New Music on the Playlist

Per request of a cousin, I have added a Beatles song. I also love this song....I just have not thought about expanding my playlist lately. I also added a song for my hubby and oldest daughter(last song on the list).... Jason has turned Ava into a headbanger....yikes!!!!! I have made several attempts to video her antics when she hears this song (no success yet). She puts her little devil horns in the air and goes to town. Jay will only have himself to blame when she dyes her hair black and pierces something.....

My Snuggly Baby

Emma is my snuggly baby. I can put her on my shoulder and she just snuggles right into my neck....awww..... Ava never did snuggle....still doesn't. This morning Emma woke up about 4:00. She had been sleeping until about 7:00. I did not want to give her a bottle and throw her off schedule, so I put her in bed with me and she just snuggled right up to me and slept very soundly for another 3 hours (but I didn't....). Love my little snuggly bunny!

Reason I'm married to Jason....

For those of you that think I married Jason for his great looks and money.....well...I have to admit...it was entirley for the talents his family has! Not only do I benefit from his Mom's wonderful cakes...but his Aunt Sally can sew! She made this outfit for Ava....isn't it adorable.

"O" is for Oops!!!!

ok...So I decide I can get away to do a little office work this past Friday. Emma was in the swing sleeping and Ava was laying in the recliner watching Barney (almost asleep). I step into the office to check emails. I'm gone maybe 5 minutes. I hear a noise. I stop what I'm doing and tune in with my super sonic Mom ears. Emma isn't crying...so Ava isn't trying to smother her. It takes me about 10 seconds to recognize the noise...the glass doors on the fireplace opening. It takes another 5 seconds for it to register that the fireplace has not been cleaned out since the last fire (thanks Jason!!!). I run into the living room and see ashes all over the hearth/floor and my daughter holds up her hands and says "I made a mess". I take her to the sink to wash her hands and face thinking to myself "serves you right"...when Ava says "look at Mema".....
Holy Crap....................................................................................................................................................

side note*

no baby was harmed during the making of this post......

When there was three....

The weekend before we became a family of 4, we decided to spend a special day with Ava. So we took her to the zoo. She had so much fun. All I kept thinking about was "in 3 days we will have another baby". I was so excited to have another little girl...but a little sad for Ava because now she would have to share us. I still deal with a little bit of guilt every now and then (lot less than right at first). Mostly when Ava wants me to do something with her and I cant because I cant leave Emma in the house alone or I'm feeding/rocking/changing...lol. Sometimes I feel like Ava did not get to be a baby long enough. Although she is 2 now and is growing up, she is still a baby to me. She likes to sit in "mama's lap" and she wants to be held. I am so grateful that we got to spend such a special day with her. Dont get me wrong...I know she will NEVER remember this day...nor her life before her baby sister....but we will and these are memories we can cherish!

She loved riding the horse!


A lift from Dad

It was not that sunny...but she wanted her "gasses"We finished the day with Mexican...yum!!!

Ava's Second Birthday

Today I'm blogging Ava's second birthday party...which was...ummmm....almost 2 months ago. She had an e-i-e-i-o party. The invitations were the CUTEST!!! Found them on some website (cant remember name). They had the catchiest little rhyme about Old McBroussards Farm and a little girl turning two...and join us for a party at 12:00 till the cows come home. Her Granny took the invitation and designed her birthday cake (for those of you that have been reading my blog for a while, you may remember the 3 tiered pink cake from last year). Needless to say, my mother in law could never do cakes for the public...cause they just could not afford her....yeah...shes that good! After cake and presents the kids all got a pony ride (compliments of Uncle Tye), fed the fish in the pond and then fed the cows. It was a PERFECT day!!!

Count the candles and blow.....

Just one more reason I'm soooo lucky to have my mother in law...she made the cake!

mmmmm....good

everyone got a pony ride......then
fed the cows......

Growing Up

My babies are growing up. Ava is 2 and Emma will soon be 4 months old. Time...please stand still for just a little bit. I so want to hold onto these days. These days that Ava is asking questions at a rate of a billion an hour...these days when Emma is starting to blow rasberries...these days that Ava is saying "Mama, I love you" "Mama, I hold you"....these days that Emma watches Ava and grins...these days when Ava asks for a hug...these days when Emma wakes up with a big grin on her face...these days when I can make them both happy by just jumpng around and singing...time...just slow down a little bit....

