Cute Pictures

These pictures were taken a few weeks back, but I couldn't resist posting to the blog... I'm sure when Ava is older we'll be paying for the bathing suit pictures!!!

Thank you, thank you very much... Poised for Hollywood :-)



















Two little dolls, sleeping so soundly...




















Grandma Pam with Ava (don't worry, she didn't dress her up this ridiculously... It's Mommy's fault!) What's really funny is that Ava completely went along with this. She even smiled a few times!



















The first pair of sunglasses (Minnie Mouse) that actually fit!



















A Happy Girl

Destination Unknown

Where is she going?

She has demonstrated her head-grinding crawl / headstand to friends and family, as shown in these pictures. She continues to roll EVERYWHERE. It's interesting to think of when she will crawl. She doesn't technically crawl, but if she wants to get to a toy, she will find her way there, just not by using her arms in a "commando"crawl fashion. I guess she "scoots" wherever she needs to go. She sometimes does "the worm", getting up on her hands and feet, moving forward and then putting her belly down. I don't know where she thinks she needs to be, but when scooting, she acts like she's late for something... Busy, busy, busy!

As Ava's dexterity becomes more developed, I try to get toys which require the use of her fingers / smaller hand movements. When shopping consignment sales this weekend, one toy we bought was a 12 month + toy. We're thinking she will grow into the toy. Why not expose her to it early, to see if she can get the hang of it? The day care says that they typically see kids doing what she is doing at 6+ months of age. It's hard to believe she will be five months this Monday.

She is very vocal these days, blowing bubbles and jibber-jabbering at every chance. When she wakes up in the morning these days, she will roll around in her crib contently until we come get her.

That mean old bottom (first) tooth is finding it's way to the surface. Still loving her sweet potatoes and applesauce, too!

Shelly

Pool Party!!!!

Ava and Mr. Ryan-Ashton hangin' by the pool


The Baillairges (friends in small group) were nice enough to host a party at their neighborhood pool a few weeks ago. We had a blast. Ava really seemed to enjoy the pool. 'Kind of like the world's biggest bath tub! She rode around in a floatie provided by the Duncans. She, Kylie, Ryan-Ashton and Spencer all made waves in the pool. Spencer had a swimming outfit that made him float. He looked like a very cool superhero!

A post-swim picture of Ava, Kylie (bottom-center) and Ryan-Ashton (right)


Melissa Baillairge was "Grill Queen" for the night, cooking-up everyone's hamburgers. She did a GREAT job!

There are a few other kiddos "on the way" in small group, who will soon be making waves with us... The Duncans will be getting a call shortly to determine when they will be flying to China to officially (and finally!) adopt Aidyn. The Schopers were not in attendance as they just had their baby girl within the last week, so Noah and his new sister Riley Addison will soon be hanging-out with the rest of the little ones. The Baillairges are expecting early next year and the Hoffmans are expecting a little guy later this year. So, you could definitely say our group is growing EXPONENTIALLY!

Thanks to Jeff Baillairge for supplying the pictures. We didn't remember to take any this time around...

What fun times!

Shelly

A fun weekend!

We hope you all had a great weekend this past weekend!

We had a nice weekend. Friday night we went out for some Italian food and grocery shopping. When we got home I made a meal for a family at church that just had their second baby, to drop off on Saturday. Saturday we woke up and went with Mark and Amy Hoffman to three consignment sales in the area. They are expecting their first baby, a boy, on Christmas Day. Mark and Amy found some deals at the sales! We also found some great deals... Call me crazy, but I couldn't resist... We found Ava's very first Easy-Bake Oven. It was $2! What little girl's childhood could be considered complete without an Easy-Bake Oven? Okay, so it will be like eight years before she can actually use it, but it will be there, should she decide she has an interest in the culinary arts! :-) We found some great toys and clothes for good prices, too.

As Ava's dexterity seems to be becoming more developed, I try to get toys which require the use of her fingers / smaller hand movements. One toy we bought was a 12 month + toy, but she will grow into the toy. Why not expose her to it early, to see if she can get the hang of it? The day care says that they typically see kids doing what she is doing at 6+ months of age. Hard to believe she will be five months old next Monday.


She was able to demonstrate her head-grinding crawl / headstand to members of our small group. She is very vocal these days, blowing bubbles and jibber-jabbering at every chance. When she wakes up in the morning these days, she will roll around in her crib contently until we come get her. Still loving her sweet potatoes. Still rolling EVERYWHERE. It's interesting when thinking about when Ava will "crawl"; she doesn't technically crawl, but if she wants to get to a toy, she will find her way there, just not by using her arms in a "commando"crawl fashion. I guess she "scoots" wherever she needs to go.

