While Daddy is away...

This weekend Nate had his annual golf trip with "the guys". They always go up to Giants Ridge for a weekend of golf, beer, unhealthy food, and testosterone. He usually comes home exhausted with a sunburn, sore muscles, an unshaven face, and some great memories. So since he was away, we thought we would have a "girls weekend" with Aunt Darlene and Great Grandma.

Aunt Darlene and Great Grandma arrived Thursday afternoon. That way Nate was able to see them and have dinner with all of us for one night. It also gave Aunt Darlene and me the chance to beat him and Grandma at a game of cards.

The weather was less than desirable this weekend, but we still had a good time. Friday morning Daddy was on his way with Uncle Wes and Brian. We spent the morning going to the park. and I made my first ever loaf of banana bread. I know, I'm 30 years old and have never made banana bread. Grandma & Aunt Darlene said that it was good. I wasn't sure if they were just being nice or not until I got up this morning and most of the loaf was gone. :) The rain came in Sat. afternoon so it was off to the mall. We all got a little something. We found Ava's 4th of July outfit...it is sooooo cute. I can't wait to see her in it. Too bad I have to work 4th of July weekend.

Saturday morning was pretty low key around here. I left around lunch time to go and surprise our friend Kari for her 30th birthday. Ava stayed home with Great Grandma & Aunt Darlene (thanks for watching her!!!). After I got home we were off to the Como Zoo. It was beautiful outside all day until we got ready to leave. Just as we were pulling into zoo the rain started to fall. We decided to brave it, but stopped in the conservatory first to see if the rain slowed down. We looked at the beautiful flowers and then headed out into the rain to visit the primates. After probably 30 minutes the rain stopped and the sun came out. I'm glad that we braved it and were able to enjoy the zoo.

Aunt Darlene & Great Grandma left around 11:30 today. We were so glad that they came, and sad to see them go. We just don't get to see them often enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making the trip up here and keeping us company this weekend. We didn't do anything too exciting, but we hope that you still had fun. We loved playing with you and just spending time with you. We love you!!!

Ava loves going down the slide

She had sooo much fun with Aunt Darlene pushing her

She crawled through the tunnel for the first time and loved it.

Great Grandma, Ava, & Aunt Darlene at the park

Aunt Darlene, Ava, & and a real "Sophie"

Enjoying the zoo in spite of the rain

Great Grandma, gorilla, Ava, & mommy

Ava giving the gorilla a kiss bye-bye

We tried piggy tails today. They weren't in too long before she pulled the right one out. We'll try again tomorrow. :)

This would be Ava getting very mad that she can't close the oven door with her baby in the oven. I'm slightly concerned about what kind of mother she will be some day.

15 months

Today our baby turned 15 months old. The months just seem to fly by. I look back at the blog posts from a year ago and see this beautiful little baby. I then look at her today and see this beautiful little person with a big personality. She continues to change every day. One thing remains constant though...she's still not walking on her own.

We had her 15 month appt. today. We didn't see her normal pediatrician (as she was booked out 2 months). Ava checked out just fine. However, the Dr. that we saw today seemed almost appalled that Ava wasn't walking. She did say that maybe part of it was because she had so much fluid in her ears for so long that her equilibrium was off. If that's the case, we can't use that excuse for much longer, as her tubes were put in last month. She'll walk while pushing her stroller or when she holds on to your fingers. She's just scared to try it on her own. I was also informed that she should be drinking 2% milk, not whole milk. Perhaps this will help with the size of her "belly belly". Her height and weight are proportionate though...both being above the 90th percentile. She is now 33 inches long and weighs 25 lbs 5 oz.

Daddy leaves for his annual golf trip on Friday, so Aunt Darlene and Great Grandma are coming up to keep us company. They'll be arriving tomorrow afternoon and staying until Sunday. We can't wait to see them!

Wishing you all a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend!


She is now pushing around her train, but refused to try to walk on her own

You may think that she's doing her best impression of Christopher Columbus discovering America, but in fact she's pointing to the park that you can see from our yard. She obviously enjoys going there.

It sure was a lot easier to get her to sit still next to those signs when she was younger

She's already looking in to Luther College. To bad she's reading it upside down.

Pointing out puppy's eyes

Sink or Swim

I kind of feel like this is the motto in the "toddler room" at daycare. I picked Ava up from daycare today and when I arrived I was told that she was outside playing with the toddlers. I figured that this was good since she loves being outside. I get to the door and look outside, and see my poor baby sitting on the ground crying. Two of the "teachers" are standing next to her and just looking at her. She's not whining, she's crying. I'm sure that most of it was that she was over tired (since they're trying to wean her to 1 nap per day), but why weren't they at least playing with her or picking her up? They told me that she did fine this morning when she visited the toddler room.

I asked one of the toddler teachers if they get a lot of kids in their room that don't yet walk (since Ava is still not walking on her own). She replied by saying something like, "Oh, she'll learn to walk quickly if she wants to survive." What?!? These kids are going to eat her alive! I feel like I need to start walking boot camp STAT! Otherwise she's going to continue to be the kid who is sitting in the middle of the playground by herself crying. She's got a week off of daycare to make some progress.

