A change in routine.

Texas has thrown Ava off just a little.
She has done pretty well with sleeping at night and napping but every morning after my scheduled shower she thinks it is time to fuss and be held. Every day.
It sure makes getting ready extra challenging.
Thanks kid.

The surprise.

Well, we made it to Texas and I didn't die.
Grandma was a little confused at first and it took her a minute to process that it was actually us standing in front of her.
We have enjoyed catching up and she just loves to sit and hold Ava (for as long as the squirmy worm will let her.) It reminds me of the many times she would hold me like that when I was little and it makes me happy.
I have also really enjoyed spending time with my aunt. The last time I really saw her was when I came to visit at 15 and me growing up has really made a difference when it comes to our relationship. I guess it just took me becoming an adult for me to realize and appreciate just how special she is.
It has taken a little time for Ava to adjust and its been rough on the both of us. Sleeping was hard last night because she was so restless but today we accomplished two full naps so I think she is getting it.
My brother arrives tomorrow and I can't wait. I'm really missing home so I hope that having him here will help with that.
[P.S. Texas is freaking HOT in October.]

Preperation.

Ava and I leave early Thursday morning for Texas.

The time has finally arrived and while I am super excited to see (and SURPRISE) my wonderful Grandma with our visit, the up and coming trip has me a little stressed.

First, I hate to fly. Heights FREAK me out and the thought of being in a plane that high up petrifies me. Then, there is the 'flying with the baby' part. That doesn't scare me, it just doesn't have me very excited. I am guessing she isn't going to enjoy it too much but maybe she will prove me wrong. I'm really hoping she does. The most dreadful part of flying with her? I'm a little uneasy about nursing her in such close quarters with people. Normally, nursing in public doesn't bother me at all, but the thought of touching elbows with perfect strangers and whipping the boob out just inches from them has me a tad bit nervous. I am praying that it goes smoother than I am imagining it will.

Lee isn't taking time off from work so the bestie is picking up the slack for us. She will keep the kids the days that Lee is working and deliver them to and from school, practices, and concerts. I am seriously so grateful for her and her willingness to do this for me. I have been having major anxiety about how things will go while I am gone but I am feeling better about it. I know they are in the best hands. What would I do without her?

I have started the packing for us and that in itself has me stressed out. I don't want to pack too much, but I don't want to forget anything that Ava may need either. Plus, it's crazy weird to be packing things for 90+ dergree weather when it is barely 50 degrees here. On top of that I have to make sure that Kaylee and Layton have all of the stuff they will need while I'm gone.

So, needless to say, I am cleaning the house today and getting caught up on laundry. So far, Ava is in a great mood and she is allowing me to. Fingers crossed she continues to be nice to me today.

Only in Oregon.

Up until early last week we were having really warm temperatures for October. So warm - the kids were able to have the sprinkler on underneath the trampoline for some end-of-summer fun.

Fall is obviously here now. It has now quickly turned to the cold, crisp and wet season practically overnight.  But, we sure enjoyed the extended dose of summer we got.

Hello, food.

I started Ava on solids last week.

We introduced oatmeal cereal and she took right to it. We had that for almost a week before trying bananas. Those? Not such a hit. I tried on three different occasions to get her to eat them with no success.

So, we moved on. I went for a vegetable and tried to give her peas. After about 10 minutes of trying everything including the 'airplane' sound, singing/chanting "yummy, yummy, in your tummy" as I danced the spoon around, and finally, just trying to pry her mouth open - it just wasn't happening.

I continue to give her oatmeal but as for fruits and veggies, she just doesn't seem to like them.

Big people food however? Well, she seems to be super interested in what I eat. I shared a bowl of soup with  her yesterday and the other night she kept getting highly irritated with me when I failed to feed her the sauce from a tator-tot casserole fast enough.

This girl has got me wondering if she would rather just skip the pureed and unsweetened crap and get right to the good stuff. If so, I can't really say I blame the kid.

This year.

For 3 years now, we have been very involved in football when Layton plays. This year however, hasn't been as fun as the previous years.

This year Layton moved up in divisions and when he did that, little did we realize how much the game actually changes. Apparently at this stage in the game - most people like to take it way too seriously.

There is constant drama, constant stress, and a lot less fun being had.

As of right now, Layton wants to play again next year but I think this will most likely be the last year that Lee volunteers to Coach. He wants out of the spotlight so he can focus more on helping his boy learn the fundamentals of the game.

Gearing up for the season had us super excited. It's a sad thing when you realize the experience has turned out to be the exact opposite of what you expected.

We have some great kids on our team this year and we are hoping to end this season on a happy note.

The 5 month old.

