The Garrison Family

My Review of Wheel Easy Car Seat Travel Bag

2011-03-30T15:03:00.001-07:00

Why lug baby's heavy gear awkwardly through the airport, when you can comfortably pull it along? We added big, tough wheels to our car seat/booster travel bag for hassle-free toting - plus a new, ergonomic design so it's easier than ever! Front loading for easy packing; big enough to hold...

Excellent Purchase

By Hapa Mama from Kansas City, KS on 3/30/2011

Pros: Safe, Sturdy, Easy to Adjust, Protective

Cons: Uncomfortable

Best Uses: Infants, Toddlers, Preemies, Newborn, Kids

Describe Yourself: Parent of Two or More Children

This rolling bag is well worth the money. Instead of a thin nylon bag that you can get at Babies R Us, this bag is durable, thick, and perfect for traveling. I purchased this for our 1st child, as she flew on about 50 flights before she was 3. Now with our second, I've purchased another. I actually just used it over the weekend traveling without my husband on a flight with my youngest. The wheels are great, especially for pulling the 30+ lb car seats from the car to airport check-in/back to the car and or to the gate and back and I have never once doubted that the bag will protect my daughters' expensive car seats. The bag is large enough to tote booster seats too. The only things I wish were different are the placement of the handle for rolling the bag and the fact that I wish the handle was longer so it didn't seem like I didn't have to slouch when pulling it (I am only 5'4") and so that the bag wasn't nipping me at the heels when pulling it. I think if the handle were a little higher up on the bag or if it were longer, these problems wouldn't be an issue. However, I always check my car seats when I check in so that I don't have to lug them around the airport with me, so it's not too much of a problem going from the car to check-in and back. When my daughters were younger, I did gate check my infant carrier car seats in this bag and it folds down compactly enough that it isn't a hassle to take through security along with my purse, diaper bag, infant car seat, and child. This is a great bag and I would buy it over and over again. Don't waste your money on the cheap bags from the retail stores. They are flimsy (you might as well just use a trash bag) and don't provide any protection for all the money you spent investing in a nice car seat. Just remember that car seats are heavy and this bag doesn't erase any of the weight, so carrying it with the adjustable strap instead of pulling it using the wheels will be heavy!

(legalese)

Time To Cry

2010-10-28T22:54:00.000-07:00

Well, my intentions tonight were to quickly check something online and then head upstairs for bed. An hour later, I am still sitting at the computer...with a sore throat and tears streaming from my face (not to mention a heart full of regret) because I haven't kept up with this blog. There are so many holes to this story of our life and it truly makes me oh so very very sad. I know I keep promising, but tonight it has really hit me hard that about a full two years are missing here.

You probably wonder how I know it's two years...and my reply is that it's because scrolling down the blog I saw the post and video of Ava taking her first steps. Wow, it was really 2 years ago. Then the George Forman (stop thinking about the little white grill) jab and uppercut hit me in the gut...poor Myla Grace isn't even in here.

So, over the next few weeks, that is going to change. Sweet Myla Grace is FINALLY going to get her turn in the spotlight (sprinkled with Ava's happenings too, of course).

Until the next post, enjoy these quick pics and toodles...

...and p.s. hopefully when you read this, you will have gotten down to the end of my catching up!

I'm not dead yet...

2010-03-15T01:42:00.000-07:00

This is the perfect title to this post since it's been almost a year since the last time I logged on to this blog and because it's a line in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I promised myself and my family that I would resume blogging last year, but life happened and somehow got in the way. So, to do something about this reality, I am sitting at our iMac at 02:57 after being inspired by our dear friend, Jen McDaniel, and her beautiful blog. Thank you, Jen! I know I will be so mad at myself in a few years for having such a gaping hole in our family's story and namely Ava's first 2 years of life. Hopefully I can get my act together for poor Myla's sake and be able to catalog her sweetness (along with Ava's) from this point forward. I think I have just come to the realization that I am not going to get much sleep in the coming days, weeks, months, or years to accomplish all the story-telling of what has happened in our lives over the past year all whilst journaling about what is currently going on. I will try my best, I promise!

Since it is going to take a LONG while to blog about the past, here is an almost month-by-month snippet of our 2009 (as featured as an accompaniment to Myla's birth announcement)...

January found us outfitting Amy’s car with an upgraded forward facing carseat for Ava

and in February we headed off to San Diego for a long weekend for the USA 7’s rugby tournament and Ava’s first trip to Sea World. Ava showed off her rugby skills at the tournament’s kid zone and managed to keep everyone entertained with her sprint drills across the pitch. Then it was love at first sight between Ava and all the marine mammals at Sea World. Words can't even begin to describe the look of wonder she had plastered on her face the entire day. Four days later we were off once again to Brian Head, Utah, for a brilliant weekend of snowboarding. Ava had a blast playing in the snow and loved going down the handmade snow slide we crafted for her off the side of a hill. Although, wearing a full snowsuit, boots, and gloves was a different story—we think she still resents us a little.

March and April were incredibly busy, as March saw Matt hike the Grand Canyon from rim to rim over four days with a group of friends. Three days after his big hike, we packed our bags and headed to Tennessee for a week to visit Amy’s family for Easter. Ava had a big time running around the yard on her first egg hunt, although the grass seemed to keep her attention more than the bright plastic eggs. Less than a week after getting back from TN, we packed our bags once again and headed to Denver, CO for Matt to participate in a drill weekend with the Buckley ANG. As always, we had a wonderful time in Denver and Ava got to visit her first Children’s Museum. It is truly amazing. Almost as amazing as Denver's REI store downtown. It was Matt's Mecca.

May brought us a visit from Matt’s parents and the surprising news that Amy was pregnant…mere days before Matt swapped one desert for another with his deployment to Balad AB, Iraq for the summer. Ava wasn't quite sure what to think of her Daddy leaving her, but she was brave and put on the best smile she could muster up at 6:45 am (mind you, it was 3 hours before she normally wakes up).

To keep Ava busy, Amy continued taking her to swim lessons, gymnastics, playgroup, the airport to accumulate new frequent flier miles, and Gymboree. It was also in this month that we became the proud new owners of a DVD player for Amy’s car. We said we would never do it and criticized those who had, but Amy caved in and car rides have never been the same since.

June and July were filled with lots of airplane rides and family time for Amy and Ava. In June they headed to Texas for a quick trip to escape the Vegas heat while Matt continued to sweat his life away in the 130-degree heat of central Iraq. July found Amy’s family joining her in Vegas for a week of fun in the sun. While the Allen clan was in town, we all visited the Secret Garden and Dolphin Encounter at the Mirage. Ava had so much fun roaring at the lions and tigers and she was beside herself by how close she was able to get to the dolphins. Amy and Ava then went back to Tennessee for two weeks to visit all of her extended family. On the way home, the two stopped in Texas to visit Matt’s family and show all of our friends Ava’s new vocabulary and Blue Bell ice cream eating skills. Amy needed her fill of Angelina's and Chik-Fil-A too!

In August, the girls escaped to San Antonio to visit Matt’s sister, Whitney's family and take in the fun of another Sea World with Matt’s other sister, Casey, who flew in from Dallas for the weekend. Ava had a phenomenal time playing with her cousins, feeding dolphins, and partaking in the Shamu show, and splashing in the water park. Luckily, we managed to make it home with only a $13 water bottle. I will reference this coveted water bottle in later postings, don't worry.

The end of September found Ava and Amy at McCarran Int’l Airport once again to welcome Matt home from his deployment. The girls were able to meet Matt at his gate, so everyone was excited for the homecoming (of course, we were both holding signs!). Ava was so happy to see her Daddy once again and Matt was excited to see the extra pounds Amy had packed on since the last time he saw her. The Elmo backpack full of goodies that Matt gave to Ava helped tremendously with the reintegration and the stuffed Ming Ming (from the show, WonderPets) was an added bonus.

October found us on our last trip as a family of three. Together, we toured the Pacific Northwest, hitting up Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Amy found the BEST donuts in the world (VooDoo Donuts in Portland) while Matt literally ran around each city trying to maintain his triathlon training. Ava was thrilled to take her first Amtrak train ride along the gorgeous Pacific coast and she was even more excited to get to use her passport for the first time. A week after returning from our trip, we finally closed on the purchase of our house here in Las Vegas. It only took a full deployment to Iraq and over half of a pregnancy for it to come to fruition! Quickly after qualifying ourselves for the nice homebuyer tax credit, Matt competed in The Pumpkinman Triathlon, his first Olympic distance triathlon. Ava loved being at the race and proudly cheered on her Daddy from the sidelines. Ava then spent her last day of being a 1-year old donning a penguin suit going door-to-door soliciting candy. Luckily, she had seen real penguins in action two months prior and was able to have the waddle perfected.

Ava celebrated her 2^nd birthday on November 1^st and she welcomed this new milestone with a fantastic birthday party at the park. Donning a tutu and pigtails (think Boo from the movie Monsters Inc.), Ava scaled all the playground equipment like a seasoned pro. 2009 somehow managed to take away our baby girl and transform her into a bona fide little girl who not only has real conversations with us using complete sentences but who also is fearless, courageous, and ridiculously strong. We always knew Ava was a sweetheart, but this year proved how loving, compassionate, and truly precious she really is. Ava's precocious nature and tireless enthusiasm ensures that there is never a dull moment in the day.

December 2^nd brought us an absolutely gorgeous piece of heaven. Myla Grace was born at 5:04pm, weighing 7lbs, 0.4oz, and measuring 19 inches long. Her birth experience and 3-push delivery were beyond perfect and Amy was nothing but laughs and smiles the entire time. Things could not have been any more ideal and Amy was so blessed to have had both the best doctor and a near flawless recovery. Myla was an early yet incredibly welcome surprise to our family and Ava was both thrilled and ready to become a big sister. From the moment she met Myla Grace, she was enamored. Ava is the most wonderful and protective big sister imaginable, never wanting to be separated from Myla’s side. December also marked our first trip as a family of four. 12 days after Myla was born, we loaded up our car and headed to Arizona to ride on the Polar Express Train for a journey to the North Pole. We took this trip in 2008 when Ava was barely one year old, and knew that Ava would absolutely LOVE it at age 2, so we booked our reservations in March. Of course, this was before we ever knew Amy was pregnant and due 7 days after the trip took place. As we expected, Ava was captivated by the train trip to meet Santa. Like the year prior, she loved eating her chocolate chip cookie(s) on the train while wearing her jammies, although she turned her nose up yet again to the hot chocolate. Myla didn't get the hype and thought it was boring, so she slept the entire time. Or maybe it was the altitude that knocked her out! Regardless, we now have 3 bells that will hang on our Christmas Tree. What wonderful souvenirs!

As we start 2010, our transition to a family of four has been relatively painless and we couldn’t have dreamed of a better chapter in our story. Ava is still our little swimming star who dives for rings, torpedoes across the pool underwater, and swims to the side of the pool unassisted—all the while never allowing her smile to be wiped from her face. She is starting to potty train herself, can just about recite verbatim every book in her library, and actively tries to pedal her tricycle solo. Her zest for life is infectious and being showered with her abundant hugs and kisses while hearing her say she loves us makes every day worth living. At her two-month appointment in February, Myla was a delicate 13 lbs, 8 oz and is officially our biggest bundle of smiling love. Her personality blossoms more and more each day with coos and giggles and she holds all of our hearts in her tiny little hands. She is already sleeping through the night, making us love her even more. Matt continues to train for races—he has a triathlon lined up in March and the Big Sur Marathon in April--and his quest for visiting new places has never been greater. Amy manages to continually Swiffer the wood floors, keep Costco in business, guarantee the house is always stocked with homemade goodies, and stay up to date on photos of the girls, all while ensuring that Ava learns Spanish and bits of German and Myla keeps a full belly. Although she loves staying home with the girls, her mind is always thinking of new business ventures and ways to use her Masters--not to mention how many days until she can get back on the ice and teach the girls how to skate. Amy has quickly learned that there is TRULY NOTHING SWEETER THAN SLEEPING WITH HER GIRLS AND FEELING THEIR BREATH ON HER CHEEKS. She is beyond smitten.

