Squash, Santa and Sister

Lot of new happenings around here, but nothing I've felt like blogging about.

Last week I made some homemade baby food.  I tried acorn squash and sweet potatoes.  Both are foods that would never enter my mouth, but I want to give Ava every opportunity in life, and if that includes nasty vegetables than so be it.  The squash turned out great.  I plan to give her some bites today.  The sweet potatoes were a little hard because I don't have a potato masher so it turned out chunky.  I bought a masher so I'll try it again later.  As a control freak, I love knowing every ingredient that is in the food that I give my baby.  Gerber baby food is so easy, but it's also so processed and preserved.  And expensive! 

I am so excited for my family Christmas this week.  I love being at home in SC more than anything.  I feel so comfortable there.  The only thing I'm worried about is the traveling.  Ava usually does pretty good in the car.  But when things go bad, they really go bad.  If she starts crying she won't stop until she's out of her car seat.  I've tried feeding her, changing her, letting her play on my lap for a bit, but as soon as she gets back in the car seat she freaks. Let me tell you, 45 minutes of baby screaming is enough to make me want to jump out the window.  She just wants to be home.  Poor babe.  We have a few out of town trips planned for the next couple months and I'm dreading them because of the possibility of disaster in the car.

We took Ava to see Santa last weekend at Bass Pro Shop.  I decided to go there basically because the picture was free, and I'm too cheap to pay $18 for one 5x7 at the mall.  Ava slept while we stood in line and opened her eyes when I handed her over to Santa.  The pic was taken kinda far away, but I did my good deed as a mom and took my child to see Santa.  I secretly hoped for the classic shot of the baby screaming on Santa's lap.  But I will never complain about my content and happy baby!

My sister came to visit last weekend, since she will be with her in-laws for Christmas.  We always have the best time.  I miss living in the same city as my sister SO MUCH.  I could really use her help around here, Ava just loves her to pieces.  It was funny that after Ava got done eating she would pop her head up and look around for Brooke, then smile when she found her.  I was in shock at how Ava could tear the wrapping paper off her presents and she played with her new toys.  What a big girl we have.  She is becoming a little Momma's girl quickly, which I love.  As much as I dislike it when she cries when I leave the room or hand her off to someone else... It warms my heart to know that she misses me and loves me.

Scam

Remember this post?  The one I wrote about how amazing Shutterfly is and how I want to order all my Christmas cards from them for the rest of my life?  I take it back!  I found out about the promotion through another blog mom.  Both of us posted the required blogs and submitted them to Shutterfly.  We were supposed to received 50 free Christmas cards.  What a scam.  I actually made up all that crap I wrote about how I loved those cards and I wanted to order all my Christmas presents from them.  I just did it for the free cards.  Backfire!  So I take back everything I said about Shutterfly and will stick with my true love = Snapfish.

So What Wednesday

So What If...
- Ava is getting a semi-bald spot on the back of her head. It's from sleeping on her back... which I never thought was going to happen. It's actually from sleeping on her side which is even cuter. That semi-spot is a symbol of progress; A symbol of transition to her big girl crib. And I love it.

- I don't like to watch tv if it's not in HD. Right now we are watching a basketball game NOT in HD and it looks like it's from the 80's. It looks like I'm watching tv through dirty glasses.

- I'm being a scrooge about Christmas presents this year. Is it so bad to wish that Christmas was about spending time with family and not about who buys who the most expensive present? I am completely content with what I have, both material and non-material things. I wish everyone else could be too. I made it my goal to be done with our Christmas shopping by December 1st so I wouldn't have to think about it anymore. I succeeded.

- I like store bought cookies better than homemade. They taste better, are never burnt or hard, and don't mess up my kitchen.

Christmas Pictures

Last night we went to JCPenny's to get pictures taken for Christmas cards.  I got a gift card as a baby shower gift and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to use it.  Everything was going great - we arrived early and they were able to squeeze us in a half hour before our scheduled time.  Ava was dressed in the cutest outfit with tights to match.  The woman who took our pictures was kinda insane.  She said she had four kids but she had no skills for taking baby pictures.  She kept yelling "Smile!" at Ava, not in a nice way but a forceful way.  She yelled at me - "Mom!  Ring the bells!  Mom!  Bells!"  She even screwed up the background - I wish I would have noticed this before she was finished.  She laid Ava on her stomach and then you couldn't see any of her outfit.  I was not impressed... at all.  I just kept thinking about how great Leah is with Ava when she takes her pictures.  We ended up getting a few ok shots.  I mean... they were all cute because Ava was in them... but none of them were excellent.  The Christmas cards are ordered and I'm overall pleased with them.  I'm so grateful that I have Leah so that I don't have to go back to a portrait studio anytime soon.