Time flies...

I can't believe summer is over! I went back to work last Thursday and got my classroom ready...it seems crazy! I have already taken Ava's things to the daycare (she starts on the 1st) and included a one page info sheet...I have put it at the end of this post so you can see how neurotic I am...I thought it was supposed to be easier with the second??? Life is great. We are such a blessed family. Here we are at the annual Leingang frisbee golf tourney...it is in Fircrest. It is so crazy to watch all these drunk people take over the Fircrest park. Chad and I especially like it because we were raised here!

This is the ladies challenge for money...man I stink at frisbee...I REALLY want my name on the trophy!!!

Me and my girls!!!

Dr. Joey recommended putting Ava on the rice cereal because she is not a fan of the bottle. He thought this may help at daycare. I was hesitant but MAN she loves it! Also, Malia loves helping out by feeding her...she is good at it, too!

I love this picture for so many reasons...anyone that has ever had a baby can recognize this. I am ASLEEP as I breastfeed Ava...Aaron must have thought this was hilarious! At least he didn't get my boob!

Here are the girls after their bath!

Ava is learning all about daddy's rules on dating.

Ava loves her rice cereal!

Malia will be three on Sept 9th...coming soon!!

This is Malia's bouncer that we bought her at a garage sale. Best find ever!

Princess Malia!

This is Malia's "tent" we made her in the living room. She loved it.

Here is the info I gave the daycare about Ava...they must think I am nuts.:-)

Ava Renee' Qualls
04-06-09
Mother: Megan Father: Aaron Sister: Malia
Dr. Joey Garcia

*If Ava has not taken a bottle by 12:00p.m. please call my classroom and leave a message so I can come nurse her at 12:30 p.m.

Temperament:
Ava is a very happy baby. She only cries if she is tired or hungry. She can have a very loud/piercing cry when very tired. Ava is observant and independent. She likes to be held upright so she can see what is going on...she does not really snuggle. Ava loves her sister, Malia. If she is very upset, Malia likes to sing her a song to calm her down.

Positioning:
Ava LOVES the swing. This is her favorite place to nap. She also enjoys the exersaucer when awake. She will lay on an activity mat or sit in a bouncer chair, as well. She loves to be held sitting up or patted on her bottom while being held to your shoulder. Ava cannot sit independently but can roll over.

Napping:
Ava usually has a nap in the morning for about 2 hours and a nap for about 2 hours in the afternoon. She loves to nap in her swing going side to side. Usually she has her blankie with her. Ava does not take a pacifier.

Feeding:
Ava is breastfed and is still learning to enjoy a bottle. She does take a bottle from Daddy and usually eats 3-4 ounces every 3 hours or so. Ava also enjoys rice cereal mixed with breast milk, although this is fairly new for her.

Thank you for taking such great care of our little Ava. Please call at ANY time if you have questions or concerns.

4 months old...and almost 3!!

We have about a month left of summer and we are trying to appreciate every second of it!!! We survived the heat (barely:-) and have been visiting friends, going to birthday parties, golfing:-), going to the zoo, spray park, golfing, doing soccer, golfing...you get the idea. I wasn't released to golf until middle of June so I have a lot of work to do...and games to make up:-) Aaron and I usually take turns but through the good will of our family (bless their hearts) we have been out a few times together! Ava is still not sure about that bottle...I guess she will be in for a surprise when I go back to work! :-( Aaron has been very busy at work and out of town a bit, but it makes me appreciate him all the more when he is here! Life is good...make that great. Best wishes to everyone.

The cutest outfits ever...thanks to Becky for thinking ahead!!
Malia and her bouncer...the best garage sale find ever!

Malia took this picture...not too bad!

Ahhhh....my sweetie is four months old!

Yippee!

How I love the summer...

The summer is just one more reason I love being a teacher. It allows me the opportunity to be a stay at home mom for a short time and to reconnect with my friends. Here are a few photos and notes about what we are up to!

Ava has learned to roll over!!! She always looks a bit surprised when she does it!!!

Malia is finally on board with potty training!!! She loves getting up and picking out her panties...of course she loves the orange ones. She told me "mommy, take a picture of me in my panties!! :-) It is such a journey and she is doing pretty dang good when we are home...anywhere else....well we are still working on it.

What a great big sister! She loves holding Ava and kisses her all the time. We are blessed with two special and beautiful girls!

SURPRISE! We drove over to Yakima for Emma's birthday party. She turned two. Her mother is Brenda, one of my dearest friends from college...did I mention she had to live with me? :-) I love her so much and don't see her enough. God BLESS my mom...she braved the drive with me.

Jazz and Dre...HOORAY!

We are SO excited to have my godkids visiting from Maui. I miss them more than I could ever put into words. Jasmyne is a huge help and always willing to do whatever I ask. She is turning into such an amazing young woman. Andre is fascinated with Malia and Ava. He was so excited to meet Ava for the first time! What a huge help Jazz is!

I took them to Pump It Up for a surprise. Andre' and Malia loved it...so did I. Did I mention what a huge help Jazz is? I didn't have to get in a bouncy once:-)

These are some tall slides...the kids loved them!!!

Grandmas 86th Birthday!

My Grandma Cook gives me hope. She is 86 and loves life. She lives each day to the fullest and has a great sense of humor. I also love the fact that she smokes and drinks. That might sound crazy but to know her is to love her. She is the foundation of our family and its unique closeness. Every Sunday growing up, we went to grandmas. The result is an unusual closeness amongst my extended family. I feel truly blessed.

The brothers...my Dad, Uncle Jon, Uncle Rich and Jeff Smith. He is like the fourth brother :-)

Grandma holding court...she was in heaven with everyone fussin on her.
Do we know how to party or what???Dad, Chad, and I with Granny!
Grandma Shell, Ava, and I!LOVE this guy. This is my cousin, Kris. I hadn't seen him in forever and I was so glad to see him!
Grandma blowing out her candles...with smoke in hand. Gotta love her!!

The Qualls family:-)

Mel sent the girls these adorable matching outfits!!

Happy Fourth and 3 months Old!!!

Can I say that life is good? Of course there is the stress of Ava not taking a bottle...what can I say? She is a momma's girl! Malia is taking her first adventures into potty training and I think that she will be good to go by the end of summer. I am truly of the mindset that she will do it when she is ready. Ava is such a blessing. Besides the bottle thing, she is the best baby. She is SO alert and a great sleeper. I am enjoying being off and spending lots of quality time with my family. Malia's getting her feet wet. She eventually went swimming but it took her longer to warm up this year.

Ava's first time swimming. She liked it as long as she wasn't in the sun...that's my girl!

Happy fourth! I wonder if I will ever wear makeup again:-)

Grandma Shell and Malia doing the sparklers.

Malia and Chiapa taking a snooze. Malia considers Chiapa "her" dog.

Getting ready for her picture!

3 months old!!!

Oh....so cute.

TOTAL momma's girl.

7 years of marriage!

Today is Aaron and my 7 year anniversary of marriage. So far so good...no itch:-) I feel so blessed to have such an amazing husband and father to my children. I can't believe how blessed we are to have the life that we do. Thank you to our family and friends that support our marriage!

Our family!

Malia is such a great big sis. She is helping me give Ava a bath and loves giving her kisses! We are so lucky!