-- We have started solids. I planned on waiting until exactly 6 months old to introduce them but she has been giving me little hints that she is ready. The other day she was nursing while I was feeding myself at the same time (I have become rather good at multi-tasking) and she actually unlatched, reached for my hand and pulled my sandwich towards her mouth. After that, I figured we would give it a shot. She gets her oatmeal cereal every morning now for breakfast. She seems to be a fan.

-- She has started throwing fits. Yes, the full on 'I-am-so-pissed-at-you-lady' tantrums. The only time she does it though is as soon as I take her out of the tub. What can I say - the girl loves her baths.

-- We have a roller. She finally rolled from back to belly last night and of course, I missed it. Layton and Grandma Karen were the lucky ones who got to witness it. This morning I saw her do it while she was playing on her mat. She is also sitting up for seconds at a time. She will stay in the position briefly and then will fall on her side or on her face depending which way she goes. For now, the adults are the only ones who can help her learn. I'm afraid the kids might not catch her in time.

-- Daddy is becoming one of her favorite people. She likes to flirt with him every evening when he comes home from work. He can't get enough of her giggles and loud squeaks of excitement. He actually said the other day that he is glad that he got the snip-snip because he almost wants another. (Boy, am I glad too.) Ha!

-- Speaking of squeaks and squealing - Ava has a new nickname for her high pitched screaches. We call her piccolo pete. Because she seriously sounds JUST like the firecracker.

-- The girl is an olympic pooper. She could win the Gold easily. Everyday, (sometimes twice) she craps up her back and down her legs. I am almost going crazy trying to figure out how to keep the shit IN her diaper. I'm beginning to think it is a losing battle.

-- She is suddenly mesmerized by the dog. She tries to grab for him if he is close to her. But, as soon as she gets ahold of him he will just lick her to death and then he gets screamed at. The other night though she was laying on the floor and he plopped down beside her and started chewing on his bone. She started to touch his head and play with his ears and he actually let her. It was the CUTEST thing. Of course my phone was on the kitchen table and I was on the couch so as soon as I got up to grab it to record it... he moved. Grr.

-- Her sleeping schedule is all sorts of screwy at the moment. It's really hit or miss lately. Most of the time it's up every 2 to 3 hours but sometimes she goes longer. Last weekend she went 11 hours. I thought that maybe the awesome-ness would continue? But nope, it hasn't.

A royal pain in the boob.

So, lucky me - I have mastitis.

For those who don't know what that is, its a bacterial infection that breast feeding moms sometimes get and it is absolutely excruciating!

The symptoms? A headache, a low grade fever, nausea, vomiting, and a hard, inflamed, red mass that throbs and hurts just by breathing.

The cure? Antibiotics, a heat pack stuffed in my sports bra, and "continuing to nurse" on the infected side.

SHOOT. ME. PLEASE.

I read an article the other day and writer claimed that "everything about nursing is a beautiful thing."

CLEARLY, she has never had a boob infection and she needs to be strangled. Because, this hurts like hell.

What is spare time?

Because I don't seem to have any lately.

Between the kids' practices, photo shoots, games and everyday chores and errands that need to be ran - I seem to be constantly on the go... My house and laundry have been needing some major attention from me but I haven't had much time to give it any and it is beginning to show.
I'm waiting for life to slow down but I'm thinking it probably won't for awhile.

--This last weekend was a whirlwind of events. I think we ate out every single day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Blehh, over it.

-- Kaylee had her very first competition in juijitzu (pictures coming soon) and she placed third.

-- Layton decided to trip at school and cut open his face. Because of this he had to miss out on his football game on Saturday. It broke his spirit down a little but he is almost completely healed and back in the game.

-- Becca and I gave Ava her first "haircut" a few days ago. I decided to not tell Lee because I was sure he would tell me no (based on the fact that I screwed up Kaylees in the past) but Ava came out unscathed. She was sporting a "comb over" and it was far from cute.

-- I downloaded the new PINK album and was very, very, very disappointed. I waited two years for that?    I'm so not happy. Ha!

-- We have been spending our Sundays at The Ram watching Falcons games. At first I was irritated with Lee because I really didn't want to do it every weekend, but now? I am actually really enjoying the time that we spend there as a family. Plus, they have the BEST breakfast. Lee got online the other night and ordered all of us new apparel to wear (because he swears that they could go to the Superbowl this year and we "all need new t-shirts" according to him.)  Pretty darn adorable if you ask me.

-- I am counting down the days before we leave for Texas. I talk to my Grandma everyday on the phone and am dying to tell her that I will see her soon, when she says how much she misses us all and how badly she wants to meet Ava. I CANNOT WAIT to surprise her!