Here are some new pictures, taken today.  Ava will be 6 weeks old on Sunday... unbelievable!  Click on the newest picture to the left for the full album.  She is starting to lift her head a lot more, especially when we have her up on a shoulder.  She wants to look at everything around her and is a lot more alert these days.  She is also starting to smile at us!  Still not consistently, but she just melts our hearts every time.

Great news for us-- last night Ava only woke up once to eat!  She did two 5 1/2 hour "shifts".  We are thrilled and hoping that she'll sleep through the night here soon!  I've (Kathryn) been working really hard to keep her on a schedule and it has really helped her sleep better at night.  For all those other new moms out there-- it really works!

Not so great news (for those who like details)-- she's spitting up quite a bit these days so we're heading to the doctor next Wednesday.  Hopefully she can get some medicine for acid reflux to help with the spitting.  It's now waking her up and keeping her awake (and ruining numerous outfits a day), so hopefully she'll outgrow this soon!

Ava has also started making some new noises and her voice is getting louder.  We LOVE listening to her talk to herself when she's trying to fall asleep.  What a cutie!  We've been able to go on lots of walks in this great weather and she loves getting fresh air.  Well really she just loves movement so as long as we keep her rolling, she's happy!  I am very much looking forward to garage sale season.. I'm in the market for a baby swing:)

We took a couple videos of Ava a little while ago that we'll post one of these days so stay tuned!

Has it been 3 weeks already??  Time is flying but we are doing well, sleeping occasionally and loving being parents!  Ava is an amazing little girl, she has a delightful demeanor and is an absolute joy.  This picture is of her first bath (taken about two weeks ago); she was shivering but still didn't cry and loved the attention.  She is focusing her eyes now and just melts us with her stare!  After the first two days of being up most of the night she has gotten into more of a routine.  She still wakes up every 3 hours or so to eat and her "night" is now going from about 6pm-5am but we're on the right track.  We hung a Hungry Caterpillar toy (from Aunt Heather and Uncle Nat) in her bassinet so when she is wide awake at 5am we can keep the light on and snooze a little while she entertains herself.  Even that is a blessing!

Ava can move her head pretty well now, though she still isn't holding it up yet.  She loves spending time under her toys on her play mat.  She just coo's and has started batting at toys with her hands.  She also loves spending time on her tummy, especially across our legs.  She gets totally relaxed and looks so cute all stretched out with her legs dangling.

She had her two week doctors check-up last Monday and she's doing perfectly!  She gained one pound and one oz. since we left the hospital, making her a whopping 9 lbs 6 oz.  Needless to say she's eating well and believe it or not has already outgrown her newborn clothes!  Her little arms and legs (and cheeks) are getting chubbier by the day and she just keeps getting cuter and cuter.  We love her!

After 10 days with my (Kathryn's) mom here and then a few days with Blair's mom helping out, we are now on our own and trying to manage as a family of three.  It is very exciting, fun, a little hectic and very exhausting, but we aren't missing our "old" lives one bit.  We are so thankful though for the help we've received, it's always nice to have an extra pair of hands when people come and visit, and we're grateful for the food and gifts that everyone has so generously sent our way!  The last three weeks have definitely been some of the toughest but most fun and rewarding of our lives and we can't wait for what's to come.

We have also had an unexpected and praiseworthy thing happen since Ava's birth.  As most of you know, my health has been a struggle for the last three years and all of my doctors suspected that I would crash after the birth and have a very rough time recovering and adjusting to such little sleep (and hard work during labor).  However, the opposite has happened!  I was feeling awful through my whole pregnancy but since the birth I have been feeling quite healthy for the first time in years!  I am of course exhausted but it is honestly a relief to feel tired without feeling the accompanied "sick" that was so debilitating before.  We are having a hard time accepting that this will stick around, we are waiting for me to wake up one day feeling awful again.  But, for now this is the reality and against all odds we are thankful I'm doing pretty well.  Please continue to pray that this keeps up and is the start of a much healthier future!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=236800&id=782715178&l=3fb589d017

We need to take some more recent pictures but here is a link to my facebook album of Ava (most were taken in the first week).  You can also click on the album to the left.