Want a snack?

I have officially become "that mom" that I said I would never be. You know, the one that promotes childhood obesity by feeding their child to make them quiet. Ava and I went to Target today to get groceries and pick up a few things. Usually she'll make it at least 10 minutes before I have to pull out the snack. However, I think that she's now put two and two together...Target=Snack. We hardly made it past the entrance and she was already fussing. So, I gave her a "mum mum" which she immediately devoured in a matter of minutes. I then tried to distract her with some toys. She wanted nothing to do with them. She thought that my purse was more entertaining, even though it was in the back of the cart. This little girl is like a little Houdini. She can somehow twist around and stand up even with that seat belt tightly around her. So, I move my purse to the front next to her (at least she won't fall out of the cart and get a brain bleed this way). So I was once again "that mom". The one who has a list in one hand, coupons in the other, and a daughter with a pen who is writing on her coat while throwing everything out of my purse. It was at that time that I was grateful that I brought a back-up plan...Teddy Grahams! Yes, rather than dealing with the problem, I continued to pump my child full of calories. Is it the proper way to deal with the situation? Probably not, but it got us out of the store without a major meltdown from either one of us. Thank you Teddy Grahams!

Surgery Day

Today was a day for surgeries. Both Great Grandma and Grandma Great had cataract surgery this morning, and Ava got her tubes in. We were up bright and early to get to the hospital by 6:00 this morning. We were greeted by wonderful and cheerful people at Children's Hospital in St. Paul. We got to pre-op and went through all the questions, the child life specialist came in to go over "the mask" with us and Ava and let Ava pick out what flavor of lipsmacker she wanted in the mask (like she knew the diffence). Being my girl she obviously went for the pink one. :) Before we knew it Daddy was taking her into the OR and off to sleep she went in his arms. Twenty minutes later she was back in our arms and was ready to eat and drink. They had warned us that most kids are crying and upset when they wake up from the anesthesia. Ava didn't shed a tear. She did however immediately house a whole container of applesauce and some crackers. :) She did a great job and I have to say that I'm really looking forward to ear infection free days in our future! She is still on the augmentin and her stools were starting to show me that today. So off to the pharmacy we went again to get those darn $30 probiotics. Bring on the yogurt and probiotics. We do NOT want another repeat of the diarrhea situation we had the last time she was on augmentin!!! She's off to day care tomorrow. Please pray that she makes it through the day there without us getting a phone call that we need to pick her up due to "uncontainable stools".


Thanks for checking in on our little peanut, it was indeed a big day for her (and us)!

She seemed fairly happy about being at the hospital at 6 am

A little kiss from a worried Daddy

I loved these little socks with the skids on the bottom. She kept trying to pull the sock off because her pulse oximeter was on her toe. She also got a "fall risk" sticker. I suppose she is since she can't really walk.
Surgery is all done; just having a little snack.

A few more pictures from Easter...
"Look, I found my eggs"
Two of her favorite things this past weekend...Cousin Zack and books
Digging in to her Easter basket at Grandma Great's

Easter, Ear infection, & ER

We had a busy weekend in IA celebrating Easter, seeing family and friends, and meeting new babies. We had our ups and downs to the weekend, as Ava suffered from yet another ear infection and I made my first trip ever to an ER (as a patient) on Easter morning.

We started the trek down on Friday afternoon, as Nate took a half day of vacation so we could get down there early. I offered to drive (which never happens). My eye was bothering me so I quickly took my contacts out and put on my glasses. That lasted about 2 minutes and my eye was killing me. It was horribly red and painful. So, Nate took over driving duties while I sat shot-gun and cried out of my left eye for the next 5 hours. Ava did a great job all the way down to IA.

Saturday morning our friends Lee & Leah came to Grandma & Grandpa's and we got to meet their new baby Tyler. He is such a cutie, and so tiny next to Ava. Aunt Lisa and cousins Reece & Zackery came that morning as well. We also got to see Aunt Darlene, and cousins Carl & Kristin. Ava stayed home with Grandma & everybody else to dye Easter eggs and take a nap, while Nate and I went into Mt. Vernon to see our friends Nate & Meredith, and meet their new little girl Eden (and of course see their little boy Jackson who is so cute, funny, and full of energy). That evening Uncle Brent arrived to Grandma & Grandpa's and we all hung out, including Grandma Great & Great Grandma for dinner.