The summer will find us saying farewell to the bright lights of Las Vegas and hello to the plains of Kansas. Matt was accepted into the Army’s Command General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, so the four of us will be packing our bags for another big move in a few months.

This verse sums up 2009 for us...

From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16

Latest News

2009-04-16T02:38:00.001-07:00

Here are some of the latest happenings in our life all compiled into one post. I'm sure I'll highlight some of the exciting things with posts of their own in the future, but the list is all I've got at 0239 in the morning.

~We found out that Matt is deploying down range in May. So, along with the news came 1,000 new things to do before he leaves (both work and family related). As of today, we're at about 25 days and counting until he leaves us for the summer.

~April started with us going to Tennessee for a relaxing trip with my family. We all had a wonderful time and Ava really changed in the 7 days that we were there. Her vocabulary expanded and she seemed to grow up even more right before our eyes. On this trip, Ava got to watch Veggie Tales on a little portable DVD player for the first time and she was obsessed. All she wanted to do was sit on top of a giant pillow with Hambone the cat and watch Bob and Larry on a 6" screen. While home, Ava also got to participate in the giant Allen/Chambers Eggstravaganza at my parent's house. We had both sides of my parents' family over for dinner and a fantastic egg hunt. Fun was had by all and Ava L-O-V-E-D hunting for eggs. We were actually surprised at how good she was given that she was a rookie this season. In addition to the egg hunt, Ava got to dye her first Easter Eggs. Following the dying, Ava ate her first hard boiled egg (yuck). She loved the white part (yuck) until she got to the yolk (even more yucky) in which she gave a sour face and spit all the egg out of her mouth. I'm still disgusted. In the following days, we managed to spend some time at Starbucks (it's tradition), hit up the Nashville Children's Museum, go to the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, ride my parent's Harleys (okay, so I sat on the back and did nothing), and visit with my all my grandparents a little. We also got to spend some time with my brother, Brent, and his wife, Julie, and their kids, Maura and Tristan, and we finally got to meet Tristan, which was so great...after all, he'll be a year old in May! Overall, it was a fantastic trip and we hated to leave.

~While in Tennessee, we also got the unfortunate news that Matt's grandmother, Mema, passed away. Although it didn't come as a total surprise, it was still hard news to accept. Mema was laid to rest on Tuesday, April 14, in Lewisville, Texas. Matt flew home to Dallas Monday afternoon to be with this family for a few days and celebrate the life Mema had lived.

~Now it's technically Thursday and Matt is coming home tonight from Texas. In addition to going home for Mema's funeral, Matt went to San Antonio for a visit to the altitude chamber at Randolph AFB. His trip to San Antonio has been planned for some time now, so the timing was a bit uncanny for his extended trip to Texas. Not that a family member passing ever falls under the column of "good timing," but Mema's passing over the weekend was almost a blessing..as this past Monday and Tuesday were the ONLY days Matt could have ever gone home to Texas before his deployment. Up until he leaves, Matt has to sit in mandatory pre-deployment training during the work week and each weekend has already been dedicated to a trip or activity of some sort.

~So, that gets us to the coming days and weeks. Here's what's on our plate and what you have to look forward to reading about in the weeks ahead:

A weekend trip to Denver (Matt has to go up to the Buckley ANG for their drill weekend)
A long weekend trip to Chicago
The Garrison's are here to visit Ava (Matt and I have come to accept that no one really wants to see us...)
My Iron Girl triathlon
Matt leaves

It seems like April is already over and we're only barely 2 weeks into the month. I guess that is technically half way, so maybe it's all in the way we see the month: half started or half over.

2009-03-23T00:43:00.000-07:00

Excuses...

2009-03-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

a) I've been stuck in a giant abyss that has sucked me in...and after 5 months, has gotten so tired of me that it has decided to spit me back out.

b) Ava ripped off 2 keys on the laptop and has made typing an absolute nightmare.

c) Life has been incredibly busy lately and there seems to be no end in sight for the craziness (i.e. swim lessons, Gymboree, gymnastics, 3 story times, 2 playgroups, full time triathlon training--spinning class, swimming, running, and road biking 6 days a week, dance class, and endless swiffering of my floors).

d) Obama said that if he became president he would take care of me...and I thought that included updating my blog.

e) a, b, and c

What's your vote for the reason I haven't posting anything since the Revolutionary War? Well...it hasn't been that long, but it sure seems like it.

Ava's FIRST Steps!!!

2008-10-07T23:43:00.000-07:00

Of course, there's a ton of things I need to put on the blog, but I've been really busy with planning a squadron fundraiser ever since we returned from vacation (the auction is over now, so I should have more time to blog!). Anyhow, this is the FRESHEST thing on my mind and I wanted to share it with all of you.

As of tonight, October 7, 2008, Ava Holt is officially WALKING! For the past month or so, Ava's been taking 2-4 steps and then stopping to squat...standing back up and then taking a few more steps, then squatting again. To us, those steps didn't really qualify as walking...just step taking. So, tonight Moose and Matt were on the floor playing with Ava while I cleaned up the kitchen after dinner. Moose was holding Ava's wind-up frog toy and Ava started walking towards him to get it (she took about 10-12 steps). She knew she was doing something different and of course, we cheered her on along the way. She was so proud of herself and we were over the moon with excitement. Since I was doing the dishes, I wasn't able to get to the camera fast enough and only caught the tail end of Ava piecing together the art of walking for the 1st time. I can't complain though...at least I got something!

Hope you enjoy watching Ava take her first real steps walking as much as we have...

WHAT happened to our little infant? She's no longer a baby!

Uncle Moose

2008-09-11T14:37:00.001-07:00

On Labor Day, our very, very, very good friend, Moose, showed up at our doorstep. I've known of Moose for a long time and have been able to really get to know him over the past three years in Germany. It's a LONG story, but at the Academy, he and my brother were in the same squadron their last two years--they were squadron commanders together. So, Matt and my brother were together for the 1st two years and Moose and my brother were together for the last two. Odd, I know. Anyhow, Moose is the most wonderful person and he just adores Ava. He thinks Ava is the funniest little kid in the world and Ava does nothing but flirt with him. It's quite funny. He's even given her a new nickname since being here...he calls her, 'Bulldozer' or 'Dozer' for short, as he thinks it's hilarious that she bulldozes through the house with wreckless abandon. The funny thing is that she actually responds to her new name.

Anyhow, here are a few pictures of Ava and Moose spending some time together. I'll be making dinner in the kitchen and look over to find Ava sitting in Moose's lap fascinated by his cell phone or a book. It's just the cutest thing.

Ava wasn't so fond of the new blow up penguin that we bought for her. We now know why it was on clearance...

But the bongo drums made for many smiles...
That penguin is still looking at me...

25 Years Later...

2008-08-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today, August 30, 2008, marks a big day in the life of Ava Holt. It's not her birthday or any common holiday...instead, today Ava is the exact same age (to the day) that I was when I came to America to be a part of the Allen family. It sounds cheesy, but the reality of my adoption has really started to sink in lately. I've always known that I was adopted but I never thought about how significant my adoption was to all of the parties involved (to my foster family in Korea and to my loving family in America). I've always been extremely thankful to my birth mother for her selflessness and ability to see past herself and her needs, wants, and desires in order to give me life (i.e. not aborting me) and then going further by giving me away in order for me to have a better life somewhere else in the world. On the flip side, I've also always been incredibly thankful to my wonderful adoptive parents and brothers for their selflessness and ability to open their hearts and lives to the orphan that they barely knew anything about at the time. They have loved, cared for, and nurtured me since before they even met me, and they are the only family I know, love, and call my own. I couldn't have ever even dreamt of having a more phenomenal family than the one I was blessed to have been chosen by 26 years ago. I've been given countless opportunities, an education with 2 degrees, and I've been given more dreams than most people could ever imagine having.

Anyhow, the reason I've been thinking about my adoption lately is because of Ava. I can't even begin to imagine giving her away and never seeing her again and I can't even begin to fathom missing out on the past 9 months, 4 weeks, and 1 day of her life. Having her in my life puts my past in such a different perspective and makes me even more thankful for being adopted.
It hasn't been until today that I can ask my mom if Ava is anything like me...if she was the same size as me, had the same amount of hair or teeth, or if she had the same personality or mannerisms as me. As much as I haven't wanted Ava to grow up, I've really been looking forward to this day because I'm so excited to know if this little 20lb incredibly beautiful baby girl is anything like me. She's so much like her Daddy, which makes my heart smile, but there's always been a part of me that's wanted to know what characteristics I gave to her.

As a surprise, my mom sent me a package filled with some of the things I came to America with on my Gotcha Day (the day I was adopted) and some of my clothes. However, the best surprise inside the package was the outfit that I flew to America wearing. Of course, given today's significance, I got the privilege of letting Ava Holt wear it over 25 years later. She looks so precious...

Here she is with 'Monkey Chee Chee,' my beloved comfort item as a child (she was in the package too)...

1-year Anniversary

2008-08-28T08:57:00.001-07:00

Today, August 28th, marks Matt's, Ava's, and my 1-year anniversary of living in the US together. Can you believe it? We sure can't. It seems like it was just yesterday that we boarded that plane in Frankfurt and headed west. My belly seemed big at the time, but Ava was just a little squirt back then. We can still remember leaving Germany at 57 degrees and walking off the plane in Vegas and it being 106. Strangely enough, this year the temperature doesn't seem as hot as it did last year. Maybe it was because I was pregnant...or maybe it was because within the course of 12 hours, the temperature managed to almost double outside. Whatever the case, it isn't as miserable outside as we remember it being last year. But then again, we spend minimal time out in the sun these days. Only another month and we can go back outside before 8pm!

Now that we've been Stateside for a year, it really hits us that Ava is almost a year old. Boy, time flies. It's been a quick but eventful year and we have been very blessed. We miss our life in Germany so much, but can't complain about the sweet life we have here in Vegas. They always say that 'home is where the heart is,' but we see it as 'home is where Ava is.' She's made us a family and we can't imagine not having her in our lives. Speaking of...I'm beginning to hear 'mamamamamama' and 'dadadadadadadada' emerge from the hallway!

Here are a few pictures that we took 2 nights ago. They're of Ava 'fingerpainting' for the first time with some spilled pears on her high chair tray (we usually wipe the spills up before she can get pointer into them). Once the pears seemed to have lost their painting ability, we supplememented with some yogurt. Hence, the Hitler face Ava gave herself.

This one is for Matt's sister, Whitney. Apparently Ava has inheritied Whit's childhood hand squeeze as an outlet for her frustration and passive aggressive anger. It takes massive force to peel her fingers back to unfurl her fists. As you can see, she was mad at me because the pears were 'gone' and instead of getting her some more, I was taking her picture.

And lastly, the 'Yogurt Hitler face' that Ava gave herself...

...we're still laughing at Ava's unfortunate painting coincidence.

Passport to Adventure

2008-08-26T20:30:00.003-07:00

Ava standing up all by herself without holding on to anything...except her new passport!

