Summer, summer, summertime

Ah summer. My least favorite season. Give me a cool, crisp fall breeze any day over a sultry, humid, hot Texas summer. BUT, kids love summer, and I can see why. We have been trying to get out and enjoy the sunshine and stay cool in the pool...er, sprinkler park. So far, it's been a great summer. Here's a run-down of the things we've been doing.

Pool Time...

Family Time...

We've also celebrated two birthdays, Cousin Aiden and Daddy. And, we've enjoyed lots of homemade desserts using the fruits of summer (one thing I do like about the season). I can't wait to see what the rest of the summer will hold.

Three Months

Ava is three months old, and I can't imagine what it was like before she came. Here's a few things she has been working on in recent days.

Expanding her playtime activities, including rolling over!

Talking

Staying awake (Mommy doesn't seem to like this one)

Being a Texas girl

Hands! Toys! Dresses! Oh my!

Ava has reached some new milestones recently. It's all going by so fast, and makes my heart happy and sad all at the same time. If anyone could have told me how much I'd love having two (despite the utter angst and stress I feel many days) I wouldn't have believed them. But, I truly am enjoying my kiddos even more now that there's two.

First, Ava has found her hands, and realizes how fascinating they are. She loves sucking and chewing on the them, and especially both hands at one time!

Secondly, she has discovered toys and how to hold them, talk to them, and hit at them! I am so proud of her!

Thirdly, I have discovered how much fun it is to have a little girl! DRESSES!!!

About a boy...and his socks

Kameen is obsessed with socks, and especially likes to mix and match them. A side effect of this is that I now find lots of random socks, none of which match or have a partner, lying around the house. I just pick them up and throw them in the laundry. Eventually, they come together with their match.

Memorial Weekend

We finally took Ava on her first visit to East Texas on Memorial Weekend. We took Kameen at 5 weeks, but hubby (not me, because I didn't want to take him at 5 weeks) was a bit smarter this time around in knowing to wait a few more weeks. Ava is not a big fan of the car or car seat. She is not easily lulled to sleep in the car, but typically cries and cries whether the car is moving or not. So, I took some preventive measures to help ease the trip, which thankfully, is only about 5 hours (4 when we didn't have children). Ava has been sleeping well when swaddled. At first, I was swaddling her in my thin, cotton bathrobe. But, for the trip I knew I needed a travel swaddle blanket that would fit around the car seat straps. The blanket worked well. She did not (like Kameen, surprisingly) sleep the whole way, but the blanket helped keep her calm, and so did I, who ended up in the backseat squished between both kids. For the most part, she did great!

Ava was a much better visitor than her brother was at this age. She let her Grandmama, Grandpa, Great Granny, and Aunties hold her, for the most part. She was sociable and talked to them quite a bit, once she got her good nap in for the day. She even let Grandmama bounce her to sleep on her shoulder! We scrambled to take some pics of her while she was happy. I stayed away so that the sound of my voice didn't upset her.

Kameen had a great time of course! He was determined to stay with his Grandmama, and told me and Chris to go home and he was staying there. We are highly considering sending him to stay very, very soon! He played hard from the time he arrived, and really wore himself out, which was great because he slept in a queen size bed for the first time. He's had practice at his Meemaw's house here in Austin, but it's a half bed and it has a tent on it, which makes it feel like a crib. He did fine. I laid with him the first two nights until he was asleep. He also got to make some cookies with his Grandmama, which he thought was pretty great, and I did too.

Finally, he got to ride with Grandpa on a tractor! He was quite impressed. If I ever learn how to upload video, I'll show some footage of the event. Until then, here's a picture.

Nine

...years ago that is. On June 2, 2001, I said yes to a wonderful man. We are so different, yet so much alike. He is my backbone, my human strength. I see God in his love everyday, and I am overwhelmed and amazed. It brings me to tears sometimes to think upon my blessing that is my husband. I love him with all my soul, and I can't wait to continue on this journey with him.

The First Two Months

The first one taught me how to be a mama. The second one is showing me how much I love it...

Ava is a happy girl. She loves to talk, and talks so much more than her brother. She smiles, she has a drama cry, she sleeps much, much better than big brother. The first two months with her have gone so fast. I am better this time. I don't take her cries so personally. I know what she needs faster than I did the first time. I know when to let her cry and when to make it better. I love having two!

Kameen is a great big brother. He loves his Baby Sister, and wants to hold her often. I am probably a little too over protective because he is pretty careless around her, with his busy arms, legs, and feet that could cause her harm. But, overall, he is a proud big brother.

Daddy is doing better this time around. We are getting things together faster than we did the first time. We are staying closer than we did the first time. And, I am more laid back so we aren't arguing like we did the first time.

God is so good, and we are so blessed.

I often (sometimes daily) remind myself of some very wise words that Chris's grandma told me with Kameen, and it is very true.

It's gonna get better. It's gonna get better and better.

Thanks Grandma Dot. That's the best piece of advice I've ever been given.