Ava is 7 Months Old

When we were in the hospital 7 months ago, I never thought much past those first few days.  I never thought about what it would be like when Ava was 7 months old.  It seemed so far away, practically unreachable at the time.  Well, now it's here and I can't believe it!  I think we've done a good job of living in the moment and enjoying each day as it comes.  We are in a really good routine and Ava is thriving so much!  My favorite part about right now are her sweet snuggles.  When she is tired or I pick her up after she's been playing, she wraps her arm around my shoulder and buries her head into my neck.  It's the best feeling in the world to know that Ava loves me as much as I love her!

Milestones

 

· Ava tried rice cereal for the first time on Dec. 7. She ate about 15 bites, seemed to like it and opened her mouth really well. Daddy filmed it for us.

· On Dec. 14 we went to the mall and Ava got to see Santa for the first time. She didn't cry, but didn't smile, either. I think she was just trying to figure everything out. It was so cute!

· On Dec. 17 when I was nursing Ava, she waved at me five times! It was very clear and forceful. It felt so neat knowing that we were communicating with each other. I have since been trying to teach her the sign language for "mama."

· Ava has started getting up on all fours. Sometimes when she is on her tummy, she will push up on her hands and knees and rock back and forth.

· Ava celebrated her first Christmas! On Christmas Eve, Jimi read The Polar Express while I held Ava. She chewed on her Sophie giraffe and listened really well to the book. On Christmas Day, Ava opened her gift from Santa. It was a set of taggies toys (a puppy, a ball, a little blanket, and an attachable triangle toy). Jimi filmed Ava opening her present. She seemed to really like the bow and the pretty red wrapping paper. Even though we had a lot more presents for her, I saved them for her to open throughout the rest of the week because she got tired after unwrapping two presents. One of her other favorite presents was a set of baby popsicles that you can use to make homemade popsicles. I got them because I thought she might be teething by now and I had heard that you can make breastmilk popsicles for teething babies. She just had a lot of fun chewing on the rubber stick with no popsicle even on it! Later on Christmas Day, I made cinnamon rolls for Jimi and I and Ava tried sweet potatoes for the first time. She loved them! That afternoon we went to my grandparent's house to celebrate with my extended family (see special outings).

 

Look at that sweet, morning baby face

Checking out her new popsicle holders

Getting ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house on Christmas Day

· On Dec. 28 Ava tried peas for the first time. I expected her to make a face, but she didn't. She ate 1 Tbsp. at the first try.

Visitors

· Great Grandma Judy and Great Grandpa Carl still babysit on Sunday afternoons. They love spending time with Ava every week. This allows us to grab lunch together and get our grocery shopping done baby-free.

· Grandma Julie usually babysits on Saturday afternoons so we can go out on a date - usually a nice lunch or a movie.

· On Dec. 21 we hosted a Christmas party for Jimi's dad, grandma, sister, brother-in-law, and their 2 kids. Ava got a Jumperoo from Jimi's dad and grandma. She tried it for the first time that day and absolutely loved it! She loves it so much that we have to limit her time in it so she can give her little legs a rest. This is the one she got: Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo.

 

28 Weeks - trying the Jumperoo for the first time
Exactly 1 month later, and the butterfly is still her favorite toy on it

I got these fox jammies from Old Navy because they had little Christmas trees on them.  I didn't realize that they would make her look so much like a little boy!  Oh well, she's still a cutie!

 

Special Outings

· Ava went to Great Grandma Judy and Great Grandpa Carl's house on Christmas Day. She got to see a lot of people - even some cousins she had never met before. When it was time to open presents, she sat on my lap. She got her first present to open, tore the bow off of the top, and then chewed on it for what seemed like 30 minutes!



Ava had to rest before the festivities began.
She was so tired that she fell asleep while my aunt was holding her in her nice, Christmas dress.

Crazy girl was going to town on that bow!

Our best attempt at a family selfie

Her shirt says "Mommy's Favorite Present"  :)

Having fun with Grandma Julie.  Ava sometimes touches people's faces now. 
It's usually when she's happy or when she recognizes someone (or both). 

