Ava's Antics

I never know what any given day will hold, and today held much of Ava's playfulness and sense of humor! She has made me laugh so many times today, and I want to share some of her crazy moments.

Our day began as usual, with a happy grin on her face and a giggle, and I went in to check my e-mail after her and my breakfast. When I wasn't looking, she snuck around the corner, and this is where I found her. She would have had every single book within reach off of that shelf if I hadn't caught her!



Next, we had roaming time around the living room and hall area, and I found her standing on her head grinning back at me! She moves now primarily on her toes or one knee and one foot. We think she'll be walking before too long!



Mom gave me my old raft to use for Ava this summer, and here she is trying it out. Do you remember the ones with the clear circle in the middle so you could lie on the raft and look through the hole? I always thought that that was so cool!



One of Ava's favorite things to do in the morning hours is to find the sunshine. We have little squares of sunny spots in our kitchen, and she like to find one and sit in it and look at her shadow.



Today was Ava's first spaghetti with meat sauce day! I stripped her down to her diaper, and let her dig in. As you can see it went everywhere and all over the place, but boy, did she have a ball.



This picture cracks me up, because it's typical toward the end of a meal for Ava to stick her foot up and try to "get out." Oh, to be that flexible again!



Over and out - Ava's headed for the tub!

Hippo Ride

I have so many fun memories of riding those springy animal rides at playgrounds, and I remember just loving them. When I saw this hippo, I knew we had to put Ava on it! These are my favorites from the playground at the beach.

A Reminder at the Dentist's Office

A post has been brewing in my mind since about 1:30 today, but first things first!

CHINA HAS NOW PROCESSED THROUGH MARCH 20th of 2006! That's 6 more days worth of processing. The number of days is increasing or at least holding steady at 6. Still, at this rate, Ben and I are forecasting late 2009 at the earliest and most likely spring of 2010 before we actually bring Maia Grace home! Even just seeing March 20th and knowing that we're almost exactly one month of log-in dates away, gives me serious butterflies! I joke to myself a lot that when they get to April, they'll process up to the 27th and leave us hanging! We're the 28th of April, which, by the way, happened to be Ava's birthmother's birthday. Hmmm. I thought that was pretty cool. :)

And now, for what's been brewing in my head and heart today. Please bear with me until the end. I'm not sure how this is going to come out- just stream of consciousness, Holy Spirit leading I'm guessing. That's usually how my big thoughts and reflections come out. I just have to post this because it's usually in the every day appointments and mundane things that I see the Lord or am reminded of His promises. Lately, I've been feeling out of sync with the Lord, knowing it's me and not Him that's gotten distant. But, in His faithfulness, He's always pursuing me and drawing me back. Today, it was in the dentist's chair. God is everywhere. The other day, He was at the hair salon. Anyway, this was just too good for me not to share. I hope it resonates with you, too.

Long story short - my right jaw has been getting stuck open, yes, open, for about 10 years now, especially when I yawn too big or eat a candy apple (shucks- haven't had one of those in a long while) or eat a large hamburger. The frequency has increased as of late, and I made an appointment for an elaborate bite test with my dentist. Unfortunately, it didn't involve food.

Anyhoo.

The dentist required me to BE STILL for about 15 minutes with a cotton stick between my front teeth, holding my mouth open, to which I said, "ok, can do," thumbs up. I first thought about a magazine to read. Then, I thought that it would be good for me to BE STILL for a few minutes without any distractions!

He then told me the next part would be difficult. I thought to myself, "Oh, brother. What?!"

He said I would have to let go of control of my lower jaw bone completely and let him control it. He said a lot of people struggle to do that - let go of control of their jaw. It just feels funny to people to surrender control of that joint that they use constantly, especially after being in the habit of controlling it.

Then it hit me, with that cotton thing between my teeth and my lips getting really dry...

I pretended like my dentist was the Lord. Weird, I know, but stick with me.

I was still.

I relaxed my jaw.

And I let him take control.

Completely.

It felt so good to let it go- the stiffness, the favoring of it - to let it go - completely.

In all serious, how often would I say I do that in every day life? Let the Lord have control of my deepest concerns for myself and those I love dearly? How many times, do I clinch my jaw, and say, "Lord, I've got this." Unfortunately, the answer to that would be many times.

Back to the dentist's chair. As I let him "have" my jaw and manipulate it up and down in his "I know what I'm doing" hands, he was able and willing to find the problem areas- some minor and some rather major and then quickly and quietly and deliberately, he whittled away and ground my teeth down. You see, my bite had not been right for years. It was uneven, thereby putting pressure on the right side, causing my jaw to try to compensate, becoming inflamed and out of whack, which then affected my eating and yawning -two pretty important parts of my life!

Seeing the parallel here? Boy, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

After I sat up and shook the dentist's hand, he asked me if I felt better.

