OK OK OK This is why we needed a video camera.

For exciting clips like this one. On the cuteness scale, this rates about a bazillion plus one.




That's how she sleeps. She's very restless, and it took us quite a while to get used to it. The first couple of weeks, we jumped at every chirp, every time she opened her eyes, every motion. Now? We put her down, turn on the monitor (or turn off the light) and when we hear her we give it at least a 10-count before we do anything. If we jump too soon, we wake her up unnecessarily and then we have to get her back to sleep. But if we just hang out for a bit, she often works herself out and stays asleep.

Go ahead. Watch it again. If you listen closely, you can hear a little fart.

Ava is changing every day. This morning, she gave me this big gummy smile when she saw me, and that's just about the best thing ever. Her world is coming into focus a little bit at a time. All of the experts say that you should read to your baby every day, and I love that because I'm a reader and I'd love it if she became one too. We read a few of the baby books that we have, and she spent most of the time watching me and dozing off. So I thought I'd steer away from those until she's more interested in the pictures. So we're reading the Little House books. We just finished the first one


and we started the next one



this morning. I'm a dork and I read them all periodically because I love them so much. Yeah. I own it. Someday maybe Ava will read them back to me :).

So yesterday I went into work to introduce Ava to the people who were with me the most during the past few months. They deserved a special trip and fanfare because, let's face it, a lot of my pregnancy was spent with me being some degree of crazy. It got where I wasn't sure if my stress was from the changes in my job description after my promotion (shameless plug, there) or because my hormones rose and fell like the tides during a full moon. It was great to see everyone and catch up. And while I'm sure they were glad when I finally started maternity leave and took the crazy show out of the office, my assistant (who kicks ass and has really stepped up and gone above and beyond her original role...) will be relieved when I come back. There have been some changes in how stuff gets done, so she'll be training me as well. Remind me to get something nice for when I go back to work. She's earned it.