A day with my first born....

I spent all day Thursday (Ava's Birthday) with my little girl. We went to the mall and I let her ride the carousel 6 times (she loved it). She rode the horse, bunny, big buck, alligator, eagle and the seal. She also rode the train and little car in front of Kirklands. We had cookies from the cookie company (before and after lunch) and chicken from chick-fil-a (one of her favorites).....we basically did everything she wanted to do. At one point we are going thru the mall and I look at her in her stroller and she is eating her cookie, singing "Happy Birthday" and bobbing her head from side to side (she was having a GREAT time). She had chocolate all over her face and at that moment I don't think I could have been any happier!!!! That night we had her Granny over for a late Birthday supper for her (her's was last week) and she made Ava a little lamb cake (part of the whole "eieio" theme for the next day). Not sure where Ava learned to blow out candles on a cake...but somehow she knew just what to do. Seems like just yesterday I was planning the whole "first birthday" and seems like the day before that I was walking up my walkway holding a 3 day old baby and thinking...WOW!!!! I'm a MOM!!! Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would get to plan another "first birthday". Before I know it Emma will be one..I'll turn around and they will both be teenagers...one more turn and I'll sending out of the nest...

Gone are the days of sitting still for a pic!

Easter Morning

The Easter Bunny was good to my babies this year. They had lots of goodies in their baskets. Emma could barely hold in the excitement lol.... Ava was amazed at all the goodies (mental note to self....less candy next year!!!).

Marshmallow Peeps

Growing up...my favorite thing in the Easter Basket was Marshmallow Peeps. This is Ava's first experience with Peeps (or bunnies). She did not care for it...so guess who ate them?????

Dying Eggs

This was our second year to dye Easter Eggs. Last year Ava broke almost all of them. This year she only broke a few...but we had dye everywhere!!!!!!!! We used "Elmo" egg dye.

this is what Emma thought about the whole process.....

note the beautiful green rubber boots...she wears them all the time!!!

a job well done!!!!

Easter at the Camp

Easter Sunday at my Dad's camp is a long standing tradition. We have little ones that used to participate in the big Easter Egg Hunt...watching their own little ones now..... This day has grown to include my family from both sides (Mom and Dad) as well as my sister-in-laws family (the Hatten's) and family friends. It is one of my most favorite times of the year. This year the egg hunt was a little rushed because of the rain...and the treasure hunt had to be cancelled (sorry big kids)...but we still had a wonderful time. This was the first year Ava hunted (last year Jason pulled her in a wagon) and she really liked it. Can't wait till next year......

Good Friday

Every Good Friday we have a huge crawfish boil with Jason's side of the family. Over the years it has grown to include my family and lots of friends. We look forward to this all year long. Especially now that we have family living so far away (we miss you Crickett, Lydia, Collin and Margo) This year Mrs Lidice and Aunt Sally made all the little girls matching dresses. It made for some really good pictures.

Collin and Margo
the cousins......

a picture for Granny!

me and my girls

sister love

a Sad Sad day..........................

I am returning to work Monday....sigh........ I have had 8 weeks off and I can truly say I am SAD! I do not want to go back to work and leave my babies. I want to be a stay at home Mommy! But alas...I must work to feed my babies lol.... Funny...when employees tell me they plan to take 8 or 10 weeks off for a maternity leave I think (wow, thats a long time)...now I think (thats just a drop in the bucket). I only took 6 weeks off with Ava and I truly regret not taking more. I know I will regret not taking 10 weeks (but gotta pay the bills). I have had so much fun just sitting ad holding my new baby (she is very snuggly). I have also had fun playing with Ava (she is such a fun age right now) She comes up to me and says "mama, play?" We read books and cook in her little kitchen and anything else she wants to do. Everyone told me that once I had children, the stuff that used to matter, no longer would. I thought they were full of it. But now I can see the big picture. For example....at this moment it doesn't matter that there are Cheerios all over my living room floor (whereas that would have sent me into orbit in the past)...what matters is that Ava is able to say "eerios mama!!!!....pease" and cock her little head to the side when she wants something really bad. What matters is that Emma has the cutest smile and smiles ALOT! Here are some pics of what I will be coming home to each afternoon after going back to work Monday.....

All Smiles

My newest baby girl showing off her blue eyes and smile!!!!

Happy 1 month B-day Emma!

