20 months!

Before I catch up on our Christmas festivities we enjoyed this year, Ava turned 20 months just before Christmas, so its time first to document whats going on this month with our girl!

• She's loves to give hugs and kisses, now she'll say hug randomly and come running with arms wide open, saying "momma hug". (My heart literally aches when she does this, it melts me every time). 
• She and her best bud Izzy love to give each other kisses, its just so innocent and sweet, love how much these girl's love each other. 
• She loves to point at things and ask you "what's this?". She can ask this question 20 times in a row and loves to go around a room and quiz you every item in it. 
• She's started singing. She randomly on her own will start singing "twinkle, twinkle little star" but gets lost after the first verse. Her version sounds a little like, "binkle binkle whittle star"
• She loves to play chase around the house, she laughs and laughs when you get her, and loves to chase us in return. 
• She's started saying the word "potty" a lot. I'm not sure if she's really ready but she keeps showing more and more signs she is, so might should get a potty for her soon. She randomly will sit on Rory's food or water bowl and declare its a potty. She is fully clothed when she does this so far Rory's area is safe, not sure where she got this idea about Rory's bowls?
• Just before the move this fall I was going to cut back on the paci but didn't really stick with it with all the adjustments, now that we are done with Christmas travel's decided we are back to cutting the paci down to the bed and the car. 
• She doesn't care a thing about the TV or any shows. She knows who Elmo is from her bath time books and will point him out sometimes when she sees him.
• I made a canvas for her room with a bird on it (I'll post more on this pinterest inspired project soon), she loves to come into her room and say "hi bird". 

Here's some pics from this weekend with two Christmas gifts, her doll stroller and her new boots!

Our Church had service night for the holidays at nursing home this month, they had this snow globe inside that Ava apparently thought needed a little squeeze. 

II remember this time last year, its was just before Ava would start to get teeth, start crawling, really eating table food and I remember that I was afraid I would so miss my tiny baby. I have to say, I love each stage, I really do. This stage is so much fun, most ways I think its easier, some days I'd say its harder but everyday I love her and love sharing this precious early years with her, I hope I stay present and soak up every bit of it! Love this girl so much!

lately

Wow its been a busy month! So busy I have hardly any pictures to show what we've been up to lately. So lets see we've had some good and bad an some in-between, here's the highlights:

• We went to Ryan's Christmas Party where we won an ipad earlier this month!
• Ryan got a pretty terrible cold that now Ava has but I think she's on the up swing of it finally. Not sure why I've been immune just glad I'm symptom free so far. 
• My book club had our monthly at the melting pot. It was lots of fun and I stayed out way later than usual these days. 
• We finished lots of house things but unfortunately during the process this weekend Ryan smashed one of his toes by dropping a ladder on it. I could show you a graphic bloody picture of it that he sent me when I was out getting Christmas errands run and the gross picture came with the caption "on a break" but I will spare you.  He can wear a shoe again so guess he'll make it.
• I made Ava a felt Christmas tree that she's had fun playing with lately. I also finished the last wall in her room with an art idea I got from Pinterest I will post more on that soon. 

We are in the Christmas home stretch, just waiting on two items to come in the mail and that is all that's left of the Christmas shopping. All our packages are wrapped and under the tree. 

Happy Christmas Week!!

Smore Christmas fun!

I'm compiling ideas for an activity advent calendar for next year but for this year we are just sprinkling activities in here and there to celebrate the season.  Saturday night Ava enjoyed making her first smore! She did not like the messy marshmallow part but she would eat some of the melted chocolate on the grahams. 

I was so impressed with Grahams that came in fresh stacks, the perfect amount in each little pack for a smore snack, that way the rest of the box doesn't go stale if you take a long time to eat the box. I also found some Stacker Marsh Mallows, the are flatter and perfect for smore making!

While we are on the subject of Marshmallows,  I am loving this flavor of bath and body works candles this holiday season, Marshmallow Fireside, it smells so good! I better slow down in burning it or it won't last me till Christmas at this rate.

a sweet tradition!

We had our second annual making of homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch, pioneer women style on Friday. It is a sweet holiday tradition we enjoyed with sweet friends. These freeze great so we ate on one batch all weekend and I'm saving my other batch when I have family visiting just before Christmas.

 It was a very empowering day, cooking something from scratch with my own hands and doing a craft that turned out really great, I won't post the craft on here just yet because some of you that read this will get one for Christmas. I am about 60/40 on crafting, 60% of the time they don't turn out like the grand plan I have in my head but I keep going back for the 40% of the time when I am pleased with the results (same on cooking new recipes too!). It was a 40% kinda day Friday.

The girls in their matching winter Jammies:  We couldn't get a good picture of them to save our life, they would be doing something totally cute, like sharing a chair together or giving each other a hug and as soon as one of us grabbed a camera one of them would be done with that. Ava helped a little with stirring this year but we are thinking next year will be lots of fun when they can be more involved in "helping".

