07/13/2016
03/09/2016
Like mother, like daughter.
I've always known her smile resembles mine. We both have a dimple in our chin and share the same nose. Tonight, however, it became unmistakably clear that we are woven from the same thread. Just now, as I looked at her from across the room I saw myself ... only better.
07/07/2015
07/07/2014
07/07/2013
05/31/2013
04/30/2013
03/31/2013
March 2013 (3 years + 8 months)
"Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems."
-Rainer Maria Rilke
Girl's weekend away
(A visit to Vancouver)
(Click HERE for more photos)
St. Patrick's Day Pizza
Spring Break on Bainbridge Island
Easter
Spring is in the air!
Oly wa
02/28/2013
February 2013 (3 years + 7 months)
New home!
First play - The Little Mermaid!
02/04/2013
02/03/2013
December 2012 (3 years + 5 months)
Ava's Art
02/02/2013
November 2012 (3 years + 4 months)
02/01/2013
Third Birthday - A dream come true!
Paris Disney
05/04/2012
04/05/2012
2 years + 9 months
From learning to curl to hanging out with a big beluga this month has been full of fun times. Ava continues to express her love of animals. We still make regular visits to the aquarium, each one more exciting than the last.
Ava adores her baby brother and it is absolutely precious to watch them together.
Our little Canadian learned to curl at the Vancouver Curling Club during our farewell party. She rocked like a pro!
Happy Spring!
03/04/2012
2 years + 8 months
Valentine's Day packed with love.
Chase's Birthday party ... full speed ahead with cars and cake.
An Oscar's party mixed with diva fashion
Play date with an old friend
Life is good
I love ya ... Cousin Judi ... I love ya ... tomorrow ...
Bubble bath with baby brother!
Please mum
02/07/2012
31 colours ... and then some
A is for Art, Apples and Ava! We've gotten into a nice rhythm with our preschool routine and we're Absolutely lovin' it. Our A+ student is having A lot of fun and learning new things every day.
Her teachers Are simply Awesome. They put their heart into every class And it really shows. Below is a photo with Mr. Robb And Ava's Adorable little boyfriend named Jack. I've also posted A snapshot of one of the colourful masterpiece paitings completed this month. It is proudly being displayed in the window for the community to enjoy. http://www.extrasteps.ca/
Our little fish continues to go swimming with Dad on Saturday mornings at Hillcrest. When she is wearing a life jacket she can go from one end of the pool to the other all by herself.
She remains totally obsessed with all things dolphin, whale and shark ... and the aquarium is still the greatest place on earth. She tells us all the time that she "really, really, really wants to swim with the dolphins." Some day baby girl. Some day.
I am pleased to share that we are getting closer and closer to living diaper free. In fact, just a few stars stand between pull-ups and full time "Big Girl Princess Underware" for this girl. As Ava will tell you, "We don't want to poop on the princess." Phew! Who knew? Potty training. Good. Times.
Although we typically love every precious minute of bath time, washing our hair has taken on a life all of its own. LOL.
This month Ava enjoyed another fun sleep over with cousin Judi and celebrated Daddy's birthday by making him breakfast in bed. (Side note: We now consistantly look like a drunk, one-eyed pirate when asked to smile for the camera.)
We continue to enjoy afternoon play time with friends and baby brother. Dressing up has become a favourite passtime and, of course, Buzz is still our number one hero.
01/07/2012
The BIG 30
It is no secret I've been counting down the months to the big three O since Ava's second birthday. This is an important age here in Vancouver. New windows of opportunity start opening up everywhere. She now qualifies for date nights (evening childcare programs) as well as different community classes that no longer require parent participation. Most importantly, she meets the minimum age requirement to attend a certified preschool.
While this is all fine, good and totally awesome in a lot of ways, I am just now starting to realize something else. My little girl is growing up. Not only that, she is doing it right before my eyes.
At the moment, I am having trouble processing that Ava is capable of having a real conversation. Not just a funny collection of words and disjointed phrases, but a "how was your day" exchange. In fact, when she wants to be, she is extremely articulate and well spoken. It is obvious she understands the importance of "please, thank you and you're welcome" and has even begun saying "sorry" like a true Canadian.
