Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Ava update

Miss Ava is now 19 months old and still cracking us up! She is so fun and FUNNY!!! She is continuing to talk a LOT and repeat most everything so I have had to stop saying a *FEW* things (such as: Oh my God, What the heck, Crap, etc.). Luckily, that is about the worst of it. haha!

She is still into Dora right now. Thank you On Demand!! Although, there are only 4 episodes which have been there for a LONG time so I could probably say the whole episode word for word! Not that she watches THAT much Dora!!! And I did get smart and record a new episode!

She will say "show" and "movie" and when you turn on the TV, she will say "mote" for remote. (again, we don't just sit around and watch TV all the time!!) ha! We figured out that the reason she says "movie" when we get in the van is because of our sitter. She has to take the kids every day to pick up her daughter from school and I think they watch a movie when they go. The sitter mentioned it one day and though I would prefer she not watch movies EVERY time in the vehicle, oh well, I suppose!

She continues to put herself in timeout. She grabbed about 4 stuffed animals the other day and put them on the rug and said "mout" (time-out). haha!

She LOVES books and is learning new things all the time. We are working on colors and shapes right now. I think she knows a few colors and she knows what a star is!

Other words she says all the time: lotion, tissue, potty, pooping, OH NO!, color (crayons), book, "rosie" (ring around the rosie...she LOVES it!), baby, coat, glub for glove, hat, shoes (she can say it now), backpack (Dora), bash (bath), nigh-night, blanket, binky, LOUD!, shhhhhh, milk, bacelet (bracelet), belly, Coooookie!, "no, no, no, no (with a pointed finger)," get it (I often say, "I'll get it" or "Can you get it," right back, fishy (she still loves her fishies in her crib) and those are just a few. =) If you ask her, she can say just about anything. She hears me yell for Travis so she will imitate that so you'll hear her saying "Bab (her version of Trav), then Daddy..." I love it!!! Travis, not so much. haha! She has recently started saying "Bless you" when you sneeze and even "Thank you!" ***(adding this on...) Not sure how I could forget. She says On and Off but off is more like "asssss" with a short A sound, however. I think she has a British accent. She also says "eeeeeeelllllllllooooo for hello. haha! =)

Travis and I agree that she is a really good girl! (Wondering if that means she will be a terror at 2 or 3??? haha!). She is always a good shopper, loves people (says Hi and Bye to everyone anytime we are out), does well going out to eat and has been good at home, too. She doesn't throw too many fits and is easily distracted if she does start to get upset. We always remind her to "say" what she wants not scream it. She also uses her manners and says "please" for everything!! We are working on getting her to come to us when we say "come here."

We are still working on the whole potty thing. She will tell you she is pooping usually, but it's too late. A few times she has said "pooping" and I'll sit her on the potty but after about 10 mins and no poop, we just put the diaper back on (I'd prefer no more pooping on the floor!). I am still in no rush and know that I'll have all summer to work on it with her. I'm just continuing to keep her aware and try in the event she will actually go on the potty and then want to go more!

The Big 33

"The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age."
-Lucille Ball

Happy Birthday to me!




I had a fun birthday! The night before my b'day I went to my Grandma's for a Bettis girls sleepover. (pics to come when I upload from my other camer). My cousin Anna was home from AZ, which was really why we were getting together. It just so happened to be around my b'day so my mom got me a DQ cake! MY FAVE!! YUM! We played games, did our nails, chatted ,and of course, ATE more yummy food!
The next day on my actual birthday, I went to lunch with my fellow art teacher friends because one of the past art teachers moved to Colorado and was in town. We went to Swingers and while it was yummy, I had a stomach ache most of the rest of the day so I had to skip the plans of going to dinner with Travis and Ava. Luckily I was feeling better just in time to go to a late movie. Nanci came over to watch Ava and Travis and I went to see Gulliver's Travels. It was pretty cute! =)
I had several other birthday celebrations, too! =) Kim, Annie, Katie and Bridget (friends from school) met me for dinner at CJ's - a yummy local place and friends Paula, Brooke, and Karen #2 (friends from Chiddix) met me at Reality Bites for dinner and drinks.

Here's to 33!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Word!

This is for you, Katie!!!!

"Word!!!!!!!!"