It's official...Ava's passport arrived today! Although you can't see the picture very well, it's highly entertaining. When I took Ava to get her picture taken at Walgreen's, I didn't realize what a task it was going to be (I had to hold her up against a white pull down background without being in the picture). Ava was great (as usual) and we were in and out of the store within minutes. However, the only picture that worked for the crazy passport photo rules (and the one that is officially in her passport) was of her looking dead at the camera sticking out her tongue. I thought it was hysterical and Matt thought it was the best picture ever taken of her. It just captures her so well. What do you think?

She thought it was so fun to look at herself...
She's ready to get her passport filled with lots of fun stamps...

...Ava giving her gangster signs

Snug As a Bug In a Rug

2008-08-26T20:30:00.001-07:00

Ava LOVES her new crib bedding. It's fluffy, plush, and soft...not to mention the source of so much entertainment. Each night before we go to bed, Matt and I check on the monkey in her crib. Well, this is what we found when we went inside her room on night of the 25th...

Usually, she has an arm or leg propped up on the bedding, but this time it was her whole body. We've debated on whether or not to give her a pillow (she LOVES sleeping on ours), but now that she has her new crib bedding, it's as if she has pillows all along the perimeter. The pictures make it look like she doesn't have much room, but the bumper was just fluffed before she went to sleep. After she plays in there, the fluff is about half that plush!

Walk, Sit, or Stand?

2008-08-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

It started with Ava finding an empty diaper box and pushing it around the kitchen. Pushing the box was one of the 1st times we saw Ava 'walking' on her own.

Then she realized that it was far more exhilarating to ride inside it than to walk behind it.

What started with the playmat moved to her mower then escalated to an empty diaper box. What can we say, the kid loves to be pulled around the house.

There's Something Stuck to Ava's Mower

2008-08-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Ava has been going through the stage where she wants to be pushed or pulled around the house. It all started with the playmat and has moved to the mower. While she thinks riding is hysterical, we think the pictures are even better.

Magic Carpet Rides

2008-08-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

Who says that a playmat is only for babies who play on their backs? Here's Ava's new favorite use for it...

Needless to say, she wears us out pulling her around the house.

The Bottom of the Hole

2008-08-10T12:35:00.001-07:00

Well, it seems as if I'm at the bottom of a really really deep hole called 'Blog Hell' and I'm not sure how I'm ever going to get out of it. The past few months have been really busy and I haven't had a chance to update this blog since June. Yes, June. I'm going to try to update it as quickly as possible since so much has happened since my last post. There are a few posts that I never finished, so I'll try to update those first. Ava has changed so much...it's unbelievable.

Although I don't know where to start or how to even begin, I guess I'm taking the first step--realizing that I'm at the bottom and that I need to figure out a way to get out of the hole that I've dug for myself. So, please be patient...it's going to take a while! But, it'll be worth it, I promise!

My Two Cents...

2008-06-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I know...I have about a whole month's worth of fun things, pictures, and videos of our little opossum to put on this blog--and I promise it's coming. I'm just really behind and haven't had the time to post anything. Anyhow, I came across this website and I think it's just great. I've been telling Matt that I wish there were something like it on the Internet (I've only known about websites that help track the best price for jet fuel, not automobile petrol) and low and behold, there is. So, check it out before you head to the pump. We could all use to save a few cents...

www.gasbuddy.com

Just input your zip code into the search box at the top center of the page and voila...the best (lowest) gas prices for regular, mid-grade, premium, and diesel in your area appear on the screen! It's glorious.

I've also put this website over on my side bar as a link, just in case you forget it.

Tired Girl

2008-06-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

It all started after our day at the driving range on May 31st. The sun had exhausted poor little Ava so much, so as soon as we got home, we put her down for a much needed nap. About an hour into her nap, Matt came running into the kitchen telling me that I needed to go check on Ava. This is what I saw...

May 31, 2008

Then, a few days later she did it again when going to bed for the night...

June 2, 2008

And then a few days later, it happened again during one of her naps...

June 4, 2008

As you can see, there seems to be a pattern developing...

June 6, 2008

It is just hilarious to go check on Ava and find her sleeping like this. The only thing that Matt and I can figure is that while playing with her blankets and animals in her crib, she just gets so tired that she falls asleep sitting up and her body goes forward. It pains us to see her neck in that position, so after snapping the pictures we lay her down on her back to sleep comfortably. We catch her in this position every couple of days, so we've come to assume that she doesn't mind sleeping so awkwardly. She's just so darn precious.

Trip to the Orchard

2008-06-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, June 5th, Matt and I took Ava on her first tip to an orchard. I know you're probably thinking, 'An orchard in Las Vegas?' and don't worry, we thought the same thing. Earlier that week while watching the news, we heard a snippet about a small local orchard finally opening back up to the public for the season. After doing a bit of research to find out more about the orchard, we found out that it happened to be about 10 minutes from our house! So, in accordance to Matt's and my goal to give Ava Holt as many life experiences as possible, we loaded up the Camry and headed to the Gilcrease Orchard (the cool weather (low 80's) was an added bonus).

Right now, the only things that we could pick were apricots and zucchini. The rest of their crops (apples, pears, tomatoes, melons, winter squash, and pumpkins) aren't ready to be picked just yet. When we got to the orchard, it was packed with cars and people. I'm not sure if it was due to the nice weather or the fact that the orchard had just re-opened two days prior, but it was full of people...not what we were expecting. Since we didn't really need any zucchini, we stuck to the apricot picking.

The reason Matt was able to go with us was because he was night flying that evening and didn't have to go in to work until around 3pm (he didn't get home until 5am the next morning!). Both Ava and I were so excited that he could go with us.

Anyhow, we had a great time out in the orchard. Ava had a blast sitting on top of her Daddy's shoulders touching all the different trees and leaves and even managed to pull a ripe apricot off the tree all by herself. Matt opened up a few apricots for Ava to try (no skin, just the flesh) and she wasn't quite sure what to think about the new treat. Her outfit was a bit stained by the end of the picking, but we didn't care...it was a great life and family experience. I can't wait until all the other fruits and vegetables ripen and we can return to the orchard. As for the nature of the fruits and vegetables, the orchard only uses garlic water to deter insects, so they're pesticide free...which makes me happy.
Oh, and as we went to leave the orchard, Ava tried to drive us home. It didn't work out so well...she couldn't reach the pedals...

Ava and the Diaper Cake

2008-06-05T22:34:00.002-07:00

Now that Ava's mobile, we forget that there are things down on her level that she can get into. In this instance, it was the diaper cake that was given to us when she was born...

Big Girl Pram

2008-06-05T22:32:00.002-07:00

On May 30th, we finally converted Ava's bassinet into a big girl seat for her pram. Now that she's mobile, having her sitting up in her bassinet isn't so safe anymore, so Ava said her bye-byes to her bassinet and hellos to her new seat. The main reason it has taken us this long to convert her bassinet into her seat is because Ava has really loved being able to play in her bassinet and then when tired, lay down and play (or sleep).

Here is a picture of Ava during her LAST ride in her bassinet (on the 29th)...

And here she is during her FIRST ride in her big girl seat...

Gimmie A Mulligan...

2008-06-05T22:32:00.001-07:00

On May 31st, we took Ava on her first golfing trip. Don't worry, we didn't go for 18 holes but for the driving range instead. Since the weather was nice and the course is just around the corner from our house, we decided to get out our golf shoes, clubs, and gloves and take advantage of the beautiful day. Ava had a great time playing on the grass. It was her first real time to play on grass, but we didn't want her playing on it too much, as we were afraid of her being around all the artificial fertilizers. As you can see in the pictures, the Neat Sheet wrapper and the golf ball bucket provided her with much entertainment.

Hmm...there are holes in this bucket...

I see golf balls...

Can I eat this?

Time to move on to better things...

The Neat Sheet wrapper...

Four...

Come And Get Me...

2008-06-05T22:30:00.001-07:00

Now that Ava Holt has learned how to pull herself to a stand in her crib, there isn't a nap or night that goes by that we aren't greeted by her sweet face when we open her door to get her out of her crib. Here are a few pictures of Ava standing up in her crib. They were taken when she first started standing up by herself in her crib at the beginning of May and then again as the standing up became a constant activity towards the end of May. It's so nice to open her door and have her smiling at you. Matt loves going and getting her out of her crib, as I know he loves seeing her face beam with excitement to see him. We're still trying to figure out how she stands up in her sleep sack though (sorry, there aren't any pictures of her standing up in her sleep sack, as she only wears it at night and the camera flash would be way too much stimulation for her at night!).

Ava being caught red handed...

This was the 3rd time we had seen Ava standing in her crib...
And, this was the LAST time she slept in her crib this high...
Fast forward two weeks...

Peek-A-Boo!
I don't think they can see me...

I'm done with my nap now...

Just checking to see if thing is sturdy or not... You probably noticed a crib bumper change from the first few pictures to the last ones. The bumper that you see in the first few pics was actually a 'make-shift' bumper that we were using until Ava's crib bedding was made. It's the bumper to a boy's Pottery Barn Kids bedding set that a friend gave to me (in the case that we had a boy) before we even got pregnant. Since I couldn't find any bedding that I liked, we decided to have Ava's made by a friend of ours. But, with Ava as active as she is, we had to put something in the crib so she wouldn't knock her head on the rails. Anyhow, we had to stop using the 'make-shift' bumper because it was not strong enough to hold itself up on the ends of the crib. Since Ava's crib doesn't have railing on the ends (the sleigh part is solid wood), the bumper would droop in the center (you can kind of see it in the 2nd and 3rd pictures). It wasn't a big deal until one night Ava woke up SCREAMING bloody murder. It was a cry we'd never heard before, so Matt and I both flew out of bed and ran to her room. Little Ava had managed to get her body underneath the bumper on one of the ends and woke up 'stuck' underneath it (envision the bumper going perpendicular to her body over her chest). She was so terrified. It scared us to death and realized that our 'make-shift' bumper was now a complete safety hazard. So, I went to PBK to look for another 'make-shift' bumper to use until Ava's was finished. It ends up that 95% of their bumpers are all like the original one we were using (thin and floppy). The PBK staff was like, "I never thought about that" in response to my safety concern with their bumpers not having the ability to be tied taught on the ends. You would think that they would make a bumper that would actually fit snugly in their cribs. Brilliant idea, right?

Anyhow, I found another bumper to use until Ava's set is completed. It was the only bumper that I could find that had at least 1-1.5 inches of padding in it (so that it's sturdy enough to not collapse in the middle). Ava seems to like it, although it took her a few naps and nights to get used to the fact that she couldn't kick her bumper down on the sides and ends to see out. So far, the new 'make-shift' bumper (#2) is working great and we haven't had any problems with Ava getting stuck underneath it. She's strong enough to move this bumper on the ends and sides, but she hasn't figured out that she can do it yet. We just pray she doesn't ever figure it out!

New Hobby...

2008-06-05T16:51:00.001-07:00

Ava's new hobby involves tearing apart her floor tiles and chewing on them. It's quite the hobby, we know...but she loves it. Here are a few pictures we took of her last week while in action...

Yes kids, she has the dog's bone in her mouth...

Don't worry, the floor tiles get Clorox Everywhere'd multiple times per day...and the pieces she aren't small enough for her to choke on!

Thursday Levity

2008-06-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

If this doesn't make your day better, I don't know what will...

Crawl...Sit...Crawl...Sit...Crawl...