My uncle Jim gave us some good parenting advice a while back that went something like this:
1. Only say no when it is absolutely necessary.
2. When it is absolutely necessary to say no, mean it.
The art of communicating with a toddler can be a blessing and a challenge. While I respect the fact that she has STRONG preferences as well as clear and concise opinions, it is a daily challenge to balance what is mission critical and what is not really "absolutely necessary."
For example, Ava is extremely passionate about the clothes she wants to wear. Currently stuck on a trio of princesses (Cinderella, Ariel and Tinkerbell) and totally obsessed with a worn out pair of rainbow pants, getting dressed in anything else is a major chore. She only wants pink and/or purple barrettes in her hair and even cousin Judi can't get her to button or zip her jacket. When it comes to pajamas there are only two acceptable options ... Woody or Buzz. If I am late on laundry we can expect a heavy twenty minute negotiation filled with tears. Not really mission critical type stuff but the start to finish process of getting dressed simply should not take two hours.
As far as food is concerned she lives on breakfast and "snacks." It is like pulling teeth to get her sit down for lunch and dinner. The best thing on her plate has suddenly become "something else." While I try to convince myself that as long as I continue to provide healthy options for her she will eat when she is hungry, it goes against all my motherly instincts not to try to encourage her to chew and swallow on a more regular basis.
On other notes, she requires that "Big Bear" make the trip up and down the stairs at least once in the morning and once in the afternoon. She never wants to take a bath (this of course means bed is next) until the tub is filled with bubbles and I find myself talking to plastic dolphins loud enough to catch her attention. She will only let you start to read the first few pages of a book before she wants to take over and you can forget about watching anything from beginning to end on the television.
We have been working on potty training for several months. After learning she gets to pick out a gummy bear for every successful attempt, we average ten attempts a day, of which only two or three are actually successful. Last, but certainly not least, here we are close to 1,000 days into this thing and our daughter still hates (and I mean HATES) going to bed. She will resist sleep with everything she's got in her, not once, but TWICE a day.
As Darrin says, it is a miracle anyone survives parenting. In an attempt to maintain some level of sanity I have to step back and laugh at myself once in a while. Just when I think I have a situation under control she inevitability throws a curve ball into the mix. The next thing I know, I find myself negotiating, pleading and downright begging with a two year old for something as simple as a freakin' sock.
I can't help but wonder how our lives would be different if I did go back to work. If Ava (and soon Evan) attended day care 8am to 5pm, five days a week. What if these challenging moments were softened by the absence of time together. Would I be more patient if I knew we only had an hour in the morning and three at night? Would I be happier? Getting dressed would take five minutes because there would simply be no other option. Perhaps eating dinner together would be fun because it would actually mean something special to her.
It is only after thinking this through that I begin to see the hidden seconds tucked within the stressful moments. The times when she has lifted her arms into the air and started turning her naked body in circles while singing "a dream is a wish your heart makes" at the top of her lungs. She will spin until she gets dizzy, fall to the ground with laughter and then look up at me with those bright blue eyes and try (whole heartedly) to convince me that she IS Cinderella.
Just this morning she surprised Darrin and I by getting up on her own, coming down the stairs and wishing us "good morning" at the foot of the bed. I can't help but think about the times she holds my cheeks with her cold little hands and out of the blue tells me I look beautiful. By far, the most precious of them all are the five seconds when the noisy world goes silent as she whispers in my ear, "I love you mommy."
I'd be lying if I said I don't miss the relationships I had b.k. My career, my friends, the theatre, visits to the spa, dining out at fancy restaurants, fine wine followed by shaken martinis (or vise versa) and quality time with my husband have all taken a back seat for a while. However, I've just started to realize (after two and half years as a parent) that this is all quite temporary. I will have all of those luxuries back in my life one day. Undoubtedly at that time, I will focus more energy than not thinking about how much I miss these days. Those adults only candlelight dinners I dream about while sweeping up green peas and Cheerios will be most likley spent reminiscing about "when the kids were little."
