6 Months!

I honestly cannot believe that my Little Ava is 6 months old!! Time flies. She is such a happy little baby these days and I love it. I used to be afraid to go out and about for long periods of time with her because she would often become overwhelmed and it was hard to calm her down. But lately we can go out and she'll just spend the time taking in all the sights and sounds.

I am so glad Spring is just around the corner so our outings can be outdoors and she can see the changing of the season. I am looking forward to walks around the park with this little one.

Now for some 6 Month Updates....

Ava weighs 15 pounds, 3 ounces.
She is 26 inches long and has big feet.

Ava loves to chew on her Sophie Giraffe,
but no teeth seem to be poking through those little gums of hers.

She LOVES taking a bath.
She makes the funniest faces when trying new foods.
She still loves to be naked.

She loves to kick her chubby little legs.
She squeals like a professional.

She still has bluish eyes (it's a mystery).
She adores her Grandma and she loves her Grandpa's guitar playing.

We have plans to go to Rhode Island to see her other NaNa and PaPa at the end of March. I cannot wait for them to see how much she's grown. Last time they saw her she was a grumpy little 3 month old.

Happy Monday!

I Wish....

...I could pull this look off...

Happy Valetine's Day!

xoxo

Sunny Saturday

Forgive me for my absence this week. I always get a small case of the winter blues around this time of the year. Nothing to be concerned about, just a little lack of motivation. Luckily Spring is right around the corner and the sun has been making more appearances lately.

Yesterday Ava and I took full advantage of the sunshine and spent the day with my sister at her VERY sunny apartment. I was excited to get out of the house but I didn't want to really go out and about, so my sister's apartment was the perfect place to spend the day. We lounged, played with Ava, and watched Eat, Pray, Love. It was a perfect February Saturday.

At one point in the middle of the(long) movie I could see the sun shining on my sister's bed. It looked so warm and welcoming. That kind of sun doesn't shine on my bed, unfortunately. So we paused the movie and Ava and I soaked up some much needed vitamin D. And of course I took some photos (I am still getting used to my new camera and trying to get my photo mojo back )....

What did you do this weekend? Any big Valentine plans?

Happy Sunday!

Pretty Fantastic

Things have been going my way lately. Nothing too amazing has happened but there have been some pretty fantastic things warming my heart and making my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Let's start with the biggest and best news of all. I BOUGHT A NEW CAMERA! A really, really nice camera for a really, really reasonable price. I have been searching Craigslist and Ebay regularly looking for a nice DSLR for under $300. Kinda a stretch, right?? Well, I saw an ad on Craigslist for a Canon Powershot SX10 IS.
This is an amazing camera and is everything I wanted. The best part?? I only paid $225 for this beauty, almost new in box. The guy I bought it from bought it as a back up to his much nicer DSLR and hardly ever used it. I couldn't believe his asking price. Spending that much is a stretch for me right now but I know this is a great investment and I can't wait to shoot with it. I kinda feel like my love for photography is coming back (it's been gone for awhile).

Following that buy I spent some much needed quality time with my good friend Caitlin. We went to a few thrift shops looking for some bargains. I only purchased a few items (boots, jean jacket, knit skirt) as I am now on a spending freeze because of my camera purchase. But it was nice to have some girl talk time while my mom babysat Ava.

Another great thing?? I was awarded the Stylish Blogger award from Nikki at Life of A Single Mommy.


I am going to treat the rules of this award a little differently. I know I should follow the rules and pass is on but well instead I am just going to highlight some new to me ladies I have recently started following.

First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH NIKKI. I am truly flattered. You have become one of my favorite ladies to follow because I can relate so much to what you are going through. I hope you keep sharing and I cannot wait to read more about your journey.

Another lady I really enjoy following is Drea from ohdeardrea. I adore her blog and reading about her journey with her baby girl, Marlowe. I am envious of her Floridian lifestyle.

Through Drea I found Chelsea from too many cookies. She is another young mama with lots to share. Do you see a trend here? I am excited to find young ladies like me who are sharing their parenting journeys.

