Missing Pops

Pops and Me!

This morning when I was dusting the house, my eye was drawn to one of my wedding pictures that is on my hall wall. As I was looking at the picture my eyes dropped down and there is was, George Medcalf, better know to his family and especially his grandchildren as Pops. One of the biggest heartbreaks that I have had with getting married later and having Ava later in life is that my sweet Pops never got to meet my precious daughter. I was Pops' only granddaughter so I always felt a little more doted and loved on by him. I know that he is in Heaven now with our Lord and Saviour...but today I had to cry a little bit because my heart ached for my Pops.

Dinner on the Lake

Abbey and Adam

Kelly and Jason

Kristin Owens and Kristen O'Kelley

Kevin and Clint

On Saturday night some our friends and Adam and I went out on a group date. It was so nice to be out with friends and have grown up conversation. We rode on Andy's boat up to Red Top Mountain and went to the "surf and turf" buffet at a camp ground at Red Top. The whole experience of riding in the boat and hanging out with friends was great....but the food was sort of like Ryan's Steakhouse!! Ava is excited because Miss Kristin Owens and Miss Kelly Evans are growing more friends for her in their bellies. Kelly already knows she is having a little girl, Brooklyn Hope Evans and Kristin likes to find out if she is having a boy or a girl when she gives birth. Ava is very excited about meeting her new friends this winter!!

Sitting and standing

Ava likes to sit while holding onto her bouncey
seat

She started off leaning on her bouncey seat

Ava is wanting to stand after seeing her friends at

playgroup standing and walking

At playgroup, Ava really liked playing with AJ.

Ava is growing and trying new things everyday. She really likes to stand. So I set her up on her bouncey seat or Bumbo seat and she stands. She will even bend her knews and then pull her self back up to standing. We are also working on sitting and today she sat by herself as she played with her toys on her bouncey seat. At playgroup, Ava really liked playing with AJ Brooks. In fact when we got to playgroup, she immediately reached out for AJ. It was so cute so see that she recognized her little friend!

Wal Mart!

Ava and I enjoy our grocery shopping trips to Wal-Mart. Well...I enjoy it and Ava starts enjoying it a little later in the trip. She gets a little scared when we walk into the store because of the rush of air and bouning into the store. But after we are in the she enjoys looking at the different people and looking at the different items in the store. I know most people put the carrier up on the top of the cart, but I am a little nervous about her flipping out! Call me over protective...but sorry, she is my first child!!

AJ's Birthday!

Ava and Maddy sitting with Kristin. Maddy was not
excited about sharing her Mommy's lap

Sarah, Kari, Kelly, Kristen, Luke, Kristin and Maddy

Greg, AJ and Sarah celebrating with a cupcake

MMMM, AJ enjoying his cupcake

Mommy and Ava, yes we have matching blue eyes!

AJ with his ladies, Ava and Maddy

Clint with Maddy enjoying a cupcake

Ava is advance, she is already standing!

Ava, Mommy and Daddy went to AJ's first birthday this afternoon! All of our good friends were there we all had a great time celebrating with AJ and his parents. AJ's parents (Greg and Sarah) lead our small group at Cedarcrest with Mommy and Daddy. Also, AJ, Maddy, Ava and Luke all play together each thursday at playgroup. Ava had a great time, but was pooped by the time we got home. Bath time, bottle, and then bed came quickly for Miss Ava Saturday night.

So Sleepy

Tonight as we were getting Ava ready for bed, we put Ava in her Bumbo seat as the bottle was heating up. I was in the kitchen waiting for her bottle to finish heating up. Adam called me in the den because Ava was playing with her toys and just leaned over and closed her eyes. She fell asleep for a few minutes, drank her entire bottle, was rocked and then went to sleep in her own bed....hopefully sleeping through the night!

So proud of hersel!

Ava was so proud of herself this afternoon. As she played on her mat with her mirror, she realized that she could also kick her frog toy with her legs. She looked at me, gave me a big smile and laughed! It was precious!!!

Baby Einstein excerciser

Look mom what I can do!

I think I am going to be right hande!

My feet almost touch!

This afternoon we put together Ava's Baby Einstein excerciser. She loved it! Her favorite is the part where she can push down the buttons and it makes animal sounds and the tells her what the animal is. She also likes the part of the toy where she can roll the parts of the toy around. She is still a little short to touch and move herself around so mommy or daddy has to help move her around from toy to toy. But she loves it and laughs her sweet little laugh as she is playing!

Ava eating in her new booster seat!

Ava has starting eating baby food!

Mommy making sure Ava's eats her veggies

MMMMMM, I love eating carrots

Ava in her new booster seat at the kitchen table

Ava has starting eating baby food. She has eaten cereal, green peas, sweet potatoes and carrots. She does really good eating and gets better at it each day. She really enjoys eating her sweat potatoes and today she liked carrots too. She is not a fan of green peas. As for cereal she could take it or leave it. I am so proud of her. It is amazing to think that just a few months ago we were trying hard just to get her to eat two ounces of formula and now she is eating five to six ounces of formula and eating baby food.

GYMBOREE!!

Ava in her tennis shoes ready for gym class

Ava is very attentive to her teacher

Ava has made some new friends in class!

Ava loves her Gymboree class! She goes once a week to class and then once a week to "open gym" where we can play on the different equipment. It has really helped her with her head control and her balance. Plus, I think it is great that she is able to be around other children.

Fun with GWU friends!

Julie and I

Ginine with Julian and Tessa (T was a little shy)

Corie and Amber

Becky and Christinia

Corie and I

Becky and Amber

Hudson on Brad's shoulders...look at that face!

Ava was "enjoying" her float in the pool

What a fun, fun weekend!! I was able to come to Greenvile and then drive up to North Carolina to hang out on Saturday with my GWU friends. We were laughing together about the fact that we have been friends since 1995, that is 14 years!! It was so nice to talk, laugh, share memories and meet each others kids! Our conversations together have changed. In college we talked about homework, clothes, teachers and mainly boys! Now this weekend we talked about teething, formula, discipline techniques and grocery store savings!! How life has changed!! On Saturday evening Brad, Carri and the kids came over. Hudson and Ava had fun swimming together at Grammy and Doc's! This weekend I was again reminded how blessed I am with an amazing family and incredible friends! I was reminded of the song "Make new Friends"... one is silver and the other gold!! I am so thankful for the amazing friends I have from all aspects of my life, GWU, Southeastern, Greenville and of course now here in Georgia. I am so blessed with all of their prayers, love, support and encouragement they have given our family through the journey of Ava's conception, birth and coming home!!