2008-06-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

Around the week of May 11th when Ava started to crawl, she also started to sit up on her own. I guess the two (crawling and sitting) go hand in hand for her, so as soon as she figured out how to crawl, she figured out how to sit. We really noticed her new ability to sit up on her own on May 13th. She started off on her tummy and moved to a sitting position by twisting her body, bending one of her knees, extending her opposite leg, and then throwing her lower body over to the side with the bended knee. It was quite amazing to watch (I'm sure all parents think their kids' new feats are all amazing) and we were so proud of her. Watching Ava learn something new is always so fun, as you can look into her eyes and see her brain working 150 miles per hour.

Here is a clip of Ava moving to a sitting position all by herself. This marked the beginning of Ava's countless daily routines of crawling, sitting, crawling, sitting, crawling, sitting...

In three short weeks, Ava's mastered her sitting down skills quite well. As much as she keeps us on her toes, she does manage to crawl about and then sit down to entertain herself with whatever she finds amusing at the time. It's been quite a gift to not have to sit her up all the time like we used to have to do before she could do it on her own.

Mommy's Little Helper

2008-06-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

Now that Ava is fully mobile on all fours, our house goes from picked up to remnants of a cyclone in mere mintues (sometimes seconds). However, on May 21st, I did catch Ava being a helper. It took her a while to get what she was doing accomplished, but she was persistent and her efforts paid off. She's just so fun and adorable. The video speaks for itself...

Welcome Home Uncle Matt

2008-06-03T14:50:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, May 24th, while out on a walk to the park and to the grocery store, Matt, Ava, and I ran into my brother, Matt in the shopping center parking lot. He had returned from his deployment a few days prior but we hadn't had the opportunity to see him yet. Well, Ava's Uncle Matt was so excited to see Ava and she was happy to see him too. Here are some pictures of Ava meeting her Uncle Matt after being gone for 6 months. She did get to see him when he came home for a few weeks in February but that was a long time ago too!

The next day after church, Uncle Matt came over for lunch to see Ava again. He just loves his little niece and can't believe how much she's changed since he left for his deployment only a few weeks after she was born.

Don't worry...the gash on his head didn't occur during his deployment. Instead, it happened when he got home--the kid managed to stay unharmed in Afghanistan but somehow managed to "run into" a ceiling fan while installing blinds into one of the windows of his house. Sad, huh?

Ava's High Chair

2008-06-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, May 25th, Ava Holt got to sit in her high chair for the first time. We have been meaning to transition Ava to her high chair from the Bumbo but haven't done so due to the high chair still being in its box in Ava's closet. The high chair was a gift from our friends, Keith and Jen, and it's a gift that will be used several times a day for the next year or so...thanks again for the wonderful and useful present, Keith and Jen!

Ava sat in her high chair with us as we ate lunch outside on our patio with my brother. She kept entertained with some of her toys and a few baby utensils and we were all able to eat lunch without having to juggle her around the table. It was marvelous! That night, Ava got to eat while sitting in her high chair for the first time. She did so great...although she kept trying to knock the spoon out of our hands so that her purees would spill onto the tray. Now that she has a tray in front of her, playing with spilled food is quite the pastime and she really enjoys running her fingers through her purees and making a mess.

Now that Ava's eating solids for dinner each night, she gets to sit in her high chair and eat at the dinner table like a big girl. We keep her high chair strapped to the chair all the time, so it's never in the way like traditional high chairs are. We are so glad we chose the Space Saver High Chair for Ava, as she gets to eat at the table with us and not off on her own like she would have to do with the big monster high chairs...not to mention it takes up very little space and is very easy to use.

Hiking Mount Charleston

2008-06-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

On Friday, May 23rd, Matt had the day off (it was a 'Family Day' for the Memorial Day weekend), so he and two friends, Bohdi and Wedge, decided to go hike Mount Charleston. Bohdi needed to hike the mountain that day for his training schedule (he's going to go climb Mt. Ranier in early June), so Matt and Wedge went with him. The weather wasn't the greatest at our house that day, but the guys were going to hike rain or shine. They only assumed that there would be rain up on the mountain, but it ended up that in addition to the rain, there was also snow--and LOTS of it.

Matt said that he would be done in the early afternoon (they left the house at 6am sharp) but the hike ended up taking 10 straight hours (6 hours up and 4 hours down). I started getting worried about him at about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, as I hadn't heard from him yet. At 6:30pm, I finally got a text message from him saying that they were getting into the car to come home.

When Bohdi's truck pulled into the driveway, it was still covered in snow. All three guys were shiverring, cold, wet, and tired. Once I saw these pictures I got a bit mad at Matt, as they should have turned around when it started to snow (logic would tell you to do that). Had they not had a GPS (because the trails got covered in 6 inches of snow) or had it snowed a bit more, they could have gotten stranded up on the mountain. But, they had their manhood's to defend. I'm just glad they all made it back home safely...although Wedge still hasn't regained feeling in one of his hands.

The ascent...

(Left to right: Wedge, Bohdi, and Matt)

Almost to the top...

After 6 straight hours of hiking uphill, they made it to the top...

Time to descend...but where's the trail?

The trail is around here somewhere...

Ava Holt was waiting in the driveway for her Daddy when he got home. She was sad that he was gone all day and couldn't wait to play with him. Since Matt was half frozen, Ava Holt got to play with her Daddy while taking a nice hot bath to help him thaw out.

Bulldog Face

2008-06-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

On Friday, May 23rd, we fed Ava mango for the first time. Well, in response to the mango, Ava gave us a new face that we had only seen once before...we call it 'Bulldog Face.' It's pretty self-explanatory and quite hilarious. Neither Matt nor I can manage to make the face (by sucking in our lips and frowning while puffing our cheeks out) ourselves, so it must be Ava's special talent. Lukcily, we managed to get Bulldog Face on camera for once...

Ava's Crawling!

2008-05-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here's more video footage of Ava Holt's second day crawling (May 15, 2008)...

Ava's crawling after a purple ball...

Here's Ava crawling to her Aunt Casey...

Here's Ava crawling to get her yellow ball...

Mess Maker...

2008-05-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a slideshow of pictures of Ava that were taken on May 22nd. There's just so many to post but they somehow tell a very cute story...

This speaks for itself...

6-Month Shots

2008-05-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

On May 22nd, I took Ava to get her 6-month shots. I hadn't really given her a pep talk for the shots like I usually do, so I think they caught her off guard. When we went for her 6-month well-baby visit on May 2nd, we were a week too early to get her shots (since her 4-month visit and shots were on the 10th of March, we had to wait until the 10th of May to get her 6-month shots). Anyhow, here are some pictures of our brave little girl getting her horrible shots. The one perk from the shots this time is that I got to administer the oral vaccine (it has the Rotavirus and some other vaccine in it). Ava Holt has never had a problem with other people giving the vaccines to her, but I thought it was nice that they asked me to do it. It's not like I won the lottery or Wheel of Fortune jackpot, but hey, it was a 'monumental' day for me as a mommy.

As always, Ava did so well with her shots. She did cry when they stuck her legs with the needles though. I think that as she gets older the shots get worse...since she is more alert and knows what's going on. I remember crying when Ava received her first shots and she didn't even really shed a tear. Anyhow, because of her alertness, I actually gave her her sucker (aka nummy, dummy, or pacifier in our house) to help soothe her during the shots. I don't think it did much good, as the pain of the pricks over-ruled any possible dummy soothing...but I thought I would give it a try. Once both shots were administered, I got to pick Ava up and give her a cuddle...and the tears quickly vanished. It's amazing what a parent's cuddle will do for a child.

As with every visit to the immunizations clinic thus far, Ava Holt got to pick out some bravery stickers. However, this time Ava actually picked out and picked up the sticker of her choice (as apparent by the sticker that she chose--I wouldn't have picked it out!). The immunizations tech handed Ava a basket filled with stickers and she actually stuck her hand inside the basket and felt the different stickers. Since she now has a pretty good pincer grasp, Ava picked up the sticker that she wanted all by herself. And of course, she got the 'Brave' sticker that she gets each visit. Here's Ava showing off her new 'battle wounds' and her prized 'booty' that she got for being so brave (her stickers)...

Bye Bye Hammock

2008-05-30T13:39:00.001-07:00

Ava's 1st night un-swaddled in her hammock

Since birth, Ava has slept swaddled in her baby hammock at night (she's been napping in her crib since February when she rolled off the couch and we went to the ER). She has really loved her baby hammock up until April 29th...the first night she slept un-swaddled. It wasn't until she was given her arms that the baby hammock was no longer as comfortable as it used to be.

We decided to un-swaddle Ava, as it was starting to get warm here in Vegas and we thought it was cruel to have her sleep so confined in the hot weather. We thought it was going to take a while to break her from being swaddled, but we were very wrong. Ava did amazingly well the first night she went un-swaddled and has continued to do so ever since. We transitioned her to a sleep sack and she loved using her fingers to play with the inside of her hammock. We would hear her wake up in the mornings talking to herself while brushing her fingers back and forth across the hammock fabric and netting. It was hilarious.

Anyhow, we knew that we were going to need to move her to her big girl crib at night, as the sunlight in our room would wake her up at about 5:30 am each morning (as soon as the sun would rise, Ava would rise). In addition to the sunlight, we knew that she needed to learn to sleep in her own bed in her own room and not be in our room anymore. We mainly hadn't forced Ava to sleep in her crib at night due to the hassle of walking to the far end of the house to check on/cuddle/or feed her in the middle of the night...as having her in her hammock in our room was just so much more convenient. But, we knew that the 'big move' was imminent. Now that she was un-swaddled at night, Ava wanted to roll around and turn over--things her hammock didn't permit.

Well, when we went to Tennessee, Ava had to sleep in a crib. We didn't want her to learn to co-sleep with us, so the crib was her only option (in the past, she has been able to sleep in her pram, but now she's too big). So, Ava slept in the crib at night (she woke up a few times at night, mostly because she was in a new place in a new bed and not in her hammock) the whole time we were home.

Upon returning to Vegas, we took the opportunity of her sleeping in a crib for the past week as a segue to moving her straight to her crib in her room. We didn't even let her see her hammock or allow her to stir up any memories or attachments to it. We just pretended that her crib was where she always slept at night. Matt had bought a humidifier to put in her room (she slept with one in our room) and back when Matt's parents were in town, John put up a darkening shade in her window so that the sun wouldn't wake her up in the mornings.

Well, Ava has been successfully sleeping through the night in her own crib in her own room since we returned from Tennessee on the 19th. We usually put her down around 8 or 8:30 and she'll wake up around 5:30-6 to nurse and then go back down until 8:30 or 9. This past weekend she extended her sleep a bit and didn't wake up until 7:45 for her feeding...then went back down until a little past 9. But, as of Tuesday, she's back to her normal routine of waking up at around 6 and going back down until about 8:30...all while teething again. It has been glorious. She's amazing.

Matt loves going to check on Ava before going to bed and then throughout the night. If he gets up to go to the bathroom, I'll hear him sneeking out of our room to go watch little Ava sleep. She's just so precious when she sleeps and he likes making sure that his baby is doing okay since she's a tummy sleeper.

Swim Lessons

2008-05-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

It's probably old news, but I thought I'd write about it since I have a few spare minutes with Ava currently taking a nap. On Wednesday, May 7th, Ava Holt had her first swim lesson at our local YMCA. The Y was just built last year and has great (and clean) facilities for swimming. Anyhow, I signed Ava up at the end of March and we anxiously waited until the 7th for her swim lessons to begin. The classes are 30 minutes long and are taught in an indoor pool. The basis for the classes is repetition, which turns into expectation.

