Ava: Two Months Old! :)

Thankfully, I'm posting this before she is 3 months old. :) Mom of the Year.

Weight: 10 pounds, 10 ounces

Length: 21 inches

Clothes: 0-3 month

Diaper: size 1

Ava is the sweetest baby! She is happy about 90 percent of the time... she will let you know if she's tired or she needs her gas drops and/or reflux medicine. :) She was diagnosed with reflux at 6 weeks, so we started her on Zantac and it has made a world of difference! Thankfully, she wasn't spitting up... but she was, however, swallowing it back down, so it was hurting her twice. :( No wonder she was in such pain! Breaks my heart to think about it, but I'm so grateful that we found something that helps her! PTL.

As you can tell, Big Sister still loves her! She always checks on her, gives her hugs and kisses, and loves trying to make her laugh and smile! Ava has really started smiling a lot lately and Addie just thinks it is hilarious when Ava smiles at her... Addie usually says, 
"You just love me, don't you, Ava?" :)

One of my favorite sister pics :)

Ava's sleep habits during the night were put on hold with the reflux. We were up nearly every hour/two hours for a while before we started the medicine, so we basically started over when it came to sleeping at night. :( Stinks, yes, but ironically, I look back now and really enjoyed sleeping with her and holding her a lot more during those days. We had to feed more often and hold her upright for a while after to help her digest the food better, etc., so I made the best of it and bonded very well with my girl. :) These days, Ava is sleeping anywhere from 5-7 hours during the night. Then she wakes up to eat and goes back down for a few more hours. She takes a good nap in the morning, wakes up to play for a couple of hours around lunchtime and goes back down for a good 2.5-3 hour nap. We play for a few hours in the evening around dinner time and the time when Eric gets home, and she's ready for bath/bed time around 8:30. I usually do a dream feed around 11 which is when we finally get to sleep most nights.

To be honest, one of the most difficult things for me with baby #2 is the schedule. It is very difficult for me to be as strict as I was with Addie because we are always on the go! Whether it is a play date, taking a walk, going to the library, going to the gym, running to the grocery store, or some other weekly errand, it is hard to really just sit at home and get her on a strict schedule when I have a 3 year old who is very active and needs to be doing things during the summer. Thankfully, I have finally just let it go. :) I do the best I can to get Ava to sleep when she needs to be... even if it is in her car seat or her stroller. She definitely eats on a normal schedule, and thankfully, since we are nursing, I'm always prepared for that one. :) ha  Once I realized that both of my girls are happy and healthy and that they are being exposed to so many great things, I forgave myself for not being so regimented... and it's kinda nice. :)

As for nursing, we are doing it full time and I love it. I was worried at first because I exclusively pumped with Addie since she spent so long in the NICU... we were in such a routine that we just kept it going. I would love to continue nursing Ava through her first year. I do pump at least once every other day and I've built up a pretty good frozen supply for when I go back to work. We're also able to have a bottle ready if I am not home or if we are out somewhere when nursing is not a great option. So thankful that she is able to nurse and that she is okay taking a bottle if necessary. :)

This month, Ava is smiling SO much more and it is precious! She is happy, happy, happy when she wakes up from a cat nap and sees you... and when she finishes eating. :) She can see you and notices when you walk away... she'll whine when you walk off, and when you come back, she's back to smiling. :) Little stinker. She loves to be in her swing, on her play mat, in her bouncy seat, cuddling with Mommy or Daddy, and on her changing table. We have started watching a Baby Einstein video while she sits in her bouncy seat, and she does really well focusing while Mommy gets a few things done around the house. :) She also does fairly well when we go places. She is starting to be more content to look around and just take it all in. She also enjoys bathing with Big Sister (once the initial shock of the water wears off :). 
Her only dislikes are gas bubbles and tummy time. :(

Ava Rae,

I cannot tell you how blessed I feel to be your Mommy. You have made these last two months so much brighter by just being here. I love your bright eyes, your sweet gummy smile, your chubby cheeks, and every other little thing about you! 

I just love you, sweet baby!

Mommy