With the start of preschool Ava has begun her life-long journey of formal learning and self enrichment. Although it is only three and a half hours each morning it isn't likely that these hours will decrease in the years ahead. Just like that, a third of our day is being shared with new friends, teachers and experiences. Like with so many things in life, I couldn't wait for this come and now I am already starting to miss those hours ... and the seconds in between.
Even as I try to type this post (one handed with my laptop precariously balanced behind the sleeping newborn boy on chest) I am reminded how often I catch myself just trying to get it done, to make it through and simply survive.
Evan just started squirming and I caught myself thinking, "ohhh please don't wake up, please, not yet, I am almost done here." As I took my eyes off the screen to look down I saw his little hands crossed perfectly over chest with his eyes closed ever so sweetly while sleeping peacefully. It wasn't that long ago that Ava was this size, snuggled up with me, silent and still. Something tells me it won't be that long before Evan is taking bribes to exit his Spiderman suit.
Ohh, I hear Ava waking up from her nap. I'd better run upstairs. Now that I know she can open her door and come down by herself, I sure miss greeting her warm little forehead with a dozen kisses at her bedside.
Below are some memories from the previous month and our first Christmas as a family of four.
Getting to know Santa ...
Christmas morning! Ava asked Santa for a big dolphin, a shark and sea otter. Looks likes she made the nice list this year.
New Year's Eve on the Olympic Penninsula at Port Ludlow:
First day of preschool:
12/06/2011
29 Months
Baby brother Evan has arrived!
I am happy to share that on November 18th Ava officially became a BIG sister. (For more about Evan's challenging journey into the world, please visit his blog.)
Grandma and Grandpa Eden arrived a week before Evan was born. For nearly a month, they enjoyed spending lots of quality time with Ava. They did a wondeful job shuffling Ava to and from her various classes and activities. I honestly don't know what we would have done without them.
Ava also enjoyed some fun play time with her best friend Sydney. She was even invited to a night on the town with Buzz and Woody for a Disney on Ice show. What a very special treat!
... and then on a snowy Friday, word reaches home that Evan has arrived!
After a rough first few days, Ava finally got to go to the hospital to meet her new baby brother.
Evan stayed in the hospital for several more days before Ava could come to see him again. This time he was able to be held in mommy's arms.
Evan's long awaited homecoming came after 12 days in the NICU. What a beautiful day.
11/05/2011
28 Months
Fall is here!
It is hard to believe that this is the last post I'll write before Ava officially becomes a BIG sister. What an exciting time for our family. We are blessed to have a daughter who is so kind and caring at such a young age. She is going to make a wonderful sibling to her baby brother.
Things have been fairly low-key this month as my nesting instincts are in full swing and we've been busy preparing for our new arrival. Grandma and Grandpa Eden arrive on Friday and we are really looking forward to having them here. We've moved Darrin's office upstairs to Ava's former nursery and that space is now the guest room that will eventually become baby boy's nursery.
Darrin and I enjoyed a lovely "weekend away" at a posh downtown hotel while Ava had fun hanging out with cousin Judi. We also had the chance to host a grown-up mystery wine party here at the house while Ava spent the night at Judi and Jake's apartment. Knowing it will be quite some time before we are able to these types of things again, Dad and I are taking full advantage of some precious alone time. Ava has also enjoyed all the special attention from cousin Judi and other friends. This is equally as important as we prepare to divide our time and energy.
She is one busy little girl this term. She is taking a little chef's cooking class, pottery, a world traveler workshop, all on my own art classes, as well as fall camp two days a week with Miss Jennifer. It is wonderful to watch her socialize and make new friends. We are fortuntate to live in a community that provides such affordable and accessible learning opportunities for young children.
After spending half her life without any hair, it is super fun that we're now able to get big girl haircuts. Much to my surprise, she did a great job of sitting perfectly still for the entire endeavour. I have a feeling the lollypop might have had something to do with it.
We have been keeping our tradition of visitng the Vancouver Aquarium at least once a month. Ava is not only becoming knowledable about sealife, but is passionate as well. She calls all of the sharks, dolphins and whales her friends and, on occasion, they are even her best friends. Just recently she asked if we could go get a new book about dolphins. We went to Kids Books on Broadway and she carefully picked one out.