There are only about 8 other babies in Ava's swim class, with her being the youngest. Even though she's the youngest, she's definitely not the smallest or weakest. Since her first swim class, Ava has progressed so well. This week, Ava got to advance to a big girl exercise where she got to be submerged in the water like a torpedo without having me blow in her face before going under water. The swim instructor was so proud of Ava, as she couldn't believe how well she has been doing in such a short amount of time. Since the class is so small and the babies vary from Ava to 2 years old, the instructor can individualize exercises for each child based on his or her capabilities. The submersion without blowing in Ava's face is usually used for babies around a year old, so Ava seems to be a little bit ahead of the curve...at least this week she was!

Matt has made it to every swim lesson except for this week's. He loves going and watching his girls splash around in the water like 'seahorses.' The whole class is based off silly songs and movements, so I'm sure it gets old to him each week. But, the fact that after doing each exercise, Ava straightens her neck and flings her head back and looks for his praise, makes him come back each week. It's the cutest thing watching her 'perform' for her Daddy. This week, Ava kept bobbing her head up to look for Matt (he sits in the same place each week) after each exercise, but since he wasn't there she would just turn her head from side to side to look around the pool for him. She's so dramatic.

Ava still has a long way to go until she can swim (obviously), but we wanted her to be in the classes so that she will learn to always be comfortable in the water and so that she can have some social time and interaction with other babies. Each week she remembers more and more of the exercises and she can kick and float 'like a pancake' quite well. Matt hasn't told her that pancakes don't really float just yet. He'll wait to tell her that sad story when she's a bit older. It's a buzz kill.

Off to Tennessee We Go

2008-05-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, May 14th, Ava Holt and I hopped on a last minute Southwest flight bound for Nashville to go surprise my mom for a late Mother's Day gift. My dad and I had been working out the details of the ticket and the trip and on the morning of the 14th, Ava and I decided to go ahead with the trip. We waited until the last minute, as I had told my dad that it was all dependant on how Ava was doing that day. If she was a tired mess, we wouldn't take the flight...but if she was her normal well rested and well behaved self, we would come. We were hoping that our arrival would be a surprise for my mom, but she had already called the airline to see if we had tickets booked (she's sneaky and a tad bit nosy like that). Even though our arrival wasn't the biggest of surprises, Ava's Nan was over the moon to see her.

Ava and I stayed in Tennessee until the afternoon of the 19th and we had a great time while home. Ava got to take her first ride on the golf cart, had her first experience on a tractor, had her first pedicure, sat in a high chair for the first time, crawled through a side table, and had her first kitchen sink bath. She also stood up all by herself while holding onto my parents' hands and she hasn't stopped standing up since. Ava Holt loved playing with Lucy and Patton and was truly amazed by Iddy and Hambone (the cats). While home, we got to spend some time with Grandmother Chambers, Grandmother and Grandpoppa Allen, Aunt Claudia and Uncle Scott, Aunt Tracey and cousins Natalie and Molly, and several family friends from church whom I haven't seen in a long while. Ava did great at church...although what child wouldn't if they were being constantly held by her Nan and Poppa?

Here's Ava Holt taking her first kitchen sink bath...

While in Tennessee, we also discovered that Ava has quite the gastronomic palate...but only if her food is homemade. We tried feeding Ava various brands of organic baby food (sweet potatoes, butternut squash, green beans, pears, apples, etc) and she wouldn't eat them. So, we went to the store and I bought her some organic butternut squash, one of her favorite foods. Well, I roasted the squash as I do at home and pureed the flesh in the blender...and voila...she ate them. So, we did a 'blind' taste test with her using the homemade butternut squash and the Earth's Best jar of butternut squash, and it was VERY apparent which one was jarred and which one was homemade. When given any jarred food she would grimace, wink her left eye, and refuse to swallow. It was hysterical. We even poured the jarred food into an identical bowl as the homemade so that she wouldn't see that it was coming from a jar. I was so surprised at how developed her taste buds were and the fact that she was able to distinguish the difference between homemade and jarred food. So, I was glad (for future reference) to learn that we will be needing to make Ava's meals when we travel. Luckily, it's not very hard or time consuming at all.

Overall, we had a wonderful visit home. Ava loved being spoiled by her Nan and Poppa and it was so great to see them love on her. Seeing my parents as grandparents is a truly amazing gift and my heart has grown with even more love for them, as I love how they love on and interact with Ava. Here are a few pictures from our trip home. There were so many fun pictures that I put them into a slide show. Enjoy...

Amy's 1st Official Mother's Day

2008-05-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day 2007

Last year on Mother's Day, I was only a few months pregnant (13 weeks and 3 days, to be exact) and in Sardinia, Italy. I had just finished my 1st trimester and had what seemed like forever left until I had our baby. This year, I am the Mommy to a beautiful, active, witty, smart, and remarkably loving little 6 month, 1 week, and 3 day old little girl who has more than captured my heart. It's unreal.

Mother's Day 2008

When I look back on the last year, I just laugh as my priorities, my life, and my sense of self have completely changed. I've never thought of myself as a selfish person, but now that we have Ava, I could completely care less about things for me. My mom always told me that one day I would understand, and on November 1, 2007, I, for once, completely understood. Last year, Matt bought me a Maya Wrap (a baby wrap) for Mother's Day and I was over the moon. This year, Matt bought me things for Ava...and I am even more over the moon (it's what I wanted!).

Mother's Day 2007

As I mentioned earlier, last year Matt and I were in Sardinia, Italy basking in the beautiful Mediterranean weather with a little peanut inside me. This year on Mother's Day, I was inside P.F. Chang's in Summerlin, wrestling with a precious little girl who looks a lot like me but who is stubborn like her daddy, trying to get her to let go of the blinds that hung on the windows while making sure that she didn't choke on a straw (and also trying to get the mangled fortune cookie out of her hand before she punctured the plastic and choked on it). A lot changes in a year and within 366 days (it was a leap year!), I am now a bona fide Mother and I am so very proud to be Ava's.

Mother's Day 2008

Aside from the wonderful baby things that Matt allowed me to buy for Ava and our day out in Summerlin (PF Changs for lunch and then to the Red Rock for some Wheel of Fortune), my greatest present came from Ava herself. On Mother's Day, Ava crawled for the first time. Matt, Casey, and I all watched her as she took her first crawling movements across the floor and I was even able to get it on camera. Since that day, Ava has done nothing but crawl all over the house. It's amazing how fast she has picked the movement up and how quickly she gets into things throughout the house.

My first real Mother's Day was a memorable one and I will remember it forever. I am one very blessed and lucky girl to be the Mother to and the Mommy of such an extraordinary little girl.

Aunt Casey's In Town

2008-05-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 9th, Ava's Aunt Casey (Matt's sister) came to town. Ava was so excited to see her Aunt Casey and she had several tricks up her sleeve that she couldn't wait to show her. Ava hadn't seen her Aunt Casey since Christmas, so seeing her once again was a whole new experience. At Christmas, Ava was just an immobile little baby...but now, she's an active 'big' girl.

While here, Casey was able to feed Ava several meals like carrots, sweet taters, apples, and pears and was even able to feed Ava a new food for the first time (acorn squash). Casey also got to feed Ava solid foods for 'breakfast' and 'lunch' for the first time (Ava usually only eats solids at dinnertime)...to which Ava was very appreciative.

In addition to the mealtime firsts, Casey also got to partake in our first crib lowering. On Mother's Day, Ava decided to stand up in her crib for the first time. Since the crib was set at the highest setting, Ava's new trick of standing up really posed a safety danger, as she could have easily fallen out of the crib. So, Matt and Casey got the pleasure of taking the crib apart and lowering it. It was quite a task undoing all the screws and then putting them back in, but they managed to get the crib lowered to a safer position (it's now on the next to lowest setting).

Unfortunately, Matt had to leave on Monday for a TDY to Florida, but Casey, Ava, and I had a great time venturing out and about in Vegas. The Wheel of Fortune machines weren't looking in our favor though, as we only got to spin a handful of times between the two of us and we ended up losing a few dollars along the way! Bummer!

Despite the bad luck at Wheel of Fortune, we had a wonderful time having Casey in town. Thanks so much Casey for coming to see us! Ava loved being able to spend time with you (and she loves her stacking cups and book!) and can't wait to see you again.

Sorry For The Sabbatical

2008-05-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of upkeep on the blog over the past few weeks. Matt's sister, Casey, came to visit us for a long weekend and then the day after she left, Ava and I took a last minute trip to TN to surprise my mom for Mother's Day on the 14th (it wasn't much of a surprise though, as my mom called the airlines ahead of time to see if we were on the flight--she is a surprise pooper!). Since returning home on the 19th, we've been really busy with everyday life and the Memorial Day weekend. I've been meaning to put some posts on the blog but haven't had the time to do it. There has been so much going on in our lives since the last post, so you'll have to forgive me for the overload of posts to come. Ava has changed so much in the past few weeks and she continues to change each day. Please keep checking the blog to see some updates on what we've been up to since the beginning of the month!

Thanks for your patience...

Our Super Strong Girl

2008-05-13T22:45:00.000-07:00

I know we've said it before, but Ava Holt is ridiculously strong. Now that she can crawl, she's decided that life outside of her blanket of toys is much more exciting and interesting. So, as a result, she likes to get on the hardwood floors and explore around the living room. Well, last night Ava figured out how to pull herself up to a stand all by herself. She crawled from her blanket of toys over to a small coffee table that we have moved to the side of the room (so that she can play on her blanket of toys) and pulled herself up by holding on to the top of the table. Once standing, she tried to move her feet and she ended up falling down. Surprisingly enough, she was just as tough as she was strong and she didn't scream or cry after falling down and bumping her head. Here is Ava on her knees about to pull herself up to a stand. If you were wondering, she also pulled herself up onto her knees (we didn't help her).

And here is the big moment...

I was so excited to get this moment on camera. She actually pulled herself up again a few minutes later, but I didn't have the movie setting on and didn't get it on tape. I only got a picture. On this attempt, she actually got her feet flat underneath her and stood there for about a minute just looking around the room. Here's the picture I snapped of Ava standing and holding onto the coffee table. I just wish I would have had this attempt on tape too!

Only A Flesh Wound...

2008-05-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

From all of Ava's attempts at crawling last week, she developed a big blister on her left big toe. I didn't think anything of it until Casey, Matt's sister, was here visiting us over the weekend. She saw Ava's toe and made the comment about it being the first time she had seen anything like it. So, once she said that the blister was a bit unique, I had to take some pictures. I apologize for the quality of the photos. It's just so hard to get a good shot of blistered toes!

If you've been looking at Ava in the posts over the past week or so, you've probably noticed that she likes to stick her bum in the air and she does baby push ups when she tries to crawl (think downward facing dog and plank--yoga poses). I guess that since she has been doing those so much lately, she's rubbed her big toe raw and caused a blister.

Here's what her toe looks like now that it's starting to heal.

Well...tonight I noticed that the poor girl has now rubbed her other big toe (this time it's on her right big toe) raw and there's now a blister starting to form (in the pictures, it's the shiny spot on the bottom of her toe--it's hard to see). She doesn't seem to be in any pain from the blisters, as she keeps moving around and contorting her body into crazy positions, so I guess they're only flesh wounds.

Bye Bye Freedom

2008-05-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

As of May 11, 2008, Ava is officially mobile. She finally pieced together the mechanics of crawling and is all over the place. She chases after her toys, balls, her jingle eggs, and anything else within her span of vision that looks interesting. Seeing her crawl for the first time was the greatest Mother's Day present in the world. However, as excited as I am that she's crawling, I am also a bit sad in that I have now lost any and all freedom during the day. I can no longer sit her down on her pink blanket to play with her toys and do laundry, cook, or clean. By the time I lay her down, she's already on her hands and knees crawling after something that she HAS to have. We really need to kid-proof the house now!