I felt so much relief that I just had to tell him about my revelation! There I was sitting with a big poof in my hair from being in the chair upside down for so long, and I poured out to him something like this- "I understood relinquishing control of my jaw to you, because I'm oh so familiar with trying to do that with the Lord! Oh, and yes, I feel SO much better!

When I surrender control of whatever it may be, and I let the Lord do it, I experience freedom!

I remember so clearly the day that Ava's birthmother called me and said that the birthfather was having second thoughts, etc. I remember where I was sitting, what was in front of me and what I said to my family and Patty and Brian, the family we were staying with in Georgia.

"God has got this. I will NOT be fearful or afraid, because I trust Him. Completely." I don't think I've ever trusted the Lord more in any moment in my entire life than at that moment. I remember that moment now when I have trust issues with Him. Yeah, I wish I could say I always respond like that, but I don't. The fact that I'm just dust kicks in, and I get fearful.

The truth is that the Lord really does have it - all of it - our families, ourselves, our situations, our fights with laundry, everything.

So, we can be still and let Him take over control. When we do that, I have a hunch that we'll experience GREAT freedom.

And...

We may just get some problem areas that have been bugging us for awhile...

FIXED

Oh, what good news and a good reminder that was today for this wandering, thirsty woman who needed a good refreshing drink.

Thank, you, Dr. Proffitt, who is probably NOT reading my blog, and thank you, Father, who knows my heart, this ever wandering, emotional, crazy woman's, not finished with my journey yet, heart.

Peace to you today!

I so want to go to Fannie Farkles in Gatlinburg and get a candy apple.

Maybe soon...

Emily

Summer Treat!

Ava had her first ice cream experience while we were at the beach.



Ohhh, this is so cold!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

This weekend, we celebrated Ben's first Father's Day, our 11-year anniversary and Ava turning 10 months old! With the celebration of each of those events, we reflected on all that God has done. Great is His faithfulness, even in the midst of searching and unknowns, long-suffering and waiting. As we reflect, these are the pictures we wanted to share.

Just moments after Ava's birth in Riverdale, Georgia.



Giving Ava a bottle in the lactation room where we camped out for days! :)



Daddy and Ava enjoying nature together this weekend



Ava crowned Daddy "King of the Castle" yesterday.



Ava turns 10 months old on Father's Day!



Happy Anniversary, sweetheart! I love you!

Edisto 2009!

Updated Saturday morning - Hi, everyone, I wanted to let you know that I'm afraid to get too complicated with trying to enlarge the slideshow. I'm worried I might lose the script I have. It's pretty complicated. ugh. Again, if you'd like to enjoy large size pics, just double click on the slideshow, and it will take you to our on-line Picasa album where you can scroll through the pictures. I'll choose a few of my favorites to post as stills in a few days. We're getting ready to celebrate a first time father in our house this weekend! Be back soon with pics!

We hope you enjoy the slideshow! We had a wonderful time relaxing, eating seafood, exploring and spending time with my folks at the beach last week. This was Ava's first time at the ocean, and she loved the sand and water. She was a little explorer everywhere we went! She decided to crawl from the beach tent all the way down to the ocean which was probably about 30 ft. We all said she would have kept going if we hadn't scooped her up. You'll see us playing on the beach and in the pool on Edisto Island, playing at the putt-putt and kiddie area where we stayed, taking day trips to Charleston and Beaufort, and exploring Botany Bay in Edisto on our last day. Ben and I got go on a loggerhead turtles date late one night, but we weren't allowed to take pictures because they were nesting. We all had a great time and are looking forward to going again next year with Maia Grace!

My First Trip to the Beach!

***Update*** I'm working on the beach photo album when I can. Bear was sprayed by a skunk last night, and I need to do this elaborate cleansing regimen, so it will be in the next few days when I post! I'm sorry for the delay! Bad dog! Oh, and those are tomatoes on his head. We heard last night at about 10:30 that tomato juice works, so here we are pouring diced tomatoes and tomato sauce with juice all over him! Nasty!



I'm excited to post Ava's first beach pictures! We rolled in last night after spending a week in Edisto, SC with my Mom and Dad. Ben and I had never been, and it was a beautiful low country Southern town. Here are two pics I'm posting to kick off our beach trip! Ava's waking up from her nap, so I'll be back to post some more hopefully tonight. There's a slideshow gadget that I'm going to learn how to navigate that I think will be a fun way to show you some pictures. I need to create an album first, though. I'll work on that tonight!



She had a ball in the sand, and of course, it was everywhere!

Home Sweet Tennessee Home

Hey, everybody!

Checking in to tell you that we're home now! I'll be catching up on the blog and returning e-mails and phones calls in the next few days. I won't even tell you how many pictures we took of Ava at the beach! It's embarassing. Rest assured that I'll post some really cute ones very soon. We had a wonderful time!

Her.... Here...

