More Chuckie Cheese, Please!

We had planned to take Ava to see some horses with Aunt Lisa today, but I (Mommy) am sick and VERY allergic to something about horses, so we opted to check out the new Chuckie Cheese instead.
Ava warms up with some "littles" play with Daddy.
Her first ride....she loves it!
Don't be fooled by the expression, she cried after being removed from this ride, four or five rides later.
Yep, she's a thrill-seeker...that's from Grandma & Aunt Lisa I think, oh and Papa Tim too!
Can't this thing go any higher??
Ava and Daddy check out the phone.Hello?

Working off some turkey!

New coat from Granny & Papa and new hat & mittens from Aunt Lisa! Thanks guys, I'm really warm!
Ava armed with sidewalk chalk!
She's a mean, lean drawing machine! Oh, no, she didn't draw the kitty...but she does "meow" to it.

Santa's Little Helper

Ava helps Mommy + Daddy put up the Christmas tree!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ava modeling her Thanksgiving Day attire. She's so cute!! And starting to become a ham too.

Bath time fun!!

More from Halloween....

Ava giving the lion suit a test run around the house. Grandma made the outfit, Mommy helped....minimally, mostly just creative direction. We were afraid she wouldn't wear it at all, so this was a good sign.
Mommy & Grandma putting the hood on. This had to be done last minute before we took pictures. Ava is not always too excited with things on her head, but she was a real trooper here. She even roarred for us...sometimes. We got some footage on film, that's to come!

Happy Halloween!

Family Vacation!

This past weekend Jeff, Ava and I went to Kings Island with Grandma & Grandpa. We had a great time! Ava's highlight was the merry-go-round, here are a couple of pictures until I have time to post the rest.

It's Official...

Ava is going to be a big sister!!!

Our newest family member is just 12 weeks along, but I finally feel comfortable that she's going to hang around for a while. We had a miscarriage before Ava, so even during my pregnancy with Ava, and now, the first 12 weeks are nerve-racking for me...a lot of holding my breathe. But after an ultrasound this morning, and my first doctor appointment, the doctor confirmed a strong little peanut (with cute little frog legs) in my tummy. A good, strong heat beat and lots of movement...Yippee!! We're so excited! The little person should make her/his debut around the beginning of April. I can't wait for Ava to try to get to the "ball" Mommy will be hiding under her shirt later.

Lumberjack Ava

We went RVing last weekend; thanks to Granny + Papa, Ava was right in style with her little flannel shirt.

Fifteen Month Check-up

Well, here's the report:

-31" (approx.) - 75th percentile
-19 lbs., 6 oz. - 10th percentile (we're not even supposed to have the car seat facing forward!....but we do, I'm a bad Mom!)

Summary: Tall and skinny. That's great for someone MY age, but NOT for Ava. The doctor is not too concerned, but since she has shot up in height we need to put some more weight on her to even her out. So.....cheese on her veggies, maybe some carnation instant breakfast in her milk, .... I think I need to do some reading and find some good meal ideas for her. She's not too picky, but maybe I'm not putting enough fat/protein/whatever in her diet. Hmmmm...

In other news, Ava has officially weaned herself from breastfeeding. After MANY months of weaning it all came to an end about a month ago. The before-bedtime feeding was the last to go, and on the final night she signed "milk" to me but said, "No!" when I offered her Mom's. She prefers the cold kind from the frig now, thank you very much. It's nice to have my body back, but also sad to let go of our special bonding time.

Builder Ava + Daddy

Granny + Papa gave Ava some big legos for her birthday, but just now she's getting the hang of them. With a little help from Daddy she builds a skyscraper. We're so proud!

Looks like Team Spirit!

This is Papa's real birthday present! Sorry your package still hasn't gotten there yet; it's taking FOREVER!! Anyway, we thought we'd give you a little sneak peek. We miss you!

Happy Birthday "Ba"!

Due to technical difficulties with Video Egg, this is a little late, sorry Papa! Hope you had a Happy Birthday!

Summer Memories

Here are some pictures from last month...Ava swimming in Grandma & Grandpa's pool, playing with her toys and visiting a fountain on campus with Mom & Dad.

"I was saving that for a snack later, Mom!"

Ava didn't even realize the Puff was stuck to her nose until I pulled it off...after I took a couple pictures of course!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy 5th Anniversary, Jeff! Actually it was yesterday, but I got too busy to post. Sorry we didn't get to go back to Hawaii to celebrate, maybe in a few years. Thank you for the nice dinner, and the one and a half glasses of wine....just the little celebration I was looking for! I love you!

Ava, The Toddler....And Part-Time Dancer

Let the Walking Begin!

Well, it's close, not quite official as of yesterday, but Ava is starting to walk!! We knew she could do it, she already "cruises" around on the furniture and walls, but maybe lacked a little confidence. So finally with the help of a little shopping cart Ava took some steps on her own (with cart) yesterday. Thanks to Kiley for the shopping cart idea! The real news is that today she officially took steps totally on her own, several times. Unfortunately we were too caught up in the moment to get some good footage. I reviewed the tapes and I think I'll try for some better shots tomorrow. It's cute though, she generally has her hands in the air; Jeff said she looks like Frankenstein! Happy Walking, Frankie!

Our Little Tomboy

I am a "girly-girl" and I would love for Ava to be one too. However, I try to vary her wardrobe a bit in hopes that she won't defy me and be a tomboy just to spite me. People sometimes tell me what a cute little "boy" I have. I realize though too that none of my reverse psychology means a thing...Ava will do whatever she wants! Anyway, she's digging for cookies in Mommy's bag after swimming here.

Social Butterfly

Ava has been quite the social butterfly this month. A couple of weekends ago we went to a baby shower for my friend, Amy. Ava was such the polite little lady; she just loved hanging out with the girls and getting all of the attention. She even mingled with the guests without being on Mom's hip...amazing! I think she was being a little deceiving for Amy though...she's not always that good! :)

After the baby shower Ava and I met up with my parents for a wedding. Once again, she was a perfect little angel. Her highlights of the nights: the bubble machine and dancing!

My Summer Vacation - Part VII of VII

And finally, the last picture in the vacation series. This was actually taken at home, but I thought it was a good end to the story. Ava was so exhausted from the trip that she fell asleep mid-dinner. We had a GREAT trip and can't wait to go again!

My Summer Vacation - Part VI of VII

These bath time pictures were just too cute to leave out. For some reason Ava would not sit down in Granny's bath tub, she stood the whole time. This standing business also helped to confirm what I had always suspected...Ava uses her own means to warm the water, if you know what I mean. ;)
There's been a recent fascination with bellies, so she got a kick out of washing her own belly (and everyone else's).
Ava also loves playing with the water as it comes out of the faucet. Here she is searching for the optimal temperature.
And now we're on our way home; we are parked at restaurant parking lot in Missouri waiting for the little princess to get her beauty rest.
Taking a dip in the hotel pool.