Ava has been copying us (on top of repeating everything we say!). If we have our arms crossed, she will totally cross hers so we started saying, "Word! (to your motha!)" and she will say it, too! Sooooooooo funny! It doesn't come out quite right, but we know what she is saying. Hilarious!

ps. Check out that morning "hair!" WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Random

This blogpost is going to be really random...I'll just tell you that up front! I am super excited that there are only 2 more days til BREAK! YAHOOOOOOOOOO! It will be awesome to have time with my little munchkin, a break from the kids (though I love em) and a chance for a fresh start in 2011! I am also super excited that my Christmas shopping is done! Travis has a few things to buy for his dad - he was in charge of that one, and I do have a few birthday presents to buy people that have December birthdays but otherwise, I've been done for a while! I am having shopping withdrawals, however!!!!!!!!!!!!! Feeling like I need to get out and buy something!

In other news...Miss Ava is cracking us up!!! She is almost 19 months old and so much fun!! I don't want to forget any of the cute little things she is saying and doing! She has been called a "parrot" by numerous people lately and she does REPEAT EVERYTHING!! Time to start watching what you are saying around the little birdie! She has so much emotion, can be pretty dramatic, and is always sooooooooooo happy! Love this child! She wakes up happy, loves books, animals, Dora and giving kisses! Her favorite things to say lately are: all the kids' names from daycare...Emersyn, Ethan, Izzy, Luke (Uke); moo-cow, gross (the sitter says this...LOL!), "Dori" for Dora, Backpack, Map, Kitty (still loves her furreal kitty), "mout" for time-out...(she even puts herself in time-out), "shhhhhh," baby, away (throw or put things away), walk (she likes to walk out to the car when I pick her up...), "bless you" when you sneeze (hehe!), she will repeat "honey" if we call each other or her honey, poopin...ha!, chair, man for snowman, elf, "outit" for outfit, tissue, lotion. Those are just a few!

Funny stories:
The other night, I had the movie, Elf, in the computer because I watched it while icing my sugar cookies in the kitchen. So, the next night I decided to turn it on while Ava and I were in the living room hanging out. It got to the part when the nun is putting the baby in the crib in the orphanage (at the very beginning) and Ava starts weeping a little (here comes the drama), and even seems to have a few tears, and was saying "night-night in a very sad voice. Then a few minutes later, she was messing with the computer and the movie popped out - so I restarted it and let it get to that part and she did the same thing! It was so funny and odd all at the same time. She loves going night-night and always goes to sleep on her own just fine so I have no idea why that scene was making her so sad!?

As I mentioned earlier, she puts herself in time-out. The other day she hit me (not like it hurt...haha!) and then immediately said "mout" for time-out and marched herself over to the rug where she sits in time-out. I joked that yeah, not sure what that is saying about her!!!

She is a little faker sometimes. If she is in trouble or in time-out, she will fake cry (yes, sometimes it's real though!) which then usually makes us laugh!

We aren't really potty-training yet but we have the potty and occassionally I'll try to put her on it in hopes she'll go - and then maybe she'll "GET" what she is supposed to do. She already says potty, poop and pee, but has yet to go on it. I am not concerned with it but like I said, I'd like to keep her aware and attempt it here and there. Well, the child is the most regular person I know (she eats, she poops, she eats, she poops...all day long!) so yesterday she had just eaten breakfast, we were playing and then she said "poopin" so I assumed she was either pooping or maybe just tooting (she gets the 2 confused!). We stripped her down after I checked and no poop yet, and I was having her sit on the potty. Well, she would get up, sit back down, get up, etc. and I was watching her *pretty* carefully in hopes I'd catch her if she started to and sit her on the potty. NOT A CHANCE! I was talking to my sister on the phone - which I'm sure didn't help...haha! but the child didn't squat or give any signs and WALAAAAAA---I see poop---ON THE FLOOR! I did kind of freak out, told my sister I'd call her back and quickly realized it was too late. This all took place in the living room, so I carried her upstairs (where more poop landed...), she somehow got poop on her foot, I threw her in the tub and she did NOT like that! She was screaming hysterically!!!! We finally got everything cleaned up and she calmed down so as long as I didn't traumatize her for life, we'll try again someday!!!!! Poor thing!

She also LOVES LOVES LOVES music! Her favorite song lately is "head, shoulders, knees and toes." It was on a baby einstein video we had watched in the van while traveling back home a while back and since then I've had it in my head. She LOVES it! If you sing it, she will sign and say "more, more, more" UNTIL you sing it again. She also loves music on TV, videos, shows, etc. and will say "more, more, more" so sometimes we'll rewind it so she can see it again. Now she will say "HEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAADDDDDD" meaning that she wants you to sing "head, shoulders, knees and toes." So cute! She loves to dance and attempts to snap, too!!

She will say "shhhhhhhhh, shhhhhhhh" anytime she hears a baby crying (or child) when we are out and about. It is hilarious! What is more hilarious is when she is crying, she will stop and "shhhhhh" herself!!! Then she'll cry some more usually!

