Goals this week

Teach Ava how to wave, play peek-a-boo and clap
Go to the park 3x's
Clean our house
Organize my craft room
Finish my etsy orders
Get started on meal planning and budgeting!!!

PCOS

I don't think I've ever talked about this on my blog.... I know I think about it often but I don't know if I've been "that" honest to bring it up. Anyone had to deal with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)?? I'm trying to get the courage up to go talk to a new doctor about it. Last time I talked to a doctor about it (December 2008) I got scolded and told not to think about it because I'd be "irresponsible" to get pregnant at the weight I was at and I was "too young" to be a mom anyway.

Well I did talk to my OB about it but after I got pregnant with Ava. He told me to come back and we'd check it after I had her... well dang it we moved. I loved Dr. Alperin. He never made me feel bad about getting pregnant at the weight I was at (or age for that matter).

I've struggled with PCOS since high school and its frustrating and discouraging. I know it goes hand in hand with my weight and its currently been more difficult than ever to get the weight I gained during my pregnancy off.

Anyway gotta come up with the courage just to call and make a doctors appointment. I HATE going to the doctor.

Ava at the park

Took Ava to the park, this girl loves to swing! (Please ignore my audible sniff, it was cold)

Still have 7 weeks

but I've been planning Ava's first birthday pretty much since Christmas was over :) I've already got her outfit she's wearing for her pictures and her outfit for her tiny party (and yes that means 2 outfits). I am getting so excited :)

Her birthday party is going to be really small, just whatever family is around but I still want to do cute cards to send to our family even if they can't come. Snapfish had this cute card design so I just plugged pictures into it. Can't believe my baby will be 1 so soon!

10 monthsSappy mom moment warning. My little girl is huge. I can't believe she will be 1 in 7 weeks. We pulled out the baby car seat so I could make a canopy cover for a friend and Ava started playing on the car seat. I thought it would be fun to put her in it again. We stopped using it in October. She is just at the point where she technically is too big for the seat. Probably be the last time we ever put her in it. Can't wait for the day we can use it again for another tiny newborn!

Ready for winter to be OVER

This winter has been relatively mild as far as snow goes, but I'm so ready for it to be over!!!

Ava's been sick sooo much this winter, ever since we got back from our trip to AZ in October it seems like its something every other week. Last week it was some virus that gave her bad diarrhea and a rash, this week (still dealing with the rash), she has RSV for the 2nd time this winter!

Poor girl is having such a hard time breathing. She is so happy aside from being sick but I hate for her to be sick.

Today, however, she did the cutest thing ever. I walked into her room at 5 to check on her while she was napping. She needed to get up and when I walked in I noticed she was sitting up in her crib. I turned on the light and she was sitting there, with a binky in her mouth and one hand holding onto a crib bar, totally asleep! I scared her awake when I started laughing. It was so cute.

Other big bonus is we got her a small space heater for her room. She is sleeping better and not waking up freezing cold. We usually have to have our heater almost up to 80 degree's and its still freezing in our condo. Now we don't have to worry about it because at least Ava is comfortable!!

Anyway READY NOW for winter to be over. Not to mention, I'm really excited about Ava's first birthday. Not that I'm ready for my baby to be 1, but I've got her pictures planned and can't wait to do them! I also can't wait to see Ava's reaction to her smash cake :)

OH and this summer I can't wait to get Ava in her cute little swim suits and get her a kiddie pool to play in! She loves water so much so I know she will have a blast!

10 Months Old

How is my baby 10 months old already? How has this past year gone by so quickly?

Ava is 23 pounds 8 ounces and 31 inches tall today!! 12-18 month clothes, size 4 diapers... she's just crazy big!

Last month I was wondering when she would start crawling on her knees, pulling up, cruising, getting teeth?! Well very quickly she did all of those this month... except the teeth part (and she only cruises a little bit).

She spends most of her day trying to figure out how to climb every single thing thats close to her. She even tries to climb on other little kids. She doesn't realize they aren't sturdy enough to climb on.

Ever since she figured out how to stand in her crib right after the new year, sleep has been a bit different. She hasn't been as easy to keep asleep for 14 hours a night but for some reason the lack of sleep hasn't been bothering me lately. Once I recovered from 7 months straight of no sleep, this little sleep regression doesn't seem like a big deal at all.

Anyway, Ava's birthday is in 2 months!! I'm excited but terrified at the same time. Her birthday means she will be walking soon, she'll start eating real food more than bottles (I'm not ready for that), she'll get teeth (maybe), she'll start talking.... all these things I just can't imagine her doing.

I love you Ava

You know that Martina McBride song "In my daughters eyes"?? I've heard it a few times in the last 10 months and each time I hear it, it makes me bawl like a big baby. If I had to come up with words to even describe 1/100th of the way I feel about Ava, this song would for sure come the closest.

Saturdays with Ava and Dad

Modeling moms latest designs

The tongue is always out

Not happy in the tutu (we'll have to practice before her birthday)

Ava looks sooo small next to her Daddy

Playing her new piano

Got rid of a bunch of old furniture and made Ava a new play area

Dinner on her face but happy as can be

Happy New Year

Already 1 week into the new year! Can't believe its 2011. Seems like I waited forever for it to be 2010 and now its 2011 and Ava is almost 1!

Ava has changed so so much just in the last few weeks. On the 15th at her Dr appointment I was worried because she had never crawled on her knees (only army crawled), not pulled herself up, couldn't sit up from laying down. Well she did all those things a couple hours after we left the doctor!

We had a great trip to AZ and Ava loved seeing all our friends and family. She really loved her riding dinosaur that my mom gave her and everyday she wants to sit on it and ride backwards. She only goes forwards now so she can go backwards again.

She currently has some sort of virus. Possibly Rotovirus but we aren't sure. She's had bad diarrhea pretty much since Sunday I believe. The doctor had us take her off formula and only drink pedialyte which I didn't think she would do but so far she has drank a ton of it and she has had very little diarrhea today. YAY.

And honestly whenever she is sick I honestly second guess it because she is never upset. You would think she would show some signs that she isn't feeling well, but she still is just as happy as Ava ever could be!

Anyway happy to see the new year!

OH and we are coming up on 3 years since I was diagnosed with my Pseudotumor Cerebri and I can say I've been off my meds since about May and so far so good. No reoccuring headaches. I had a few spells at the beginning of December but turns out they were just from stress! YAY