Sunday morning Ava was up early again (as she was Sat. morning). She was going down late and getting up early. She was spending a lot of time with her thumb in her mouth and her fingers in her ears once again. I'm glad that I got an antibiotic prescription filled on Friday and started her on that. She sadly just wasn't her happy self though. I was not my happy self either. My eye was killing me and I finally decided that I couldn't take the pain anymore. So, as everybody else got ready to go to church my mom and I went to the ER. I luckily didn't have to wait long at the ER. I was diagnosed with a corneal abrasion, given a script for some antibiotics, and we were out the door in about an hour. My eye is now feeling SO much better and looks 100% better. My eye no longer makes me look like a have a crack addiction. We made it back home before anybody else arrived. All of Grandma B's side of the family came over for lunch and the big Easter egg hunt. We lucked out with the weather...it was sunny and not horribly windy. That evening we went up to Grandma Great's house for dinner. Ava had yet another Easter basket there.

This morning we packed up the car and headed north. We stopped at Nana's for lunch and hung out for a little while. Ava was ready to get out of her car seat. We got home and unpacked around 4:00. Just in time for a little play time, bath time, dinner, and bed. It's going to be an early morning tomorrow. We have to be to the hospital by 6:00 AM for Ava's tubes. With that being said, I'm off to bed.

Hoping that you all had a wonderful Easter. Below are some pictures from Grandma B's camera. I'll get the ones of my camera shortly and try to get some on here.

Ava had no problems finding Grandma's "lid" drawer

Meeting Tyler for the 1st time.

Dying Easter eggs with cousins Zack & Reece, & Grandma B

Cousin Zack & Ava. Ava Loves him so much and he takes such good care of her!

"Sooo big"

Story time with Reece & Zack. If Ava had her way she would have sat in that chair all day long and listened to "stories".

Reading her book after church

Our Easter picture. Sadly enough I have on my "ER" outfit while Nate & Ava have on their nice church clothes.

Finding Ava's egg during the big Easter egg hunt put on by Aunt Darlene

Ava & Grandma B after finding all of Ava's eggs

Gradma & Grandpa B. with cousins Anna, Zack, Jakob, & Reece

Ava was not feeling well Sunday evening.

A good-bye kiss from cousin Reece

A few pictures

I don't really have much of an update for today, but wanted to share a few pictures I took of our little peanut today. Her pre-op appt. went well today. She weighed in at 25.9 lbs! She needs to learn to walk so she can work on that "belly-belly" of hers. She still has lots of fluid in both of her ears, and I guess that her left one looks pretty bad. We have a prescription already packed in case we need it this weekend in IA.

Hope you enjoy the pictures of our happy little girl... Here she is proudly displaying her "belly-belly" Playing with her camera.

No more bottles

Another weekend has quickly passed, and we are now getting ready for a busy week. We had a fun filled weekend. Saturday morning we dyed Easter eggs. When I say "we" I really mean Daddy and me. Ava seemed more interested in either throwing her eggs on the floor, or trying to eat them rather than dye them. At least she looked cute with her bunny ears on. That afternoon Ava got her hair cut before heading to Grandma & Boppa's for dinner with our friends Josh & Kate. We put Ava down to bed and then the four of us were off to celebrate our friend Andy's 30th birthday while Grandma & Boppa hung with Ava for the night.

We met up with Ava at church this morning, and then went back to Grandma & Boppa's afterwards for lunch. The Easter bunny left a basket filled with goodies for Ava while we were there. Ava really loved opening up the book that wouldn't fit in her basket. We came home fairly early, as I wanted to get some stuff done around the house before our week got off to a busy start.

Today marked Ava's first day of being "bottle free". She's been down to only a bedtime bottle for a week now. I figured now is as good of a time as any to drop that one bottle. She went down without a problem. I think part of it had to do with the fact that she had only slept for an hour total today and was completely exhausted; but I'm hoping that's only a small part of it. My baby is no longer a baby...she doesn't even use bottles. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to be quite happy to rid our kitchen cabinets of the bottles with 500 pieces, and not having to wash them every day will be even better. It's just that a year ago this weekend she was this tiny little baby getting baptized, and now she's a little girl that is "sooo big". It's crazy how fast she grows, and even crazier how much I love her!

