Life Is What You Wake Of It

Saturday, April 3, 2010

First Couple of Shoots

This was Ava at 3 weeks old...what a sweet expression...

A few of my favorite shots of Miss Ava so far...

Miss Ava is a sweet, smiley little baby. We just went to her 2 month well check and she weighed in at 9 lbs., 5 oz., 21 inches long. She just started wearing her newborn clothes a week or so ago. She sleeps, eats, fills her diaper and smiles. Not much more going on with her, but I am getting in LOTS of snuggle time with her. Before she was born, I thought that my time with her would be limited because she is #3. I have been surprised at how much time Chloe and Beckham spend playing together. I never really noticed before, but they really do love playing together. It has allowed me to sit and feed Ava, but also to just sit and hold Ava. Sit and gaze at Ava. Sit and talk to Ava. Ava is not really a fan of sleeping through the night yet. The doctor told me that once she hits the 12 pound mark, she will probably go for longer stretches of sleep.

When she was 3 weeks old, we drove up to Utah with my family so that my grandparents and brother's family could meet her. I love watching my grandparents with my kids. I don't know what it is, but seeing the generation difference is awesome.

Here are a few of my favorites of Miss Ava...

Which one is Ava? This is why Chloe thinks that she can pick her up and carry her anywhere in the house...

"Hello Ava. Hello Ava Girl..."

The great grandkids

My Dad's side of the family

Miss Chloe

Miss Chloe is finally 4! (Her words, not mine. If it were up to me, she would stay 3 forever...)

Her birthday has been anticipated by her since I told her I was going to have a baby for her next birthday. It was a fun way of counting down. As much as I wanted to have the new baby, I didn't really want my first baby to get another year older. It made the time being pregnant very bitter/sweet.

Chloe is now referred to as my live-in nanny. Oh my goodness. She has become VERY helpful. Sometimes too helpful. She changes diapers (almost by herself), makes her own bed and has now learned how to make her own sandwiches (unfortunately by force...at the moment I begin feeding Ava, coincidentally at that same moment, Chloe and Beckham decide that they are going to DIE of starvation...hmmm.)...

Chloe has become so helpful (and Ava is so tiny), that Chloe has (on 3 separate occasions), picked a crying Ava out of her crib and WALKED her all the way downstairs to hand her to me. Not kidding. I have really tried not to freak out, but oh my. See, a little too helpful.

Chloe is now old enough to be in Primary at church! We have been counting that day since her birthday last year. She knew that you had to be 3 to go to Primary and so every Sunday since last February she would wake up and say, "Today do I get to go to Primary?!!!" Every week we had to tell her no. Needless to say, she was SO EXCITED to finally be in the big kid class. She loves it. The second week of January, she attended her first Primary activity which was a pajama breakfast. The Bishop made pancakes for all of the kids and they played games. I have overheard her playing the "spotlight" activity with Beckham.

Chloe: Everyone stand up. This person is a boy...okay, all of the girls sit down. Okay. This person's favorite color is orange. This person likes to wrestle with his dad...etc.

She loves listening to the Children's songbook CDs and we can usually hear her performing these songs throughout the day.

She loves preschool. She has started to read and it is so exciting! We have been reading very simple books but every time she sounds out a word correctly, she will look up from the book with the brightest eyes and laugh. I love watching her learn.

Her birthday was simple and fun. We made cupcakes for her to take to her preschool and she spent the better part of the afternoon there. When I picked her up, I dropped the other kids off and we went to get her first pedicure...just the two of us. She was hilarious. She picked up one of the hair magazines and flipped through it while she had her nails painted. My cute Mom took her to Build-A-Bear the day before her birthday and then they went to lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen (lucky). She felt so special to have Nana all to herself for the day.

Here are a few pictures of her over the past few months...

First day of Primary

Ready for the Primary pj party

Making sandwiches

Homework time

Friday, April 2, 2010

Mr. Beckham

Mr. Beckham has suddenly become a big boy. No, not potty trained yet, but everything about him is now grown up. He has stepped into the role of middle child perfectly. While I knew that Chloe would take to the new baby easily, I was nervous about Mr. Poort. I thought that this new baby would knock Mr. Beckham not only out of his role as the baby of the family, but also knock him into a jealous little guy who would show his "affection" for his new sister by loving her too much.

Just the opposite.

Beckham has proven to be such a sensitive little man. He is so gentle with her. He will walk up to her and gently pat her on her head and whisper, "Hello Ava. Hello Ava girl." And then after kissing her on her head or cheek, he walks away.

It is the CUTEST thing EVER.

I always loved Beckham, but his sweetness has just made him more...ahhhh...I don't know. I just love him.

He is all boy. Still obsessed with planes, trains and automobiles. He BEGS every day for me to play monster trucks with him. He has quite the convincing grin. I tend to give in almost every time. He also LOVES tools. He received a plastic tool set for Christmas, but he prefers the real thing. Jon has been doing a lot of "projects" around the house and Beckham is happy to be his assistant. Jon is so cute and plays along and asks Beck to hand him tools.

He just started playing soccer in March. He is far from being the legend of his namesake, but we are proud. He made a few goals, but with each kick, he would run off of the field for a Gatorade break. The kid is a diva.

He has also taken quite a liking for cereal. He wants it all of the time. Every meal. Every snack. Every time in between. Once again, his adorable grin usually has me caving and asking him which kind and making room for his monster trucks next to his bowl.

Here are a few (or more) of my favorite photos as of late...