Happy 1st Birthday Ava!

Ava getting ready to leave the NICU...one year later

Mommy and Ava at the NICU

Ava giving our favorite nurse, Valerie a big hug

Mommy and Ava with some of the NICU nurses

One side of the window

The other side of the window

Grammy and Doc gave Ava this cool tube!

Grammy, Mommy and Ava with "antique" gifts

Mommy and Ava with Mommy's Cabbage Patch kids!

Ava sitting in Mommy's old rocky chair

Ava in her new play place

Mommy and Daddy created this fun play place for Ava's birthday

Happy Birthday Ava! To celebrate Ava's birthday, she has had several celebrations already. On Monday Grandmommy, Poppy Joe, Zachary, Aubrey, Brian and Stacey came over to Mommy and Daddy's house for dinner, cupcakes and a few presents. Today (Wednesday), Grammy and Doc made the trip to Acworth, to spend some time with Ava and help celebrate her birthday. Grammy and Doc brought Mommy's Cabbage Patch kids and Mommy's speacial "ready rocking chair." This afternoon Mommy and Daddy went up to the NICU to visit with the nurses. Mommy and Ava made cupcakes, a card and bought flowers for all of the kind nurses. There are not enough words for Mommy and Daddy to use, to thank the amazing nurses and doctors for taking such great care of Ava!

What an incredible year it has been! The verse that comes to my mind today is, "Yes Lord, walking in your truth your NAME and your REKNOWN (praise/loyalty) is the desire of OUR hearts!" (not sure of the reference). It all started back on December 17, 2008 when little Ava tried to come at a mere 28 weeks! The doctors were able to to keep Ava in Mommy for two more weeks. One December 30, 2008, Ava was born at just 2 pounds and 14 ounces. She stayed in the NICU for 8 weeks, coming home on February 24, 2009! Due to the fact that she was born so early and had a little bit of difficulty breathing and keeping her heart rate up during her time at the NICU, Ava wore a heart monitor from February 24-July 2, 2008! What a glorious day it was when that moniter was taken away!! Since her birth, Ava has been our miracle baby! She has grown, thrived and exceeded any expectiation that anyone had for her, being born so early and so small. Now days she is sitting up, crawling, laughing, smiling, babbling and has even started mimicking some of Mommy and Daddy's mannerisms! She is such a blessing to our lives and we have a love for her that goes deeper then any love we have ever felt. The biggest lesson that God has taught me during this past year is to enjoy every moment in life. To not sweat the small stuff in life. When you have fought for the very next breath, the very next heartbeat of your child, the insignificant things in life just don't matter anymore. God has truely blessed my life BEYOND WHAT I COULD EVERY ASK OR IMAGINE!! Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, great things HE has done!!

Preemie Friends

Beverly and Hannah Grace and Abbey and Ava

Ava and Hannah Grace

Ava and Mommy had lunch today with Beverly and Hannah Grace. Right before Mommy gave birth to Ava, she found out that her friend, Beverly was pregnant. Mommy and Beverly were friends at First Baptist Woodstock. Beveryly and her husband now live in Kentucky, but were in town for the Christmas holidays. When Ava was in the NICU the one think Mommy always prayed that whatever the outcome, that God would recieve all of the glory and that others could be helped. Beverly ended up having to have an emergency c-section with Hannah Grace, at only 32 weeks pregnant. By that time Ava was home from the NICU and Mommy had a little time to adjust to having a preemie. Beverly would email/facebook Mommy while Hannah Grace was in the NICU and ask "preemie" related questions. Beverly and Mommy are hoping that as the girls grow older they will become good friends. One of the biggest lessons learned in the trial of Ava's early arrival, NICU stay and preemie-hood, is that through all things God deserves all the glory and praise and to help others that may be facing similiar struggle that you have faced.

Ava's First Christmas!

Yeah, I got an ELMO

I really liked the wrapping paper

Maracas are awesome!

Daddy and Ava playing with her Gymboree ball

Ava even got Mommy a present

Yeah! Look at all my loot

Ava with her stocking

Ava waking up on Christmas morning

Ava checking out, if Santa ate her cookies

Santa ate some of Ava's cookies she made for him!