Tomorrow morning Ava and I will be heading to her Dr. for her pre-op physical. They'll be rechecking her hemoglobin since it was low at her 1 yr. appt. I'm hoping that since she's healthier now that it will be normal. I'm also hoping that they don't have to draw any more blood from her than that. Ava will then spend Tuesday-Thursday at daycare and then we'll pack up the car and be heading to IA to celebrate Easter with my family. We're looking forward to seeing them all, as well as a couple of friends and their new babies. Just wishing that the drive wasn't so long! Hope that you all had a wonderful weekend! Ava getting ready to dye Easter eggs

Ava thought eating them sounded better than dying them

She was so happy and excited about everything from the card to the book

Our beautiful girl

The "S" word

That's right...SNOW! I thought that it was gone for at least another 6 or 7 months. But no, it's April and we're supposed to get 1-2 inches of snow tonight. I hope it doesn't stick around long because I already put Ava's big warm winter coat away. I just want spring to come and stay! Ava is getting tired of her winter clothes and is ready to break out the new and colorful spring wardrobe.

It's been a pretty low key week here. Grandma came and played with Ava on Tuesday evening when I went to work. She came back for more fun on Wednesday so that I could go and get my hair done. Ava was quite fussy that day. I'm not sure what her deal was, but I'm glad that she was better today. A big thanks to Grandma for coming over that day. My hair was in desperate need of some TLC. That evening I went to a big consignment sale in Maple Grove. I went on the opening night...Big mistake! I shopped for 30 minutes and stood in line for an hour to purchase stuff that I really didn't Need. I think that I'll go back tomorrow since it's 1/2 price day and see if there are any cute clothes left. You really can't go wrong when you can buy an outfit for $1. It was super organized with some very nice stuff. I'll definitely be going back in the fall to look for some clothes of Ava. I just won't be going on the opening night.

I worked a day shift on Thursday so off to daycare Ava went. Today we spent the day together. We went to the mall this morning to get a few things and return the dress with the "stuff" on it. Ava charmed everybody by saying "hi" to everybody that she saw. She also thought she was cute while sticking her finger up her nose. I have obviously been cleaning out her nose a little too often for the past month (she's had a horrible yucky nose). Last night she stuck half her finger up her nose...so lady like! Ava also got to skype with Grandma B and cousin Reece today. She enjoyed standing at the edge of the couch, squatting down, and then popping back up. I guess it's her way of playing peek-a-boo. It was cute! The wind was howling outside today so we couldn't go for a walk. Instead we went to the gym this afternoon.

We have a fun filled weekend planned. Tomorrow morning we'll be dying Easter eggs before bath time. I'm sure that Ava will just want to put them in her mouth, but I feel like it's something that we have to do every year even though she won't remember it. Ava will be heading to her little salon "Snip-Its" tomorrow to get her hair cut before we head over to Grandma & Boppa's. We're meeting up with some friends there for dinner before heading to a birthday party. Ava will be having a slumber party with Grandma & Boppa and we'll meet up with her at church on Sunday morning. This is Ava in her starting position. She actually really likes to walk behind this little contraption now.

As she gets going her butt sticks out a little more and a little more...

until she's down on her knees and then she just crawls around behind it.

Ava used to be so happy just looking at this book by herself. Now we spend a lot of time with her pointing at things and us telling her what they are. If you don't respond when she points at something she'll let you know that she's not happy about it.

I left her alone long enough to throw her laundry into the washing machine. I came back to her room and this is what I found. She's a quick little turkey!

She always falls asleep on our walks when we're about 1/2 a block from home

It was pizza for dinner tonight. She loved it all...pepperoni, green pepper, mushroom, sausage, and onion.

The little black dress

We have a a couple of weddings coming up this spring/summer so I've been looking for a dress. Now I have not purchased a new dress for a very long time, since before having Ava. So, off to the mall I went with Ava & Grandma V a couple of weeks ago. Well, we thought we hit the jackpot and home I came with a new black dress and accessories to boot. Excited to show Nate my new purchase I put it on and go downstairs expecting a nice reaction. He sits in his chair, looks at me for awhile, and then says, "it's not my favorite". I instantly deflate and go upstairs to change. He wants to know what that "thing" is on the side of the dress. The "thing" that he's referring to would be a ruffle. When I ask what else he doesn't like he says that he doesn't like the color, stating, "should you really wear black to a wedding". I guess he wants me to find something with some color. So, back to the mall we go today. I try on some "color" but none of the dresses are flattering. I settle on another black dress that is actually cheaper and doesn't have any "things" (aka ruffles). I get home once again somewhat pleased with myself that I found a descent dress for a fraction of the cost of the first one. So, downstairs I go again with the new dress. Nate sits in his chair, looks at me for awhile and says, "I like it better because it doesn't have all that "stuff" (aka ruffles). "But it's not my favorite, it's still a black dress. You could find one with some spring colors". So, being self-conscious about the weight that I've put on since I stopped breastfeeding I've concluded that...

