The Fletchers

Ava's 1st Haircut

2009-08-14T23:13:00.005-05:00

Well, it was finally time for my baby's first haircut! My sweet friend Lindsey did the honors, and saved a little curl for me. Ava was amazingly still and compliant, thanks to a little entertainment from Jackson and MarioCart :) Her hair looked adorable when Lindsey finished, and all her curls were still there! My fear was that her first haircut would mean the end of all those precious curls, but Lindsey did an awesome job and preserved them quite nicely.

Ava and Lindsey's little girl, Zoie Grace. They almost look like sisters!

Welcome Baby Titus

2009-07-19T23:13:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we a few of my girlfriends and I threw a baby shower for our friends Brett and Debbie, and it turned out so cute! A bunch of people came to celebrate the upcoming arrival of baby Titus, and the excited parents got some wonderful gifts to help get everything ready for him. We love you guys and can't wait to meet little Titus in just a few weeks!

Summer Freedom '09

2009-07-03T23:06:00.004-05:00

This was my first time to get to go to the annual Fireworks at the Crosses at our church, and it was absolutely amazing! We had such a great time: awesome music by our Pinnacle Hills band, good food, tons of people, and an incredible 30 minute fireworks show set to music! What more could you ask for? Ava was a little scared of the fireworks, but thats ok, she's got plenty of years ahead of her to enjoy them. Can't wait till next year!

Visit with Mimi & Papa

2009-03-19T13:35:00.006-05:00

Oh how we miss the gorgeous weather and palm trees from our awesome visit with Mimi and Papa in Florida! We had such a wonderful time and can't wait to go back! We sure miss Mimi and Papa when we're gone, but get so excited to plan our next trip and look forward to all the time we get to spend together.

At Mimi and Papa's pool

Riding the ferry to Downtown Disney
Posing with the princesses at DT Disney

Petting the Stingrays (these are the safe ones)

Dolphin Cove
Hanging out with Papa

The incredible Shamu show

Visiting Uncle Zach at Starbucks

Giggling girls :)

On Mimi and Papa's patio

Big kid on the plane

Home Life

2009-03-06T21:00:00.006-06:00

Random pics from last week, after recovery from our prolonged bout with the stomach virus. Not to worry, we're all still alive and kicking.

Lovin' those crackers

ahh, a girl after my own heart :)

Daddy getting Ava ready for bed

Antique Shopping

2009-03-01T21:16:00.004-06:00

My latest finds from antique shopping - which is actually way more fun when you leave the chil'ens at home with Dad :) Turns out this is a quite therapeutic, low budget, and apparently fruitful use of my alone time!

Pottery for Ava's room

Cold weather accessory in case I ever decide to visit Russia

Sick Day

2009-02-21T21:12:00.000-06:00

How sad is this? Ava has the stomach virus (again) and has been pretty pitiful for the last couple of days. Thank goodness we're past the throwing up stage, today was just fever. We made her a little bed on the couch and she's watching Sesame Street with her bunny, Velvet. So sad when your babies get sick!

Santa 2008

2008-12-20T09:55:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas!

Bedtime Buddies

2008-12-15T19:22:00.001-06:00

When I went in to check on Ava last night this is what I found. It took me a second to locate her...

A Disney Thanksgiving

2008-12-08T12:01:00.004-06:00

I just had a free minute and wanted to update, for anyone who is patient enough to stay with my blog :) Here is evidence of our FANTASTIC thanksgiving vacation to visit Chris' family in Orlando. The trip went by way too fast, but was packed full of incredible memories. More pics to come...

Birthday Bash

2008-10-20T10:33:00.013-05:00

A couple of weekends ago several of our good friends came over for Ava's first birthday party. The kids had a great time eating cake and playing together, and it was really nice for the adults to get to visit too. Chris and I are so thankful for all of the awesome friendships we have, and love that everyone was able to come over and help us celebrate. Thanks to all our friends for making Ava's first birthday a blast!

Moments before Ava's introduction to smash cake

All the little party-goers

Opening presents
Yep, thats a snail :)

Family Camping Trip

2008-10-07T20:41:00.007-05:00

Here are some pictures from our camping trip on the Buffalo River last weekend. We had an awesome time with the family: hiking, fishing, campfires, s'mores - so much fun!

Cozying up by the campfire with Dad

Mobile naptime

Happy trails...