Saturday afternoon we stopped by Brandon and Amy Schoper's to see their newest addition, Riley Addison Schoper! She is the sweetest little thing. Big brother Noah has been very good to his little sister. (He kisses her when his parents ask :-)). He is a sweetheart, himself. Riley is all of 7 lbs right now... It's hard to believe that Ava was once smaller than that. Hard to believe that Ava once fit in the preemie clothes I see in the store; they seem SO TINY! Both "little girls" were sleeping for the majority of our visit at the Schoper's. Little angels.

Sunday we were able to go to lunch with Sondra and Keith Alexander. They are a very sweet couple that go to church with us. They live in our neck of the woods, so it was nice to be able to go to lunch and catch up with them. Ava was a live-wire yesterday, but crashed in the nursery during church. She is such a BUSY baby!

There was a heavy downpour Sunday, which we really needed in these parts... Hopefully the weather is treating you fine and you're all doing well!

With love,
Shelly

Baby Bjorns Rock!

When going to the grocery store the other day, I thought it might be easier to put Ava in a "Baby Bjorn". We bought the Baby Bjorn at a consignment sale for a fraction of the retail price. It is a baby carrier / harness that criss-crosses on your back. Very secure. I've seen moms with BITTY babies in carriers such as these.

I've previously gone to the grocery store with Ava in the Baby Bjorn, but never with Doug. When we all went the other day, he couldn't believe how much Ava enjoyed being carried in it. I face her outward so she can see the sights. She is quiet-as-a-mouse while we move throughout the grocery store. We went to K-Mart shortly after the grocery store and Doug carried Ava in the baby carrier. He couldn't get over how much she seemed to enjoy being carried that way. Doug says she is excited because she's traveling at warp speed, for her size. For her I suppose it's almost like a free trip to Six Flags!

It truly makes shopping experiences more fun, and I'm able to move around more quickly than if I had a stroller or a grocery cart with her in it. I know her days are numbered in the Baby Bjorn, though, so we'll make use of it while we can!

With love,
Shelly, Doug and Ava

Ava laughing...

What's So Funny?
Video sent by thecareyclan

Little Miss Muffet

The blanket in the background was beautifully-knit by Doug's Aunt Marlene. Aunt Marlene, thank you!

Ava Loves Sweet Potatoes!

Before Doug got home last night, I fed Ava some sweet potatoes. She LOVED them! And this was the first time she seemed to eat more food than she pushed back out! She probably ate 1/2 (or maybe a little less) of an "ice cube" of sweet potatoes. Sounds like so little of a portion, but when you're a gummer who doesn't know how to eat yet, this is A LOT!

She was an orange goopy mess by the end of the feeding, liking to grab for the bright-colored plastic spoon, but we made it through without orange walls!

Thinking of incorporating more organic colors in our decor :0),
Shelly

"Hillbilly" Food - It REALLY IS So Easy!

The "Cookbook"
Grandma Mary Carey was kind enough to order a kit for us, that allows moms to make their own baby food using fresh fruit and vegetables. My sister-in-law Kristy (Joe's wife) in Phoenix used this kit with Trinity, when Trinity became old enough to eat baby food. Mary saw how easy it was to use, and got it for us as a gift. I originally was gun-shy, thinking "how in the world am I going to find time to MAKE baby food?" I'm no longer gun-shy!





One of the "Recipes" :-)
On Friday I tried my hand at making applesauce using the kit. Saturday I made butternut squash, and on Sunday we made peas. Doug helped by making a batch of peas, himself.

The kit includes two freezer trays with lids, an instructional DVD and a great cookbook which advises which foods are best suited for specific age groups. The cookbook also suggests things you can add later on, such as vanilla, cinnamon, spices, etc. (http://www.freshbaby.com/).

Preparing a week's worth of food is supposed to only take 30 minutes. I would say it didn't even take that much time.







Making apples
It really is SO EASY, as the cookbook suggests! Wash, peel, slice the fruit / veggie, cover with saran wrap, microwave until soft, toss in a food processor / blender, puree and then pour into ice cube trays. Voila! Baby food!

It is supposed to be more economical this way, rather than paying for the packaging and marketing of the food. With fewer additives it's healthier, too.





Making "peas" with the peas
In the words of the great John Lennon: "All we are saying is give peas a chance."















Making butternut squash (Reminiscent of one Sir Captain Hook)















The Finished Products-Apples!














The Finished Products-Peas!
Don't these look good? (Yikes!)
To quote Lane Myer's Mom in Better Off Dead: "It's got raisins in it. You LIKE raisins."
















Grandma Pam, Ava and I went to Harry's Farmer's Market while my Mom was visiting, and we bought apples and pears. While Grandma Pam was in town, Ava did try store-bought applesauce. She seemed to like the taste of it. We've since fed her more of the store-bought applesauce, but she doesn't have the tongue-thing quite right, pushing food out instead of eating it. She's getting better with each attempt.

(The doctor suggested Ava begin to try things with a spoon, to begin to develop the skills needed to eat solids. She is still on a diet consisting mainly of breastmilk and sometimes cereal.)