What a fantastic Christmas!! Ava was so excited about Christmas that she woke up at 6:00 am!! Ava recieved some great surprises from Santa. Mommy and Daddy had a wonderful Christmas morning openning presents with Ava. Today, was truely a blessing to Mommy and Daddy. On Christmas last year, Mommy was still on bedrest and was nervous about Ava's arrival! Today, Mommy and Daddy were able to enjoy a very exciting day full of amazing first memories!!!

T'was the Night Before Christmas!

Ava reading "Twas the Night
Before Christmas

Ava has cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer

The fireplace ready for Santa's arrival

Christmas Pajamas

Cookies for Santa


Early today, Ava, Mommy and Daddy went to Poppy Joe and Grandmamma's church for the Christmas Eve service. It is very important for Mommy and Daddy that Ava know that the real reason we celebrate Christmas is Jesus's birthday! But, Ava is ready for Santa to come visit her! Mommy and Ava made cookies for Santa and bought carrots for the reindeer. Since it was raining outside, Ava just left the carrots on the hearth of the fireplace...she figured Santa would take the carrots to the reindeer. Ava was dressed in her "Baby's First Christmas" pajamas. Right before she went to bed, she read "Twas the Night before Christmas.

Christmas Family and Meeting Brooklyn Hope

Ava checking out the Christmas list

Kelly and Brooklyn and Abbey and Ava

Introducing Brooklyn Hope Evans!

This week Ava was involved in her first ministry project. Mommy and Daddy's small group at church has adopted a family for Christmas. So on Monday, Ava and Mommy met up with Jenn and Parker, Rebecca, Sarah and AJ, to do some shopping for the family at Target. Ava and Mommy were responsible for picking out the presents for the one month old, since Ava is closest to this child's age. Last night, Mommy wrapped the presents and we will be taking them to the drop off point this week. Also, a big exciting event happened this week, Brooklyn Hope Evans was born! Brooklyn is the new daughter of mommy and daddy's great friends, Kelly and Jason. Kelly had a miscarriage with her first baby, so the healthy birth of Brooklyn Hope is EXTRA SPECIAL AND PRECIOUS! God has been so faithful and merciful to Jason and Kelly. Ava is so excited about having another friend to play with and is glad that she is now no longer the youngest one!

The Farm Party

Ava's first Young Life Camp

Ava and the "Farm" guys

Abbey, Ava, Melanie and Marley

Ava checking out the rock wall

Starting to pull up on the wall

Mom and Dad, I got this!

Mommy, Daddy and Ava at Sharp Top

Luke's daddy, Andy, went hunting and shot a deer

All the kids having pancakes for breakfast, even Ava!

Ava had fun hanging out with Jenn

Ava and Addie Lane playing Tea Party

Luke and Caleb being so sweet to Ava

Ava sitting on the porch

This weekend Ava was able to go to her first Farm Party. What is so great about the Farm? Daddy lived with a group of great guys during college. Even though the guys and now their wives too, see each other frequently through the year, the Farm Christmas Party is an extra special event. This is the 2nd year that we have done the Farm Christmas party at Sharp Top, Young Life Camp. It is great because we can put the children to bed, and then the adults can sit around and hang out. The group of guys (and ladies) are amazing friends and have been supportive and encouraging to us, especially in the last few years. They were there praying for us while we journeyed through infertility, they came and visited us last year when I was in the hospital waiting on Ava's arrival, and they were also there for us when we brought Ava home from the hospital, they brought meals. Adam and I are blessed with amazing friends that are truely like family to us.

Greenville Christmas!

Mommy, Grammy, Carri and Me-Me and Bob-Bob went and saw the
Rockettes

Ava got an activity table

Yeah for tea sets

Daddy and Ava

Ava and her pink car

Hudson was not excited about singing Happy Birthday to Jesus!

Ava and Huson swinging

Ava on "Gerry Giraffe". It used to be Mommy's!

The three cousins: McClellen, Hudson and Ava

Ava and McClellen having tea

Ava had such a fun time playing with her cousins

Just the girls!

Even in cold weather, Ava can play outside

Doc and his granddaughters

Ava and her first art project

The result of the blue marker

Ava had a great time in Greenville for Christmas. She enjoyed spending time with her great-grandparents, grandparents, aunt and uncle and cousins. Ava played tea party with McClellen and played patty-cake and went swinging with Hudson. Ava recieved some fun gifts like an activity table and a pink car from Grammy and Doc. This week Ava started using some new words. She said Mama (melted Mommy's heart), ba-ba, baby, and da-da!