Robbie, Leah and Sarah (our resident ham), hiking to the old homestead

Happy 1st Birthday Ava!

2008-10-02T09:14:00.001-05:00

It literally does not seem possible that a year ago I was in the hospital just getting to know this little girl. She has changed more than I could have imagined over this past year, and has far exceeded any expectations I might have had. Happy 1st birthday Ava, I have loved this time with you more than you'll ever know. I can't wait to to see what next year brings!

Labor Day with Mimi and Poppa

2008-09-30T22:28:00.003-05:00

So I'm a little behind in posting these pictures (shocker), but here is proof of our fantastic week with Mimi and Poppa on Labor Day. We all had such a great time, and it was sooo good to get to spend time with all the Fletchers! Here are some of my favorite shots:

Two of a kind

Bass Pro Shop - whats more loveable than a giant fish?

Taste test at Marble Slab...nope, just the spoon :)

Build a Bear - the greatest place on earth!

Soaking up the view at Big Cedar Lodge

Go Razorbacks, beat Alabama!

2008-09-19T23:02:00.007-05:00

Water Baby

2008-09-08T22:55:00.006-05:00

I'm back now from my 2 month blogging sabbatical, so here are a couple of tub shots of Ava. Starting out slow :)

We take bathtime very seriously around the Fletcher house

Ava's 1st Baseball Game

2008-06-20T23:22:00.004-05:00

Some friends of ours, Brett and Debbie, gave us tickets to the Naturals game a couple of weeks ago, and we had the BEST time! Ava was totally in her element - surrounded by lots of people. We couldn't get her to leave everyone around us alone, she thought they were all there to play with her :) Especially this group of boys to our left, they would make faces and tickle her and she was having a ball! But when they turned around to watch the game, she kept squealing to get their attention. I had to give her to Chris so the boys could watch the game, but then she found someone else to play with...so much fun :)

Giving Daddy kisses

The petting zoo for the the kids, we got there just in time to see the baby goats before they took them away. Ava cried when we had to leave...she loves animals (thanks Oakley :)
All worn out

A dog's life...

2008-06-20T23:19:00.000-05:00

I love having a baby and a little dog at the same time, there are just so many cute situations that happen on a daily basis. Luckily I was quick enough to get pictures of this one...

Don't worry, I had just cleaned Oakley's kennel and all her bedding. No germs here! Anywhere Oakley goes, Ava follows

Teaching Oakley how to share :)

Memorial Day

2008-06-16T22:05:00.003-05:00

Although I'm not doing so hot with updating regularly, I had to stop in the middle of all my cute baby postings to add one about her daddy. My husband and his crazy friends had such a fun time on Memorial Day, and here's the proof...

No losers in this match, they were both so tired they had to stop before someone pulled something :)

Ava's Baby Dedication

2008-05-27T21:02:00.006-05:00

I can't believe how long its been since I posted last! It's been a really busy month, so the blog kinda got put on the back burner :) So finally I'm adding new pictures...

We had baby dedication at Pinnacle Hills on Mother's Day, so here is our little family standing up in front of the church. Ava was given a Bible with her name on it from Pastor Floyd, then he prayed over all the families. It was really special, and I was so proud of Ava. When we walked across the stage she turned out toward the audience and started waving her arms and grinning. Quite the ham.

Sarah was kneeling in the front of the church to take our picture (against her will), so I was trying to get Ava to smile for Mimi and Papa in the camera :)

Ava giving Daddy kisses before we went out on stage

Sarah and Leah cracking Ava up in the car before lunch. She loves her aunts!

Sarah and Ava in our backyard, the wind was blowing so hard! Making her giggle :)By this time the wind had butchered my hair, but Ava's grin was so funny I had to add this one

Campout at Devil's Den

2008-04-15T22:06:00.008-05:00

Here are some pictures from Ava's first campout, we had so much fun! Mom and Dad brought their RV up to Devil's Den, so we drove out with Leah and Sarah to spend the weekend. It was pretty chilly, but Ava was all snug in her snow bunny suit.

Hanging out by the campfire

Ava got to open her Easter basket from Nana over the weekend, here she is modeling her new sunglasses.

Naptime in the bathtub

Sarah teaching Ava to read

I Heart MB

2008-04-06T22:20:00.000-05:00

Ok, so anyone who knows me knows that I am IN LOVE with Michael Buble. Well, at least his music. I've recently learned that he's not the greatest guy, but that's another story that we won't get into right now bc it makes me kind of sad.