I recently relayed my excitement to my sister about being able to make baby food. She was like "Duh, don't you remember that Daymian and Jordan ate 'hillbilly' food like that, too?" She then proceeded to remind me that my nephews were raised on the "good stuff". She told me that Pa (on Dad's side) and Grandmother (on Mom's side) fed the boys anything healthy that could be mashed-up. Now, understand that Grandmother doesn't exactly appreciate the word "hillbilly" (she's from the BEAUTIFUL hills of Corbin, Kentucky), but my sister was definitely using it as a term of endearment. I believe Pa, if still living, would affectionately refer to it as "hillbilly" food, also, with a smile.

Thanks again, Grandma Carey!

How 'bout them apples?

With love,
Shelly, Doug and Ava

Bath Time

She is the perfect size for our kitchen sink. The sink is a bit slippery at times, but she seems to enjoy the suds!

As a baby, Daddy Doug also enjoyed taking a bath in the sink; see the last picture, below. My Mom was too nice when she told Doug the sink he bathed in was "probably just a small sink". Yeah, right! :-)

These pictures of Ava were taken when Grandma Pam was in town last week.































Small sink, huh? :-)

All In The Family

These pictures are of Doug, myself and Ava, all taken at 2 1/2 months of age.

Can you count the chins between us all?

Guess who's who!

Shelly

Grandma Pam's Visit To Georgia

A Happy Girl



















The Future's So Bright... I Gotta Wear Shades!














Miss Hollywood















Ava's Typical Sweet "Twinkly-Eyed" Smile














Ever-so-cozy when fed by Grandma Pam!



















Hangin' With Grandma Pam















Grandma Pam flew into town on Thursday, August 3rd. She stayed with us through the 8th. We had great fun while she was in town! The weather unfortunately didn’t warrant any walks at the park as it stayed in the high 90’s, so our fun with Ava was indoors.

While Grandma was in town, we went to Harry’s Farmer’s Market, the grocery store, to church and baby class on Sunday morning, to small group on Sunday night, Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart. Grandma also got to visit the day care center where Ava goes and was able to meet Miss Li, the school’s principal.

As my Mom helps in the baby class at Rochester Church of Christ in Michigan, she wanted to stay in the baby class at North Atlanta with Ava to learn some songs and see their routine. We found out Ava is in the “yellow ducks” (0-6 months) currently, and curriculum doesn’t start until the babies are 6 months of age or older. So, we’re looking forward to the “green turtles”!

At small group on Sunday, Grandma was able to meet the friends of which we speak so highly. She was able to see their kiddos, also: Spencer Duncan, Ryan Ashton Fletcher and Kylie Shaw.

Ava had big, sweet smiles and “twinkly eyes” for Grandma, and seemed to snuggle with Grandma more than she does Mommy or Daddy. This was quite the surprise to Mommy! (Whenever I wake Ava, she is always so curious, she looks around immediately, like she is missing out on something.) With Grandma, Ava laid her head on her shoulder and was right at home.

Grandma bought Ava some sweet dresses, a pair of shorty-pj’s, Minnie Mouse sunglasses and a new bathing suit for this week’s pool party with our small group. Of course we had to have an Ava “fashion show” complete with sandals, goggles, sun hat and bathing suit. She looked too cute. And she didn’t try to grab the glasses like I thought she would. (Pictures to follow later)

We had a great time!

With love,
Shelly, Doug and Ava

Naptime

I thought it quite comical the other day, when checking-up on Ava "napping" in her pack-and-play, to find her completely alert and peering through the pack-and-play mesh screen. I couldn't resist taking pictures. This one seemed to say, "Is anybody out there? Play with me??? Please???"







The close-up. "Hello? Anyone? Anyone?"













I don't remember if this was the same nap-time, but it was definitely the same day. She pacified herself by looking out the window. Her pack-and-play is right next to the window in our living room. The creek, which runs next to our house (lower than basement level), is visible through this window.

You can see the sun shining on the water if you look closely through her pack-and-play "window". She loves the outdoors!

What a day for a daydream...

The Rocking Chair

Ava, July 2006





















































September 1976, a picture of the chair (and bassinet Ava used) a few weeks before I was born



















The Chair (and me, at 15 months old)













The Chair, me (at 20 months old) and ice cream... one month before Sherry was born



















The Chair, me (at 20 months old) and ice cream













We took a picture of Ava when she was four months old, in a children's rocking chair. The rocking chair was a baby shower gift my Mom received, before I was born, from her co-workers at Chatham Grocery Store. We're fortunate we still have this chair! These other pictures were taken of me when I was little, sitting in the same chair. We thought it might be a neat idea to take pictures of Ava in this chair as she grows, to track her progress relative to the chair. Hopefully our grandkids will be able to take pictures in this chair one day.

Shelly