Lawn Mowing in March!

Okay, so the grass isn't quite green yet. In fact, it is still snow covered! Regardless, Ava couldn't have been more excited to play outside. She rode her bike, played in the puddles, and played with her mower. We finally had a sunny day in the 40's today and it was gorgeous. It sure makes a person anxious for spring to get here. She asked me if we could get her swimming pool out :) I wish!

Owen 4 1/2 Months Old...

So smiley!

Not sure about this whole "sitting up" thing

This poor boy- what he is in for with a big sister! This was before she put lip gloss on him when I was in the bathroom!

Owen with his favorite catepillar.

Other than the fact that Owen still spits up quite a bit, he is really pretty easy to get along with. He sleeps really well at night, takes good naps, and is content most of the time. He loves to giggle and smile. He is hard to keep clothed though! It seems like I pack up his dresser every two weeks with all the clothes he has outgrown! I wish he would slow down and stay little for a while longer!

Fun at Our House...

Ava loves to bake cookies!

It was a sticker day - had to crop the photo because she didn't have any pants on!

Big Smile!

Tummy time is so much fun--even if it involves lots of drooling!

The Inseparable Two!

It is so fun to watch Ava and Owen interact at this stage. Owen just lights up when Ava talks to him, plays by him, or even just runs around the room. He grins with delight if she sits on the floor and shakes his toys for him, and she loves it just as much. Owen will follow her movements around the room as he lays on the floor, never missing a beat. Ava can't wait for him to wake up in the morning so she can talk to him and asked him how he slept. Don't get me wrong, she still can be a little aggressive at times, but for the most part, she is pretty gentle with him. Wonder how long it will be before the fighting will begin?

The Exersaucer Comes Out...

We decided it was time to resurrect the exersaucer from the basement for Owen. Ava was closer to 6 months before she actually liked it, but we thought we should give it a try. When we put him in it, I won't say he loved it, but he didn't cry like his sister did. The first few times he was in it, he focused on the frog and getting it in his mouth. This would often result in frustration and eventually crying when he couldn't quite get the whole thing in his mouth. Now, he is pretty content for about 20 minutes before we have to move on to something else. Ava is quite happy pushing buttons and showing him how it works. I often catch her giving him instructions on how to play the music. She is such a little mama!

The Munchkins & Sam's 6th Birthday Party...

Shelly, Owen (4 mths), Sam (6)

Ava & Addie playing dress-up

We went to Sioux City for the day to celebrate Sam's 6th birthday. So hard to believe he is 6 already! It seems like just yesterday I was staying with Shelly & Jason when he was a newborn. We really didn't see much of Ava all day long as her and Addie were playing pretty hard. It's so nice that they get along so well. Ava just adores Addie and loved playing with all her dresses, crowns, shoes, and jewelry. She keeps asking when we can go back to Addie's house. Owen didn't want to take a nap as he continues to be disturbed by any changes in schedule. He sleeps great as long as we are at home! He was a good sport and had lots of people to hold him which was nice. He finally fell asleep and we had to wake him a couple hours later when we were heading home. It was a fun day for all of us.

Ava's First ER Visit...

Much to Ava's delight, she had her very first trip to ER the other night. She had a couple cases of large quantities of blood in her stools, the second time was at 4:45pm on Friday afternoon. She was in great spirits with no fever, loss of appetite, or complaints of a tummy ache. Still, I called the clinic with my concerns, and they felt she should definitely not wait over the weekend and we should come in to the emergency room. I told Ava that we were going to go see the doctor about her bottom, and her reply was "cuz I'm really, really sick. Is that why I need to go to the doctor?" We waited for Brad to get home to stay with Owen and then we headed to the Luverne Hospital. They were a little busy when we got there, so we got to watch some TV in our room for a while. When Dr. Lyon and the nurse saw us, Ava couldn't have been more of an angel. She was thrilled to have her vitals taken and follow whatever instructions were given. Dr. Lyon said he'd have to take a look at her bottom which I told Ava that he would, and she was extremely cooperative. She just sat there, never complaining a bit about any discomfort. They also did labwork to check her hemoglobin. I told her it may hurt a bit and she seemed fine. They came in and poked her finger and she didn't even flinch. I was amazed. Needless to say, her bloodwork came back fine and Dr. Lyon said she probably had a fissure in her colon somewhere and recommended stool softeners. It was nice for mom to have the reassurance that everything was okay. The funniest part of our visit was as we were walking out, Ava turns to the nurses at the nurses station and says, "I had fun here today." Not many could say that after a rectal exam and bloodwork! They all just died laughing!

Owen's 4 Month Old Stats..

Sitting up time (with the boppy)!

All ready for bed!

We took Owen to the doctor for his 4 month well check on President's Day. At 4 months and one week, he weighed in at 20 lbs 13 oz (97th percentile) and 26" long (75th percentile). By all accounts, he is a healthy boy and Dr. Crabtree certainly isn't concerned about his growth. He did very well for all 3 of his shots and hardly cried at all. He didn't run a fever this time like he did for his 2 month old shots which was nice. He is growing like a weed!