Happy FIRST Birthday, baby girl!

One year ago today, our lives changed forever...

A beautiful, precious angel came into our lives and stole our hearts.

Now...

Then...

Then...

...and now

Now...

...and then

Now... :)

Precious Avaree,

You are amazing. Your smile, your laugh, your giggles, and your personality...are just a fraction of what make you so special. You have grown into such a little person and being around you brings constant, overwhelming joy. What you have brought to our little family is so indescrible that Mommy has no words (you're shocked, right?) to even attempt it. I love you from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. I love fixing your hair, I love changing your poopy diapers. I love giving you a bath, I love that when I have to say "no, no" you listen. I love to take you to Target and see the world from your eyes! I love the look on your face when you see me--even if I have only been gone for two seconds. I love snuggling with you before "night night" and getting you out of your crib in the mornings. I love going into your room after you wake up from your nap. I love that even though your eyes are still closed, your arms are reaching up to me with all the trust in the world. I love that you trust me enough to fall into my arms. I love that you crawl all over me when I'm laying on the floor. I love that you have fulfilled a dream and desire of my heart so perfectly that I didn't even know how much I needed you until you were here. I love that you came in God's timing and not mine. I love that you love your Daddy. I love that you grin at penguins as if they are your best friends. I love that you love to read and be read to. I love that you cry before I even turn the last page in your favorite book because you don't want it to end. I love that you laugh at everything and think that Mama is funny. I love that you love the sunshine and fresh air. I love that you have given me a new perspective on life. I love that you have shown me a true picture of God's love for me. I love you for so many things, but mostly--my precious one--I love you for the sweet little person that you are.

To quote your favorite book..."I love you more than rainbows and beautiful blue skies, I love you more than buttercups and wings of butterflies..."

Love,
Mama

Our prayer for you is from Ephesians 3: 17-19 (one of my very favorite scriptures): "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

We love you, Precious One, and cannot wait to watch you grow more each day. You are God's treasure...and ours too. Happy FIRST Birthday. What a year it has been.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Spencer!

For September....Avaree would like to wish a VERY special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to her Uncle Spencer on Sunday!!!

September 2010

September 2009

P.S. My mommy says you are the best brother in the whole wide world. :) We love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sneak Peak: Avaree's First Birthday Party!!!!!!!!!!

*These are pictures from my camera. The sweet and talented Kerri O'Neal took pictures during the party and I will share those later. :)

The party was wonderful. I can't believe we have already had her first birthday party. There couldn't be a sweeter baby girl in the whole wide world. Enjoy the pics...more to come! :)

The decor for our little princess party... :)

Avaree's cake and personal smash cake!

A picture from every month...

A picture from every month + the real thing on top... :)

Family pic... :)

:)

Uncle D, Aunt J and Avaree!

Practicing "Shake, Shake, Shake..." with Shannon! :)

Sweet Uncle Spencer.. :)

Ave with GiGi and G-Pops!

Ave with Granmama and Pop Pop!

Avaree with Popa and Niecey!

After everyone left, I gave Avaree a quick bath and a few bites of chicken before bed. She was soooooooo tired, she was acting delirious. (just like her Mama!) :)

The next day...Avaree pulled a book out of her very own bookshelf and read it! It made my heart soooo proud! :)

*If you LOVE Avaree's outfit, check out Kristal Parrish at "Couture Blessings" on Facebook! She is a precious Christian lady that makes "couture clothing for your little blessings" and this allows her to stay home with her precious ones.

*More to come... :)

11 months, 4 weeks and WALKING!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a crazy week this week! Mama was sick and ended up having a double ear infection and a respirtory infection, but two steroids shots, antibiotics and several days later, I was all better! :) I took Friday off to get over my illness, spend time with my baby girl and my hubby, and get ready for somebody's first birthday--I am sooo glad that I did! :)

What is Avaree's favorite new trick?? WALKING!!!!! She loves to walk between Brandon and me, and she has taken several steps at a time! Her best so far has been 8 consecutive steps! She just giggles and gets so proud of herself! Of course it doesn't help that she loves the "falling" feeling. Luckily, I am usually there to catch her for now! I can't believe how quickly all of her "firsts" have come and gone. It seems like just yesterday I was clapping for her rolling over....

Enjoy the pictures!

Reading her favorite book...

Mad that she has closed her favorite book... (even though she knows how to open it, ha!)