So a couple of weeks ago Michael (1st name basis bc we're pretty close) came to Alltel arena in Little Rock and we got tickets. This was my second time to see him in concert, and it was even better this time around. I'm thinking about joining his fan club for the early ticket sales, but Chris thinks that might be a little over the top. In this case he might be right.

Before the concert we went to dinner with Mom, Dad and Leah, then Leah took Ava home while the rest of us went to hear Michael. I ran into a ton of people I knew, apparently the word about Michael had spread. Chris and I had floor seats, and Chris, indulging my obsession, let me sit on the aisle so I could have the best view. What a great night.

We call this Ava's Fruity Drink outfit. Lauren Orr gave it to her, and it's one of my favorites. She looks like a little Pina Colada!

So Big!

2008-04-03T22:15:00.005-05:00

Here is a cute picture of the girls I had to post, this is their 2nd visit to the hospital together. The first was when Bailey came to see Ava when she was born, but this time we were visiting newborn baby Nathan. The girls looked so big compared to Nathan, I can't believe the difference 6 months makes!

Ava's 1st Easter

2008-03-24T21:49:00.003-05:00

I know it has taken me way too long to post our Easter pictures, but better late than never! I loved Ava's Easter dress, and the cute little smocked shoes just made the outfit. I really wanted to get a family picture, but there wasn't anyone around to take it and I haven't quite mastered the self timer :)

Adventure on the Road

2008-03-22T22:32:00.008-05:00

So mine and Ava's favorite toy right now is the Jeep jogging stroller I got about 2 weeks ago at a consignment sale. It was normally $200, but I got it for $48 and it is basically brand new! Whoever owned it before me pretty much gave it away, bc if it's been used you can't even tell. My friend Rachel knew how much I wanted it, so she ended up talking this girl who had already claimed it into letting me have it. Thanks Rachel, I owe you one!

I love getting to run to the park by our house, its only about a mile away. I get a little exercise, and Ava gets a nap. Oakley gets to go with us too, and when she gets tired I let her ride in the basket underneath. The best part is the Ipod connector and speakers, so we can listen to music while we run. Fun for the whole fam!

Jenn, me and Rachel at the sale

Testing it out in the parking lot

Time to hit the road

Almost asleep, it won't take long!

Flower Child

2008-03-22T21:20:00.008-05:00

Ava and I did a test run on her Easter oufit (otherwise I can almost guarantee we would be late for church in the morning :) , so we just went ahead tried on her flower outfit while we were at it. So cute! The ribbons on the shoes were a little too short to tie in a bow, but that's ok. Thanks Mimi and Papa for the precious dress, we love it!

Happy Birthday Debbie!

2008-03-16T21:57:00.008-05:00

This weekend we went to dinner with some friends for Debbie's birthday. It was so much fun getting to go out with everyone together, and all adults! Sarah kept Ava and Bailey for us, and when we got home they were sound asleep!

Happy birthday, Debbie!

Chris and me

Matt & Jenn

Dane & Rachel
Brett & Debbie

Bare Booty!

2008-03-16T20:55:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I decided to let Ava have a little diaper-free time, so she got to hang out on the waterproof sheet and play with her toys. She was there for about 30 minutes and the sheet didn't event get wet. What a good girl!

Oscar Night

2008-02-26T20:27:00.014-06:00

On Sunday we went over to the Tennyson's to watch the Oscar's, it was so much fun! There were ballots with all the nominees listed, and whoever chose the most winners received a prize. Matt and Jennifer tied for 1st place, and Chris and I tied for 2nd. So close! It made watching the Oscar's a blast, even for the guys!

Kaylee and Ava thought hanging out on the carpet was much better than watching the Oscar's :)

Restaurant Hopping

2008-02-22T22:23:00.011-06:00

I know it seems like we go to restaurants every night, but I really do cook...seriously.

With that said, all the pictures in this post are from restaurants :)

Dad was in Fayetteville today, so Leah, Sarah, Ava and I got to eat lunch with him at Dixie Cafe. Ava thinks her Grandpa is so interesting, she is constantly reaching out to touch his goatee. He is the first person she started doing this with, and now she likes to touch the face of any new person she meets.