Trying to build our holiday traditions around experiences more than material things. So its fun to think of ways to do this.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We put up most of our Christmas decorations this week. Making it all work in a new house will take some re-configuring but it sure makes it feel more like our home. Ava's best buddy Izzy has her own tree in her room so we thought that was a fun idea and Ava and I went Monday and picked out a small tree for her room. She loved both our trees and when I turned on the lights she says "ooo pretty". Each morning she sees the trees and says "Tree, don't touch." She's doing well for the most part with just looking. We are excited to start our Christmas celebrations. Tomorrow we make home made cinnamon rolls to freeze and eat this month. I love this time of year! 

Whooo had a great Thanksgiving?

 

*Daicia took this sweet pic of Ava in her Owl hat (Thanks again Shannon!)*

We did!

 Seriously it was great. I loved getting to sleep in each and everyday! It is so enjoyable to just slow down and spend time with those you love. 

 Our friends from college stopped by on their way home from their Thanksgiving to spend the weekend with all of us. Ava had fun playing with their little girl, Quinn. (In the pic above I asked them to make a crazy face and that's what they came up with.) Ava enjoyed being around a real baby, she mostly enjoyed Beck's company but just a few times became upset when she wanted us to hold her instead. (see pic below Daicia took, she was sulking around when Aunt Amy was holding Beck Saturday night.) 

I feel blessed our families live so close we got to see each side throughout the weekend. I even ate two dinner's one night because the food was just too good at both houses. Let the count down to Christmas begin!

19 months

Ava turned 19 months yesterday. This month I feel like her development has exploded, every time I turn around she's doing something new and often hilarious. Here's the run down of milestones this month...

• One of her new favs is opening and closing doors, the handles on the interior doors of the new house are all pull down levers so she can open and close them now. luckily the outdoor ones are still turn nob and she can't do those just yet, but it doesn't stop her from trying when daddy is outside and she wants to get to him.

• She weighs 18 lbs now, her favorite foods include peanut butter toast for breakfast, yogurt and spaghetti.

• My favorite new thing she does is tell us its time to "pray". She bows her head and puts her hands together and then will whisper some things that I can't understand and then say "amen". 
• We've started sporting a pony tail these days with her hair getting long enough to keep it for a little while.
• She still takes two naps a day, one around 9:30 and one around 2:30, she had a bit of an adjustment with the new house but is back to going down easy and sleeping her normal hours again. 
• She throw some fits mostly when she's tired but mostly those are just here and there and usually mostly easily managed.

S

• She still loves to take care of her babies, here she is at target giving her baby a paci while we shop. I keep this pint size baby in her diaper bag so we are never anywhere without one. 

• She still does a "crazy face" on command, she opens her eyes wide and smiles huge while gritting her teeth together.
• She can do her first chore with some assistance, I give her fill up Rory's food scoop and she takes it and puts it in her food bowl. She's figured out how to open up Rory's food bin and I have found her several times in the pantry feeding Rory by hand. They are both pretty sneaking about this, so it can take me minute to figure out what's going on.
• She says all sorts of phrases that run all the words together "where'd-it-go" "got-it" "you-okay?" & "Rory Hush".

Something that really gets to me...

I think most would describe me as very laid back, however I do have a few things that REALLY get to me. One of the things on my really gets to me list, especially now raising a daughter myself, is how our culture sexualizes everything, especially young girls. The messages this society starts giving them from an early age is their appearance is of up most importance which is causing an epidemic of low self worth and girl's having no clue who and who's they really are. Being a parent now one of my deepest desires is to nurture her spirit to understand what a whole and wonderful being she is, that she has a divine purpose and plan and she has so much more to offer and be defined by then her appearance. I love a well done documentary, they can be so powerful and so thought provoking. I want to share with everyone this must see documentary 'Miss Representation' as a must see on this topic. I could rave and rave about the importance of this conversation and movement at a time such as this but they conceptualize it far better than I. I will share with you through recent consumption of information on this topic here's some practical idea's I'm trying to attend to:

• Make more comments to girls you know that involve their inner self then comments like aren't you pretty and cute. Try you're so smart, kind, sweet, honest, talented, important...
• Observe the media you voluntarily let into your family's life and home. I until a few months ago watched E news as a guilty pleasure fairly regularly, I have purposely decided not to watch it anymore. This show and others like it promote this continued idea that women are important based on their sex appeal.
• Notice and be connected to successful, strong and confident women. I love that Ava has relationships with all my close friends. I am glad for her to spend time having other role models that will influence her as she grows. 
• Model for her healthy and fit living, but leave it at that, stop fussing over that 10 vanity lbs you want to loose, or that part of your body you don't like (everyone has something), in general stop being critical of your own appearance. (This is the hardest one!)
• Pray for this area specifically.

