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.

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• 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).