Monday, April 15, 2013

The New Room! Sneak Peak...

Nora eating breakfast at her table-with-a-view


































We are counting this extra space as a big blessing. Nora thinks it is the neatest thing ever.

What does Ava think about it? She is just about as excited as I am!

"Mom, I just love this floor! I can scoot like a champ in here!"

















So the room is not quite done, but will be within the week!



























Friday, April 12, 2013

Short & Sweet: Concerning My Undying Love for David

Some mornings, I wake up and stumble into the kitchen to find the cup-at-a-time coffee maker all set up with freshly ground coffee, water, and my cup (with a sweet message written in the chalkboard space) ready to go. All I have to do is push the button and I can then hear that comforting sound and smell the best part of wakin' up. This may sound ridiculous to some. Sure I CAN make my own coffee. But I sometimes gripe about how I wish I had a coffee infusion at my bedside, ready to be plugged into my vein each morning. This way I wouldn't have to open my eyes, speak, or move prior to coffee. This is not for my sake, but for the sake of those I live with. It's not that I like my condition, but I am NOT a very nice person in the morning PTC (prior to coffee). But really, truly, this little thing he does just makes my day. I love it when he does that.

And now I just have to brag. Yesterday he surprised me by thoroughly cleaning every cabinet in the kitchen. They are white. They were looking pretty bad. It had been on my to-do list for a while. But when one must choose between wiping down cabinets and something basic like taking a shower, one will usually choose taking a shower. He is so thoughtful.

David and I started dating six springs ago. This time of year always brings back those sweet memories for us. So, I have a hot date tonight. ;) Oh, I do love David Oliver.


Monday, April 8, 2013

It Takes Time

Ava is 9 months old today! One day in the hopefully not-too-distant future I plan to write a series about her birth. What? A series? Yes. It will take more than one post, because I cannot share her birth story without starting years earlier, even before Nora's birth. So, like I said, one day...

But today, we celebrate Ava being 9 months old, which means she now has an ever-expanding vocabulary which includes the following words: Mama, Dada, Bye-bye, Hey. Okay that's only four words, but she talks so much I was sure it was going to look like more when I got it written down. Ava Pearl has just one oh-so-cute tooth. She is quite the eater, preferring ANYTHING including old crumbs, coins, and pine straw to milk unless she is sleepy. I would love for her to nurse more, but there is no forcing...errr...persuading her.

Ava has a very speedy army crawl. That baby can get around! All the activity is slimming her up, but she is still quite chubby. She still has the sweetest temperament, though she has learned to have little fits every now and then. She seems to be trying to change her routine, dropping one of her three naps. She loves to clap her hands for anyone who will sing to her. Oh and here is her new trick:

When babies are born we think their sleepless nights and total dependence is the end of our lives as we know them. While it is true that babies change us, their state of total dependence is so short lived...they just grow and change so quickly. Yes, it takes time for a newborn to become an independent being, but there is such fun and beauty in the process.

This is what I have been learning.

I wanted the room addition on our house done months ago.

I want my house out of its current state of chaos. Yesterday.

I want to see my career goals become a reality next week.

Daddy always said, "You're wishing your life away."

I am an extremely goal-driven person. As God would have it, I married a man who enjoys the scenery along the way. I really want to stop wishing for tomorrow to be here today. It sounds so simple, but apparently I have a difficult time adopting simple concepts. For me, even learning that things take time takes time.

I am excited to say that the next time I post I will have photos of the girls' new room, which will be done this week! Yay!

A picture of the girls for your enjoyment. Yes, I am well aware that the bow on Ava's head makes this photo comical. Thanks to Aunt Michelle and Madison for the outfits!