Then through commenting on all these blogs I've gotten a few new readers including Kathleen from too many shades of violet. She seems like the sweetest lady and her daughter is so adorable.

And last but not least I've really enjoyed reading Cassie's journey over at Baby Makes Two. She is so witty and honest, it's super refreshing.

I never thought I would find so many like minded mama's to share this amazing journey with. Thanks ladies. You are all pretty fantastic.

Why Mornings Are My Favorite Time of Day

(image via We Heart It)

I have always been a morning person. I love to wake up early (or late), lay in bed for a little while, make some coffee, start breakfast, turn on some music, and enjoy the morning sun. Ava has only made the mornings more special for me. My mornings with are her are hands down my favorite part of being a mother. Everyday we wake up together (we co-sleep) around 8:30 or 9 AM, Ava spends a long time stretching (and growing!), I open my bedroom curtain, and we lay in bed "chatting" and snuggling. She has started to maneuver her body in a way where she is able to scoot around and not long after we wake up she is right next to me, nose to nose and wide eyed. I absolutely love it. It is truly the best way to wake up.

On a different note....here are two amazing links I wanted to share...

If you read RockStar Diaries then you know she and her hubby had a beautiful baby girl a few days ago. While she is gone she has some guest momma's sharing their motherly advice and it is definitely worth checking out.

Through that post I discovered Princess Lasertron and was pleased to stumbled upon a post on her blog about Breastfeeding in Style. It is a must read for any momma or momma to be who is or plans on breastfeeding.

Happy Friday!

Snow Day!

Due to the nasty weather hitting most of the country I've had 2 official snow days in a row. It is one of the many benefits of working for a large school system. These last two days have also made up for my lack of a weekend due to my nasty stomach bug. So here I am lounging in my PJs and snuggling with Ava. While I miss warm weather and sunshine I wouldn't trade in these moments for a thing.

I decided to take a few photos of Ava today to pass the time. I usually dress her up but today I decided to leave her in her colorful onesie and throw down a very patterned blanket for the background.





I've been thinking a lot about buying a new, nicer camera. While I love my little camera I can see that it is on its last limb. I've had it for almost 4 years and it has definitely seen better days. Plus I want to upgrade to something nicer that will allow me to do more. However, I don't really have the funds to go out and splurge. All the cameras I am looking at are in the $300-400 range (USED) and well, I just can't justify spending that much at this point in my life. Maybe I can spend $200-250....maybe.... If you know of any reasonably priced cameras (preferably a digital DSLR), let me know!

If you know me, you know I went to school for photography and have a Bachelor's of Fine Arts, so you might think I'm crazy for not already having a fancy DSLR, but I was taught that it isn't the camera that takes the beautiful photo, it's the photographer. I still very much believe that, I just miss taking photos in the Manual setting. And to be honest I REALLY REALLY miss classic film photography, unfortunately it is way too expensive these days to process film. Plus I like being able to capture a moment and immediately share it with everyone.

On that note.....I was playing with colors and what not while editing my photos today and I am debating which photos I like best. I usually prefer to edit as little as possible, usually just slightly changing the contrast or color. So what do you think?? Obviously the original is on the left...

I love her rolls,

and those toes,

and her little strawberry nose.

I would love your advice!

One Born Every Minute

Have you seen the previews for this show yet?? I see them all the time because the show was recorded here at a hospital in Columbus. It was actually the hospital where I had my sweet little Ava. And they actually started recording the show not long after I had Ava. I kinda wish I was on the show but to be honest I don't think my birth would have gotten high ratings for reality TV. I asked for the room to be mostly empty and VERY QUIET. When my sisters arrived my mom had to whisper to them to not say a word, especially to me. I was concentrating on getting through each contraction naturally. Luckily I did and I was only in the labor for a few hours. So yeah, it really would not have been interesting to watch.

Anyways....

Are you going to watch the show?? I sure will be.