My first burrito!

I should have known that Ava would have eaten a burrito like a pro! She didn't eat any tinfoil OR anything! She ate everything even though she didn't eat all of it. She made a mess of course, but I was so impressed with her burrito eating champ style! I mean ONE handed even!! Come on!! Joses here we come!

Everyone needs to cook

It happened. I broke down and bought Ava a little kitchen. I blame mark and Nancy. Actually, I thank them for giving me reason for getting it beyond me just wanting to get it for Ava. One of the only things setting me back was that it was pink...and now since we are having girl #2...its fine. Not that it wouldn't have been fine if it as a boy...but you know what I mean. It took Rich ONLY 3 hours to assemble. It may have been worse than something from Ikea!! Thank god he read the directions because it came out fabulous!

Miss Ava played with this kitchen set while half built and then when it was fully built she would NOT stop playing with it. She was making eggs, cleaning dishes, cooking in the microwave...you name it! Even this am she brought her leftover breakfast over to it to cook on the stove. I love it!!

ZOO!!!

Today we went to the Stoneham zoo with the Stroms. We saw bears, jaguars, birds, otters, snakes and SPIDERS! WE also spent some time on the playground and had lunch at the train with multiple yellow jackets. Ava seemed to be into the bears because you could get seemingly close with the glass wall. But as we moved on to the exhibits with more things to climb on and other kids her age running around she got distracted from the animals pretty easily. She called many things kitties and dogs. I can imagine that it must be hard to see a jaguar and not want to call it a kitty!! I've posted the photos form the day on flickr here, and you can see them in the side bar to the right as well.

The picture below of Ava on the train kills me...so was SOOOOO excited and happy. The picture doesn't even really capture HOW excited she was. IT was SO cute!

What IS that?!!

I know I took this picture because this material was all over her face....but I cannot remember for the life of me what it is that she was eating....I want to guess a fudgsicle...but it doesn't quite look like fudgsicle material.

oldies of Ava

These are from my cell phone from WAY back! the one above was when Ava was very fresh and Rich was real tired after running the marathon course the day before!!

What else can we do on a Saturday?

This past Saturday the fam went on a hike at the Blue Hills Reservation with our friends Mark, Nancy and their little girl Ruby. The sad thing is the pics are on my camera, and I can't find it!! So i'll post some later. The two girls seemed to enjoy their backpack rides while we all walked on some trails. Ruby was chatting up a storm and seemed to be trying to have a conversation with Ava, whom was mesmerized by her. Afterwards we headed back to JP to have a bbq and hang. Ava was her usual self, all over the place. Eating rocks and gravel, running on dangerous walls and scaling anything that was scalable. Its making me exhausted again just talking about it. Ruby on the other hand started taking some small cues from Ava but was easily reeled back in by her parents and her own self. I have to say that I think Ruby is one of the only kids Avas ages that I have seen her REALLY engaged with, like a lil buddy. They were laughing together, mimicking each other and just having a good ole time. Until Ava started stealing stuff out of Rubys hands.....like the bubble maker wand.



After the bbq, we headed home for a brief moment and then headed to Charlestown to see the Stroms and the Rings. Ava had a blast getting Liam into trouble with his parents, by showing bad behavior that Liam could copy. Ha ha! One of those moments was sitting on top of the kiddie piano(see below-thanks tashy). Ava is SO serious. Even with that bink. We WILL get a picture without that in her mouth someday. You can tell how innocent and sweet that Liam is, and Ava, what IS she thinking?
IN any event we got her in her jams there and drove home. It was a very busy and eventful day!!! Thanks to all for making it happen!

Avas little sister!

Today we had our 18 week ultrasound. It occurred after the house was ravaged by the 24 hour flu this weekend.

My email:

Just wanted to let you know we had our 18 wk ultrasound today. Everything looks good, but there seemed to be a lot of 'free space' between the little bugs leggies. Meaning they 'think' its a girl. They are pretty honest about never stating its a girl because 10% of the time it comes out a boy.

I think Rich and I would agree that our fav comment of the morning was, "wow, this one is going to keep your hands full!" I would REALLY like to chalk this ones behavior up to the fact ive (and the whole family for that matter) been recovering from the 24 hour flu and not really able to eat anything with exception to the half bagel and gingerale I had going in to the ultrasound. I figured that the gingerale would perk the babe up a bit and Im hoping I was right....because BOY if there is another little Ava...I will be gray before im 40 for sure.

UNREAL! Heres to Ava as a big influence and sister to her lil is on the way! I try to explain to her there is a baby in my belly and she will be a big sister, but she just points to her belly button and and says "belly!". Then seems to almost 75% of the time climb on my belly and sit there bouncing up and down. Is this a prediction of the first few years of their lives together?? YIEEEE!!

let the tantrums begin!

I couldn't resist sharing a sad/mad Ava. I should actaully put some reference behind this moment. Ava was this upset for about 45 minutes. She threw her dinner on the floor without so much as taking a bite and then wanted to go outside. And you can imagine that I wasn't about to go outside and let her play without eating supper. It was a stand I tell you. I should also recall my own mother telling me I had temper tantrums that lasted and hour. After that 60 minute mark, I was a happy camper.