stressed but thankful

My title pretty much sums up what I am feeling today. First I will start with my stressed thoughts. I have some health issues that I need to have seen about but I keep putting it off. I just don't want to go through all the tests again and have NO answer. Its so frustrating!!! It seems like since Ava has been born its been so much worse.....maybe stress is the factor. I don't know.

Then Adam went to the doctor this morning with what he thought was a rash on his face and a pink eye. I told him right when I saw it, it looked like shingles to me (seeing that I am the expert since I have had them 2 times). Sure enough I was right. Dr. T said it was shingles and the eye was just infected. Thank god Ava got her chicken pox vaccine at her last appointment. The dr. seems to think they aren't that contagious since they are blistering over already!

On to the Thankful thoughts... Ava is healthy!!!!!! A prayer request was asked Sunday night and last night at church for a 3 month old baby that is having kidney problems. That automatically takes me back to when I was pg with Ava and the doctors said her kidneys were enlarged or abnormal. It broke my heart to hear about this baby because I know what that mother is going through in some aspects. I am not sure all the details but as far as I understood she is missing one kidney and the other one isn't functioning. I might be incorrect with my information. It sent chills all over my body because they said the baby was born with a fever and they couldn't tell why. The dr. in Birmingham told me that is exactly what would happen to Ava after birth if her kidneys were posing a problem. What shocks me about this little baby is this problem wasn't caught early in the pregnancy with ultrasounds. Needless to say I am pouring my heart out to God to help this child! I feel so blessed and humbled to know he healed my baby!

Easter 2010

Yesterday was Easter and although this is Ava's second Easter last year doesn't really count. She was only 1 month old. This year she was able to eat candy and play with eggs. We went to church and then had an Easter egg hunt. She was beyond tired and not really in a good mood like I hoped for. She didn't like hunting eggs. She really just wanted to go to sleep. So we took some pictures and videos and let her put a few eggs in her basket then called it a day. As you can tell from pictures Adam was working. He hated to miss this day and I missed him a lot too.

I was very glad God gave us such a nice day. Usually Easter is cold and windy. Just for the record Ava loves peeps.....like mother like daughter. :)

Vent

Beware this might not be a light hearted fun read. I am aggravated. Now let me begin saying this is very trivial compared to big problems other people are facing. This isn't life shattering or something that i need....This is all about a want I guess you would say.
Some of you may remember that I was ordering us a new bedroom suite. Ok, that was over 5 weeks ago. The sales lady said it would be 3-4 weeks. I called last week to check and the lady said it was suppose to be in the ATL warehouse last Thursday. So I called Monday expecting it to be in by then. Well it wasn't and the lady didn't really have an news. I waited and called yesterday. The lady was like well I never heard back. I told her to call me as soon as she did. Well she called back and said it was bad news. The ATL warehouse didn't expect to get it in till MID MAY!!!!!!!!!! I was beyond upset and aggravated. I mean they should have known this and informed me much sooner. They told me I could get my money back but for what reason. If we went and picked out another set it would probably take just as long to get it in. Not to mention finding another one me and Adam both agreed on.
So we have our king size mattress expected for delivery today. We moved out our old bedroom suite because we thought the new one was on its way. So we are sleeping in the guest bedroom which is growing smaller by the day. I have all my stuff in boxes. Yes being OCD like I am this is all driving me nuts!

On another note.....Ava's eating habits are stressing me out. She is picky to say the least. She only wants goldfish, Cheerios, lil crunchies or bananas. Basically she likes crunchy stuff. She refuses any table food other than french fries. Everyone is like oh give her mashed potatoes or mac and cheese. Nope...she doesn't like that. I have tried crunchy healthy stuff like carrots but she doesn't like that either. Her doctor wasn't concerned at all. He said kids go through stages and I know that.....but I have to find things she will eat.

Ok, vent over! :) To end with something positive. Adam has been off this week and we are enjoying quality time. Plus we are getting alot of things done around the house.

