My Ava

It's hard for me to believe that Ava has been in our lives for the past 3 1/2 weeks. Sometimes it feels like she's always been a part of our family while other times her "newness" overwhelms me. If I tried to describe Ava the first word that comes to mind is strong. Since we first found out that we were expecting, the Lord has told me to pray that Ava would be strong. I spent 9 months curious to see how that quality would be played out in her life. So far we see evidence of strength in the way she holds up her head to look at us and pushes with her legs. When I prop her up on a pillow during tummy time, Ava will stiffen her legs and push until she tumbles forward and rolls off of the pillow. She's a warrior. I have no doubt that we are going to see strength in this little girl throughout her life.

I would say my Ava is a snuggler too. She loves to be held. In fact, she's lying in my arms right now, snuggled close to my heart. (Ignore the typos, as my range of motion is rather limited.) Sleepy is another great word that captures my girl. Nursing has been a huge challenge these three weeks as Ava is a lazy eater. This has lead to lots of challenges including Ava losing weight instead of gaining. She dropped to 6 pounds 14 ounces and is still not at her birth weight. (Feel free to pray for us as we are working it out.) I'm optimistic that she will catch up soon. Remember, she's a fighter.

All in all, I'm totally in love with our little girl. She amazes me everyday.