Monday, January 25th, 2010
I have been spending quite a bit of time with Ava lately, I had the priveledge of babysitting for Angie and Travis last month when they took a short trip to an out of town wedding. All Ava, all to ourselves.
Angie and Travis have worked with Ava to teach her sign language and she really communicates so easily and readily using her hands instead of whining for what she is after.
I wanted to make her a soft baby book for quite some time, and finally got it done over the holidays. I think she is just hungry for more words, more information.
I used some fun fabrics to make her pages, pockets on each page and a little something to go inside each pocket. She dove right in and opened all the pockets with her chubby little hands!
She’s so busy, making all kinds of sounds, she knows just what to do! She’s big business!
It amazes me to see her mimic what she sees the grown ups do. We bought a little kitchen set for her to play here grandma’s house. She is turning knobs, talking on the cell phone, opening the doors on that thing as busy as she can be!
I used fabric transfer paper to put a photo of Mark and myself onto a shape she could pull in and out of one of the pockets. 
I enjoyed this project, and I think Ava did as well. Thank you, Angie for taking the photos for me so I could see her reaction!
Monday, November 9th, 2009
We just celebrated Miss Ava’s first birthday. Looking at this picture, it seems hard to believe how quickly time has passed, how much she has changed.
Travis and Angie have been a joy to watch as new parents. They have been a good team and kept all of us Ava-baby-crazed family members in the loop and on the visitation rounds. We have all been so crazy about this baby, I get to see all of my kids and family weekly!
I love seeing the four generations in this photo: me, my mom and Angie with Ava.
The minute they call, we all stop whatever we are doing and prepare for the arrival of Ava. We’re just such softies. My son, Jarred loves this little girl. I love seeing them together.
She doesn’t have to try very hard to be the center of attention. Emilee and Angie do a great job with photos – Ava is very well documented. Can you believe those blue eyes?
We are putty in her little pudgy hands. She wants to walk so badly!
So, while I am traveling this week with Emilee to New York, this is what we are thinking about missing. Thank goodness for computers, email and photo-bucket! I can get my fill of her just about anytime as Angie is always updating Ava’s blog and sending us Youtube videos of Ava’s adventures. These are tools I just didn’t have around when raising my kids – I can’t get over how wonderful technology and photography work together to keep us all close.
Emilee is my travel buddy for my New York trip, I will try to have some photos uploaded of the exciting city life. This photo is of Emilee at work, she is studying Marketing and works at Intake Studios here in Wichita. And, this month, Emilee has a birthday, so I am sure another family get together will be in order and we can fight over who’s turn it is to hug and kiss on Ava!