We were also fortunate to have the Fox-Seidel family up for a visit. John Paul and Ava had a great time playing together while Hilary and I were able to escape for lunch at the Secret Garden. Darrin and Cedrus also took the little ones to the Capilano Suspension Bridge for some treetop advenutres. Another highlight of the trip was a ride on the Ghost Train in Stanley Park followed by prego friendly sushi at Kadoya.
Of course the month finished with a candy filled evening of trick or treating. While Ava's official costume was Sheriff Woody from Toy Story she wore a different costume every day of the week. We are currently going through a phase where getting dressed can be quite a challenge in the morning so I was happy to let her wear whatever she wanted for a change.
I think that's a wrap for this month. It is amazing to think that I'll have two blogs to update very very soon. You can check out what's happening with baby shark at his blog - http://martini.typepad.com/baby2/. Thanks in advance for the kind thoughts and wishes over the next couple of weeks.
10/10/2011
27 months
The major highlight for this month was Uncle Mark and Heather's wedding. It was a magical event, perfect in every way. Ava was so proud and excitted to be a flower girl. Just the other day she told me how much she loved Heather and how she "really missed her." She then asked if she could put flowers in her hair and dance like Heather. It was so sweet. Below is a post I made on Facebook a day or two before the wedding:
I have a habit of calling Ava "Angel" even when she isn't acting like one. Tonight she was running around naked causing havoc (refusing to put her pajamas on) and Darrin turned to me and said, "You know, I am not 100% sure she is pure angel." When I asked Ava if she was an angel she shook her head no, took a sip of her milk, paused and said, "No mommy, I am NOT an angel ... I am a flower girl."
A flower girl she was! Despite the fact that one of her shoes fell off at the bottom of the stairs, she walked down the aisle with her chin up and a big smile on her face. It was perfect! She aboslutely loves her pricess dress and still talks about Heather's dress nearly every day.
Unfortunately, our camera broke at the wedding. What are the odds? Below are some memories I was able to capture before it died.
Cindy, Alexia and AJ came to stay with us a couple of weeks after the wedding while Darrin went to Baltimore. The kids had a great time together while Cindy and I enjoyed some quality time together.
09/06/2011
26 months!
Ohhh what a fun summer it has been! Ava attended four more weeks of mini-camp at the West Point Grey Community Centre this month. This is a wonderful program where two and three year-olds to learn to care for a garden, bake muffins, create art and make music. (It also gives parents a few hours of precious free time on weekday mornings!) Ava was thrilled to have her friend Sydney join her for the final week. According to the camp coordinator, Ava was a natural leader and enjoyed showing her what to do and where to go.
This month our family took a "big airplane" to visit friends Heather, Paul and Rosemary in sunny Los Angeles, California. Overall, Ava was a good traveler, however, she wasn't thrilled about having to be buckled into her own seat for take off and landing. I wish we'd brought ear plugs for the poor passengers behind us.
While daddy was busy meeting with clients, Ava and I visited Mickey's home and spent a day at the happiest place on earth.
After three days in Los Angeles with the Meyers Family we took the Amtrak train to San Diego.
Our time in San Diego was brief (just a few short days) but we made the most of it visiting both the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld. Our day at the world famous zoo was filled with exciting animal encounters and Ava loved seeing the real, live baby Panda. I must say the zoo was much, much bigger than how I remember it from years ago.
SeaWorld was also super fun and we were so pleased Dad was able to join us for the afternoon.
Dressed in her pink party girl dress Ava helped celebrate her friend Alexander's second birthday at his home next door to ours. She is definitely her mother's daughter.
Look Mom! No rails! Another big milestone was reached this month as Ava now sleeps in a "big girl bed" without the walls of her crib.
Darrin and I have started alternating "sleep-in" days on the weekends. Each of us gets one day a week to spend a few extra hours in bed while the other takes Ava out of the house. Ava and I have enjoyed breakfasts out as well as trips to the farmer's market and the aquarium. Darrin and Ava have a standing swim date at Hillcrest Aquatic Centre followed by play time at a nearby park.
Just last week we found ourselves back at Maplewood Farms to say hello to our barnyard friends. Ava gets great joy from interacting with all the animals.