1. He thinks that I look like an 18 wheeler with a "wide load" sign on my back, but just doesn't want to say that. Instead he just says, "it's not my favorite" or

2.. He wants me to dress like an Easter egg with "spring colors" or

3. I'm just being overly sensitive about the whole thing.

I've decided that it must be 1 or 2. Me be overly sensitive? I think not! :)

On another note Ava had a very busy weekend while I was at work. She was initially supposed to go and watch Daddy run a 5K Saturday morning but he was unable to run due to his fall a few weeks back. She spent the morning practicing walking behind her little car that flips into a push car instead. Daddy got a video of it, but unfortunately I still can't figure out how to get videos on here! She definitely can't walk on her own, but I think she'll have it down before the end of the month. As for now, her feet are a little crazy and she sticks her butt out so far that she sometimes drops to her knees. At least she's actually attempting to walk now. Even last week I would stand her up behind it and she would just sit back down.

Saturday afternoon/evening Ava got to go to see Uncle Wes at his place. They took a walk to the park, and from what I hear Ava loved the slide. Sunday morning it was off to church and then over to Grandma & Grandpa V's. They watched Ava while Daddy & Uncle Wes hit some golf balls.

Today Ava was a bit fussy. I can't decide if it's because of teething or if she has an ear infection. I truly believe that all parents should be given an otoscope when they discharge from the hospital after giving birth, and be instructed on how to use it and distinguish between a normal eardrum and an infected one. This would cut down on so many trips to the Dr's office! She's been "irritable", pulling at her ears (don't know if it's from an infection or pain from teething), has a runny nose, a harsh cough, and now the yucky gunky eyes. Poor thing! I truly can't wait for those tubes! We have her pre-op physical next Monday so at least she'll see a Dr. before we head to IA for Easter and can treat an infection if she has one. I'm also hoping that her hemoglobin has come up from her last visit. We'll be rechecking that next Monday.

I picked up an evening shift tomorrow so Grandma will be coming over in the afternoon to watch Ava for a couple of hours. Hopefully Ava will be feeling better. This is her little car that she sometimes rides on, but it also converts into her little push toy that she's been walking behind. "Are you kidding me?!? They hung up on me!" This would be Ava's wide open mouth laugh. Sometimes it sounds more like a cackle.

Tubes on the 26th

It's 7:40 in the evening...I can hear the birds singing outside, it is not yet dark, and there is only one small pile of snow left outside by our driveway. I think that spring may have actually arrived!!! Yesterday and today Ava and I were able to enjoy wonderful morning walks (wonderful except for when she kept whining and wanting me to read her a book that she brought along). It was so nice to finally feel the sun on my skin and not be covered in layers from head to toe. It's also nice to get out and move to hopefully shed a couple of the many pounds that I've put on since I stopped the breastfeeding!

We had Ava's ENT appointment this afternoon. Nate got off early from work so that he could meet us for the appointment. They did a hearing test as soon as we got there. Ava evidentally did not do well. The Dr. said that this is most likely due to all of the fluid that she has on her ears, and most likely does not have permanent damage to her hearing. He said that with Nate and my history of ear infections, as well as Ava's ear infections and persistent fluid that she definitely needs tubes. We'll be heading to Children's Hospital in the wee morning hours on Tuesday April 26th. It will be a quick procedure and they said that she should be fine by afternoon (after the anesethia wears off). I have to say that I'm actually looking forward to it. I'm tired of worrying every time that we leave town that she'll have another ear infection. We've had too many bad nights away from home due to ear infections! Hopefully this will be the answer to our problems.

An afternoon at the park

What a beautiful day!!! We couldn't help but get outside and enjoy some of the sun and warm weather today. We started our day in Blaine, attending a 3 on 3 basketball tournament that Nate was supposed to be playing in with some co-w0rkers. He unfortunately slipped on the wet grass last week while taking the trash out. He laughed about it that night, but hasn't been laughing since. He's been having really bad back pain that goes into his rear end. He started seeing a chiropractor last week. I'm hoping that will make a difference. Needless to say, he was unable to play today, and will not be running the 5K that he planned on running next weekend either.

We came home for lunch and a nap. Then it was off for a walk (a very slow walk thanks to Daddy) to the park. We got to leave the winter coats at home and broke out the spring jackets. We all had a great time swinging and soaking up the sunshine. Enjoy the pictures!

Yes, it may look like winter due to all of the snow that we still have on the ground, but it really was a nice spring day.