Looking back at 2011!!

Each year I like to do a recap of our here! You can see ones for 2008, 2009, 2010 by clicking on the year!! :)

January

Met up with 3 of my favorite people for a wonderful start to the new year!!!!

Ava got a nice boo-boo on her nose!

February

Although we didn’t share for a couple more months, we found out I was pregnant on February 1!

After complaining for days about her nose hurting, we found these two rocks shoved up one of Ava’s nostrils. The end result was an ear and sinus infection.

March

Saw this sweet little baby for the first time!! And saw him again not even a month later… it’s so amazing how they grow!!!!

Fabulous girls trip to Dallas!!!

Lots of love and fun with this wild lady who potty trained this month!!

April

We announced that our family was growing!

Easter!

Celebrating Zach’s birthday!!

 May

Ava had her last day at her school she’d gone to since she was 8 weeks old. We definitely miss it there but are thankful she is happy at her new school!!! 

Took this gender prediction test that (accurately) predicted we would be having a little boy!!!

June

We found out we were having a little boy!!!

We met our sweet little nephew Luke!!!

We made Ava’s big girl bedroom and she slept in a big girl bed for the first time!!!

July

Took a trip to St. Louis to visit my brother and his family!

Picked out and announced Reed’s name!

Had a wedding shower to honor Leslie!

 August

Ava’s first day of preschool at her new school!!!

September

My work had a baby shower for Reed and me!

Stephen and Leslie got married!

Ava turned THREE!!!!

October

Big sister night two days before Reed was born!

Sweet baby Reed born on 10/7/11 had a collapsed lung and had to be in the NICU.

This was before he ripped his IV out of his hand and earned it a permanent spot on his forehead until we were released.

Ava seeing Reed for the first time through the nursery window

After 10 days, we finally got to take our baby boy home on 10/17/11

Ava meets Reed for the first time

November

Lots of hanging out at home for Mom and this little guy!!!

Thanksgiving

Ava had her first haircut!

December

Ava and Reed see Santa Claus and Ava cries for the fourth year in a row. See previous years here!

Ava’s class performed for the school and sang Jingle Bells!

Mom and Ava being silly in the car!

First Christmas as a family of four!

Reed on his first Christmas morning!

We have been so incredibly blessed this year. There have been many ups and downs but throughout we have been reminded of how blessed we are. We’re looking forward to what 2012 has coming for us!!

Our Christmas!

On Christmas Eve Eve, Ava and I decorated the cookies we made to leave out for Santa Claus! She was an excited and happy girl!

On Christmas Eve, we went to the children’s service. I asked Ava if she wanted to be an angel this year and she said she just wanted to sit with Mommy. So, she sat it out this year. Maybe next year she will want to participate!

Here’s my little stud – so cute in his Christmas church clothes!

After church we went to my grandparents’ house for dinner and presents. These girls have so much fun playing together.

Both girls got dress up clothes and they had a ball playing in their dresses. They said they were having a wedding!

Blowing out Jesus’ birthday candles! By far my favorite part of Christmas Eve!

When we got home, Ava picked the cookies she wanted to leave out for Santa.

It took Ava a long time to wind down so by the time she fell asleep it was after 10:30. I wasn’t sure Santa was ever going to be able to visit, but he did!  I anticipated an early morning and while it was (because of Reed), Ava slept in later than normal and when she finally got up, she was sooooooo excited! We had a wonderful Christmas at home with the four of us!

One thing I want to remember about Ava this Christmas – she LOVED unwrapping gifts. She went from one gift to the next unwrapping like a mad woman and pretty much casting aside what was in there. She kept looking for people’s presents to open! After she was done, she went back to see what she got. So cute.

One thing she asked Santa for was an umbrella. She LOVES it and it even rained today. I was going to let her go outside to use it but she said it was too cold when I opened the door! 

  Mr. Reed on his first Christmas!!

Reed was of course too young to open his own gifts so Ava gladly helped. It was cute though – she held up his gifts and said “Look what you got, Reed!” :)

After our family Christmas, we headed to my Mom and Dad’s to have Christmas with my immediate family. It was fairly quick because my parents and sister were heading out to see my brothers in St. Louis.

Ava with Uncle Stephen and Aunt Leslie  

That afternoon we headed back to my grandparents’ house and stuffed ourselves silly and just enjoyed the company of family. We had a wonderful Christmas this year! We are so very blessed to have such loving families and we’re thankful to get to spend time with all of them celebrating Jesus’ birth. It was also special since it was our first Christmas with Reed. I have loved experiencing this Christmas season through the eyes of Ava. I’m so thankful and proud that she knows the reason we have Christmas at all is because of Jesus. I can’t wait for many more special Christmases with my sweet family!