Later today we went to Marketplace with our friends Sean and Jennifer and their sweet daughter Emily. Jennifer is 27 weeks pregnant with a little girl (I know, you can't even tell from the picture!), so Emily is getting some big sister practice by hanging out with Ava. The girls were really sweet tonight, Ava just thought Emily was the greatest. She kept smiling and trying kiss her! Both the kids were great at dinner, you would not have known Emily is 3 by how grown up she was. Ava was pretty cute too, smiling and giving kisses to everybody.

Las Margaritas

2008-02-21T22:21:00.005-06:00

Chris and I were both craving Mexican food tonight, so we decided to take a little trip to Las Margaritas. Ava and I met Chris there after his workout, and she was in a good mood since she woke up from a nap right before we left. Ava loved all the bright colors and especially this one server. She kept smiling at him every time he walked by, and is holding his hand in the picture. Our little social butterfly!

Weekend in Little Rock

2008-02-17T20:31:00.006-06:00

This weekend Ava and I decided to take a trip to Little Rock to visit Nana and Grandpa. We went to church this morning at Fellowship, where I kept Ava in the auditorium with us. She sat through the service until the very end, then she started talking so I took her to the back. She was actually being pretty cute, just jabbering away, but I didn't want to distract anyone. She's getting pretty big to where I probably need to start putting her in the nursery, but I'm trying to wait as long as possible.

After church we drove to Mimi's Cafe for lunch, where Ava took a little nap until our food came. She is starting to do really well at restaurants, lots of people and exciting things to look at. All in all it was a pretty fun weekend, hopefully next time Chris will get to come with us.

Rug Rats

2008-02-15T22:23:00.001-06:00

Bailey and Ava at Connection Group this week, they're growing like little weeds!

Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T21:50:00.006-06:00

Ava and I woke up this morning to a wonderful Valentine's Day surprise from Dad. We both got boxes of Russel Stovers and a card with a sweet message. Thanks Baby, we love you!!!

After all the Valentine's Day fun, Ava got to go to work with Mom. She played with her toys and took her nap in her pack 'n' play, what a trooper!

Mimi and Papa's Visit

2008-02-08T22:23:00.000-06:00

Mimi and Papa got to come for a visit a couple of weeks ago. This was the first time they had been back to Arkansas since Ava was born, so of course we had to go to Marketplace!

We went to the Promenade one day, and Ava had fun hanging out with Mimi and watching Mom try on dresses.

Best Buds

2008-02-05T22:51:00.000-06:00

Bailey and Ava - just a typical night, hanging out on the couch watching a little TV.

Girl's Trip to Dallas

2007-12-23T10:07:00.000-06:00

Before Christmas we took a family girl's trip to Dallas to do a little shopping. We had so much fun, Sarah drove and Ava was a trooper! I got to wear my sling for the first time, and Ava loved it! She was quite entertained by watching all the people walking around Northpark, then fell asleep while we shopped. We hope to be able to take a girl's trip every year.

We left really early in the morning, but Sarah was good to go with a quick trip to Mickey D's for a little caffeine. Ava and Leah didn't quite make it...

Ava loved hanging out at the mall with Nana!

Intro to Santa

2007-12-21T15:05:00.000-06:00

This is Ava's very first picture with Santa. We took her to the mall 3 different times, but the line was always insanely long. 3rd time was a charm, we stood in line about 20 minutes while Ava slept, then woke her up right before her turn. She is usually pretty smiley when she wakes up, but I don't think she expected to awake to a large bearded man in a bright red suit :) She ended up have more of a "dazed" look, but we still loved it. Besides, the very first picture with Santa is priceless.

Gift Basket

2007-12-15T12:37:00.000-06:00

This is the wonderful gift basket that Josh Baskin sent for Ava. Josh lives in California and we worked together at MC, but have kept in touch since he decided to change careers and become a big time lawyer :) Thanks, Josh, for thinking of us, we love the gift!

Fun with Friends

2007-12-13T23:59:00.000-06:00

Last night we went to Sam and Becca's for connection group, and Ava got to spend a little time with Bailey. The were so cute, they just sat and smiled and baby-talked to each other. They are about a month apart, so I think they are going to be best buds.

Chris had fun playing games with Sam while all the girls visited. Right before we were about to leave, Kyla decided to sing "Joy to the World" to Ava. She loved it! You can kind of hear it in the video, but Ava is talking to Kyla while she is singing. She loves music!