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.

Living with my Parents

I believe that I have discussed my current living situation here on my blog. I currently live with my parents in a cozy 2 bedroom home. Lucky for us we all get along great and they absolutely adore little Ava. I never realized how close my family was until I got older and would share stories with friends. We are just very comfortable and casual with each other and I wouldn't have it any other way. Well, naturally I sometimes wish I had my own apartment (which will be happening soon enough) but other times I am so SO grateful that I live with my parents. This weekend was a perfect example. I had a nasty case of food poisoning this weekend and was sick as a dog. I couldn't keep anything down and I was so dehydrated. I was so weak I could hardly make it through a shower. Thank goodness for my mother. She swooped right in and canceled her Sunday plans to take care of Ava while also taking care of me. It really made me realize how hard (almost impossible) it would have been if I had to go through that alone. I'm pretty sure there would have been a lot of crying from both Ava and I. So THANKS MOM for being the best grandma and mom.

Matchbook Magazine

This amazing online mag is a huge hit and it only just launched a few days ago. I am absolutely obsessed with it and can't wait for future issues. The very best part?? My best friend is the illustrator for the magazine. She is taking the design world my storm and I couldn't be happier for her. She is such a cute lady who knows exactly what she wants. I miss her everyday and I can't wait to see her again so we can drink mimosas and bake cookies.

Here's to you Miss Katie Evans!

Ava, Ma, & Pa

I haven't spoken much about Ava's dad here on this blog for various reasons, mostly because up until recently I wasn't his biggest fan. But in the end he is a good guy and wants to be a great father to Ava. For a while I didn't want to accept that and in all honesty I wanted it to be just Ava and I. I was being greedy. I know it is best for her to have a relationship with both of her parents so I have never kept him from seeing her and I never will. Unfortunately due to distance he doesn't see her nearly as much as he would like to. We have talked a lot about the future and have agreed that in a few years once we both feel more stable in our lifestyles we will move to the same city to make everything easier in our goal of shared parenting.

He was visiting the past weekend before he starts a fire fighting academy in Charleston, SC. I snapped a few pictures of him and Ava together since he won't be seeing her much until he is done with the academy.




I don't know if you can tell from the photos but Ava looks just like her dad.

And of course I had him snap a few of Ava and I...




Can you tell I am a little camera shy?? Plus whenever I see a photo of myself I think that I look soooo tired.

Happy Monday!

Baby Book

My best friend Katie recently asked me if I am keeping a baby book for little Ava. The truth is, I haven't really put anything in it yet. I have two that were gifted to me and I constantly think about how I need to fill it up with dates and pictures but I have yet to take action.

Do you have a baby book for your little one? Or better yet, did you parents keep a baby book for you? If you are a blogging mama is that your version of a baby book?

On a different note...here is a little video of my mom being a "bad grandma!"