· On Dec. 26 Ava and I went to Ben's parent's house. We saw Steph, Ben, Elliott, Parker, & Cora; Danielle, Kyle, & Nathan; Michelle & James; and Ruth & Gene. Ava loved seeing all the people and let everyone hold her. She only smiled for Kyle, though. Danielle & Kyle are expecting their second and it's a girl, so it was cute to see Kyle interacting with Ava.



High School friends sharing their 2013 news:  From Left to Right - Danielle pregnant with baby #2, I had baby #1 (Ava), Steph with baby #3, and Michelle got engaged

· On Dec. 28, we went to Wichita to see Great Grandma Evelyn. Ava did really well in the car. On the way there we had to stop at a reststop so I could nurse her.  We just put blankets up all around the windshield and windows and she actually ate really well.  Grandma Evelyn was so happy to see Ava!  She snuggled with her, held her, and played with her.  She gave Ava a soft book, a soft baby doll, and some new hairbows.  Ava loved the book!  She chewed on it, crinkled the pages, and held on to it most of the day.  My great aunt Emily, her husband, my second cousins Brooke and Jennifer and their combined 6 kids (whew!), and Jennifer's husband Brian all came and visited in the early afternoon.  I thought Ava would get overwhelmed and have a meltdown, but she actually loved seeing everyone and getting so much attention.  One of Jennifer's daughters, Chloe, loved talking to Ava and even asked to hold her.  It was so sweet!  The crazy thing is that I remember when Chloe was Ava's age and holding her.  How time has flown!

Totally relaxed in Great-Grandma's arms

Random Facts

· Ava's personality is starting to shine through. When daddy was playing a game with her that he calls "1-2-3 blast off" she showed a little smirk. It was a lot like daddy's half-smile.

· Ava is becoming more interested in everything and how things work. One day when I was feeding her at the dining room table and daddy was washing dishes she really studied him. She was so curious about the water, the brush, the soap bottle, all the dishes, and just the general sounds that he was making as he washed the dishes.

· Stephanie (our daycare provider) continues to say that Ava is so mellow.

· Ava loves the other kids at daycare. One day I went to pick her up after work and a little 3-year-old boy came up to her and tickled her belly. She started giggling like crazy!  Ava loves kids, and just being around people in general.

· Ava is more curious - she is noticing things that she hever noticed before, like light switches and the blanket that is draped over the back of the glider.

· Ava tries to put everything in her mouth. People see this and say "she must be cutting teeth," but I think that she is just trying to see what different things taste like and feel like in her mouth. She doesn't have any teeth yet.

· Ava gets restless when I'm changing her diaper, so I give her different things to play with her to keep her busy. She likes to play with her butterfly teether and connecting rings.

· Ava likes to "fly" when she's on her stomach.

7 Month Doctor's Appointment Update (and other stats)

This month Ava's diaper rash was the worst it had ever been. Her doctor prescribed Miconazole (an anti-fungal cream) and an oral antibiotic (when the cream alone wouldn't work). We switched diapers for the third time. Now, we use Pampers Sensivite. We started using sensitive wipes. We also used Aquaphor based on a nurse's recommendation. Things improved, but the rash did not completely go away.

On Jan. 2 I took Ava to see a doctor  (not her regular pediatrician because he was busy) to check her diaper rash again. He suggested that we discontinue the Miconazole since her rash didn't look "yeasty" anymore.  He said to start using Bag Balm. It has worked wonders! It's original use when it first came out in 1899 was for cow udders. You can find it at Walgreens in the sunscreen aisle and it's actually cheaper than Aquaphor. We love it!

· Ava's weight at 6 months and 27 days was 17 lbs. 12 oz. (she gained nearly a pound in the 2 weeks and 3 days since her 6-month appointment).
 

 Here's our big girl at 7 months old:

My favorite!  That's the little smirk she's been giving us lately.

I really wish I knew what she was thinking sometimes.  Something like, "I've about had it with all this picture-taking.  Go put your camera away so I can play!"