So, needless to say, Ava's first day of visiting the toddler room did not go as well as I had anticipated. I'm kind of dreading her going back next week. I'm sure that I'm being the overly sensitive first time mom, but that's who I am. She may be 15 months old, but she's still my baby! Tomorrow we're off to her 15 month old well-baby check (which unfortunately involves more shots).

ENT Follow-up

Yesterday Ava had her follow-up appointment with Dr. Karlen, her ENT Dr. She got a great report. Her hearing is now normal, the tubes look great, and her ears look great. We've had no infections since they were put in. We won't have to see him again unless she starts to get infections or if the tubes don't fall out on their own in two years.

Daddy was able to come to the Dr's appt. with us which was nice. He then hung out with Ava last night so that I could go out and have dinner with some friends. Cafe Latte cheesecake...life doesn't get much better than that! :)

Today we got off to a rough start. Ava was up early and was CRANKY!!! She was either whining or crying for the first three hours. Finally I put her in her crib, closed the door, went to my room to fold laundry and closed my door, and turned on the TV so I couldn't hear her. I have never let her "cry it out" before. I said that I would wait 8 minutes. After 6 1/2 minutes (but who was counting) she was out cold. She slept for almost an hour and a half. She woke up in a much better mood! She is getting another molar on top. I'm hoping that is what is causing the crankiness, meaning that it's only temporary. She is such a "strong willed" little thing. I keep telling myself that in 25 years this will be a good thing. I went to put her in her carseat after her appt. yesterday and she was mad that I took the car keys away from her. She stuck out that belly of hers, arched her back, and she slid right out of the carseat before I could strap her in. What happened to my sweet angel baby? I think that the little beast toddler is taking over! I thought this wasn't supposed to happen until they turn 2! What can I say...I guess she's just advanced. :)

Ava is going through a stage where she wants to wear her hats when she sees them in the closet. This morning she didn't want just one, she wanted 2. This goes for shoes as well. She never keeps them on when she's supposed to, but now she constantly brings me her shoes and wants to wear three different pairs at one time.

You would think that she could walk on her own the way that she pushes this stroller around. She'll pick it up and throw it to the side if something is in the way. We still haven't quite mastered the balancing act of walking on our own though.

Toddler room?!?

I picked Ava up from daycare this afternoon and as we were getting ready to leave, her teacher told me that Ava will be visiting the "toddler room" next week. I was informed that when they turn 15 months they start making daily visits to the toddler room and eventually transition in there by the time that they are 16 months. All I could think was, "Toddler? What are you talking about? She's my baby! She's not big enough to be in the toddler room!". Unfortunately I think that I'll still be feeling this was 16 years from now. So, next week our little girl will be heading over to the big kids room. I'm hoping that I like the "teachers" there as much as I have in the infant room. They are wonderful and I love reading Ava's daily reports of what she ate, what she played with, etc. We are so fortunate to have such a good daycare that is so close to our house.

It has been awhile since I have last updated. I'm kind of ashamed to say that I don't even have any pictures to post from the past week. Ava went to daycare last Wednesday through Friday. We all spent the weekend home together and it was wonderful...no road trips, just us!!! We went to the mall and hung out on Saturday. Nate and I rented a movie Saturday night and were both asleep on the couch mid-movie by 9:00. We really are getting old! Sunday we went to church and then got to go and meet Baby Kya. It was great to see Kya's mommy and daddy, and see their new place. We are so excited and happy for the three of them! I even got to squeeze in a little walk outside Sunday evening after we got some much needed housework done.

Ava has spent the last three days at daycare. She's now home for the rest of the week. Tomorrow morning we'll hang out and hopefully go for a walk, and then we have her follow-up appt with the surgeon in the afternoon. I'm anticipating a good report. I can't tell you how nice it is to not constantly have to worry about whether or not she has an ear infection.

Ava has learned something new over the past week...how to throw a fit. That's right, that sweet little girl whom I claimed was an angel for the first 12 months of her life is not so angelic anymore. She has perfected the art of arching her back and crying. This is quite irritating when she needs her diaper changed or when she's in the bath tub. I'm not sure where she learned her great technique from, but I'm not impressed! She has become quite demanding and stubborn at times. She must get this from her Daddy. :) In spite of this, she still blesses us with her kisses and that sweet little giggle (the best sound in the world). Man I love her...even if she is sassy!

A Rufflebutts kind of day

The humidity was high and the thermometer finally went above 70 degrees. That could mean only one thing...time to break out the Rufflebutts. I fell in love with Rufflebutts after Ava was born, and am slightly addicted to them. I've been waiting months for it to warm up so that Ava could wear her Rufflebutt bloomers. I had the day off so we were able to go for a nice walk this morning and then headed to the park after our trip to Target this afternoon. Watching the weather and it looks like tomorrow may be another Rufflebutts day! :)

The first two pictures below are from last night. All of a sudden she loves her Bumbo chair (which I was just getting ready to put in storage). She likes to flip herself around and sit in the chair. Once she gets herself situated correctly she'll look for me and then say, "yay"! Then she'll wiggle her way out and start all over again.