Continuing on this same theme, Ava and I spent one sunny Sunday afternoon at the Fair at the PNE here in Vancouver. We had a lovely time in the "experiencing farming" exhibit and Ava even got to feed a baby calf a bottle of milk.
We were blessed this month with a couple out of town visitors. Peta and Matt come from Australia to say hello and Stephanie came up from Portland to stay the night.
No summer is complete without a visit to the "Megan and Alex Garden." After nibbling on delicious Ava sized zucchini muffins, she ate her weight in cherry tomotoes.
Although life can be an emotional roller coaster at times, for the most part, Ava is a happy and playful little girl. It is wonderful to watch her observe and ponder the world around her. There is nothing more joyful than the sound of her laughter. The "why" phase has offically begun and her curiosty is constant. While this can sometimes try our patience, it is also quite amazing to stop and see the world through the eyes of a toddler.
"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance."
~Franklin P. Jones
08/05/2011
25 Months!
We've had an exciting month following Ava's second birthday. The sun is finally out here in Vancouver and Ava has enjoyed participating in two different mini-summer camp programs. She is having a blast meeting new friends and taking part in various creative activities.
This month we took an extended road trip down to Portland to celebrate with our aunt and sister-in-law to be at her beautiful bridal shower. It was a wonderful day full of love and many happy moments!
That trip we also had an opportunity to catch up with Uncle Jim and Aunt Lynn from Florida as well as silly goose Uncle Bob from Korea. Ava was super happy to meet our new baby cousin Savanna and give hugs to great Aunty Jo.
While in town, we were able to gather some old high school friends near our old stomping grounds in Aloha for a super fun play date.
On our way home to Vancouver we stoped in Olympia to see our dear friend John Paul and pet a few brand baby chicks.
07/05/2011
06/05/2011
23 Months
More than ever the past month has been full of highs and lows. Ava was sick for a few days toward the middle of the month and ended up spending four days at BC Children's Hospital. The whole experience was terrifying. We called an ambulance early Friday evening on May 20th when we found Ava having a seizure in her crib. We were rushed to the emergency room and Ava had second seizure seven hours later.
We were admitted to the hosptial so she could be monitored. It turns out that she likely contracted a nasty bug (viral Gastroenteritos) that somehow affected the fuild in her brain ... which likely caused her seizures. They ran a bunch of tests to rule out other things and thankfully everything came back within normal range. The strange thing was that she had only a slight fever which is typically the reason children have febrile seizures.
The hardest part (other than the seizures of course) was when the bug was working its way out of her system. Poor little thing was so sick. She looked horrible and had us all extermely worried. We had two docs and two nurses helping us manage the situation as best we could. The nurses, doctors and staff at the hosptial were abosultely amazing. We feel so blessed to have received such excellent care.
The good news is that it is all behind us and Ava is back to being a happy healthy little girl. Because there wasn't a high fever, there is no reason to believe this will ever happen again. Easy to say, but difficult for a mom to believe. I haven't been sleeping well since the incident. We have a new wireless video monitor hooked up and I wake up several times a night to make sure she is okay. I remain hopeful that time will help. I have to believe she is now stronger because of it.
We've all been following the Canucks closely on their journey towards the Stanley Cup. Ava has become quite a fan. She can cheer, "Go Canucks!" like a professional and jumps up and down for every goal. Every time she sees the logo around town (which is often) she get a huge smile on her face and screams "Hockey Game! Hockey Game!" She also makes a point to tell everyone that the emblem on her jersey is "Vancouver's Orca whale."
When she isn't cheering on the hockey team, Ava has been practing for the next PGA Tour. Thanks Uncle Joe for the cool clubs.
The definte high note of the month was our family holiday to Las Vegas. After several months of grey skies and rain we decided to head to the desert for some sunshine. Flying out of Bellingham (just across the border) we found cheap flights on Allegiant Air and away we went ... pregnant with a todderl to Sin City. We had a wonderful time and Darrin was able to disconnect from work completely for three full days.
We were pleased to be welcomed home with a warm and sunny weekend. To celebrate, our family headed to Granville Island for the Children's Festival. A good time was had by all.
I am completely shocked and amazing that the next blog post I write will be about a two year old. Where oh where does the time go?
