1 year minus 1 week

The countdown has begun. Only one week until Ava turns 1. We went to the "party store" today to try to narrow down a theme. Ava and I opted for the "1st birthday" theme. She's not really into anything right now. Next year we'll try to not be so lame. We're hoping to go and order her cake on Sunday. That's if we don't get the foot of snow that they are now predicting. I'm just hoping that the weather is nice next week for our trip to IA to celebrate Ava's big day.

Nothing too exciting to report since our last update. Daddy watched Ava yesterday afternoon while I went to work an evening shift. This afternoon we went to Ava's favorite little boutique and got her a new hair accessory, and then went to her "salon" for another hair cut. She goes to this place called Snip-its, it's so cute! Grandma accompanied us.

Ava has another photo shoot tomorrow. Ang (angelacourtneyphotography.com) will be coming over tomorrow afternoon for Ava's 1 yr pictures. Hoping that it's an afternoon filled with lots of smiles! Have a great weekend!

Practicing her drums. She likes to take the lid off the drum and play with it on the floor.

Pjs and smiles...what a great start to the day!

She has been "loving" her stuffed animals lately. She hugs them and then gives them kisses. It may be one of the cutest and sweetest things I have ever seen.

Trying on her outfit for her photo shoot tomorrow

The new haircut. Now she won't have hair hanging in her eyes all the time.

Giggles for Daddy

Bye bye boobies

Tonight was Ava's last night of breastfeeding. She has had a very decreased appetite with this ear infection and hasn't been drinking much milk at her bedtime feeding. I figured that since she's a year old next week (and that's when I planned on stopping breastfeeding) that this would be the best time to completely wean the breastfeeding since my body isn't producing much due to her minimal intake. Believe me, we have Plenty stored in the freezer to last her well past her first year of life. I actually looked into donating some of it, but it is quite the process.

The whole thing is kind of bitter sweet. I have waited for the day that we wouldn't be attached for every feeding (especially when she was a newborn and feeding every 2 1/2 hours). But it was also a special time that was just her and me. I am so grateful that I was able to do it, and for so long. The freedom will be nice...no more finding a place to feed her in public or packing the pump for a night away. However, it's one more reminder that she's more of a toddler than a baby now.

I've been reflecting a lot over the past week, as her birthday approaches. Thinking about the excitement and anticipation that we were feeling a year ago. I remember her birthday like it was yesterday...every single detail! We still have that excitement and anticipation, but it's about different things...eating solids, crawling, standing, soon it will be walking. This past year really has flown by, and she has changed so much. I look back with a little bit of sadness that my baby will soon be a toddler, but also with a lot of happiness. What wonderful memories we have made! I have been so lucky to work only part time and get to spend those extra days with her. Even though it's sometimes more exhausting than going to work, I have to remind myself how quickly the days go by and how quickly she changes and grows.

Ok, I'm going to wrap this up before I get even more sappy. Like I said...it's bitter sweet!

Happy Valentine's Day

Rather than surprising Daddy at work with homemade cupcakes today, Ava and I spent the morning at the Dr's office. Shockingly enough she has another ear infection in her right ear. It's probably not a new one...just one that she never got over the last time due to her antibiotics being cut short. I'm not happy with the Dr. we saw last time. Not only did he not start her on another antibiotic, he didn't tell us that we should go and get her tested to see if she really is allergic to Amoxicillin. So, today she needs a prescription for this infection and our options are extremely limited since she now has amoxicillin listed as an allergy. So they started her on azithromycin but the Dr. said that unfortunately it will take 2-3 days for that medication to start working. So, our poor little peanut will have to suffer. Now I have to take her in for a lab draw sometime soon. I'll take her into Children's Hospital to have it done. I'm sure they'll be quick, as they do it hundreds of times a day. I just don't want them to have to find her little tiny veins and stick her. She's not exactly one to sit still...I can't even cut her fingernails most of the time.

Anyway, hoping that your Valentine's Day was a bit more fun than ours!

Oh what a night!

We left Friday evening for our first winter trek to the cabin. The drive was uneventful and Ava slept most of the time. We got up there pretty late so Ava went straight to bed. We got up Saturday morning to some beautiful weather. By mid morning the sun was shining and the thermometer was reading 34 degrees. It felt tropical out! Nate and I ran into town for a short while was Ava was taking her nap. We found her some cute winter boots for next year, hopefully they'll fit her come next year. After her snack we bundled up and headed outside to play in the snow. She's still not real impressed with it, or perhaps it was that she wasn't feeling the best (which we didn't know at that time). You can see the pictures below for our outdoor fun. The snow wasn't perfect for packing, so we made miniature snowmen instead of big ones. They were just Ava's size! :)

Ava got a little fussier as the day went on, and by evening she was refusing most food and not her happy little self. She went down to bed ok, that is until about 11:00. That's when the coughing and the crying started. That didn't stop until around 4:00 AM. We walked, we rocked, we stood in the steamy bathroom with the shower running, we had some milk, and then we rocked and walked some more. The only thing that worked was the rocking chair in combo with "glow seahorse" (it's the same as glow worm, only a seahorse...appropriate for at the lake of course). Grandma rocked her from 4-6 AM so I snuck in two hours of sleep. At that point I took her so Grandma could get at least a little sleep as well. I finally laid her down in her crib around 6:30 and she slept on and off (when she wasn't coughing) until around 8:30. Then she awoke with a fever. She slept all the way home, but then her temp spiked last night with a high of 104.2. Some Ibuprofen and some milk (she once again refused food) and she went off to bed. With the ibuprofen, benadryl, and a humidifier on all night, she slept pretty good. There was the coughing, but not the crying. Thank you lord!!! She has to be just exhausted after not sleeping Saturday night. I'll be calling the clinic when they open at 9:00 to get her in for an appointment. I'm thinking that ear infection may be back, or she has a really bad sore throat since she's not eating solids. Hopefully we can find some answers there. We'll keep you posted!

