers we have to buy we are going to go up a size. We can tell that she is starting to grow out of her 6-9 month clothes too- starting with her cotton sleepers. Baby clothes sizing should seriously be standardized- am I right mommas?! Ava can wear anything from 6 month to 6-12 month to 6-9 month to 12 month clothing. And it just really bothers the anal person inside of me! But I digress...

That's is a very fast catch up on what has been happening around here the last couple months! Hope everyone is staying warm and healthy! Thanks for catching up with the Paten's!

 

Ava looking out over her first snow!

Thanks Uncle Dustin and Aunt Sharity for my awesome Yoda hat!

Blessings and Thanksgivings

Well, it's been a hot one since last I posted! October was a crazy, difficult month, and November shaped up much the same. Thus the blogging fell to the wayside a bit. But I am hoping to get at it again!! So here's the highlights if what has been going on with the Patens...

Unfortunately October saw the passing of my beloved Papaw. He was certainly one of greatest men in my life, and one of the best people I know. He was faithful in the Lord, never knew a stranger, always saw the best in people, was giving and compassionate, and a hard worker. The list could go on and on. I am so blessed to have had him in my life for 29 years and that he got to know Ava. And as much as I and all my family will miss him, his legacy will continue through all of us and he will always be remembered.

As you can imagine the rest of October was a blur. Ava and I spent a lot of time in Livia with my mom and my Mamaw. James was traveling for work five weeks in a row in October and was usually gone a couple days at a time. We were all glad when that was over!

Ava's first Halloween was pretty uneventful. I had grand plans of dressing her up in a tutu and going to see all her grandparents in her costume and parading her up and down our street in her stroller looking oh so adorable. Not so much. Ava got sick on October 30 when we were at my mom's, so we had to come on home to isolation. We didn't get out if the house, so Ava didn't wear the costume I made her, but did wear a cute little bumble bee sleeper my mom gave her. And to top it off James was out of town and didn't get in until right before she went to bed. Halloween fail. But there's always next year;)





Someone got in the candy bowl..

Ava is getting so big!! I look back on some pictures and wonder where my baby went already! She is sitting up on her own. She is doing the pre-crawling inch worm. Everything goes in the mouth of course. And she grabs at everything too. So my necklace has now become a toy and I'm sure its not long before she breaks that! She now eats baby food 2-3 times a day and LOVES it!! I could go on and on about my brilliant beautiful daughter but will spare you.

The first time I could catch her sitting up on camera!

Staredown with her bear...

Happy girl when it's time to eat!

Aunt Jenny feeding Ava.





We just celebrated our first thanksgiving with the biggest blessing in our lives-Ava. I thank God every day that He chose me to be her mother. The holidays,though, were bittersweet for us as we also remember the family who are no longer with us. Our families have seen much loss these past couple years, but we also remember and give thanks for the time we had and the love and memories that will be passed down.

Thank you for reading and for catching up with us! And of course here's some more pics if my sweet girl!

Having fun on the swings!

Yep, I'm gonna be THAT mom.  Sorry Ava...

Playing with her feet all the time now!

Alfalfa hair after her bath!

In her Christmas dress under the tree.  This was the first outfit I bought when we found out we were having a girl.

Yay Christmas P.J.'s!

Like a rolling stone...

Bundled up for a walk in this beautiful cool fall weather.

So much has been going on the last couple weeks!! Let's have a quick recap and update:)

October 1st was James's 30th birthday! Although he didn't feel any different about turning 30 than any other birthday it nonetheless is a milestone birthday! We celebrated that night with his mom, sister, brother-in-law and kiddos with sushi and birthday cake. And the following Sunday we had his friends over for a cookout and football. So thankful for the most amazing man, husband, friend, and baby daddy I could ever ask for:). I hope to celebrate many, many more birthdays with you James.

October 5 marked Ava's 5 month birthday!! So hard to believe she's been with us 5 months. It feels like she's been part of our lives forever, but it also feels like she shouldn't be 5 months old yet! She is growing like a weed and seems to be doing new things every day. We have such fun with Ava and feel so blessed to be called to be her parents!

Saturday my Mom and Bill came in to town to pick up my brother and sister-in-law up from the airport coming home from their honeymoon. They came up that morning to see us (read: to see Ava!). We decided to try Ava on some rice cereal that day too. She loved it!! Gulped down about a tablespoon amount of very thinned out rice cereal. Her primary nutrition will continue to be mommy's milk, but we will slowly thicken the consistency of the cereal and gradually introduce puréed veggies and fruits.

My independent little girl already trying to feed herself!

I think in my last post I wrote that Ava had rolled over a couple times. Well she is officially a roller now- just like the title of this post- she is like a rolling stone! Just the past week or so she has mastered it! She has rolled the length of our rug in our living room a couple times. And boy does she just look so proud of herself;). It's really funny to watch her try to roll over with one of her toys in her hand! She thinks she's bug stuff! With this milestone we definitely will be looking at baby proofing the ol' homestead quite soon! And sweeping and vacuuming multiple times a day... There's nothing like seeing your daughter roll into a clump of dog hair and have her clothes covered in dog hair to affirm your terrible housekeeping skills...

Rolling over with her Oball

So much going on, but so much fun watching Ava grow up before our eyes. Sorry for the long post, but thanks for hanging in there! Have a very blessed day!

Riding her Toby horse.  He's not so amused...

Someone found their thumb...

The shirt says it all!

Yay for Halloweeny sleepers!

Happy girl after bath time!

Loving Life



My newest favorite picture of my sweet girl!

When I first started this blog I was posting about once a week! Now it's more like twice a month if I'm lucky! But such is life. Everyone in the Paten household are doing well! We have, course, been staying busy but it has been better than the beginning of September! As the holiday season is fast approaching I know we will continue to have our schedules full!

Ava is doing well and growing (too) fast! She rolled over 3 times in one day from her belly to her back a week or so ago and has only done it a time or two since for me! But get her in her crib and she is all over the place! It's always fun to wake up in the morning and see where she is in her crib! Her newest trick is blowing raspberries! And I know I am pretty partial and everything as her mother, but I'm pretty sure it is the cutest thing EVER! Ava has also mastered grabbing at toys and is now moving in to grabbing at ANYTHING in our hands or in our person. Nothing is safe- books, phones, remotes, necklaces, glasses are all game now!

I caught her mid-raspberry...it's so hilariously cute!

Her fingers and hand are her favorite toy...they are always with her and so easy to put in her mouth!

But I so enjoy seeing Ava growing and learning every day. She just gets a light in her eye when she is mastering something new that is such a joy to see. She continues to amaze me every day and I thank God every day for giving me such an amazing daughter! I am so undeserving of such a blessing, but feel so privileged to be her mother!!

My serious little lady!

And that's about it for now! We have lots going on the next week or so, so I will (hopefully) catch everyone up again soon! Have a wonderful and blessed day!

Mommy's adorable walking buddy!