05/05/2011
Twenty Two
** April showers, bring May flowers **
Other than a few nice days at the beginning of the month April has been full of rain here in Vancouver, BC. The few precious hours of sunshine inspired papa to build a sandbox in the backyard. We're looking forward to many more sandy moments in the coming months.
When she isn't building sandcastles, Ava's been making some brilliant marketing appearances for Dad's latest gig DNSimple.com.
Easter weekend our family escaped for a few fun filled days in the Emerald City. We enjoyed luxury accommodations at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel and shared time with family and friends.
Our trip began with an exciting adventure through the Woodland Park Zoo. Ava was thrilled to see so many wild animals. She just couldn't understand why she couldn't touch all of them. The lion looked super soft and cuddly.
Friday evening we joined Miranda's (my college roommate) family at their lovely home for a super fun play date and dinner party.
Saturday we took the monorail to the Seattle Center to met Nancy's family at the Children's Museum.
That afternoon we enjoyed a lovely lunch with aunt Shirley and cousin Lisa in the beautiful Georgian Room at the Fairmont.
Easter Sunday we were blessed to be invited to the O'Keffe household for a delicious brunch and an egg hunt.
Ava does Easter in style.
Upon returning home we invited a few of our little Olympic friends over for another play date.
While Quatchi, Miga and Sumi reconnected with some old friends at the play date, Uncle Jim surprised us with a fun little package from London. Welcome to the club you silly little one eyed monsters.
A big highlight this month was welcoming Uncle Mark, Aunt Heather and Sally to our home. It was great to see all of them and spend some time sharing our life here in Canada.
Lunch at Granville Island marked Mark's first real Canadian Ceasear.
We took advanatage of the beautiful weather with a visit to Spanish Banks. Sally and Ava enjoyed some play time on the beach and even flew a kite in Mom's honour.
We ventured downtown to meet up with Aunt Lori, Uncle Joe and cousin Judi for dinner (and of course more Ceasars) downtown.
Sunday afternoon we welcomed Great Aunt Carol's daughter Breand and Jim over for a barbeque. Ava had a wonderful time playing with her second cousin and we were extremely lucky to get a break in the weather. We were even able to say hello to Grandpa Dale and Grandma Diana via Skype. The evening ended with everyone getting cozy in the front room to cheer on the Canucks.
GO Canucks! Go! Our boys have had an exceptional season and are doing well in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Ava is getting the hang of the game and looks forward to spening a few hours with us during the games. She woke up this morning and told me she wanted to wear her hockey jersey to circle time. Ava's first bike ride! Papa's birthday present is finally assembled and ready to roll.
Now, bring on the sunshine!
04/25/2011
04/04/2011
21 Months
H A P P Y S P R I N G
Our little bunny has become quite the chatter box. She is starting to learn her colours and can almost count to ten. I hear the word "mommy" about 100 times a day and she never hesistates to ask for a hug ... which means mommy pick me up. She's constantly suprising us with new expressions. Just this evening she so sweetly turned and said, "bless you mommy" when I sneezed. It was adorable.
Dad and Ava play hide and seek almost every night before dinner. She loves to dance and sing "Ring around the Rosie." Her favourite song is still "Old McDonald had a Farm" but the "Wheels on the Bus" takes a close second.
Desite our best intentions, we've started to let her watch more television. Some of her favourites are Blues Clues, Curious George (aka Monkey George) and Pingu (aka Pip). She seems to have developed a deep relationship with the elephant named Horton in "Horton Hears a Hoo." She abosutely adores that movies and watches part of it almost every day. We've also introduced "The Little Mermaid" and "Toy Story" but they haven't really caught her interest. Ohhh boy, here we go. So much for waiting until she turned two for television. Thank goodness for Nexflix. Truthfully, I don't know what I'd do without my half hour of mommy time in the morning.
Ava has also developed a real passion for animals. She smiles from ear to ear whenever we see a puppy. We recently visited Maplewood Farms and she had a wonderful time interacting all the different furry friends.
Great aunt Lori and uncle Joe came to visit us this month from Portland. We enjoyed an afternoon visit at our place and then all went to the pub where Judi was working.
