Summertime: May-Early June

A re-cap of May and June...for documentation sake!  I don't like to leave anything out and have gotten so behind.  We were busy, busy until Ava made her early arrival.  I can't say enough how good it feels to be in the Atlanta area.  So much support and familiarity surrounds us here.  We can't wait to spend more time with everyone once we get more settled into being parents of two under two!

Mother's Day 2012: We had a special Mother's Day weekend.  It was the first Mother's Day that I was able to spend with my Mom in a long time so that was really great.   It was also the first Mother's Day that Ella spent with her Nana too. Mom, Ella, and I spent Saturday together.  We had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen--we even got dessert---and did some shopping.  We got Ella some cute (and really cheap) clothes at Old Navy and had lots of fun looking at all the make-up and girl stuff at Ulta!  I even got a haircut while we were at Ulta which I desperately needed.  Sunday, I awoke to sweet cards, breakfast from Starbucks, and a year subscription to PEOPLE magazine (my favorite) from Brent and Ella.  They made sure that I felt so special...love those two!  Ella gave Nana her gifts which she was really proud to do.  Brent also grilled out a delicious lunch for the Moms.  The rest of the afternoon Brent, Ella, and I spent relaxing and hanging out.  It was raining so we enjoyed a lazy day inside with our wonderful little family.  For dinner we ate Provino's Italian Restaurant in Roswell.  Apparently, Mother's Day is their biggest day of the year...who knew...so it was PACKED.  Luckily, we got a table fairly quickly and enjoyed a delicious and filling Italian feast...yum!  It was a restful and wonderful weekend--and I can honestly say I couldn't be more blessed to be a Mom.  What a priceless treasure!  I'm also blessed to have such a special mom too.

With my sweet girl

The little angel that makes me a Mommy

The end of May and early June was filled with trying to keep Ella busy.  She was teething and kind of cranky in general.  I think she was having a rough time transitioning from our structured life in Savannah where we did the same thing at the same time everyday.  It's the teacher in me, but I seriously believe children function best on a rigid routine.  But, by the end of May, I was feeling pretty sick and it was hard for me to do as much with Ella.  Luckily, I had my Mom's help during the day and Brent was always there at night to pick up the slack.  We had some fun too.  Ella found her passion for water and the pool this summer and is loving anything where she can get wet.

Ella and Jason's dog, Joey!

We also had some kid-free time too.  Whether it was grabbing a bite to eat or even yogurt, it felt great to know my Mom was here to watch Ella when we need a little break!   We grilled out with my college girlfriends in Atlanta and got to see Babies Finley and Ward.  They are too precious and I'm so excited that they are practically the same age as Ava. It was great to catch up with my girlfriends and their husbands/boyfriends and I'm so glad that we live closer to them.

On the Sunday of Memorial Day we attended the gorgeous wedding of my dear high school friend, Meredith to her husband, Zach!  What an amazing wedding at the Georgian Terrace!  It was great to catch up with some lovely friends from the past.  So nice to be seated with you Kris, Allison, and Leslie!!  On a fun note, Leslie just took a new job with Facebook so she's making the move from NYC to San Francisco...so that's super cool  She's the kind of person that everyone wants to be around and is so much fun...Facebook will love her!  Congrats to Leslie!  Meredith was an amazingly gorgeous bride and the whole evening was fabulous down to the minor details.  Brent and I had a wonderful time and even made it on the dance floor.  The band was too great not to dance!   I made it out until 1 a.m. which I thought was pretty good for someone almost 8 months pregnant! It was a spectacular night  and we wish the best today and always to Meredith and Zach! They are a fabulous match and I really do believe each others soulmate!

The happy couple...Meredith and Zach!!

Loved seeing Leslie!

My handsome date!!

 On June 3rd, Brent and I celebrated our 6th Anniversary.  I can honestly say there is not a person in this world I'd rather take journey with.  I feel God has blessed me with my soulmate and I'm so lucky to have Brent!!  It's hard to believe that the years have flown so quickly and that we have two beautiful girls.  We are blessed with this life and I can't wait to see what the future holds!  Brent surprised me with tickets to The Fox to see Jersey Boys.  We ate an early dinner at Provino's (again) and headed into Atlanta.  The play was great and we had such a fun time!  It was a wonderful anniversary!  Love you, Brent!

6th Anniversary!!

The Tuesday after our anniversary, Ella went to spend some time in Dublin with Mimi and Papa.  It was a great chance to rest for me and she was so excited to go there.  It sounded like they had quite the week and she got to enjoy more pool time and had a fabulous time in general.  Mimi and Papa certainly know how to show Miss Ella a great time.  I was so grateful she was there when I got sick because I knew she was in great hands and having fun.  I didn't have to worry about her for a second.  Thanks so much for everything, Julie and Eddie!!


By the Thursday following our anniversary, I ended up at the doctor not feeling quite right.  They ran a battery of tests and I saw a series of specialists.  On June 12th I was hospitalized for monitoring and on June 14th our dear, sweet Ava was born!!!!  What a WONDERFUL gift to end a scary time.  And so, by mid-June, we began the next phase of our journey and that is being the best parents we can be to two amazing little girls.  We are so very grateful! So there's a recap of the past....the rest of my posts will focus on what's going on in the present...just needed to play a little catch up!