Ava Joy is ONE! Smilebox card...

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7 Months of Sweetness!

Dare I call this season with my girl my FAVORITE?!!!!  It is such a sweet stage, indeed.  Ava is so full of personality, smiles, laughter and snuggles yet she's not on the go.  I know it's just the calm before the storm of having a crawler/walker/toddler so I am soaking it up with much JOY!!!  Below are pics from a little photo op I had with Ava while her bros were out for a couple hours.  What's a momma to do with some free time with her baby girl other than take pictures!

Fun Facts About our 7-Month-Old: 

Ava Joy........

-Picks up puffies and gets them straight to her mouth.  This girls has some great hand-eye coordination!
-Squeals in delight!  So fun to hear a high pitched girl squeal after hearing the grunts and growls of her big bros.  Still catches us by surprise and well all laugh at her!
-Makes a pouty face at Daddy if he kisses her with a 5 o' clock shadow....those whiskers are not Ava's friend.
-Does not like peas....she actually vomitted after eating them.  The drama begins! :) 
-Is a roly poly on the floor.  She can easily and independently get from pt A to pt B when she wants to.  Bring back the baby gates!
-Is sitting very stable now
-loves her bros but is esecially fond of Wyatt right now.  He can seriously do no wrong in Ava's eyes! :)  I love their little connection
-Micah loves to squeeze her cheeks and says "She loves chubby cheeks!" which she actually does not love but is a pretty good sport.

She's 3 Months Already!

So many pictures, outfits and expressions!  I just couldn't narrow it down so here they ALL are....

Oh my goodness!  Is this not the most perfectly pouty face you've ever seen?  I tell you what, all Ava has to do is stick that lip out and her daddy will give her anything she wants!  She's learning young!

Does she look like her brothers?  Shhhh, but this girl where's blue to bed much of the time.  I'm cheap, I suppose.  Her brothers are not fans of Ava in blue.  She's supposed to look like a girl ALL the time, complete with pink ruffles and a hair bow! :)

Isaac loves to hold his lil sister for about 60 seconds at a time. You'd better be close by when he decides he's finished because he yells "Done!" and let's go!!!!!!!!

All is right in the world. 

Have I mentioned how AMAZINGLY wonderful Auntie B is?  She is truly wonderful.  She is hands-on, a helper, a servant and truly in love with her new niece and nephew.  Beyond grateful for her friendship and help.  She makes outings very easy for me!

Ava spends a lot of time on the go and in her carseat!  Such a trooper and a little gem!  Smiling most of the time...

Talking to and smiling at Mimi

Chewing those fingers.  She doesn't such her thumb but sure does love to chew her fingers!  It's pretty cute!

An angel!

Her 3-Month Stats:
Wt 14lbs (80%)
Ht 2ft (80%) **  Dr. Greenwood said she's probably going to be long and lean.  How he makes that educated guess at 3 months of age, I have NO idea!  We shall see if his hypothesis is accurate...

Ava Joy Joy!  You are our Happy Happy Joy Joy!  Just ordered you a sign for your room that says so exactly.  Your daddy and I love you so very much and are over the moon excited to have you in our family.  You truly 'complete' the McCulley household!  You are a true gift and a gem!  You are patient and happy, interactive and content.  You wake about once per night and love to sleep in your carseat all morning long after we drop Wyatt off at school.  We are realizing that you need your beauty rest.  As long as you are rested then you are a happy girl!  You remind me of Isaac and everyone else thinks you look just.like.Wyatt!  I love you, sweet girl!

Love is......

I'm reminded today of how imperfect my love is- how too often I'm impatient and unkind, easily frustrated and looking out for my own comfort.  But I'm thankful for Christ's love that is perfectly perfect, never fails, never gives up, and never runs out on me!  And I am able to love because he first loved me......

We got to decorate some heart ornaments with the Johnson girls the weekend before Valentine's while they were in town!

This was the HIGHLIGHT of my Valentine's!  Wyatt brought home this card to Mom AND Ava!!!! :)  Nothing better than the made-with-love kind of card!

Annual box of chocolate covered strawberries from Mimi!

Wyatt feeding Isaac.  Priceless!  The purple squiggly icing must taste different than the pink squiggles ;)

Fun packages from Nana!

My breakfast!  Is this the sweetest?  Joe even tried to think healthy instead of the normal tube of cinnamon rolls with 1000 calories.  It's the little things that makes this woman happy! ;)

Comparing cards and stickers.

A red rose from each of my fellas.  LOVE

I have loved seeing a tender side to these boys since Ava has been born.  I tell you what this girl will never have a chance to be insecure because her doting brothers tell her how beautiful she is ALL the time. 

Thankful for this new little love in our lives!  She's a gem, for sure!  Praying she has a beautiful heart to match her beautiful smile! ;)

Once again, Joe and I did not get a picture together.  Ugh!  We went to an awesome marriage conference on Saturday by Gary Chapman, then out to dinner, and spent the night at A-Loft in Park Place all with our little Ava in tow.  She received her first round of shots on Friday which ended up working in our favor because she literally slept 90% of the weekend away!!!! :)  I'm beyond thankful for a man who invests in our marriage and loves me with a love that is far more than I deserve.....