We visit the Vancouver Aquarium every two weeks or so and always have a great time. Our friends Mel and Kevin joined us recently for a fun afteroon at the newly enhanced Amazon exhibit. Once inside the tropical rainforest we saw birds, turtles and hundrededs of beautiul butterlies.
Saturday is our official family day and we've enjoyed some fun outings together this month including, Science World, the Hilcrest swimming pool, several neighborhood parks and most recently the new Creekside Community Centre and the seawall at Olympic Village.
We also enjoyed having some of our former VANOC colleagues over for a playdate. It was wonderful to catch up and admire how much Lakshmi and James have grown!
I am also happy to share that Ava is finally sleeping through the night now (sometimes as long as 12 hours) and she is also taking one two-three hour nap every day! Phew! That only took 21 months. It is a good thing she's cute. Sweet dreams.
03/12/2011
03/07/2011
10 + 10 = 20 Months
Ava's vocabulary is growing every day. She will repeat nearly everything we say and is starting to form complete sentences. Just yesterday she said to me, "Mommy, I want a puppy." People seem to be amazed by her ability to communicate so clearly. She is also singing songs and loves to dance to music. Her current favorites are "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Old McDonald Had a Farm" but the tunes keep on coming.
Her papa is proud to share that she's recently acquired two degrees from the University of British Columbia. Way to twinkle little star!
When she's not spending her afternoons at University, Ava is busy enjoying play dates with little friends. "The more we get together ... together ... together ... the happier we'll be."
When we're happy and we know it, we play with clay.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes!
Another play date with SNOW white.
02/20/2011
02/14/2011
02/13/2011
02/07/2011
02/04/2011
01/14/2011
Celebrating a New Year in Portland - Welcome to 2011!
Uncle Bob and his beautiful grand daughter Savanna
Great Grandpa Walter Spring's 83rd Birthday party
Spending time with Uncle Mark and Aunt Heather ...
Discovering the Portland Children's Museum and OMSI
Having fun with friends in Portland
Sharin' a little time at the beach with mama's BFF.
Manzanita, Oregon
Christmas 2010
Christmas eve dinner with Grandma and Grandpa.
Christmas morning!
Grateful to have so many wonderful people in our lives.
A Visit from Grandma and Grandpa Eden
Breakfast with Santa at Grouse Mountain
Ava has an adorable story to tell about Santa. Whenever his name comes up she runs to the bookshelf to pick up the photo of her crying on Santa's lap. She then makes a sad little face and says "I saw Santa. I cried." When asked if she eat breakfast with Santa a second time. She immediately runs to the tree and removes the snowman orament he gave her at Grouse mountain. She holds it up proudly and says with a smile, "Santa okay. Santa alright."
While in town, Grandpa helped us with several projects around the house.
He also went to see a Canuks hockey game with Darrin.
Grandma and I attended high tea at the Secret Garden and enjoyed fish and chips at the pub.
We all saw bright holiday lights in Stanley Park.
We all shared the afternoon at the Vancouver Aquarium.
Of course there were stories, stories and more stories.
Boxing day Ceasers!
It was wonderful to have them with us! Hope they come back soon.
12/09/2010
12/05/2010
17 Months
First sip of hot chocolate. I think we kinda liked it. A lot.
Click Here for photos of our decorated tree.
Jingle bells and play time with Ben ...
11/20/2010
11/06/2010
A Sweet 16 Months
Our little pumpkin is growing strong!
Trick or treat ... or ROOOOAAAAARRRR!
A visit to Spanish Banks beach on a perfect fall day
Note to self: Post-its are fun.
“If friends were flowers, I'd pick you”
Ava is chatting up a storm these days and can repeat almost anything we say. She is even starting to string together words to create sentances like, "Where is Mamma?" and "I see Pappa." She continues to enjoy music class and gymnastics and we spend several mornings a week at the Dunbar Community Centre. Darrin takes her swimming to the beautiful new Hillcrest Pool (an Olympic legacy!) once a week and she has an absolute blast in the water.
She is determined to do almost everything on her own ... including eating and walking. Convincing her to sit in the stroller these days is becoming quite a challenging. Watching her little mind at work is miraculous.