Here's Ava truly crawling for the 1st time.

Here's Ava crawling on the 12th. It was on this day that she really got good at crawling. In this clip she's crawling after her new yellow ball that is the topper for her new stack and roll cups that her Aunt Casey brought her. It has a rattle inside of it and she loves playing with it...

Here she is chasing after her purple ball (made from her stack and roll cups)...

Here she is crawling towards her Aunt Casey. Now that she can crawl, she loves going after feet and toes...

Squirrels and Ava

2008-05-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

There is one thing that Ava has in common with squirrels...they both love acorns. Well, Ava's is in the form of ORGANIC ACORN SQUASH, not really acorns, but they're shaped the same.

Tonight, we fed Ava Holt organic acorn squash for the first time (actually, it was Ava's Aunt Casey that got to do the honors). The first bite induced a funny face and a quick shake, but she was smitten with the new treat by the second bite. The little girl managed to eat 4 ounces of acorn squash followed by 2 ounces of pears! She would have kept eating had we allowed her to, despite her burgeoning belly. I don't think her stomach tells her brain that she's full--either that, or she has a huge baby tummy!

After feasting on the acorn squash and pears, Ava was in a food coma. She was 'fat, dumb, and happy' and was content to just sit and play with her toys. She was so cute and happily full!

C is for Carrots

2008-05-08T20:37:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, May 8th, Ava tried carrots for the first time. She LOVED them. Here is a picture of her before her introduction to the carrots and then a video of her reactions during the feeding. She's such a great eater...

So much for clean dishes

2008-05-07T21:26:00.001-07:00

Back in the end of April, Ava wanted to help me wash the dishes in the kitchen...but I ended up doing double the washing because one of us kept grabbing the clean dishes and putting them in her mouth. She was a big fan of the coffee mug lids and the red spatula...

Food Allergy #1

2008-05-07T11:33:00.004-07:00

Last night we introduced Ava to some new foods. We know that you're supposed to introduce each of them with 4 day intervals in between foods, but our pediatrician said that we should be able to introduce one vegetable and one fruit at a time and be okay. Since we started giving Ava solids, we've started off giving her a vegetable first, then some oatmeal cereal mixed with breast milk and water, and then giving her a fruit for dessert. Well, after Ava scarfed down her peas, we opted to skip the oatmeal (she's been a bit distended since starting on solids, so we figured we'd try not to clog up her intestines any more than they already are). Instead of the oatmeal we gave her a little bit of smashed up avocado. Well, she HATED it. I don't blame her, as it took me 21 years to like it and I'll only eat it as guacamole. So, after only one bite of the pureed avocado, we threw it in the sink...no big deal.

So, we were on to the homemade peach puree that I had made yesterday (just baked peaches in water that I pureed). Matt was feeding Ava the peaches and as he was doing so, he commented that Ava had made the strangest face--one that he had never seen before. She's given some pretty funny faces when given a new food, so he just figured that was what the funny face was for. Then, all of a sudden he asked me if Ava looked funny. I moved over and looked at her head and I told him that it looked like it was turning bright red. Matt threw the peaches down on the counter and told me to call the ER because Ava was having an allergic reaction. From the front, Ava's eyes were starting to swell and turn bright red and her face and head were starting to break out in splotchy hives. Matt picked Ava up to make sure that she was breathing okay while I was on the phone. Standard military hospital--the phone rang for about what seemed like 5 minutes. Matt told me to just hang up the phone, as no one ever answered and Ava's symptoms were starting to go away. While this was all happening, I was having a panic attack and couldn't do anything. I literally froze. I was a wreck, so Matt was trying to deal with my hysteria and Ava. Poor guy. I just kept thinking that she was going to die or stop breathing and I kept asking him what we should do. (As you can see, it was a blessing that Matt was at home with me, as I'm not so useful when I'm in shock). Since the redness and hives were going away and her eyes were starting to go back to their normal size, Matt and I decided not to go to the ER.

Here are pictures that I took of Ava eating her peaches before we realized she was allergic to them...

Ava was still hungry, but we weren't sure what she was allergic to--the peas, the avocado, or the peaches. So, since we still had a little bit of peas left, Matt started giving them to her again. There weren't any instant physical reactions to the peas, so we ruled them out. Since she hated the avocado the first time, we didn't want to torture her again, so we opted to omit them from the study. So, it was time for the peaches. Ava opened her mouth up nice and wide and ate a big bite of the peaches. Then Matt gave her another bite of peaches...and the redness suddenly appeared, Ava's eyes started to swell and get watery, and her head started to break out in hives again. Luckily, she wasn't having any problems breathing, so we just monitored her for a while to make sure that she was okay and after about 5 minutes, all of her symptoms went away.

Here are pictures that I took of Ava after feeding her a bite of peaches for the second time. You can see that her lower eyelids are red and puffy...

Here is a shot of her poor head where she was breaking out in hives...
Here she is after her hives and all the puffiness and redness started to go away...

So, last night we learned that Ava is ALLERGIC to PEACHES. We are very lucky and blessed that Ava didn't have a more serious or fatal reaction.

Peas Please

2008-05-07T11:33:00.003-07:00

On Tuesday, May 6th, Ava ate ORGANIC PEAS for the first time. Like all the other foods we've offered her, she loved them. Here's our princess gobbling down her peas. She's a big supporter of Whirrled Peas...

Sweet Taters and Pears

2008-05-07T11:33:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, May 4th, Ava had her first taste of ORGANIC SWEET TATERS. After doing so well with the green beans, we decided to move along to something of a different color...sweet taters. Ava absolutely LOVED her sweet taters. I was very surprised at how good they tasted (I ate sweet taters for the first time this past Thanksgiving) when homemade and plain. Growing up, I never tried the sweet potato casserole during the holidays because 1) I thought they looked gross 2) I knew they were made with eggs and 3) I don't like marshmallows. So, this past Thanksgiving, we made a sweet potato casserole without any eggs and with part of it not infested with marshmallows (the sweet potatoes were cut up in chunks and were roasted with maple syrup and other seasonings). The sweet potatoes weren't as bad as I had expected, they just weren't my favorite food.

So, fast forward to my day of making Ava Holt's baby food. Of course I had to try them to see what they tasted like...and I was pleasantly surprised. The puree was sweet (duh) and really tasty despite having no seasoning in it what-so-ever. When I made the puree, I used very minimal water, so the flavor was excellent. I'm not sure if it was because the sweet taters were organic or baked or what, but they were really good. I haven't tried the jarred kind yet, but there is no way they can taste as good as my homemade puree.

Here is some video footage of Ava Holt eating sweet taters for the first time. The first clip is really short because I accidentally pushed the stop button...but, I pushed it right away to start recording again. Although short, the first video cracks me up because you can see and hear her reaction to her first taste of the sweet taters. But as you can see, she develops an affinity for her sweet taters...

Green Beans and Apples

2008-05-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ava Holt BEFORE her big moment...

Friday, May 2nd, was a memorable day for the Garrison clan, namely Ava. It was the first time we fed Ava real food. She had eaten oatmeal three separate times before this day, but she had never tasted real food.

After making some of Ava's homemade baby food that afternoon and getting the go ahead from her pediatrician that morning (reference the previous blog), Ava got to sit in her Bumbo with a big girl bib on and eat ORGANIC GREEN BEANS as her FIRST meal.

All the books say that you can expect your child to eat about 1 teaspoon of food the first time you feed her and to expect food to be falling out of her mouth in disgust (especially with the green vegetables), but this was NOT the case for Ava Bear. Nope...the kid ate 2 ounces of green beans, followed by 1.5 Tbsp. oatmeal cereal mixed with breast milk. She LOVED the green beans, which surprised us, and she couldn't get enough of them. She would have eaten more if we would have offered it to her, but since it was her first time to eat solids, we didn't want to push the size of her stomach (since we didn't know how big it was) or cause any un-necessary sickness from the change in diet. Here she is trying her green beans for the first time. Again, I apologize for the poor video taping, but Matt refused to hold the camera and I was stuck taping with my left hand and feeding Ava with my right. That stubborn boy!

Here's more of Ava eating her yummy green beans and enjoying her big girl moment...

Ava didn't have any allergies or reactions to the green beans, so we gave them to her again on Saturday night. This time Ava ate 2 ounces of organic green beans, 1.5 Tbsp. of oatmeal mixed with breast milk, and 1 ounce of homemade organic applesauce. Yes, that's right...applesauce (in addition to the 3 other ounces of food that she consumed). The pediatrician said that we could give Ava fruit as a 'dessert' after we fed her her vegetables. I asked if we had to do the 4 day trial period with every single food (at that rate, it would take us a year to introduce singular foods without any combinations!) and he said that we should be safe introducing fruit like apples and pears. So, we went ahead and gave her some homemade applesauce.

Well, Ava LOVED the applesauce. At first, she wasn't sure of the sweet taste but after the first bite, she loved it. She was just so cute eating her new foods. She did so great eating from a spoon and we didn't have any problems getting her to open her mouth or swallow her food. She couldn't get enough of the green beans, the oatmeal cereal, or the applesauce. She just sat in her chair watching the spoon while trying to grab the bowl from our hands (with her mouth open, of course).

So, after two days of solids, Ava's a fan of green beans and applesauce! Yay!

Solids

2008-05-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

On the morning of the 2nd, we went to the Dr. for Ava's 6-month well baby check up and after Ava's weigh in and evaluation, the Dr. gave us the go ahead to start feeding her solids (other than oatmeal cereal). So, after the Dr. appointment was over, Ava and I went grocery shopping.

Matt and I have made the decision to make Ava's baby food instead of buying it (unless we're travelling or it's unsafe to make the food at home). Since I love to cook, it didn't seem like making Ava's food would be too tasking or difficult and we both liked the idea of knowing what Ava would really be eating...which means that we also decided that we only want her to eat organic food whenever possible. We figured that what we feed Ava is a gift to her health and we want it to be only the cleanest, the freshest, and the best (don't worry, we've done a lot of research on what DEFINITELY needs to be organic and what DOESN'T need to be). Anyhow, while at the store we bought a ton of fresh organic produce and we came home with lots of excitement for cooking it.

On Friday/Saturday, I baked, steamed, and boiled my heart away and had a great time doing it. I grouped the different types of squash, sweet potatoes, and peaches and put them in the oven to roast, got my double boiler steamer out for the green beans, and boiled the apples and pears (after doing research, I found that different cooking methods retain more nutrients for certain foods than others). It didn't really take much time to cook everything and I could do other things with Ava while it cooked. After each food was finished cooking, I just pureed it in my mini food processor and it was perfect. Since I made so much of each vegetable and fruit, I froze it all in ice cube trays with lids that I had bought online. Once frozen, I just popped the cubes out of the trays and into labeled freezer Ziploc bags and put them in the freezer.

Since each cube is 1 ounce of food, knowing how much Ava eats is a breeze. When it comes time for Ava to eat, we just thaw out 2 cubes at a time or nuke it for a few seconds to thaw and her dinner is ready. It's so easy. So, both Ava and I are happy...Ava gets to eat fresh, organic, nutritious food and I get to do what I love, cook.