Ava making a snow angel...doesn't she look like she's having fun? :)

Ava, Mommy, & Daddy with the mini snowmen

Ava size snowmen (please note the snowmen's spiky hair on the left and the "snowhawk" on the right. They are compliments of Uncle Wes)

Ava & Grandpa V.

Uncle Wes spelled out Ava's name with twigs

Daddy, Mommy, Ava, & Uncle Wes in front of the cabin

Ava standing at the window looking out at silly Uncle Wes and Daddy waving at her

Mommy & Ava

Ava during her nap after we got home. I had to wake her so that she would sleep last night. Poor little thing was just exhausted (and feverish).

She's Back!

Our sweet and happy little girl is back. The ear infection must be cleared up because Ava has been smiles and giggles most of the day. She did take a very nice 2 hour nap this afternoon (which I'm hoping will become routine), that's after she slept in and took a morning nap. So I'm glad that we got to spend the day at home so that she could catch up.

This afternoon we went with Daddy to his Dr's appointment in Plymouth and then went over to meet Grandma & Grandpa Veldman for dinner. Today was a Very special day for Grandpa. He turned the big 6-0. Ava pointed out to him in her card that he is 60 times older than her...what a sweet girl. Happy Birthday Grandpa!

This weekend we're going to the cabin. It will be our first trip there in the winter. It's supposed to be warm (if you consider 34 degrees warm) so hopefully we can get outside and play for a little while. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, and a Happy Birthday to Miss Cora!

Bath time

All wrapped up warm in her towel after her bath. Her little butterfly antennas on her hood fell down...they are so cute!

This would be Ava after she swiped a fry from my dinner plate tonight. The waiter put my plate down, and when I looked over at Ava she had already grabbed a fry. I was wondering if/when we were going to introduce her to those oh so healthy foods...I guess tonight was the night. She of course loved it!

What a day!

What a day indeed! Ava (aka "Chomper") woke up this morning and I noticed that she had a slight rash on her chest and belly. Nate finished changing her and brought her down for her cereal. After that it was time for milk. Well Chomper went to town, and it was decided that I would be dropping the morning feeding at the breast as well. So, she got a bottle for breakfast. I don't know what her deal is, but she thinks that it's SO funny to bite me while feeding her. Let's hope and pray that she doesn't think biting other kids at daycare is funny!!!

After that ordeal it was time to get ready. I then realized that the rash was also on her back. I figured that it was probably a reaction to the amoxicillin even though she has been on it in the past. She has still been kind of cranky and I felt as though her antibiotic isn't working as well as it should so I was going to call the Dr. today anyway. So, I took her into the clinic. Her pediatrician was out of the office today, so I had to see some other guy (whom I was not impressed with). First of all, if you're going to keep me and my sick child waiting in a small cell for 45 minutes you could at least apologize or acknowledge that you're running late. I understand that they have buys days, but my time is precious as well. Besides, after Ava knocked her cup of "puff puffs" all over the floor, it kind of sent me over the edge as I tried to pick up the 50 "A" shaped snacks off the nasty virus infected floor. So, he said that her ears have minimal fluid on them, and it sounds like they've improved dramatically from the description that Dr. Garr gave me of them last week. So, he didn't want to start another antibiotic, but we can do another check next week if I feel she has not recovered from the infection. As for the rash, we're calling it a reaction and adding Amoxicillin as an allergy. So, home we went. She continues to be very clingy, and then woke up with the rash spreading to her forehead and the top of her head. I hope that it's better tomorrow. She's going to daycare tomorrow and I want her to have a good day!

On a better note, Ava has learned a new trick. She can now go upstairs. I stood her up on the stairs this afternoon to see what she would do. She started to climb them like she's been doing it for weeks. The little turkey went up probably 8 steps. Guess we'll be getting those baby gates out sooner rather than later.


Check the oil...

Check the engine...

Put it into gear and we're ready to go! :)

Two is not always better than one...

This statement is true especially when talking about ear infections! I picked Ava up from day care on Tuesday and noted some little crusties on her earlobe. I wondered if her ear had been draining and was concerned about an ear infection since she had woke up a couple of times in the past week, and hadn't been her happy little self during the day. So I made her a Dr's appt. for Wednesday morning (at which time she weighed in at 23 lbs). The poor little thing has a horrible double ear infection. She is now on antibiotics and scheduled benadryl. So far it hasn't been helping. Tonight she had a fever of 102.6 and wouldn't eat dinner. I had to force her medication down her (in the past she loved the amoxicillin, and was even wanting more at breakfast). I'm really hoping that tomorrow is a better day for her!

We laid low today since she was very clingy and not in the best of moods. We made a quick trip to Target and that's about it. I'm hoping that she feels better tomorrow so that we can go to the gym. She got plenty of play time today. She pulled herself up (for the first time that I've ever seen) from her knees to a standing position today while playing beside her toy box. She still doesn't understand the concept of moving her feet while she stands. I'm sure it will come. With that being said, a big Congrats to our friend Cora who is now walking!!!

I'm working this weekend so Nate and Ava will be hanging out and enjoying the Super Bowl without me. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Still able to smile in spite of the ear infection and fever

She is now consistently crawling on her knees, and has become quite quick!

This is one of Ava's favorite things to do...pull all of her toys out of the toy box

Today she was able to stand up on her own.

"What, you expect me to put all of this stuff away?"

My poor little sick peanut, had her thumb in her mouth before she even hit the stairs. Sweet dreams!