I'm back!!!

Well I've been on an involuntary tv and internet hiatus since we've been in our new place. But I'm back connected to the world again as we got cable and internet set up today. I haven't found the cord yet to charge the camera so I have no pictures for this post but thought I'd at least say a few words on where we are at right now with this whole moving business. We are on our way to feeling settled but I have to say its taking longer than I thought. I've to really work during this time to be present and not wish I could fast forward to having all the house projects done already. Everyday we make progress in making this house our home and as with everything there's value in embracing the journey rather than just being focused perpetually on the next destination. So more to come soon!

Dear House

Dear House, Its true that our time together has run its course and soon we will be parting ways. The therapist in me needs some good closure to our relationship to end it in the spirit in which we have enjoyed our time together. So I thought I'd share some goodbye thoughts with you.

You were a great starter house for us and the memories we've shared together are some of my most cherished. I finally felt like an official grown up when we first met and now I'm a mom and am into my 30s as we say goodbye. 

You were a welcomed sight at the end of those days during that challenging first year out of grad school.    When I was first working with children and adults victimized and hurt often in their own homes, I would crawl into bed and be thankful for the safety and security I felt with you and deeply wanted all people to have place that they could call a real home; a place to find comfort and replenishment from the wear and tear of the world we live in.

You were the site of countless friend gatherings, enjoying new year celebrations, wedding showers, birthday parties and just for no special reason get together's as well.  You saw us through some of our most joyful times of bringing home our first family dog, the rasacal of a puppy, Rory:

Once we passed the puppy test we decided it was time for the real deal. You were the setting the night we found out we were expecting our Ava bear! You were where we brought her home too that first day and where she continued to grow through her first 18 months. You were there through the sleepless nights and first steps. Her laughter and first words echoed on your walls.  You were also the just perfect place to celebrate her one and only first birthday party.

So dear house you will always have a special place in the life of this family for all those reasons and more. You see you were more than our house you were our home. You were just right for just the right time for us. No matter what stress we faced or bad days we had we could count on you to be here at the end of each day to wrap us in your comfort and security (and when needed you also could be counted on for an amazing bubble bath!). I will remember you fondly and even though the new house is bigger, newer and nicer - I have to confess there is part of me that will miss you! Good-bye house, thank you for the blessing you've been to this family. 

Sugar Sugar

I enjoyed a day off with Ava last week and we made some from scratch Sugar Cookies with icing for a baby shower we were having at work the next pay. These turned out great! Ava calls them "cake" and requests them frequently this week as I kept some aside for her and Ryan. We found the recipes online and they did not disappoint! I like the all recipes site because you can change the quantity of cookies you want to make and it will adjust the ingredient amounts for you! The cookies turned out thick and soft and the icing dried to a wonderful sweet, shiny hard topping. Printed out both of these for my cooking binder. 

cookie link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/the-best-rolled-sugar-cookies/detail.aspx

icing link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/sugar-cookie-icing/detail.aspx

well I think it's going to happen!

Now that we are through most of the inspections, I think it's going to happen. We put an offer in a post-foreclosure home and looks like soon it will be ours! I am posting a video tour of the down stairs mainly for my family out of town who would like to see it. It is very hard to not get emotional about these things when your thinking this is what I want my forever home to be, the one our children will build life long memories, where we will post heights on door posts, celebrate holidays, and birthdays and Lord willing where we will bring more babies home too....but I tried to hold off  too much of that until we were through the inspections. So now I am just really thrilled that it looks like its all going to work out. It will be hard to leave this home but I'm glad we won't be saying good bye forever as we will keep this house as a rental property. Expect a pretty sappy dear house post soon, saying goodbye will be bitter sweet (mostly sweet) :0)

Things I'm most excited about for the new house:

• enough rooms that one will solely be a play room that I am so excited to create.
• having a walk-in pantry and a giant walk-in closet in our bedroom.
• all the windows and natural lighting.
• being out of the city more, more of country feel while still not being too far out.
• The beautiful open kitchen and the island.

18 months!

Ava turns 18 months this week! Here's the highlights for this stage...

