Well, Ava and I are blogging while Mama mows the field we call our yard. She wanted time in the sun, so I said okay! Ava was napping, now she's on my lap, but I think I'm boring her. So here's todays crop of pics. Enjoy!


Here's Ava napping on a gorgeous Sunday aternoon just a few minutes ago.


Mama and Dada enjoying a dip at Peggy and Roger's a couple of weeks ago....


...while Ava pulls on Roger's beard...


...and makes a new friend, Heather.


Here's one I found from our Illinois trip, sitting on Joyce's lap.


Look at those cute pants!


Ava's first time in her high chair. Looks thrilling, right?


Me and Nick after Grady's party. It was a very long day, and we're getting old!

Fun Fun Friday

So one set of grandparents is out of town for a week, and Ava's other grandma is going to be out of town next week for a few days. So I'm going to try and update often cause I know they'll miss her so much. Enjoy!

Go Tigers!


She looks so little in that big bed.


Awwww


Here's Becky looking at a new blog.


Look Kristi...we're reading Kristi's Blog! (that's their new living room)

House Sitting

Here are a couple of the newest pics. We're house sitting...

Rachel and Ava...look at that fist!


Ava's hanging out in a recliner for kids. Kind of dark, but isn't she cute!!

Professional Pics

Okay, so we got the 3 month pics back. When Ava's first year is past, these pictues will look so cool in succession. I'm thinking of modeling as a career for my 4 month old. Am I pushing too hard too early?? :) Anyway, here are the latest...

What a cute smile.


-No Caption-


Mama's favorite - looks like a Geddes pic, right?


Look, they fixed the stained blanket!


BTW - all photos courtesy JC Penney

Monday 7-25

Can you believe it's almost August??? Where does the itme go. All's well around here. I feel like I've lost my head. The promotion at work is keeping me REAL busy. You get comfortable, and efficient in your job, then BANG you have new responsibilities and a new schedule. It's a whole new job. So my updates will come when I can get them. Plus the picture-taking has lessened a little.

Ava's doing great, she's up to 12 and 1/2 pounds now. She just started this high pitched squeal when she's laughing, it's so cute. Although sometimes it goes from laughing to upset in seconds, when she's hungry. She has my patience when it comes to dinner time I fear. Anyway, she's getting more and more responsive. She recognizes her name now, she'll look when you say it. And she's oh so close to rolling over. She's done it a time or two, but she's figuring out that she can. Not long now before she's scooting and crawling. One of the cutest things she does now is when she's laying down, say getting her diaper changed...she'll "get us" with her legs. She'll wrap them around our arm and then grab on with her hands. She'll ty and sit up then, like she's doing crunches. Makes it harder to change her, but it's all good.

Well here are the last of the Illinois pics. We hit a park in Iowa that overlooks the Mississippi River.

Grandpa doing what he does :)


The great Mississippi River.


Aww, what a cute family.


Here's a tower where Becky had a picture taken when she was like 2.


Look, no Ava! We really are a couple! :)


She slept right through the beautiful scenery. Kids!

3rd shift update

So it's early for me...but late for you. I'm working a 3rd shift schedule tonight, producing the 6am news Monday and Tuesday. This won't quite be my new schedule, but close. As the new 7am and noon producer, I'll be getting up for work about the time most bars are closing down. But I get out of work when you're wrapping up lunch. It's a promotion, so I guess the schedule's worth it. And it's the same I was on when I was an editor, so it's okay.

Well Ava's doing great. Nothing real new to report, just growing and learning every day. The pics here are from our trip to Illinois/Iowa. Enjoy!


Becky's Aunt and Uncle, Joyce and Alan. Oh yeah, and Grandma, too :)


Becky used to spend many a summer on the farm, looks like Ava wants to stay, too!


Great shot with Auntie May.


Auntie May is Grandpa's aunt. It's almost like she knows about babies, right?


Thanks for all the hospitality, it was so great to see the Morrison crew. Hopefully we can make it down again real soon, and for more than a day!

Photos from Our Recent Trip

Okay peoples...no time to chit-chat. Here's the pics, hopefully I'll get a chance to speak this weekend. We'll see. Ava's doing great, as are mama and myself.

Here we go...


Getting ready for the long car ride to Morrison, Illinois.


Ava's first hotel bed.


Awww.....


They look cozy, right?


Ava's first pool.


Drying off, and still happy!



I'll have more eventually fropm this trip. We visited a park that overlooks the Mississippi River, and there are photos of Auntie Mae, Joyce and Alan. Enjoy the weekend!!!

Twice in One Week - Wow!

Yeah, yeah yeah. Let's have it. I'm updating two days in a row. Well, I'm lucky enough to be to work at 3:30 am this week. That means I'm out at around 1:00. So here I sit while Ava sleeps. I've been working in the basement, but I now I need help. So I figured I'd update my peoples instead. Aren't I gracious?! :^) <--- That's an annoying smiley face to let you know I'm using humor.

So we're all doing well. As you can see the blog is enjoying a viewership of over a thousand so far. Thanks to everyone who comes. And those of you (R) who stop by 6 times a day! :^) <--- See, there he is again!

Ava's more responsive every day. She laughs and giggles and squeals more, and last night I found a tickle spot as we were playing. I'd "get her" right on her hip and belly and send her into fits of laughter. It was so much fun. And she's now able to hold herself up when I hold her at her hips. She doesn't need to always have hands under her arms to hold her up. I know crawling's a developmental step she needs to have, but it looks like she wants to skip it and go right for walking - and running.

So that's what's happening. Here are some pics.

Kim feeding Ava.


Jim hanging out with Ava.


Borah called her the most beautiful little girl ever. And she's Kim's mom! (Love you Kimmy!!) I owe a lot to Borah and Kim, I'm so glad they got to see Ava this summer.


Who does this look like? This is an old photo of my paternal grandmother -- Ramona. See the family resemblance?


So here's G-G all grown up.


Awwww......


This is what we call a deer, or dinner for short. The deer was right out my parents back door.


Reading with Daddy.


Someday this shot will embarass her, I just know it.


More to come soon....hugs and kisses!

Monday 7-11

Well it's been a busy July already. The California crowd was here, we've been working on the house...oh yeah, and Ava's keeping us busy. This weekend we went to Illinois (and Iowa) to see family on Becky's side. We had a wonderful time, and I'll get pictures pretty soon. They're on the camera still. Today I have photos from this month, starting with Kim. I think I have more at home with Borah and Jim, too. But for now, this is all I have with me.

Ava's update... she's found her hands so everything goes right to her mouth. It's fun to watch her grab for stuff. She'll go slow motion and watch her hand move toward the object. Her favorite right now is a plush Hippo (named Harry). He traveled with her all the way to Illinois and back. She'll hold onto him and cuddle, but then *pop* right to her mouth. So I think he'll be wet for awhile yet, until she finds a new toy to chew.

On with the photos...

A Padres fan already!


I don't know what Kim's trying to teach our daughter here...


This is the morning they all left. We had breakfast at Yogi's.


Kim trying to spell "stupid." As she was not happy to leave us, she kept saying "stupid" for everything about the day. Like Stupid Saturday, Stupid Leaving Michigan, Stupid California...you get the idea.


The girls. And Stupid Iced Tea.


Ava hanging out in our back yard. Yes she's sticking out her tounge at you. Ain't she cute? :)


So there you have it. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up now this week. I'll be on a different schedule, as I may be moving into a new position here at work. We'll see how it all goes.

Look...I published this at 7:11 on 7-11. Weird.