One thing I've learned as a Mom...

...is that you just can't care. What do I mean? Here is an example from today:

Today we (Ava and me) FINALLY got ready to head out to go grocery shopping at about 2. Don't judge me on that time, I slept let Ava sleep in because the past 2 nights have been miserable and basically included NO sleep. So it was worth it. Ok, so 2 PM here we go heading out the door. She was all smiles and very happy and quiet. 'This will be a good trip' i was thinking.
We get to Target and happy little Ava sat in her carseat as I placed it into the cart and we headed into Target. We pass through the first set of automatic doors, and here comes the second set. On this set, there is a bump where the carpet turns into tile flooring. I did not know this. *BUMP*. The cart shook, Ava looked up at me with horrified eyes, then started screaming. I pulled over and calmed her down but she was still looking horrified. We started walking and got to Aisle 1 and she started screaming again. When I say screaming I mean the kind that sounds like she just got a shot, not the sweet little baby cry. So I got her out of her carseat and held her. Her eyes were all red and she still looked kind of scared but then after looking around and seeing so many colors and boxes, etc she was quite content. Or so I thought.
2 aisles later I heard it. The pre-burp sound that is always followed by spit up. However, this particular time the pause between the pre-burp and the actual spit up was about one tenths of a second. I had no preparation time. Spit up spews everywhere. All down my shoulder, arm and back. All over Ava's cute outfit and chin. All over Targets clean floor. Wonderful.
As I am getting her burp cloth to clean her up, she starts tooting. Again, not the sweet little baby toots, the ones that make it seem like its me and I'm just blaming it on the baby. This girl is LOUD sometimes. Not only are they loud but they stink up a 3 foot radius at least. Yes, hi people walking by. I promise it was the baby.
We get cleaned up, half my shirt is soaked and I just kept on shopping. This is when I realized I really didn't care that I had regurgitated milk all over me. If someone walked by and judged me for that, well then they don't have kids and couldn't understand anyways. Who cared haha
So me and my spit up covered self and Ava (also covered in spit up) kept on going. Eventually I put her back in her seat to see how she did and I needed to use two hands for stuff. She did pretty good, I had to stop and soothe a couple times but it was fine. Granted, this was like the last 7 minutes of the shopping trip. We get up to the register and I put all my things on the belt. By this point Ava is pretty much asleep. YESS. I look up and the cashier is trying to piece back the label on my milk because it had gotten wet and tore into a million pieces. The other part is that it got wet because milk was leaking out all over the place from that gallon. Ugh. She tried to make me keep that one (um, no) but I told her I'd go get another one while she scanned the rest of my stuff.
Of course milk is always in the very back of the store- so off I went. Ava decides to toot some more which made the whole scene of me walking fast look even more suspicious haha once again, who cares.
OK got the milk, back up to the cash register. I start getting the bagged groceries. The sleeping babe wakes and screams. Paci back in mouth. A quick shhh. More bags. More screams. Shh's. Bags. Pay. Leave.
Whew.
Glad to be going home.
I get everything and Ava back in the car to head home. Glad to be done. That's when I saw a yellow jacket in my car. Perfect. That's all i needed was for one of us to get stung. I prayed the whole way home that we wouldn't and tried to drive as still as I could, as not to disturb said yellow jacket.
Get home. Ava's asleep. I got her inside- still asleep. Got the groceries inside. Went back to close the door - yeah it wasn't a yellow jacket. It was a lady bug. A perfectly harmless little lady bug. Haha oh boy.

Oh yeah, and I forgot 5 things from the store. Looks like we'll be adventuring out tomorrow.

13 Weeks

3 Months Old

Ava is officially 3 months old. I - cannot - believe - it. 3 MONTHS? It is insane! Its funny how I can't believe she's that old, but can't believe she's only been in our life for 3 months. I feel like she's always been a part of us. I can't imagine her not being her now. Oh she's just the best :)

So last week was my first full week of work. I went in the week before on Thursday as more of a trial-day to see how I would do instead of just jumping in to a full week right off the bat. It wasn't as traumatic as I thought it would be, and I wasn't crying all day long like I thought I would. It was hard, and still is hard, but I'm sure that's not really going to get easier, I'll just get more used to it. The good part is she's spending her time away from me with wonderful people - Chad and Mom! So I don't have to worry about her sitting in a wet diaper all day with daycare workers not caring if she's crying or not, etc etc. We are pretty lucky.
I also get text updates from both of them with random pictures of what she is doing. That always helps. On great days like today I get to see her at lunchtime too :) Chad brought her here 2 days ago along with Jimmy Johns (which, if you remember from the preggers days, was my one and only craving I couldn't satisfy because there weren't any JJ's here in town -- now there is!) and she hung out over lunch. She fell asleep but even just holding her for 30 minutes makes the day easier. I get to brag about her all day long too. I don't know what I used to talk about before she came along ...

At 11 weeks Ava started teething. Yes, you read that right. She is teething. She is drooling EVERYWHERE, gets fussy, acts like her gums hurt her, putting everything in her mouth, chewing everything, etc etc. It has been an adventure. I'm ready for the teeth to either chill out or break on through so we can get through this little stage. I'd rather them just chill because I'm not really ready for her to have teeth yet... but this has been one of the newest developments so far.
Along with the teething milestone Ava also rolled over today! ... We aren't really counting this as a real roll because Chad said she kind of flopped her head over after pushing herself up which then caused her to fall on her side to which she sat and kicked and kicked until eventually she rolled on her back. Not intentional at all but still. Its exciting either way :)

She is great at tracking things. She's been a pro since just a few weeks old. She watches toys, hands, eyes, etc. She'll be sitting in her carseat staring at her toy penguin or her sophie teether and then just grin from ear to ear like its the funniest thing in the world. I love that :)

She is able to use her Bumbo now! What's a bumbo? Its a seat for infants who can't quite sit up on their own yet but it helps them sit up and strengthen their back to be ABLE to sit on their own. Its adorable seeing her sit up like a big girl!

She is just slowly starting to realize she has hands. She is grabbing things, but not 100% on purpose. Maybe more like 70%. When she is laying under her toybar or her jungle set or something she hits at the toys but seems surprised when she hits them or makes noise haha. She also loves holding things. ANYTHING. She'll grasp your fingers, hold her lovee, hold a burpcloth, it seems like it soothes her since her hands aren't flailing about and have something to grasp.

She is very good at tummy time. She lifts her head up about 75 degrees. Not quite to the 90 degree mode yet but well on her way. She kind of grunts a lot while looking around haha. She does lift herself up with her arms too! So grown up! :)

She is eating (average) about every 4 hours and durring the night about every 6 hours so if we lay her down about 11 she wakes up at 5 and then back to sleep for however long she decides. 9-ish most of the time. SOmetimes we lay her down earlier than 11 but usually we strive for earlier and it ends up being 10:30/11 anyways.

Ava loves baths. All smiles and splashes the entire time.

She is a super-pee-er. Yep. She can wet a diaper like none other. Actually she probably pees close to the same amout as other babies but this is our first one so we feel like its a ton. Because it is. Especially when she goes overnight - those morning diapers weigh several pounds - no exaggeration there.

I'll add more things when they come to me but for now those are the main updates. Oh, and I miss her like CRAZY when I'm at work! There's my update :)

Ava's 3 month photoshoot with Kim!

Tomorrow I'll be posting her 13 week picture!