Perfect Weekend

Last weekend we all got together with Ben's side of the family for a mini-reunion. Lynn and Barry rented a house on Lake Palestine and we had an amazing time!

Ella enjoyed all of the loving and cuddling she got, and Avery had a blast with all of the activities and attention she received. There was game-playing, pumpkin-carving, karaoke-singing (Fisher-Price style), s'more-making, and of course, fishing.

After practicing off the patio with Daddy, they tried out the lake to see how the fish were biting. Apparently those poor fish must have been desperate for any chance of a meal they could get. Despite Avery repeatedly slapping the water with her fishing pole, and the constant noise she made, she caught two fish (with the help of Grandpa)! When she reeled her first fish in, she immediately leaned over ...

... and gave it a BIG smooch!!

She was not at all afraid to touch it, hold it, or apparently give it some lovin'!

So excited!

helping with the bait

hanging out watching everyone

picking out music with Nemaw

cuddle time with Aunt Melissa

We had such a wonderful weekend. Thank you, Lynn and Barry! And thank you, Jake and Mel, for having a slumber party with Avery!!

Date Night

Last night after I put Ella to bed I noticed that Avery's door was shut and she and Ben were MIA. So when I peeked inside her room, this is what I saw:






They were having a picnic, complete with aprons and chef's hat, and Avery very methodically set up the whole thing. It was pretty cute!


As I walked away, they were about to start "eating", and then Avery said, "No wait! We have to say a prayer first! God...bless...us. Happy birthday, Daddy. Amen."



(Ben's birthday was last week.)

2 Sick Girls

Oh man, it's that time of year when germs fly and kids catch them. Both girls came down with colds this weekend.

Aside from a few grumpy days which were oh-so-fun, Avery is doing pretty well ... just experiencing the normal symptoms. She enjoys telling us, "I have too many boogies in my nose!" Or, "I have a headache," in this pathetic, sad voice while she points to her tummy.

This is Ella's first sickness though, and her body is taking it hard. She came down with a fever Sunday evening that lasted almost a whole day. She's congested, stuffy, coughing, has an eye infection, (and has a few other problems that I'll spare you the details on). She clearly doesn't feel well, yet hardly complains. Sometimes she even manages to smile at me through her mucousy eyes and snotty nose, with spit-up running out of the corner of her mouth, and I'm reminded of just how much I love her. (Maybe it's only a face a mother could love right now!)

Half-Birthday

Ella is 6 months old today and I am in disbelief! Aaahhh! I know you're probably thinking, "Six months old is still so young. Calm down!" I know, I know. But to me she was just a newborn yesterday.

I mean, really, wasn't it just the other day that I was complaining about how fat and pregnant I was? Wasn't it just the other day that I found out I was going to be induced in a matter of hours and she was finally going to join us in the world? Wasn't it just the other day that I held her in my arms for the very first time? Wasn't it???

April 9, 2008

April 10, 2008

October 8, 2008

Now, here she is, 6 months old, holding onto me, loving me, so much a part of me that I can't even remember life without her.

Yet it still seems like just yesterday...

Like a Weed

I thought I'd share some new pictures of Avery at gymnastics. She's been doing it now for almost four months, and loves it just as much as when she first started.

Four months doesn't seem like very long, but in "kid time" it's a lot! She's already outgrown the leotard she first started in, and it's this measurement of her physically changing right before my eyes that makes me realize how fast my baby is growing up. Often, I just want to hold on as tightly as I can and make time stop.

Don't even get me started on how fast Ella is growing ! That's another post that will be coming soon (since she'll be 6 months on Friday!! Boo-hoo!)

Army of Women

OK, I sent out a pretty big email about this after I saw it on t.v this morning, but I just had to post it on my blog, too, in the hopes that even more women can be reached. This is an incredible opportunity to help researchers find a cause, and cure, for breast cancer. If you're comfortable, I encourage you to volunteer for this program! Please pass this info on to any women you think would be willing to help.

Here's the link to sign up:
http://www.armyofwomen.org/


Army of Women goals:

• To recruit one million healthy women of every age and ethnicity, including breast cancer survivors and women at high-risk for the disease, to partner with breast cancer researchers and directly participate in the research that will eradicate breast cancer once and for all.
  


• To challenge the scientific community to expand its current focus to include breast cancer prevention research conducted on healthy women.

Below is some information from the Frequently Asked Questions section of their website.

Why should I sign up?
You should sign up for your sister, mother, daughter, granddaughter, best friend, and the woman you met last week. Breast cancer has been around for decades, but it does not have to be our future. We can be the generation that stops breast cancer once and for all by figuring out what causes this disease and how to prevent it! This is YOUR chance to be part of the research that will end breast cancer.

How does the Army of Women work?
Women who are interested register on the Love/Avon Army of Women website, providing very basic information such as name, age, city, and state of residence. Army staff notify volunteers via email about studies that need volunteers. These emails describe the study, criteria to participate, and what is involved. Women who fit the criteria respond to the email to express their interest. Army staff then contact these women to let them know how to take part.

Why do researchers want to study healthy women?
Most basic research in breast cancer has been done in the laboratory and on animals, or with samples collected and stored from women with breast cancer. Researchers use animals and samples from a “tissue bank” because they don’t have ready access to healthy women. But what we learn from animals doesn’t always translate into how cancer develops in women, and tissue only from women with cancer may not help solve the puzzle of what caused the cancer. The Army of Women will allow researchers to conduct a wider array of studies and to solve the puzzle as to how breast cancer starts and how to stop it in women!

What exactly will I have to do in a study?
It depends on the type of study. Studies may need women who will:
-Complete a questionnaire.
-Donate blood—this would typically involve having a blood sample taken from a vein in your arm.
-Donate urine, saliva, or even toenail clippings.
-Donate urine—this would involve collecting a small sample at a clinical laboratory.
-Donate a small sample of breast tissue—this would typically involve having a core needle biopsy done under local anesthesia as an outpatient. Your breast will look exactly the same as it did before the tissue was removed.
-Donate breast fluid—this would be done with a breast pump. You would be asked to massage your breast and squeeze your nipple prior to the pump being placed on your nipple. The procedure usually takes 1-15 minutes per breast.
-Donate breast fluid obtained through ductoscopy and/or ductal lavage. This procedure obtains fluid from the breast by washing out the breast ducts.

What if I don't want to participate in a certain study?
You are in control and are able to determine which, if any, research studies you would like to be involved in. You will never be asked to leave the Army of Women because you have not yet participated in a research study.

PLEASE consider what a difference this could make!