Many times, when I go to my blog, I'm the one looking for encouragement! I often go to Bring the Rain, started by an amazing stranger, whose heart I've grown to love. She, like the rest of us, has known pain and suffering, and her heart speaks words of wisdom and encouragment. The background for the post is that she just returned recently from a mission trip to India with Compassion International. She wrote a post last night, called, "Her, Here." If you need a lift, I would strongly encourage you to read it. Pour yourself a glass of tea or coffee or soda or whatever, and hang with her post until the end. I promise you'll be blessed. Scroll down the right-hand side of my blog until you get to my blog list. Just click on Bring the Rain, and it will take you there.

Here's to what each of us can do to be her, here...
Love and peace to you!

Emily (who SO should be packing!)

Jenn, I got your message earlier. Thank you! I love you! We'll try not to get too much sand in our swimsuits! Love Evan's t-note, by the way. Just made me and Ben smile. :)

Off to the Beach!

Mommy has packed everything in the world she thinks I'll need for the beach and thought it would be a good idea to try on my new lifejacket. I'm not so sure about this! I can't move!

We'll be leaving on Saturday for a week at Edisto Island with my folks, and this will probably be my final post until we get back. I'll post Ava's first beach pics next weekend. If Ben takes the laptop, I may be able to upload from there. We'll see. We may decide to go sans electronics. We're all looking forward to rest, relaxation and seafood!

See you soon! Love to all,

Ben, Emily and Ava

Ava is 9 Months Old

... and on the move!









Ben and I went to the pediatrician together yesterday for Ava's 9 month well visit. It was Ben's first time seeing Ava in that environment. He got to see the fish aquarium and watch the Backyardigans. :) Ava only got pricked in the toe this time (no shots), and she didn't even flinch. I told him that he'd have to come to the 1 year visit to go through the shots with her!

Ben and I were remembering our own well visits last night and were laughing about that "torture" device that you used to have to stick your finger into, knowing that needle would snap down and prick you. We both hated that thing! I remember dreading that thing more than the shots I think! When I got older, I got a stick of Carefree gum from the doctor. I can't chew that gum to this day and not think about the doctor's office! I wonder what memories Ava will have when she's older?

Here are her measurements as of 6/1/09!

Weight: 22lbs 3.2 oz
Length: 29 in
Disposition: Happy!

She was so good with Dr. Gilley yesterday. She's one of the women doctors there, and we've been doing the rounds trying out different ones to see who we think will work best for Ava and Maia when she comes. I think she really liked Dr. Gilley. Men doctors are a little scary for her, even when they sing Barney songs. :)

We're trying all kinds of foods now that she's nine months old. Her newest favs are chickpeas, egg yolks and Yo Baby Apple yogurt. I tasted it, and it is really good - a lot better than big people yogurt - probaby because it's made with whole milk! Yum!

I captured a few shots of her enjoying her egg yolks this morning.

A Camping We Will Go!

Ah.... the woods...

There's just something about the woods, about getting away into a forest and smelling the smoke of a campfire. It's all the better when enjoyed with great friends and good food!

Ben and I were working on our rather large, unexciting "to do" list this past Saturday, when our friends, Eric and Kristie Arendale, called and invited us to join their family at Cumberland Mountain State Park - about an hour away. After weighing our "to do" list, which involved spraying thistles and folding laundy, among other things, we decided to drop everything and pack up! We've been talking about taking Ava camping, and both of us have great memories of camping growing up. We're so glad we dropped everything and went on an adventure!

We arrived at the park Saturday evening, set up camp, and came home the following afternoon. It was a short, spur-of-the-moment trip, but we had a great time! We hope to go back again this summer or fall and enjoy the lake and maybe take our bikes to ride. Here's a few photos of our adventure. Today, it's back to thistles and laundry... :) I just know I can find joy in doing those things!

The kids - Sam and Sera Arendale and Miss Ava enjoying snacks together.



Ava and Sera sharing some time together. I feel sure these two will be big buddies someday!



Enjoying our campfire that night. Ben, Ava and I are sleeping in the tent beside the airstream. The Arendales bought this airstream not too long ago and have been working hard to get it ready for it's maiden camping trip! It's a sweet set up!

After we went to bed, Ben and I woke up to noises outside our tent - like a rattling sound. We both said, "Do you hear that?", and we guessed it was raccoons. After a few minutes of listening and realizing we BOTH had to go to the bathroom, we heard a crash! It was the lid to the garbage can. So you can imagine us poking our heads out of tent and looking for raccoons on our way to the bathroom! We were armed with a mini flashlight. Thankfully, we didn't encounter him our way to the bath house. I bet he was watching us, though, because we heard him rattling the can again when we crawled back in our tent.



The next morning - we took a short walk/stroller ride around the campsites before we headed home.



I love this picture of Sera looking out of the camper!



Eric, Kristie, Sam and Sera Arendale - our friends of many years! We've been through a lot together, and we're so thankful for their friendship.



Our families together!