• She continues to add words each week, some recently are "church" and she tells Rory to "hush", she calls me mostly "mom" now, sometimes still "mamma". So cute when I'm in the other room, she'll call out "mom, mom, mom" as comes and finds me. 
• rocking and shhhhing her babies to sleep is still her favorite pass time, She likes to use Rory's dog bed for her baby bed.
• She might just turn into a banana, she eats 2-3 whole bananas a day. She's showed an interest in strawberries and grilled sweet potatoes are her other current fav. She also loves to put cherrios or teddy grahams in her yogurt when she eats it these days. (see picture at the bottom of this post).
• She now wakes up from naps usually saying "up" instead of crying to let us know she's awake. 
• We shared a first together, we fed giraffe's at our zoo last week. (see top pic).
• She can tell you a wide array of animal noises, although the lion is her favorite, her little growl is pretty cute. 
• She had her first ear infection this month which got her first antibiotic, I paid extra to flavor it strawberry at the drug store, she seemed to like it pretty well, she would often sign more after she got some. 
• Her hair is getting long, trying to hold off cutting it and hoping her bangs will catch up. 
• I catch glimpses of a little girl at times when she's playing on her knees with pig tails in her hair. (see middle pic). 

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

Lately I've been having that feeling. That how to get it all done, my mind continuously plotting, planning and organizing to try manage my time to squeeze it all in feeling. I feel like in that frenzied state, the things that start get cut to "get it all in" are actually the very things I hold most dear like peaceful time with family, quiet time in bible study, real preparation time for the children's bible class I am teaching at church, those unplanned but looked forward to long talks with a friend... I also notice I get snippier and more irritable . I don't feel like over-extending myself helps me in anyway become who I want to be. So upon reflecting on this I've decided to simplify, simplify, simplify. I say this as we are in a stressful but special time of hopefully buying a home and its our busy time at work. For those very reasons its a prime time to get started. So I said "no" a few times last week, re-arranged some things at work and am more thoughtfully considering what to fill my schedule and time with. We enjoyed a slower paced Sunday and Ava and I had a quiet but fun day together today. The slower pace is already extending a calmness that I have missed. I look forward to hanging onto to this and continuing to be more purposeful with my time and energy. 

I thought these pictures from this weekend went well with this theme. Ava fell asleep on a run, reminds me how children of this age are in that blessed place of not planning, plotting or organizing, they are just present in each moment. Relaxed enough when things are calm and quiet to easily drift to sleep...is there anything more calming than watching your child sleep?

I keep telling her a pager is really not as fun as it looks:

Do you find yourself over extended? I feel like as women in this culture its an easy trap to fall into. What are ways you avoid this trap?

Soap not Dope

Well it happened again, I left him home alone, someone came to the door selling something and he bought it. It will surprise most of you that know my fiscally minded husband that this is a recurring phenomenon at our house. Just the other day a lady came to the door who is part of a soap not dope program. At one point in the sales presentation she told Ryan she was pregnant but also took a smoke break later? (He didn't find it odd till after she left that those things shouldn't go together) Ryan says she was an excellent sales person, the right amount of persuasive but not pushy. I have to say I don't really mind. While we have some differing views of giving, Ryan says he prefers to give people money who are trying to do a job rather than those just standing at the street corner. So when someone seemingly down on their luck comes by to sale something he feels compelled to buy it. I have to say this is challenging to many of us who do the opposite (give money when we have it on hand to those asking but hide in our houses when someone rings the door bell). So I think there's room for both these ideas on giving and as usual Ryan challenges me to think about this in a different light. 

Here's the quick shot I got of Ryan (who did not want his picture taken) when I got home and said oh I will be blogging about this and held the bottle up for the appropriate blog worthy photo:

Here's our 40 dollar of purple cleaning magic, suppose to last us a year, we've used it on everything, so far pretty impressed with its versatile cleaning abilities. Supposedly its no toxic, she licked up a bit of it during the presentation to prove it:

Pumpkin Patch

My work had a little party at a local pumpkin patch Friday Night, all kinds of firsts for Ava, she liked some better than others. The weather was awesome and the farm wasn't very crowded since its so early in the season.  

Ava' first pony ride! She got confident enough to even wave at me towards the end. 

We ended the night with a hay ride, close to her bed time. She wasn't so into the ride ended up snuggle up with her head on Ryan's shoulder towards the end. 

17 months!

Due to change of seasons colds around here this post is late. But better late than never, right?. Ava is now 17 months old! Here's some of her highlights this month...

• Everyday it seems like she is saying a new word! She is starting to put some words together. "Hi Rory" "Bye Baby".
• She finally graduated from her infant carrier to a toddler/convertible car seat. 
• She still takes two naps and enjoys her paci, probably should start limiting its use to bed and car but I don't really care too much just yet. Maybe next month.
• She loves to play outside, its hard to say now when she says outside and then starts signing please to say no. Luckily the weather's been great!
• She still wears 12 month clothes mostly.
• She went on her first fair trip as you saw in the previous post.
• Her hair is long enough for pig tails which we've worn quite a bit.

This box has been a big hit around here this month.

Also this month I won my first ever blog giveaway, why both bloggers that teamed up for this giveaway are good friends of mine I can assure you it was a randomize drawing, thanks Life to her years and Urban Owl Knittery for our lovely owl hat, we love it! Here's Ava when we just got it out of the mail!