Thanksgiving 2009

Brad and Hudson "Brad Jr."

Ava going for a ride

"I took the road less traveled, and it has made all the difference"

Amy and Jeff (hand check Jeff!)

Everyone hanging out and watching football

The whole family together...even Jackson the dog

Me-Me and Bob-Bob with all their great-grand children

All the little girls were excited to see each other

Elizabeth gives McClellen a big hug

What's up McClellen? What's up Ava?

We had an amazing time today for our Thanksgiving 2009. It was great to have the entire family together. Wow, what a blessing. The best part was that there were 8 children under 3 years old! It was a wild day, but it was so much fun. Adam, Ava and I are so blessed with an amazing, loving, encouraging family!

Ava at Gymboree- Level 2

Ava is going to go see Gymbo

Yeah for bubbles

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet

Working on crawling through the tube

Climbing up the incline

Ava can stand all by herself

Ava is excited that her friend Jack is in her class, they were in Level 1

together

Mommy and Ava doing, "Fly, Fly So High."

Ava is listening to her teacher

Ava is ready for class. She wore her leg warmers to class but

but Mommy took them off because they were getting in the

way.



Ava loves going to Gymboree. Now that she is in Level 2 class we go to class two days a week, on Mondays and Tuesdays. Today her Tuesday class was exciting because her friend Jack, who was in her Level 1 class, has moved up now to Level 2. Ava stays busy and keeps up with all the other children in class.

Ava learning to crawl.

Pajama Day!

A kiss for Ava!

Ava and Mommy having pajama day

Today after church, Ava and Mommy put on our footed PJ's for the afternoon. Outside today, it is cold and rainy and Pajama Day seemed the perfect thing to do!

Reminder from Jonah

Three little miracles!

Pics of my little angel

A picture when I was truely in distress over Ava

As a child growing up in the Baptist church, one of the all time favorite stories to be told to me in Sunday School was Jonah and the Whale. I remember thinking how fun it would be to get to be inside of a whale but how gross it would be to be thrown up by the whale up on the beach. Fast forward many years and I come to this week in my Amazing collection Bible study. We studied the book and the life of Jonah this week. The first thing I realized while studying Jonah was that in Sunday School as I kid I was told about Chapter 1, 3 and 4 of Jonah but not really about Chapter 2. Chapter 2 is Jonah's prayer "in the belly of the great fish"! On my favorite verses in Chapter 2 is verse 2 that states "I called out in my distress to the Lord, and He answered me. I cried to help from the depth of sheol and you heard my voice." I love, love that verse, because it reminded me of just how compassionate God has been to me in my distress.

This past weekend Adam and I dedicated Ava to the Lord at church (see pics in previous post). Yet, I had dedicated Ava to the Lord the moment I knew I was pregnant with her, the moment I saw on the sonogram that I was having a little girl and I dedicated her to the Lord every second she was in the NICU. There were good days and there were bad days in the NICU. The worst of the days were when she was having such stomach problems and she really started going down hill. I can remember crying and praying over her, feeling as if I was literally fighting off the hand of death on her little life. I cried out to the LORD in MY distress over Ava's little life and God truely heard my prayer. This weekend was such an amazing, emotional weekend for me. Even though I was busy preparing to have 20 people at my house for lunch after Ava's dedication, I was praising and thanking God for his grace and mercy. If you have time, listen to the play list that I have on the blog now. All of the songs on there have helped me get through this last year of worry, prayers and tears as I have been amazed by God's grace, mercy, love and strength He has given me, my family and especially my precious angel Ava!

Ava's Dedication at Cedarcrest Church

The Cooler Family

All the babies being dedication

Ava all dressed up

Ava and McClellen playing together

Hudson just chillin!

This weekend was a very special weekend for Ava. All of her family came in town for Ava's Baby Dedication! Grammy, Doc, Brad, Carri, McClellen and Hudson came in town on Saturday and the kids played together and the adults had a pizza party. On Sunday Grandmomma, Poppy Joe, Brian, Stacey, Zachary, Brue and Melissa and Me-Me and Bob-Bob join us all at Cedarcrest Church for Ava's dedication. After the dedication everyone came over to our house for lunch. What a special day it was! This year has been a touch one, but God has been so very faithful and gracious to our family. Today was such an amazing day of rejoicing for the great things God has done!

Daddy and Daughter bonding

Daddy and Ava are messmerized by "God Made Me" dvd!

Outside Play

Hey...I love being outside

I check out everything with my mouth!

Ava is sitting on Mommy's t-shirt quilt

I love playing outside

I especially like to watch the cars go by

Today was such a beautiful day that Ava and Mommy went outside to play. We sat on mommy's t-shirt quilt that Grammy had made. Ava had such a fun time watching the leaves fall, the cars drive by and the little dog across the street play.

Look at me!

Ava helping mommy plant flowers

Ava loves father/daughter bonding

"Look at me! I can stand all by myself!"

I'm a big girl now!

Ava up on her hands and knees, ready to move!

Swinging in the big girl swing at the park

Today for lunch Ava and I went to the park! We strolled around the park, looked at the dogs at the dog park and then enjoyed some lunch. After eating lunch Ava enjoyed swinging in the big girl swings. After the park we came home and worked on our crawling. Ava is getting better and better at it. The key is proper motivation. If I put caterpillar in front of her she will crawl towards it. Pretty much any other toy and she just rolls ove and looks at me as if to say, "What, aren't you going to get it for me?" We a fun day we have had in the beautiful fall day. Ava has been a little stuffy the last few days, so mommy and Ava have had alot of just us bonding. It has been fun to have some great one on one time together.

Halloween, Furman Game and blessings!

McClellen, Hudson and Ava at our indoor tailgate

Ava to McClellen, "Hey you have the same bear as me...cool!"

Ava is worn out after a night of Trick or Treating

Daddy giving Ava a lift!

Ava had fun trick or treating with her cousins

Look at me I am standing!

Of course Ava's pumpkin is pink!

Ava had another fun, fun weekend. She first went to an "indoor" tailgate for the Furman game on friday afternoon. It was raining outside, so we all tailgated at Mrs. Lauren's house (thanks!). After the "tailgate" the daddies went to the ball game and the girls stayed at the house. On Saturday night Ava went trick or treating with her cousins Hudson and McClellen. Ava has a big praise. On Monday she had a follow up eye appointment (because she is a preemie they want to check her eyes every 6 months) and her eyes are perfect! Perfect vision, perfect spacing, no problems at all...PRAISE THE LORD. Ava's newest accomplishments is that she has started eating table food, strawberries, banannas, pancake and yogurt. She is also starting to scoot/crawl. What she does is she gets on her hand and knees and goes up and back and then almost "hops" forward! It is hilarious...its like she has to rev herself up.