Today is Emma's 1 month birthday. Time is going by too fast. My maternity leave is half way over :(.... Emma has started grinning and it is the cutest half grin! She has acid reflux just like her big sis had, so we dont get alot of sleep in the Broussard house...but I know she will outgrow this (I hope :)...) Here she is with here papaw this past Sat night at her first family function (Crawfish boil for Jay and Tye's Birthday). I did not get to eat as many crawfish as I wanted (nor as many wine coolers as I needed) because I felt like Emma would not appreciate that on top of acid reflux. However, we had a great time.

The "cure" for Indigestion.....

Just in case anyone was wondering...the cure for severe indigestion is not Maalox and Pepcid...its DELIVERY of an 8 pound 12 ounce baby!!!! I had indigestion right up until the moment they wheeled me into OR. Then, like magic, it was gone. Thank the Lord above!!

SO LONG Maalox and Pepcid!!!!! You

were a true friend for many weeks!!!

"N" is for Nap....

This picture says it all..... Jay and his girls on a Saturday afternoon....

"M" is for messy

We treated Ava to a Valentine's cake (a few days before the 14th). It was two cupcakes decorated to look like a bumble bee. Needless to say...she loved it!!!! She is getting VERY independent and wants to do everything herself. It's kinda nice that I don't have to feed her...but boy does she make a HUGE mess.

Happy Birthday Bro!

Today is my baby brother's birthday. We are a little under 5 years apart. Growing up we had our fair share of fights....but as we have gotten older, we are very close. I can only hope my two girls have the same kind of relationship we have (as well as my niece and nephew - Railey and Rhett Tye).

Going Home

Yes.....I brought by my brand new baby girl home to her pink room, paisley pink and green bedding with pink accents all dressed in.....camo. Why you may ask??? Well...for her Daddy of course. We brought Ava home in camo, so it was only natural that Emma come home in something camo as well. We are all so glad to be home!!!!!

Happy Anniversary!

Jason and I recently celebrated our 9th anniversary on 2/26 (the day after we brought Emma home from the hospital). Needless to say, we did not have a big night out on the town. heehee. Jason did grill some steaks and shrimp (better than any restaurant). We have decided to have a big night out for our 10th! It's funny that for so many years we had tried so hard to have a family and had all but given up. This past Thursday on our 9th year, we were surrounded by a 2 year olds chatter and a newborns (??? whatever you call that sweet little noise they make when they are sleeping.....). What a GREAT 9 years!!!!!!!!!

Emma Lenora Broussard

We spent 3 days in the hospital. By Tuesday I was STIR crazy and ready to go home. This c-section went just as smoothly as the last. No pain meds needed! I begged Dr Lee to let me go home early and he said I could go as soon as the baby could go. We had lots of visitors and ate VERY well!!! No hospital food for us....no way. We had Copelands, Ray PeeGees, and Mohawk.

Emma has a little "gas" smile on her face....

Ava giving Emma her first kiss...pls note the sticker on her chest....

Proud Daddy...just wait about 12 years when he has to wait on a bathroom...

Just relaxing. She does this ALOT!!!!!

Welcome Emma!!!!

Emma Lenora Broussard was born 2/23 at 8:57 am. She was a whopping 8 lbs 12 oz (reason for my indigestion) and was 20 3/4 inches long. The cord was wrapped around her neck (it was wrapped around Ava's neck twice). She was never in any distress from the cord. She did have alot of fluid on her lungs and they worked on her for what seemed like forever. I could hear them beating her on the back and suctioning her. and her screaming. I asked Jason "are they hitting her on the back" and he just nodded. I'm glad I did not have to actually see it like he did. We were back there a long time so all the family was getting a little worried. Finally, they brought her to me and Jason walked out with her. Ava was not sure about her at first. But later everyone said she stood at the nursery window yelling "baby sister". When I had Ava they brought her to me in recovery right away. I only got a chance to hols Emma in recovery for a few minutes. She was in the nursery a long time as they were still working on getting fluid off her lungs. A nurse came back to tell me that she would bring her out soon and that I may see bruising around her mouth from the suctioning. She also said she would be bruised on her back and shoulders from the pounding. I never noticed any bruising...thank goodness!!!

Jason walking out with Emma

Ava's first glimpse at her new sister

Ava looking at Emma in the nursery
My first chance to hold Emma after recovery