The legwarmers were just on this morning until the temp got above 70 degrees.

Look at that cute booty

We only read this book 12 times today.

On the road again

I apologize that it's been so long since the last update. We have been very busy this past week, and were "on the road again" this weekend. Last weekend I worked my first set of 12 hour nights in years. I survived, but have to say that I'm already dreading doing it again in five weeks. Nate had to work last Saturday morning and I had a funeral to go to so Grandma & Boppa came and got Ava. Ava had a sleep over with Grandma Sat. night, while Daddy, Boppa, and Uncle Wes went to the cabin to put docks in. Thank you Grandma for taking Ava!

Monday I slept, and Tuesday we were out running errands. Ava went to daycare again on Wednesday while I worked, and Thursday we picked Daddy up from work at 4:30 and hit the road. Our first destination was De Soto to spend the night with Aunt Lisa & Uncle Brent. This was a nice stopping point since our final destination was Kansas City. Unfortunately it was late when we got to De Soto so we didn't get to spend much time with everybody. Ava was evidently really excited about seeing them, because she didn't fall asleep until after we got there, which was at 10:15 (her usual bedtime is 7:00).

After seeing Cousins Reece & Zackery for a short time, we were Kansas City bound. Auntie Lisa (#2) & Uncle Craig were kind enough to open up their house to us for the weekend. It was so nice to see them and get to spend some time with them. They are such a huge part of my life, so I'm grateful whenever Ava can spend time with them; as I hope that they will always be a big part of her life as well. We were also very grateful that they have lots of room for her to play, and she had her own room to sleep in. I can't imagine trying to confine her to a small hotel room, and then trying to get her to sleep. We had wonderful weather while we were down there. Saturday Uncle Craig took Daddy & Uncle Wes golfing, while Auntie Lisa, Ava, and I hung out at the house and went for a walk. Auntie Lisa taught Ava a new word, "brrrr" she she touches something cold. Ava was saying it again today, and she thinks she's so funny when she says it. I have to admit, it's pretty cute. I already miss the sun and warm weather (as we watched the temperature drop drastically as we drove home today).

Saturday evening we got ready for the big event...cousin Jenny's wedding. It was a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding, and the venue was gorgeous. Ava had never met Aunt Patty, Uncle Terry, or cousins Kelly, Jenny, or Erin. Ava was all dressed up and so happy to meet them all. It was also great to see other family that we don't get to see very often. Unfortunately you never have enough time to talk and catch up with everybody at events like this. Ava was excited to meet everybody and tell them "hi", but was definitely over tired and ready to go by 9:00 (like I said, she's usually in bed by 7:00). Thank you to the Davis family for a wonderful evening, and a big Congrats to Jenny & David!

This morning marked the beginning of the grueling ride home. We actually made good time. It used to take it 7 hours, and today it took us about 8. But let me tell you, it was a long 8 hours. I spent most of them in the back seat trying to figure out what was going to keep Ava quiet as she flung toys as hard as she could. She was quite over tired but slept less than an hour and a half total all day. We leaked through a diaper and onto her cute outfit. As a mother's day gift, Daddy changed her and her outfit at McDonalds. That's right, nothing says Happy Mother's Day like lunch at McDonalds in Des Moines. Ava consumed more fast food this weekend than I would usually want to expose her to in 3 months. She's more interested in the bun than any meat or fries...she's obviously a woman who loves her carbs. After that it was back in the car. We have this CD that my sister gave me that has all these children's songs that kids are singing. A few months ago Nate refused to listen to it. He now realizes that this CD was actually a gift from God. Between this CD (that Nate now sings along with and whistles to), and us singing MANY versus of "Old McDonald" with exotic animals, we kept Ava quiet for brief periods of time. I did notice that at one point while I was singing she had both of her fingers in her ears. I would like to think it was due to an ear infection, but since she now has tubes perhaps she was trying to tell us to stop.

We are now home, unpacked, and exhausted as we get ready to start our new week. Ava has been sleeping soundly for three hours now and I'm getting ready to head to bed so I can be up early tomorrow for work. We hope that you all had a wonderful weekend, and a Happy Mother's Day to all you moms! I have to say, being a mom is the most difficult and exhausting job. However, when I hear those giggles, see those smiles, and watch her sleep, it's also the most rewarding job.

Now that Ava has her molars, I thought she needed her 1st toothbrush. She actually likes "brushing" her teeth.

At the park in Kansas City

Just hanging around on the monkey bars

Ready to head out on a walk in her new compact stroller that we got for the trip. Too bad she only kept her sunglasses on long enough for me to snap this picture.

Ava & Auntie Lisa getting ready to head out to weddings (they had a different one to go to)

Grandma V, Daddy, Ava, Mommy, & Boppa before the wedding

Ava finally getting to meet Cousin Erin who lives in Colorado

Ava & her men. She has each of them wrapped around her little finger...smart girl she is!

A sweet kiss for Boppa

Ava on the dance floor in hopes of catching the bouquet.

Enjoying a dance with her Daddy