Tuesday, August 09, 2011

my ava

my ava is 12 days old today. she is still a chubby little muffin, and even though i haven't had her weighed since her birth, i definitely think she is gaining weight.

my ava has dark blue eyes fringed with tiny, delicate eyelashes. her cheeks are round and fat. she likes to suck in her lower lip, especially when she is sleeping. her ears are still all squished and folded from the position she must have lain while in my womb and i think her nose is absolutely perfect.

my ava is adored by her 2 older brothers. tristan wants nothing more than to see her and hold her as much as possible. samuel can't keep his little lips off of her as he kisses her head, her toes, her elbows and pretty much everywhere else. tristan is especially thrilled that ava gets to sit next to him in the car and even her loud cries of protest while in her car seat don't dampen his enthusiasm for his new riding buddy. samuel, on the other hand, doesn't like it at all when she cries and often joins in when it gets too loud. he is constantly finding her pacifiers and bringing them to me, finding blankets and putting them on her, always trying to be helpful.

my ava has the longest big toe on her right foot that i've ever seen!

my ava gave her first smiles to my mom before she left on the day ava turned 1 week old. call it gas, call it "non-social smiling", but i choose to believe it was a genuine goodbye smile to her sweet grammie who loves her so much.

my ava loves the moby wrap (and so does her mommy). the swing she is still unsure of, but the wrap seems to cure the fussies and replace them with sweet slumber. she also loves the swaddle and having her back patted. but the thing she loves the most is eating, and she goes after her meals with such vigor that i have nearly gone through a whole jar of nipple ointment already. she is neat and tidy about her meals though, and hardly ever spits up.

my ava seems to be sensitive to something in my diet, as she cries out in pain throughout the night. yesterday was the first day that i cut dairy out entirely and last night for the first time ever, she ate and went straight back to sleep without a fuss, meaning that i got 5 hours of sleep last night!! i celebrated by actually taking the time to brush my teeth this morning.

my ava will most likely be blond, despite my expectations for a brunette little girl like her mommy. the small amount of hair that she has is already lightening and her eyebrows look invisible because they are so white. i'm so curious to know who and what she will look like as she gets older. right now she still looks so much like her daddy.

my ava has brought a great big tumultuous shift into our world that we are all trying to find a new balance on. the boys have been acting out in their own ways, i have been an emotional mess and my dear amazing husband has been there to hold everyone together and be there for us as we all need him so much. a new normal is beginning to emerge from the chaos and i know it won't be long before the old normal will be so far behind us that it will be barely remembered.

my ava is my darling daughter that i have waited my whole life to have and i am still awed and thrilled that God would see fit to provide me with such a sweet blessing.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

What a beautiful tribute to an adorable daughter - and my grandgirl. My arms ache to hold her again. What a miracle it will be to watch this little baby grow into a precocious little child like her older brothers. XO to all
Love Grammie

Cherie said...

I love it:) I cant wait to meet this little chubby bunny:):) Love you Heidi and I'm so excited she slept for you! I hope this continues! That would be AMAZING!!!!!
love you:):)
Ava's Auntie Cherie

kelly ens said...

beautiful!!!!!

Aimee said...

well put Heidi!
blessings as you continue through these crazy crazy early days!

Anika Lacerte | The Handcrafted Story said...

Can't believe you got 5 hours of sleep?! And I love that you celebrated by brushing your teeth :)

Jessica LaTour said...

I love how you're capturing the everyday with a new babe in this wonderfully written post! It's such a beautiful and crazy time.

Anonymous said...

So beautifully written. I have only commented from time to time as I visit your blog from RW. Reading your honest words is such an encouragement to me as a young wife and hopefully one day mom. Thanks for writing. I hope your heart continues to soar in the beauty of this new little princess joining your family, even as you carve out your "new normal." :) Amber

Anonymous said...

So beautifully written. I have only commented from time to time as I visit your blog from RW. Reading your honest words is such an encouragement to me as a young wife and hopefully one day mom. Thanks for writing. I hope your heart continues to soar in the beauty of this new little princess joining your family, even as you carve out your "new normal." :) Amber

Anneliese said...

Congratulations, Heidi! So happy for you!