Middle of the Night Noise.

Okay so this is my only outage to rant about the neighborhood dogs. I fully understand allowing your dogs out in the day and them barking. I might not like it, but I can not always stop my two large dogs from barking right away during the day, but you better believe that after the sun goes down you will not hear a peep out of my dogs. This is not true for the houses surrounding me. I don't know names yet, but lets just say that it is 1:30 in the morning and everyone in the house is wide-awake. Also I must say a random bark in the night is okay, but for your dogs to be barking hog wild at who knows what, is not good.

So for all of you responsible dog owners out there please keep your dogs quite at night. Especially the middle of the night. Some of us work for a living and have to be up extremely early the next day.

Hi my name is Sarah and I am a workaholic....

Okay so following Erin's blog format...

By the way no I am not a workaholic, but I used to be one.

The following post will be who am I now. Right now I am a mother (still weird for me to say), a wife (not always a good one) an employee, a daughter and so much more.

Right now I feel defined by being a mother. My life is consumed with Ava. I must say that is not a bad thing at all and I love it, but I feel as though my other rolls are suffering.

I believe in traditional male female rolls even though my life does not follow one. I also would love to be taken care of instead of doing all the taking care, but not sure that my personality would allow this to happen.

I remember almost every thing that is said to me (or should I say that I have fought with someone about) Just ask Mike.

I am cranky, moody, hyper (when I have gotten sleep) slightly neurotic, compulsive about some things and not about others, and most of all I love to have things my way.

I know this last one is not a shocker to anyone.

Sometimes I cry, but try not to in front of others, sometimes I want to be held, but will not make the first move, and sometimes I think you should know what I want and just do it without me saying something, even when I don't know what it is that I want myself. Oh wait isn't that a typical woman?

Lastly I am me. An only child loved so much by my mom.

I have been this way for 26 years, and while this is not a long time in my life as a whole, it is going to be that way for another 26+ years, and even if I try to change, I cannot. The only thing is to hope that I am soon able to devote enough individual time to each roll that I now have in life.

Thrice is nice

Well maybe we have a new habit!!!!! AVA SLEPT. Let me explain, the past three nights she has slept 9 hours each night. Each night I slowly let go and I get more sleep to. Last night I only woke up twice to check on her. If you are a mother you will understand. I just am not used to so much sleep in a row. It is NICE. Now she still gets up at 4am, but that hour comes much easier when you go to bed at 7! Not sure if my rocking Ava to sleep is helping her stay a sleep, but I would like to say it is. Also to those who say let a baby cry it out and they will learn to sooth themselves....no no no....my way did work. I went to Ava anytime she cried and she new I would be there...now she does not have to sooth herself back to sleep she will just sleep...in her own crib I must add. Sorry horrible run on I know. I just had to get out the Na Na bo bo part to the insensitive men who told me to let my baby cry. This is why a woman should always follow her gut. It will pay off. It might take five months, but it works. I now have a well rested baby that is extremely happy.

Here are a few pics from last night.


Ava and I just after her bath...bundle up the baby!


Ava's new PJ's....thanks Grandma


I love to rock Ava to sleep!

Drummer Girl....

Well Mike has started Ava young in playing the drums. I thought guitar would be cool, but a girl drummer would be okay also. I just hope she sticks to beating on the drums and not on me or the dogs.

We all took a trip this weekend to see the Tulsa crew. It was fun. We took some more 4 generations pictures. Also got a good one of the great grand parents and Ava.


On a growing note...Ava is 20 weeks old....or 5 months and now is eating rice cereal. Mom says it tastes like wall paper paste, but I am not willing to give that one a try. Ava seems to enjoy it. That or she enjoys me making a mess on her. Either way she would be better at feeding her self than I am, see.
As for sleeping...Ava is now sleeping 5 hours... she then wakes, eats and sleeps two more in her crib. Then she wakes and sleeps 2-3 more with me in our chair. One of these days she will sleep straight through the night, until then I will get up when she gets up.

Nothing else too new here, will post again soon.

Photo Contest

I just entered Ava Lynn in the Great American Photo Contest. The baby with most votes this month wins $2,500 (that could be a nice amount to put away now for college!!). Please do me a big favor and click on this https://www.greatamericanphotocontest.com/voter1/index.aspx?
referid=EmailFriends&p=304578&x=.JPG and vote for Ava Lynn. It takes a minute. I really appreciate it, and so does Ava Lynn . Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,
Sarah Shelby

p.s. Tell your friends to tell their friends

Here is a copy of the photo!

2 lbs of Meat, 1-1/2 lbs of shrimp and 24 rolls later...

Okay two big things went on this weekend. First I started redoing our master bathroom. Well actually I started picking at the wall paper when I was still pregnant with Ava and now I am officially going to finish it. Pat and Amber came over on Friday and helped me pick off all the wall paper. Then Saturday Pat, Mike and I primed the walls. Sunday we would have done the textureizing part, but Mike and I decided to have a cookout.

I will post pictures of the bathroom when it is all done. I will put them in sequence for yall and everything.

As for the cookout...Mike spent 5 straight hours in the kitchen preparing/cutting up 2 lbs of red meat, potatoes, orange peppers, pineapple and shrimp to put onto a million wooden and metal scures. We then had Chance, Courtney, Pat and Amber over for a good time.


Amazingly through this all Ava fell asleep at her normal bed time and stayed in bed until midnight, when she was hungry again. After she went to bed we cleaned, had ice cream cake and continued to be loud adults having fun. If only every night could be a party. Wait maybe not, it is Monday and I am super tired and my bathroom is not done. ARRRRRR

That's My Daughter!

As I was changing Ava's poopy diaper this morning, I found her making a face back at me. This was no ordinary nice morning face this was my face....she was sticking out her tongue and grunting at me. Something I have done many times to her. Yup that is my daughter, stick me with a dirty diaper and make a face to me. Nice.

Oh last night it was a bit chilly here, but no wind, so sticking to my New Years Resolution we all went for a walk. What a site we must be. Me with Ava all bundled up and Mike with these two large dogs walking him.

Right now our adventures maybe few or small for some every day is a new one for us. Hope you like the pictures from last night. I think we might be getting carried away.