Ava's 1 year checkout

Today we went and saw Ava's wonderful Doctor. Ava did great as always. She cries when she gets her shots but she stops almost immediately after I cuddle with her a little bit. She did experience a little stranger anxiety towards him this visit. She is starting that more towards men. She only weighs 18 lbs and 1 oz. I think that is a one pound gain since her last visit. She measured 30 inches long. She is tall and skinny. He said she is doing better than most babies her age. I really don't know what that means but I was glad to hear it. I got the green light to stop her soy milk and start whole. He wants her to weigh 20 lbs before I turn her car seat around, but he said if she is requiring attention so that I have to reach in the back seat I could go ahead. YEAH!!!!!! We even stopped in Target and got her a DVD player for the car to celebrate the transition.

On another note we are still waiting for our bedroom suite to come in. It was suppose to be 3-4 weeks but today marks 4 weeks. I called and it isn't suppose to even get to ATL till Thursday. Oh well a few more nights sleeping in the guest room with all our stuff in boxes.

Ava's 1st Birthday Party

Adam's side of the fam

Loving her cabbage patch kid

Her cousins

Bday outfit

letting balloons go

All her kid guests

Playing with toys

4 generations

YUM

Dig in

Blowing out candle

She got scared when we sung to her

Its all for me??

Favor bags

Ava's pics

The yummy cake

Her 1st Birthday party was great! Just a note to myself that I don't think we will be doing this big of a party every year. It was great but overwhelming...LOL. Also getting 46 balloons into a vehicle is not fun. I am sure people at Wal-Mart were laughing at me. I almost knocked a lady out that was walking in. Then I get them all out and the HUGE number 1 balloon that I paid $10 for busts. Yeah, I was disappointed! It all turned out great though. The cake was AWESOME. Rachel Hill made it and I have to say it was one of the best cakes I have ever had. Plus she made it without seeing what I wanted. I just described it over the phone...I couldn't have asked for anything better. Everyone loved it. We grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. Ava had such a blast playing with all the kids and getting all the attention. I might add the weather was great. I prayed for sunshine so the kids could play outside on the playground. Thank you Lord! She loved the cake....as expected. It wasn't as messy as the one on her birthday. She got a lot of cute toys, outfits, and of course money. The money will be put in her savings account....or put towards her DVD player for the car.

It was a GREAT Birthday party!!!!!

Ava's 1 year pics

Check out Ava's 1 year pictures. Go to ajpbaby.com. Click on proofs, find photos, then click on Ava and the password is Estes. Enjoy!!!!!
The hard part is choosing which ones to order. Me and Adam stared at the computer till our eyes crossed. LOL
We still can't believe she is 1.
Last night she walked about 10 steps. Of course I wasn't fast enough to get the camcorder. :(

Ava's 1st Birthday

Her mini bday cake

I am "ONE" today!

Eating with some freinds on her bday

I can't believe my baby is 1 today!!!!! She was born at 5:30pm and weighed in at 7lbs and 2 oz. and 20 inches long. I was in labor from Saturday night at 10:57pm till Monday night. I still remember exact times and everything. LOL! This past year has been so life altering. She changed our lives in so many ways. She is such a blessing from God! There are days I still can't believe I am a Mom.

She took a few steps yesterday by herself. I screamed and it scared her so she fell down. She did it again last night for Adam. It won't be long and she will be taking off. I will so post a video I am sure. :)

We have already said she is going to be a social butterfly. She loves attention and talking! Her facial expressions will crack you up. Sometimes I am trying to discipline her and I have to just laugh. She is hilarious! She loves her juice, anything crunchy, and french fries.....I know such a nutritious item. I fear she is going to have her daddy's eating habits. He is a meat and taters man. In the beginning she loved all the vegges and no fruits....my oh my she has changed. She says dada and momma a lot. I have heard other words mixed in there too like "bye" and "nana". She is sleeping SO much better now too. There are nights she sleeps solid the whole night or some nights she gets up early in the morning. She sleeps GREAT in her crib!! As far as her weight and height I am not sure. We will get accurate numbers next week at her 1 year appointment.

Today I bought her a little cake to get into. Her big Birthday party is Saturday and she will get her own cake again. She loved the cake and cried when I took it away. I was afraid she would eat too much and we would all not sleep tonight :) It was messy to say the least. I am washing her whole highchair basically. I will have plenty of pictures to post on Saturday so beware!