The Life & Times of Ava Cate: Months 3-4

Yesterday, Ava rolled over for the first time! Chris was quick with the camera and caught the rolls that immediately followed. They're featured in the latest montage video of Ava. Clearly she's already a diva, though a very sweet one!

The Pumpkin Patch

Happy Halloween everyone! We decided its never too early to start a family tradition, so we took Ava out to the pumpkin patch to find that perfect pumpkin to carve. We went to a nearby Methodist church that sponsored this patch and the money raised goes to church missions. Ava enjoyed her time there. She was wide awake the whole time watching the pony rides, and all the children running around. It was sweet to see her discover new things and take it all in! It is hard to believe how quickly she is growing and I just keep reminding myself to enjoy every minute I have with her at this young age. Below are some pictures from our family adventure. Hope you enjoy looking at them!

On our way

Sign we saw upon entering the pumpkin patch

Ava discovering a pumpkin for the first time, it was adorable!

Leaning back on a pumpkin as we snapped pictures!

We took lots of family pictures, especially since
we dressed in coordinating colors.

This was my idea of course!

Mother and daughter, I love this one!

Ava fell asleep as soon as we arrived home.

Chris took her out of her carseat and she

laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

This made her daddy melt!


Watch the video of our trip below:

To Recap September...

Last month I was a terrible blogger! So, this month I'm going to try to do better. To recap September, we took a trip to Tennessee at the beginning of the month. We drove from Tallahassee to Kingsport, TN, which is Chris' hometown. It was suppose to be a 9 to 10 hour car ride, but it took us closer to 12! Ava overall did very well in the car, but we stopped frequently for feedings, diaper changes, etc. On our way up we stopped to visit my PT school friend, Julie (AKA Jules). We stayed at her parents' lakehouse for the night. They live a little outside of Knoxville, so it was pretty much on our way. Julie and her baby boy, Jake, were there for the week. I was thrilled to see Jules and to finally meet Jake! We had a nice visit and then headed out in the morning for our final destination.

Ava and Jake met for the first time! Jake had an adorable smile on his face, Ava, however did not know what to think about him!

We finally reached the beautiful lakehouse in Kingsport. We got to visit family that week, and Ava and I met some of the Cate family for the very first time.

Ava loved Nanny Sue's "coos"!

While we were there we celebrated Chris' 28th birthday! I bought him tennis lessons for his birthday to improve his game!!! He loved it! The next day we headed home. I was sad to see our Tennessee vacation come to an end, but hopefully we will get to visit again soon!



The rest of September went by very quickly. Chris battled the flu, and was out of work for almost a week. Luckily, Ava & I stayed healthy!

Last but not least, our family received some exciting news in September! Kevin and Ashley announced they are expecting a little one!!! We are absolutely overjoyed for them and even more excited that Ava will have a playmate. Ashley is due on May 9th. We will keep you updated as the Cate family continues to grow!

Ava's Gameday Predictions

Ava is 2-0 when picking the winner of Auburn games this season. Check out the video to see who she has winning this week's game.

Gameday at the Cate's

Ava's been waiting a lifetime for the Auburn football season to get here, and now she's making the most of it on gamedays. Here she is calculating which cheers to use during today's game.



Ava's prediction for tonight's game is Auburn 63 Mississippi State 3.

Also of note, Ava got three vaccination shots during her doctor's appointment last Thursday. She cried, but she handled it better than me or Chris. Ava weighed in at 10 lbs 1 oz.

Ava's glamour shots

Ava had her first professional pictures taken at around 2 months of age. She did great! Aunt Ashley came with us and it was a good experience. Ava really didn't know what to think about the whole situation. In a lot of the pictures she actually looked a little confused. We tried to get a smile out of her...Ashley & I made funny noises, shook her rattle and any other toy or noise maker we had available to use, but still no smile! The photographer did say that Ava was one of the best behaved babies she had photographed in a long time. I couldn't help but be a proud mommy! I actually think Ava liked the camera. Maybe its because Chris & I have our camera in her face all the time at home taking her picture! I hope you enjoy the new photos of our sweet angel!

What a Difference 2 Years Make!

Two years ago today Chris & I were engaged on the Central Park Lake in NYC. It was one of the best moments of my life! That was the beginning of an amazing journey we've entered into as husband and wife. A lot in my life has changed in a relatively short amount of time. My life without a doubt is so much richer! So here's to remembering where it all started...

Ava Montage Video #2: 3-6 Weeks

Bath Time for Ava!

Ava is now 6 weeks old and I really cannot believe how the time has flown by. It seems like day by day things are getting a little easier, and we are watching in delight as our baby grows and changes. We are now seeing her smile, and I absolutely love to hear her coo and babble. Bath time is one of her favorite times, and Chris & I can't get over how cute she is in her little bathtub! Here are some new pics of our sweet baby Ava!

Getting Clean!

Posing for Daddy's pictures

Keeping warm in the towel!

My Incredible Family

Our family was present for the birth of Ava.
Chris & I feel so blessed to welcome her into such a loving and supportive family.

New mommy, Ava, & Aunts Cindy & Katie. Cindy came into town from San Antonio to visit Ava for the first time. The picture above was taken July 4th, 2009.

The following pictures were taken on Ava's birthday June 30th.

Aunt Katie has such maternal instincts!

Grandpa Keith is all smiles

Proud new grandmother "Bee", this will be easy for Ava to say!

Grandma or "Nana" still haven't quite decided what Ava will call my mom


Pappy and Bee

Ava loves Aunt Cindy, come see us again soon!


Aunt Ashley, Kuncle, and Auntie "E" Elizabeth


Aunt Elizabeth holding our new addition

Ava's First Video Montage

Ava's first days

We stayed in the hospital for 2 days after Ava's birth. Everyone was very healthy and we were ready to get home! Don't you love Ava's Auburn hat? (Chris insisted that she wear it throughout her entire hospital stay!)

My First Post!

I've decided to start a blog about my family. We recently welcomed our sweet baby girl, Ava, into our family. This is an exciting time for us! I hope you enjoy reading about our family.


Our first family picture. Ava Elizabeth Cate, born June 30, 2009 at 12:33 a.m., 5 lbs. 13 0z., 18 inches long.