Another Milestone

2008-05-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

On May 2nd, Ava Holt had a very big girl moment. She got to sit in a grocery store shopping cart all by herself for the first time. After spending 15 minutes in the Commissary parking lot trying to figure out how to put the shopping cart cover on the buggy (not to mention being honked at by a retiree--I didn't realize at the time that I was standing in the middle of a front row parking spot while trying to put the cover on the buggy), we finally made it into the store. I've seen people shop with the protective covers on their carts before and I thought they were a good idea, but once I put Ava into the cart, I completely understood why parents use them. They are a fantastic invention and make me feel much better about Ava not getting covered in other peoples' icky germs and random dirt. Thanks to Diane and Jerry, who gave this to us when Ava was born, Ava was able to shop with me not only in safety but also in style--the cover is so incredibly cute!

Here is Ava's reaction to being placed in the grocery cart for the 1st time with her cover (it's so soft and cuddly)...

Although this isn't the best picture, it shows Ava hanging off the side of the cart trying to observe everything...

We finally made it inside and Ava was just flirting up a storm with any and every person who walked by her. Not only was this the first time she got to sit in the buggy, it was also her first time to really see the inside of the grocery store (she's usually in her carseat facing me). So, as you can see, she's enthralled with everything she sees.

Ava spent a lot of the shopping trip in this position...

I brought her pacifier and a toy to play with for the ride...
I had to remind her that she wasn't driving a chariot, a stagecoach, or a sleigh...
The papayas were overwhelming...
Here she is taking a break from the sensory overload...

She's obviously holding the fort down and making sure that everyone knows it's her cart...

And finally, a smile...

The grocery cart was great, but I think Ava's still a bit too small to ride in it. Size wise, she's fine...but stamina wise, she's still too young. About half-way through the shopping trip she was wanting to go to sleep but sitting up in the cart wasn't conducive to letting that to happen. So, she whinged a bit and our shopping trip was cut a little short. As soon as I put her in her car seat in the car, she was conked out (it was also her nap time--oops!). In addition to her stamina being low, it was also harder to shop with Ava in the cart. EVERY single person who we walked by, Ava smiled at and or flirted with...which turned into people wanting to talk to her and touch her (YUCK!), which in turned really slowed down our shopping abilities.

6-Month Well Baby Doctor Visit

2008-05-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

On May 2nd, Ava Holt had her 6-month Well Baby appointment at the pediatrics clinic on base. I had prepared her with a week-long pep talk about the shots that she was going to receive that day, but it ended up that she has to wait until after May 10th to get them (since she received her 4-month immunizations on March 10th and there has to be exactly 2 months in between them). She was so happy to not be pricked with any nasty needles. I'm going to have to give her (and myself) another pep talk in a week though.

Anyhow, at her appointment, Ava was weighed and measured. She now weighs 17 pounds, 2.5 ounces...is 27 inches long...and her head is 43.8 centimeters in circumference. From her 4-month Well Baby visit in March, Ava has gained 1 pound and half an ounce and has grown 1.25 inches in length and .62 cm (a quarter of an inch) in head circumference. This means that Ava has gone from the 90th percentile in weight down to the 70th percentile and her length and head circumference have stayed in the 90th percentile. Dr. Waddell was very happy with Ava's development and growth progression and he gave Ava a very wonderful bill of health. He said that we could start feeding Ava solid food now and that her rapid growth would start to slow down in the coming months.

Ava Holt was such a good girl during her appointment. She flirted up a storm with the nurse and Dr. Waddell...however, she did growl at him when he put the otoscope (the lighted instrument that the Dr. uses to look in your ear). It was really funny. Dr. Waddell even laughed. Here are some pictures from Ava's appointment. She won't be going back for another check-up until she's 9 months old (August).

Ava being weighed...

Here she is demonstrating how monkeys hang from trees...
Ava being measured. Since she's a 'big girl' now, she gets to be measured on the exam table. The nurse marks the top of her head and the bottom of her foot on the paper and then measures it. This was the first time Ava was measured like this. And yes, she is playing with an empty bio-hazard bag.

Ava's helping the nurse measure how long she is...

Time for the head circumference measurement...

Once the nurse left, it was time to party on the table...
Does this face remind you of anyone?

I also took some video footage of Ava trying to crawl while on the exam table. Sorry for the messy cinematography in one of the videos...I tripped and the camera jolted a bit.

6 Months Old...

2008-05-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

We can't believe it...Ava's 6 MONTHS OLD! The past 6 months have absolutely flown by at mach speed. It seems like it was just yesterday that we moved to Vegas, much less had Ava. Each day passes at lightening speed and it seems like Ava changes by the minute. At 6 months, Ava has 2 bottom teeth, is already trying to crawl forward, can already crawl backwards, can sit up on her own, can pull herself up on her knees when holding onto something, can operate her crib mobile like a pro, and is sleeping soundly from around 8:30pm until 5:45 or 6am.

We are so very blessed to have such an amazing little girl. Ava Holt has vastly exceeded our expectations in a baby and she is far more than we deserve. She is always so happy and has been the best child anyone could hope for. Ava makes life so much more meaningful and she continues to keep us laughing, smiling, and in love with her. She is truly incredible and the best gift from God.

Here is Ava with her birthday 'cake.' Since she's 6 months old (or a half-year old), I made her a half of a cake instead of the standard muffin. The cake, a Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake, is one of Matt's favorites and as you can see, a tempting treat for Ava. Maybe next year she'll actually get to eat some of it. As you can also see, she gets her fingers into the cake, which turn into getting chocolate ganache all over her sleep sack...I forgot that she was so flexible!

This was taken right after she wiped her left hand on her sleep sack...

What a frown...

Apparently, I failed to take Ava's picture in her Mater hat, so she made me re-take the pictures...and of course, Matt had already eaten a slice of the cake. In these pictures, Ava was hoping that I was watching how cute she was instead of the fact that she was digging her hand into the top of the cake...

She thought that by sticking out her pinky finger, she would look more lady-like...

The cake AFTER Ava dug into it with her little fingers...
A picture of the inside of the cake...
Here are some pictures of Ava playing with (and eating) her Mater hat...

Strong Girl

2008-04-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

Since birth, Ava Holt has been the strongest little thing. From holding her head up the day she was born to pushing and pulling objects around, Ava never ceases to amaze us. Here are a few pictures and videos of Ava showing off her crazy baby strength.

April 25, 2008...

April 27, 2008

April 30, 2008

May 5, 2008

Ava managed to pull down her playmat all by herself. I couldn't believe it. I didn't really even hear it fall...mostly because she was in the perfect spot when it fell. What a crazy kid...

Floor Tiles

2008-04-30T15:07:00.001-07:00

I forgot that there were some floor tiles in Ava's closet that my mom had bought at the baby store where we bought Ava's pram and carseat when we lived in Germany. They aren't anything special or out of this world, but they are something new and different for Ava. I figured that I would get them out and put them on the hardwood floors so that Ava would have something to roll around on other than the icky floor. Regardless of how many times I swiffer and mop, the floor is perpetually dusty. It's gross. Anyhow, I put the floor tiles out for Ava to roll onto when she rolls off her playmat. When my mom comes back out here, I'll have to give them back to her (as they are hers to begin with!). There is another set that I've found online, so I'm going to order them when I have to give these back! Thanks mom for letting us use the tiles...although you probably forgot that you even bought them. I sure did...until I found them!

Look! No hands...

I love my new floor tiles. I love to taste them...
...and taste them.......and feel them...
...and lay on them...
...and crawl on them...
...and do yoga (the plank) on them...
...and some upward dog...

...and some upward dog with smirks on my face...

Here are some pictures and video footage of Ava being silly...

Here's some funny video of Miss Ava...

Here's the poor love falling on her face...

Helper Girl

2008-04-30T15:06:00.002-07:00

On Sunday, April 27th, Matt, Ava and I cleaned up the front yard (pulling weeds, trimming bushes and trees, and sweeping) before it got too hot outside. Ava sat in her jogging stroller and offered moral support to Matt and me. She did a great job, although towards the end she started to get tired and began resenting her jogging stroller.

As you can see, the stroller was beginning to get old...

Flora and Fauna

2008-04-30T15:06:00.001-07:00

Lately, while on our walks, Matt has been getting Ava out of her pram to touch and feel the trees and bushes (of course, only the okay ones). He started doing it one day because Ava had laid her head down on the side of the pram and just stared at the trees and bushes as he walked. Well, ever since he started getting her out of her pram to touch and see the trees and bushes, Ava has loved it. Here are some pictures of Ava while on our walk. Some are of her sitting on her Daddy's shoulders and some are of her touching some new trees and bushes (ones that aren't on our usual walk). She actually tried to put the leaves in her mouth, so there's one picture with some flora and fauna in her face. She's still alive, so the leaves must not have been poisonous.

Here's a pretty bush...

As much as Ava loves to touch the leaves with her hands, she also loves to feel the leaves with her feet. She's so funny...she'll stretch her little legs out to touch the leaves with her toes!

Now for some trees...

Ava trying to eat the leaves off the branch...
On to another bush...

How Do I Love Thee?

2008-04-30T15:05:00.002-07:00

Let me count thy ways...

2.
3.
4.
5.

How could anyone not LOVE this little girl?

Trying To Crawl Some More

2008-04-30T15:05:00.001-07:00

Here's Ava trying to be mobile once again...

I love her face in this one...it's like she's in anguish trying to crawl...

3 Legged Crawling

2008-04-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ava is on the very brink of crawling. She's slowly but surely figuring out the mechanics of how to get moving and is piecing together the idea of seeing something and being able to go get/retrieve it. She just tries so hard to crawl and you can see the determination in her eyes. Here are some pictures and clips of her trying to get moving. Her latest trick is trying to crawl with her arms and one leg that's extended out straight (hence the 3-legged title). It's hysterical to watch.

180 Degree Turn

2008-04-30T14:48:00.004-07:00

We finally captured Ava doing one of her 180 degree turns on her belly. Although she's not crawling yet, she's like an octopus...her arms and legs are everywhere! Here she is in action...

Someone is Ticklish

2008-04-30T14:48:00.003-07:00

Here is some funny footage of me tickling Ava Holt while she is standing in her Jumperoo. If this doesn't make you smile or make your day better, I don't know what will...

Have You Seen My Mixing Bowl?

2008-04-30T14:48:00.001-07:00

The pictures speak for themselves...

Ava's such a silly girl.

Major Milestone

2008-04-30T14:47:00.001-07:00

On Friday, April 25th, we gave Ava her first taste of 'solid' food. Up until this point, Ava has been exclusively nursed and has only been fed breast milk (except for the time when she was accidentaly given Emmie's formula when we were in Texas last December--Whit and I used the same bottles and GG was super kind to give Ava a bottle so I could sleep and she used Emmie's bottle instead of Ava's). Ava's pediatrician told us that we could wait until Ava was 6 months to introduce her to solids since she has been (and still is) 'thriving' perfectly well with breast milk. We were going to wait until May 1st (Ava's half birthday) to give her solids, but we gave in to temptation over the weekend and gave Ava her first tastes of food. So, on Friday night, we gave Ava some organic rice cereal mixed with breast milk. As you can see in the first picture, it was incredibly runny (we mixed it according to the package directions for the 'initial feeding'--1 Tbsp. rice cereal to 3-4 Tbsp milk). But, being first time parents, we didn't alter the recipe. Well, Ava HATED it.

Ava was so excited to be eating like a big girl. She let us put her new bib on her while she sat nicely in her Bumbo seat and was so fascinated by the bib's texture and design. After our pep talk about being fed with a spoon, she opened her mouth nice and wide for her first bite. Moments after the rice 'milk' entered her mouth, she pursed her lips and gave a quick shiver. For the next few bites, she screamed and didn't want to have anything to do with the rice mixture. So, instead of making her sit in misery, we took off her bib, let her out of her Bumbo, and threw the rice cereal away.

