Welcome Home Jeff!

Ryan's brother, Jeff, recently returned home from his mission in Puebla, Mexico. Here he is meeting Ava! I think she likes him.

The Brothers Cook (and kids). Ryan (& Ava,) Travis, Jeff, Tyler (& Preston), Parker, Jaxon:

And the Cook lady clan with the recent returnee. Megan, Kat, Jeffers, Carolene, Me and Ava, Ashley:

Megs and Ava:

Ryan, Ava, and Jeff:

Welcome back Jeff! We missed you and we're glad to have you back!

Seriously? Snow?

We woke up this morning to snow covered roof tops and lawns, with heavy wet snow falling. This ain't no spring flurries. Oh, and in case you hadn't realized, it's the last week of May (I'm talking to you, Mother Nature)! C'mon!

Ava's 9 Month Report

Can you believe she's already that old? This is such a fun age, we're loving it. Currently her interests are sitting, spitting (raspberries), standing (with our help), bathing (loves the bath even more now), and freaking out if either Mom or Dad walks out out view. She loves other kids, and Ryan told me today that she tries to sing the hymns at church (I lead the music so I don't get to witness this). Still no teeth, and the teething seems to have eased for a couple of weeks. And as you can see, still not much hair.

Weight: 15 lbs 7 oz (5%)

Height: 27 in (25%)

Head: 17 3/4 in (85%)

Summer Sitting

Here's Ava showing off how well she sits.And chews.

Ava at 8 months

Here are some pics of Ava on her 8 month birthday. She's sitting pretty well on her own now, eating foods, dealing with emerging teeth (still haven't quite broken through), and survived her first cold. She's only up 6 ounces from last month, but the nurse said it's probably because she got sick. She generally eats like a champ.

Easter Treats

Ava's favorite Easter Treat? The chocolate-covered marshmallow bunny, hands down. It's shiny, crinkley, and squishy. What's not to love?

Mmmmmm... shiny.

 

Can you see the drool dripping off it?

 

Just one more bite...

In Like a Lion...

Spring has brought with it a cold for Ava. Her first cold, which she has quickly passed on to me. So far it's just a congested cough that wakes her (read: us) up frequently, and a little bit of snotty nose. I'm hoping and praying that it remains mild and we both recover quickly. Do you remember when your first baby got his/her first cold? I've been dreading this day, but I knew it had to come eventually.