Happy that Mommy is now reciting her favorite book from memory... :)

Avaree with her little friend Trista (at Mrs. Donna's house one afternoon)

My beautiful baby girl... :)

Avaree in her big girl car seat!!!!!! YAY! This has been a WONDERFUL change in our lives! I can see Ave when I'm driving and (more importantly for her) she can see me! Also, she doesn't come out of her car seat dripping with sweat b/c she can feel the air now--yay!!!!!! :)

Avaree holding Daddy's hand...

For her birthday, GiGi, G-Pops, Mema, PawPaw and Mimi got Avaree flooring, toy bins and a bookshelf for her playroom!!! (We just converted our office into a playroom--or at least 3/4 of it!) This is Avaree's first time to see it on Saturday morning! Thank you to GiGi and G-Pops for buying it, bringing it, AND helping us set it all up. She definitely LOVES it!!! :)

Checking it all out... :)

"I like this floor..."

"Ooooh, look at all of this. It's the same, old toys, but it all seems new!" :)

Playing with Popa before her party started....

Brandon and I were just discussing today that we always thought we would have a cute kid, but never thought that she would be so beautiful. Avaree gets sweeter, smarter and more beautiful every single day. We are so blessed. :)

Stay Tuned: the next post is THE BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!!!!

Mama's little girl...

I wish that I had the time to blog every day, but even that couldn't tell you all of the precious things that our sweet baby does every day. :)

She is eleven months and three weeks old now. When I think about her turning a year old...I cry. This year has been wonderful, amazing, challenging, emotional, joyous, difficult, precious, priceless, perfect...and the list goes on. :)

We have spent this week trying to get better at our little routine. Because of our drive to Mrs. Donna's and the fact that I start teaching at 7:25 am, we have to leave the house around 6:25 am every morning. So, that means I have to wake Avaree at 5:50 am. It makes me feel like such a bad mommy to do so, but it allows for about five minutes of cuddle time, eating mama milk and breakfast, getting dressed, and maybe five minutes of play time before we get in the car. :( But, the most precious part of all of that is that as soon as Avaree hears my voice in the mornings, she gets to a sitting position and lifts her little arms up to me WITH HER EYES STILL CLOSED. It is beyond the most precious thing ever. Then we sit in the rocking chair and cuddle while I sing "Good Morning to You" until she wakes up completely. You couldn't pay me a million dollars to sleep through that. ever.

Avaree did much better at Mrs. Donna's this week. (Still so thankful for a precious, Godly lady that loves my child and treats us like family.) We are also starting to settle into our afternoon/evening routines. Daddy is gone on Wednesdays and Thursdays, so we miss him VERY much, but I am trying to call it our girls' night and make it fun. If I wish those days to go by faster then that means that I would be wishing her to grow up even faster that she already is...so we just treasure every moment.

We are also getting a better Sunday routine, of course now it is changing again with Daddy staying in Hurst all afternoon, but we are sooooooo excited for all of the things the Lord will do through his ministry. Tonight, Brandon had his first youth choir practice and NINETY-FOUR youth came! PTL!!!!! Their theme this year is "Till the Whole World Hears!" If only we could all live with that at the forefront of our minds on a daily basis. Speaking of that...our Lord has been so good to us. I cannot tell you the hundreds of "small" things that He has orchestrated in our lives lately. Even as Brandon and I are beginning to tire of our seemingly endless driving, He shows his hand at work in our lives. Please continue to pray for us, though, as we seek his direction for our family.

Have I mentioned that Avaree likes to take her pony tail out and be naked? It's cute...for now. :)

Avaree has started eating more table food. :) Some of her favorites are cheese, plain spaghetti noodles, tortillas, green beans, and chicken. Here she is eating her cheese... (Yes, the table is clean. I am crazy about making sure she has a clean environment--promise!!)

Of course I couldn't get them both to smile at the same time. Alas, this picture is funny. Avaree is whining because she wants me and Brandon has just finished whining because I am making him take another picture. Ha. We all wore our red/white/blue in honor of September 11!

Avaree's pink penguin that we bought her this weekend....she LOVES her.

And gives her LOTS of kisses. Can you see her little grin? :)

She wants the penguin with her all the time... :) We call her Paz, even though Paz on "Ready, Set, Learn" is a boy. I'm pretty sure she just thinks Paz=Penguin, so we're sticking with that. :)

We love the Cowboys! :)

:) Love this little face...

This week, Avaree has LOVED singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and the "ABC" song. :) She is my little buddy and I love her so. We laugh and play and sing silly songs all the time. She is amazing. I can't imagine being any prouder of her, and she isn't even one yet!

My cup overflows.