This is the only picture Matt let me take. He didn't seem to think it was necessary to take pictures of Ava screaming, so he refused to help me feed her (that way I had to feed her and couldn't take pictures). I wanted to take pictures of Ava regardless of her screaming, as this was a huge milestone for Ava Bear, but the Scrooge won. Now that I see this picture, I wish I had more.Here's Ava's new bib with rice cereal on it after her first solid food experience...not too much damage done.

Since the rice cereal didn't go over so well on Friday, we decided to try out the oatmeal on Sunday, April 27th (we gave Ava a night of rest in between feedings). As you can see, she liked the oatmeal much better than the rice. We are so proud of Ava, as she is an incredible eater (in terms of swallowing and taking a spoon). We were shocked at how well she ate, especially since it was only her second time to be fed sitting up and with the food coming from something other than my chest. It probably helped that we didn't follow the package directions this time, as we only added a little bit of milk instead of 4 Tbsp. The consistency was thicker than milk but much thinner than a paste (it would stay on the spoon and not go running off!).

Here's Ava during her first oatmeal eating/feeding experience...

Here's Ava in action. Sorry for the bad camera skills. I was trying to film her one hand and feed her with the other at the same time. Sorry for the TV noise in the background, Matt was watching 60 Minutes. (For some reason, the first and last videos aren't loading correctly. Just click the 'play' button--the screen will be pink and act like it's loading--and the video will come on).

Since Ava's first oatmeal experience went over so well, we decided to try it yet again on Monday night. This time, Matt got to do the honors and he was so excited. He did a great job feeding Ava and she did a brilliant job taking the spoon and eating.

Daddy feeding Ava Holt oatmeal for the first time on Monday, April 28th...

Starting Her Out Young

2008-04-25T15:48:00.003-07:00

Ava Holt loves cell phones. If we are out walking around the neighborhood, at the park, running errands, or just playing at home and my phone rings, Ava chirps up and wants to hold the phone. As soon as I flip it open, she wants to see it, touch it, lick it, and bite it...not to mention, two of her favorite phone past times are hanging up on whomever is on the phone and pressing random numbers on the keypad. Here are a few pictures of Ava Holt 'talking' on the phone to her Nan on Thursday. I think my mom heard a bit more breathing and various gnawing noises than 'words' from Ava's end of the conversation. Nevertheless, we think her phone skills are still adorable...

More Attempts At Crawling

2008-04-25T15:48:00.001-07:00

Over the past 2 weeks, Ava has really been trying to crawl. What we thought were great efforts last week have been overshadowed by even better efforts this week. This week, Ava has learned to support herself on all fours for a good amount of time and has even pushed off her knees onto her toes (think downward facing dog in yoga). Both Matt and I can't wait for her to start crawling, but at the same time I have come to enjoy my bits of free time to do laundry, clean the house, take a shower, update the blog, etc. I know that as soon as she starts crawling, I will no longer have those short bits of freedom (for example, right now I can sit her down with her toys and she will play with them for about 30 minutes). I keep reminding Matt that he isn't the one who will be at home chasing Ava around the house trying to get her out of things all day. Speaking of, I also told Matt that we'll need to start child-proofing everything in the house that's below knee level!

Here are some pictures that I took of Ava this morning while she was playing with her toys. We opened up her Learning Table to see if she would try to pull herself up to a standing position, but we never attached the legs to the table top. That was because she was so excited to play with the table top while sitting on the floor. She loved making the bowl in the middle of the table move and she was quite a fan of the fruit plate on the corner.

Ava's sing-along stage was put away once we gave her the table and she seems to have forgotten that it ever existed. Maybe in a few weeks we'll attach the legs to her table top and bring the stage back out for her to play with since she will probably be able to pull herself up to a standing position by then.

In the following pictures, Ava started off in the middle of the blanket and rolled/shimmied/rotated her way over to where she is in the last picture and videos. She's already a mess and into everything without being truly mobile. We're in for an adventure when she starts crawling/walking!

Because Ava's so strong and on the brink of crawling, I was able to get some great footage of her brilliant attempts. As you can see, she's almost mobile...not to mention, she really wants those blocks...

Here's Ava sitting up playing with her new Learning Table that we bought her...

Salsa Bear

2008-04-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

In my birthday package from my parents, both Matt and Ava had presents inside--come on now, it's my birthday! Anyhow, Ava's present was a little stuffed bear that we named 'Salsa.' Salsa is made out of 100% Alpaca and is the softest, most plush little bear I have ever felt. In addition to Salsa being soft, the Alpaca fur is hypo-allergenic, so we don't have to worry about Ava getting sick or being allergic to him. Since giving Salsa to Ava on Tuesday, she has wanted to hold and play with him all the time. She gnaws on his legs and arms and cuddles with him...it's cute. Up until now, Ava hasn't established anything as a security item yet, so maybe Salsa will fill the bill.

Looking and Being Cute...As Always

2008-04-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Ava from this past Wednesday. She still loves her Jumperoo..

Here is some footage of Ava Holt being unbelievably cute while in her Jumperoo...

In this clip, she's telling me a 'story' about monkeys eating bugs too...

And finally, here are some pictures of Ava Holt wearing her new giraffe glasses while playing in her Jumperoo. Unfortunately, Ava has inherited an annoying Asian trait--the nose with no bridge. So, for the rest of her life, she will have to suffer like her Mommy and have to live with often crooked glasses (we straightened them up after the first few pictures). Ava did comment that everything she saw while wearing her new shades was orange...

Does this face not scream 'attitude' or what?

From the front you can't really tell her glasses are giraffe themed (there are 2 very small giraffes on the front), so we took a picture of them from the side so that you can see the giraffe pattern...

Caught RED Handed

2008-04-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Thumb sucking is not something that Matt and I are promoting for Ava. She seems to like her pacifiers...but on the odd day, she'll pull her pacifier out of her mouth and suck her thumb. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, we have to take pictures of her getting caught. Here's the bandit sucking on her thumb the other day while we were running errands (you can even see her pacifier resting on her left arm)...

Can We Possibly Love Her Any More?

2008-04-25T08:27:00.001-07:00

As you already know, Ava Holt and her Daddy have some of the best of times together. Here is some video footage that I took of Matt and Ava Holt playing together last night. Ava Holt is like her Mommy in that she is incredibly ticklish. Here's Matt getting some pretty big belly laughs out of her...

Mover and Shaker

2008-04-25T08:17:00.001-07:00

I know I've mentioned it before, but little Ava Holt is a wiggle worm. Since she can't move forwards yet with crawling, she's decided that going backwards is just about as good. So, whenever Ava is placed on the ground to play, it's only moments later that we find her in scenarios that look like the following pictures. To reference these photos, Ava was originally placed in the center of the blanket sitting up facing the TV (she was playing with her toys) with the pillows behind her for fall protection. As you can see, she flipped herself over and shimmied her was backwards in between the pillows...

Apparently, it was time to turn around...

Here's some video footage of Ava Holt right after I took the picture above...

More of Ava's Teefus

2008-04-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Matt and I are completely amazed at how fast Ava's teeth are growing. Since the original post about her teeth coming in at the beginning of April, Ava's teeth have just about tripled in size. Here are pictures of Ava's teeth that were taken on the 9th of April (to get a picture of her teeth, you had to hold her bottom lip down)....

And here are her teeth now (these pictures were taken on Wednesday, April 23rd). She has just the cutest toothy smile...

Wiggle My Waggles All Away

2008-04-24T08:48:00.001-07:00

Ava Holt is the biggest wiggle worm in the world. The child can shimmy herself just about anywhere within a 4 foot radius and it's not rare to find her completely flipped around and pointed in the opposite direction of where you left her moments prior. In these pictures, Ava was initially put down underneath her playmat with her feet pointing towards the far top right side of the picture and her head in the middle of the playmat just about where the caterpillar's head is on the mat (how you would properly lay a child down on a playmat). About 2 minutes later, I hear this tapping noise. So, I look over at Ava and this is what I see...

She had managed to roll over onto her stomach, do a 180 degree turn, untangle herself from the support bars on the playmat, and shimmy backwards on her tummy off the rug and onto the hardwood floors. The tapping was Ava hitting her right foot against the wood floors (for some reason, she loves doing this). As you can see, amidst her shimmy and wiggles she found the fringe on the rug to be quite fascinating.

In addition to the shimmy and wiggle, Ava has been trying to crawl. She's slowly piecing the elements of crawling together but hasn't quite figured it out completely. Here she is with her tush in the air and her arms out trying to get mobile...

I'm quite happy with her being semi-stationary, but I know my days are numbered. Matt and I need to start Ava-proofing the house soon!

More Pool Time

2008-04-24T08:31:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Ava playing in her pool last Sunday. We opted out of putting her in a swimsuit, as she was perfectly content in just her swim diaper...and who messes with a perfectly content child?

Puppy Time

2008-04-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

Well, when we give Ava new toys, we take some of the ones she's been playing with and put them away where she can't see them. That way, her toys will keep their luster a little longer and we won't have tons of toys all over the living room. So, when we gave Ava her sing-along stage, one of the toys we put away was her singing puppy.

The other day, we decided to take her tool bench away and give her her puppy back. Ava forgot the puppy ever existed and she acted like she had never seen him before in her life...which for us was a good thing (it meant that our toy swapping was working). Giving her back her puppy really showed us how much she has changed in the last month. When we initially gave her the puppy in mid-March, she liked him, but didn't really actively play with him. For the most part, we would have to push the buttons on his body to make him talk and sing. She would sometimes push the buttons on his body but she didn't really cognize how he worked. Fast forward a short month later and Ava plays with the puppy, deliberately pushes all of his buttons, and definitely understands how he works.

Anyhow, here are some pictures of Ava playing with her singing puppy again. She thought he was just so delicious...

Ava's New Shades

2008-04-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while we were out and about running errands, we stopped at Target to return the Wii I had bought Matt for his birthday. He thought the Wii was a great gift, but didn't know how much we would actually use it...as every spare moment of free time that he has after work or on the weekends he is either playing with Ava or running. I thought that we could use the Wii at night after Ava was asleep, but after reviewing our nighttime schedules (what we do once Ava is in bed) for a few weeks, we both realized that after watching our favorite shows that we've DVR'd, we would rather go to sleep than stay up to play a video game. I guess we're old and no fun anymore! So, I returned the Wii to Target and the person behind me at the customer service desk bought it before it ever made it back to the electronics department shelf. Apparently I had made her the happiest person on Earth that day. The Wii would have been a fun thing to play, but after the price of the console, the accessories, and all the games I had bought to go along with it, it was kind of nice to have the $500 back in our wallets.

Anyhow, while at Target, we also purchased some birthday gifts for our nephew, Micah (he turns 3 on May 1st). Well, as we were walking towards the check out area, something caught our eye and we took a little diversion to our normal shopping path. This diversion took us to a great sale on some fun outdoor stuff for Ava. Some of the stuff she can use now and some of it she can use next year (Santa stocked up on some fun things for her for Christmas). Here are some pictures of Little Miss Ava modeling two of her new presents. Matt says that she looks like Elton John, but I think she looks far cuter than a chubby gay Brit. What do you think?

Ava's new giraffe glasses...

Ava's new monkey glasses...by the way, these glasses just about cracked me up. They have these flip-up lenses that make her look like she has an extra set of monkey ears. Who knew such stylish shades could be so versatile?