From co-sleeping to the crib

This transition has been a bit harder than we thought. Initially we'd planned on co-sleeping until Ava was six months, but with such instability while moving, the age increased to nine months. Here we are just 10 days short of Ava being nine months old, and we are no where near ready for such a huge switch. Bug is young enough to not know exactly what's going on, but old enough to know that the crib is a foreign object. Today is truthfully the first day we've attempted to put her in the crib each time she goes down for a nap. I know consistency is going to be our best friend with such a huge change, and we are hopeful we will have our baby in her own bed within a couple of weeks.

If somehow Ava is throwing out signs that she's just not comfortable with the idea of the crib, than Justin and I have opted to continue to co-sleep. Truthfully, having a baby in the bed isn't that much of a hassle. Ava has grown used to having her parents close, and I feel really bad about taking that security away from her. She won't be a baby forever, and she won't be in our bed forever. Once Justin goes back to work, I'll continue to try to get her to nap during the day in her crib. Even if we revert back to co-sleeping, I don't want the crib to be foreign to Ava. We spent a good chunk of time thinking of ways we can make our Lover bug feel more comfortable in her crib... this was Justin's idea..

It was so cute to see these two in there. I didn't think that having her daddy in her crib would make a difference, but it turns out I was wrong. I really love that my husband is willing to do anything to make our daughter smile. He can't stand when she's unhappy, and I know he'd (attempt) to move mountains for our girl if he could. I'm really excited this morning because I will be seeing a dear friend I haven't seen in quite some time. She made ballerina decorated letters for Ava's room, and I can't wait to hang them up in the nursery. If you are expecting, or looking to gift someone, check out Colorful Characters on Facebook. Mary does an excellent job, and I'm sure once Howl baby #2 comes along, we'll be looking to her to create more colorful letters for the next nursery.

This week I managed to score a "free" mini session with a wonderful local photographer.  I saw a lot of the work she did for former classmates of mine, and instantly I knew I wanted to book a session with Chelsea Giraldo Photography. Check out her Facebook page, I love her work. I'm excited to have pictures taken of my little family. They will be the first set we've had done in 2014, and I can't wait to see how they turn out. Alright all, I'm off! This is the last weekend we have with Justin before he goes back to his normal work schedule, so we are going to make the most of it. Happy Friday all! 

♥- Leilani