Please pray for another good report!

Not only are my feet swollen, my back hurts and my legs are on the verge of useless, so 4 inch heels are out of the question, I suppose.



9. Shaving my legs (and being able to see them while I do it.)
I feel like I am trying to bend in half while I am doing this. which isn't easy when a baby and a beach ball (which I am assuming is in there with her.) are embedded in your abdomen.


8. Walking further than from my car to the house.
Since Maddie has positioned herself directly on my sciatic nerve, I can only walk for about 20-30 minutes before my hips go numb and then the sharp pains begin. On our last zoo trip I almost got into Ava's stroller.
Yeah.... I am not kidding.


6. Pizza
Oh my heartburn. It is never ending. Anything that could give you heartburn does... even things that you don't think should, do. So in other words... Happiness. I miss happiness in my food choices.


5. Cleaning
Yes, that is right... I miss cleaning. I can clean now if it is just like washing dishes or folding laundry. Anything that requires bending, lifting or scrubbing is out. So now I just beg my sister to come help me... which she does. She is very nice.



4. Holding Ava.
I just noticed that I can't rock her or hold her for too long now. Because my gigantor belly keeps pushing her away and she slowly slides away from my body. It is sad to me, but probably not to her so much, she just wants to go be Ariel.


3. Not crying all of the time.
Yeah so I cried today when the dog wouldn't stop barking, and when a little boy threw a fit at target, and when someone sent me a picture that said I miss you. and probably in a little bit when I put a load of laundry in and when I go to work. Oy.


2. Breathing.
I stopped doing that last night. I just couldn't catch my breath. The baby had moved into my esophagus. I just kept turning to the left, then to the right, then getting up and breathing. I had visions of not waking up in the morning. I was sure this was it. Then she finally moved back into my legs and I fell asleep until 6:30am.
UGH

1. Not Complaining so much.
See above list.

ps I know there is no number 7. # 7 is my brain. I miss it. I know I had one before I was pregnant. Maybe it left because I complain to much. Who knows.

We had Ava in soccer over the summer and she had a great time (and we had a great time too.) Most of the time she had more fun playing with the grass and putting the cones on her head and giving all of the players hugs :)
She is VERY proud of her trophy though. Here are some pictures

We went to the zoo a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to post some of the pictures because the Hippo was actually moving!!! yea!! Usually she (Ava says it is a she) is just sleeping and not moving, but today she was being fed and that is something to wake up for!!
It was really cool. We had a good time, but I kind of felt like that hippo. I just wanted to sit around the whole time. Madeline is right on my sciatic nerve and it hurts to walk to much and then I started to get those nasty Braxton Hicks contractions. I'm afraid I will be throwing in the "zoo towel".
We will be going one more time because Sam and Auntie Em are going to be running the zoo fun run, so we will go to cheer them on. As they run I will be sitting there eating french fries and cotton candy :) HA

I just did some pictures of the children of our wonderful friends John & Aimee.
Their kids, Ana & Justice are beautiful! I just started working on these, but I wanted to share a few of them. These kids are so cute!

I feel like our kids are always saying cute & funny things that make us laugh & I decided that I don't want to forget them or the innocence of what they say! So here are some cute little things that Ava said this weekend:

"Hold me tight, Daddy" to which Sam held her tighter.

After Ava woke up from a rare nap, she came running into our room and exclaimed
"The sun came up! The sun came up!"
I think she thought she slept all through the night :)

Ava's has a big imagination, and her favorite game to play is:
I'm the ______ and you're the _______
Here are some charms:

Music was playing and I asked her if she wanted to dance.
She said
"I'm the princess and your the daddy."
I love that. That is how a daughter should always feel, don't you think?

She was in the bath. This is what I KNOW she said "I'm Ariel," this is what I THINK she said after that "You're the haircut." I don't know what that means but it was funny and she said it like 20 times. " I'm Ariel and you're the haircut"

Ava loooooves Ariel and princesses so everything has to do with either Ariel or princesses:
Ariel Pizza
Ariel Parties
( we had and Ariel Birthday party for her, which she talks about to this day and she now refers to EVERY party we go to as an Ariel Party!)
Ariel Picnics.
and all animals are her princess animals.
Like
"My princess horse, my princess doggie, my princess kitty."
She never ceases to amaze me with her imagination. I am so blessed to have such a happy, loving and sweet girl. No matter what the circumstance, she never has a problem making me laugh!

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone...
-Steven Curtis Chapman