Spring is Here!

Finally the weather is getting nicer outside and Ava loves to go for walks. She prefers the Baby Bjorn, but also likes the stroller. We have a big 6 acre park in our neighborhood with walking paths that are perfect for walks with Ava and Luckie. Grandpa Gene has been coming over and walking with us a lot, sometimes we go to Grandpa and Grandma's neighborhood too... Ava is really pretty flexible. She has been talking more and more lately. Her favorite words are "ahh-goo" and "awwooo". We have conversations back and forth a lot, I am pretty sure she thinks I am the funniest person in the world. She also blows bubbles a lot. Sometimes in the car, I will look back at her in the mirror and she will have her entire chin covered in spit bubbles. We started "baby and me yoga" which is once a week and it has been a big hit with Ava. After our first class on thursday, we came home and she took a 4 hour afternoon nap!!! That was the first time I was able to get her to nap in the afternoon! I think we will be doing those baby yoga moves on a daily basis from now on! Here is Ava in her first cubs outfit. Though she has quite a few to choose from, this is the first one that semi fits her. She is sitting in her "bumbo" chair here, which she loves. It is the cutest thing to see her sitting up like a grown person. More pictures to come...
Oh, one more thing... Ava's eyes are blue!!!

"Don't Laugh, Daddy Dressed Me"

latest pictures

2 Month Checkup

Yesterday was Ava's 2 month checkup at the doctor. I had been dreading it all day because I knew this was the appointment she would get her first shots. :( She is a completely healthy baby girl, in the 50th-75th percentile in height, weight, and head circumference. She weighed in at 11 lb 14 oz... which is a good weight gain since birth. She's reached her 2 month milestones such as smiling, cooing, and batting her arms when something is held in front of her. Her fussiness/colic seems to be improving, we have some happy days and some fussy days. Doctor says this will only improve from here on out... I have my fingers crossed. Then the dreaded shots... poor baby. That was the hardest thing to see her in pain. They gave her 4 shots, 2 at a time in each leg, so it was over in a matter of seconds, before she could even start crying. But boy did she cry afterwards. She cried for about 10 minutes until she was too exhausted to even keep her eyes open. She had a good night sleep and has been napping most of the day today, so she's doing great. Next doctor appointment isn't for 2 more months. I can't believe how fast time is flying by.

Ava Hates Headbands!

Though we are still getting to know each other, one thing is for sure... Ava does not like headbands. As cute as they are on her, she is NOT a fan. I don't know if I'm willing to accept this quite yet :)

8 Weeks

Ava is 8 weeks old! I can't believe how fast time has gone by, our little peanut has been around for 2 months already! She has already changed so much, and is now starting to suprise us with little smiles! Her little facial expressions just melt our hearts. She has her 2 month checkup at the doctor this week, so we will see how much weight she has gained. She is still not a fan of "tummy-time" but likes hanging out and stretching on her back. Still loves her swing and rides in the car, and she has become quite the shopper too! She is such a good little companion for me to run errands with and loves to go out to eat and meet up with my friends from work and their babies for playdates. I seem to love her more and more every day.

Easter

Happy Easter! Here is Ava in her Easter dress. She was not a big fan of the hat, but I was able to capture of few moments where she held still enough for me to take a picture. We had Easter brunch with the Wilbergs. Ava loved watching her cousin, and my goddaughter, Annika (who is 1 year older) walk around and giggle. Won't be long and they will be walking around and playing together!

Week 6.... Crybaby

Ava has been one big crybaby lately! She has been very fussy,sometimes all day, and sometimes just in the evening. We are trying all the tricks, but she is still so fussy. I made a doctor appointment because we were worried something was wrong with her or hurting her. The doctor said she looks great, her exam was perfect, and it's probably just colic. Since colic usually peaks around 6-8 weeks, the doctor is pretty sure this is what the problem is. Thank god for my family!!! My parents and Emily have helped us out a lot just by giving me a break after a long day, or babysitting so AJ and I can run errands. I don't know what we would do without them! Thank you Mom, Dad, and Emily!

Here is a picture of Ava with her new stuffed lamb chair that Joanna sent for her!

First Road Trip

We had our first road trip with our new addition! We went to Davenport to see AJ's family. I was so nervous about making the trip, but it all went pretty well. Ava did great on the way there, she slept the whole time! She is already a good traveler. They had a big party for Ava with most of the Fredenburg family. We got to spend time with Ava's Great Grandma Geneva, which is so special. Ava was definitely a hit with the Davenport crew.

4 weeks old!

Ava is already 1 month old, I cannot believe it. We still don't have much of a routine, she naps and eats at different times every day. She is starting to be more alert during her awake times, she is making good eye contact and moving her arms and legs around a lot. She is finally sleeping in her crib at night too. My mom told me she had read somewhere that you can use a heating pad to warm up an area in her crib before putting her down, and she will settle into her crib better. It has been working like a charm for us! She is sleeping usually 4 hour incriments at night, which hasn't been too bad. We take naps in the morning and I sleep when she does so I have been feeling plenty rested. We are still doing lots of photoshoots, she is so photogenic!