More to come!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

You Better Watch Out...

When we were little, my older sister, Tammy, used to ANTAGONIZE the crap out of me! She knew how to push my buttons and could make me CRY and POUT with the drop of a hat. Every holiday season, she would bug me and bug me and make me cry (as usual) and then she'd sing "You better watch out, you better not CRY, you better not POUT, I'm telling you why..." and I'd cry and POUT even more! Just a little story to go along with little Miss Ava's Santa pic from 2010. Her POUTY face cracked me up! She would NOT look at Santa but I was expecting some major freaking out so when she just sat there with her pouty face, I was super shocked!!!!!!! This WOULD have been an awesome Christmas card photo (I agree, Megan! =) but my card was already done. {Editing done at http://www.picnik.com/}

On that note....

Super excited about my Christmas Card this year! I used my Creative Memories digital scrapping software to make it and ordered them through http://www.winkflash.com/.

I got a great deal as the cards were on sale (and I was able to upload the card I created as my 'photo' into a blank template)...but it won't beat the deal at Sam's, I know! (100 cards for $15!). Oh well! Here's a SNEAK PEAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't look if you want to be surprised!! HEHE!


I also loved how this photo turned out. It was just one I took of Ava by the tree and then edited on picnik as well. Love that site!

Don't you just love her cheeks!!!?? I could just EAT HER!! And trust me, I kiss those cheeks a million times a day!

Misc. from Nov!

I am soooooooo behind with blogging! Here a few pics from November!!!


Miss Ava snapping! She loves music! I can't wait to finally get her signed up for Kindermusik! This will be the BEST time to have her signed up anyway!!!! This was my 2nd attempt at her 18 month chair pics! Isn't that the CUTEST shirt/dress EVER!? I got it at Target for $2.88. I think it was on clearance because it is supposed to be a summer dress (it is a 12 mo size) but I paired it with some little black leggings and a long-sleeve shirt under it! >3


Happy Turkey Day 2010! This was taken the day after at Cousin Megan's house.


My garage sale $2 plate that came with the stand. =) Love that I can decorate it for each season. Since this photo, I've added a red strand of sparkly garland through the holes with a bow on top. *I just wrote "May Your Days Be Merry and Bright" with a dry-erase marker! =)


LOVED LOVED LOVED this bus stop in Chicago! Thanks Lori for taking some awesome photos of me there! (though I think my mom actually took this one with my camera).



We had a lot of fun in Chicago - as I said before, it was definitely an adventure!! (Long story short, we got caught up in the 2 million people there for the Christmas parade).

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

18 Months Old!

Well, it is pretty INSANE to think my little baby is 18 months old this Friday!!!

We totally love this age right now! and we TOTALLY LOVE HER!

My how things have changed in even the last month! Ava can now say more words than I can count, I think! She will pretty much repeat anything you say - and she gets most of the words out pretty well. Our sitter calls her a parrot! Here are some of her recent faves:

  • Puppy
  • Monkey
  • Up
  • Down
  • Please (Peeesse) - She signs this and says it now!
  • Book
  • Nigh-Night
  • Snack
  • Cookie/Cracker
  • Bella (Umbrella)
  • Elmo
  • Bird
  • Socks
  • Ish for shoes still
  • More (she signs this and says it!, too)
  • Hi/Bye
  • Duck
  • Go
  • Potty
  • Eyes, Nose, Mouth (and she loves to point to your EYE!)
  • Kitty/Meow
  • Pretty
  • "Weeeeee"
  • Yay!
  • Nice
  • Milk
  • Watee for Water

Like I said, she pretty much repeats everything you say. I said something tonight about her being a silly-butt. Yeah, then she was saying "Butt." NICE! She loves to read her books and will usually just look at them rather than you reading the story. They keep her pretty entertained in the car, too. She loves her animal books especially.

Potty:

We've purchased a potty and she knows how to say potty and what it means for mommy to go potty (considering our only bathroom is upstairs, all summer long I'd have to take her up with me to go potty). I'm glad at least, that she isn't afraid of the regular toilet. I will ask her if she wants/needs to go potty and sit her on it and she then likes to put TP in and flush though she's never went on it yet. I attempted to get her to pee on the potty one night last week I think and so I took her diaper off (I read an article recently that you can have your child potty-trained in 3 days if they don't wear any pants for that entire time...LOL...) so thought I'd try to catch her anyway and she peed on the floor twice! hehe! I have NO expectations yet for the potty-training, however, I want her to be aware of how it all works and until she actually goes on the potty, I don't think she really knows. She does however tell you (sometimes) if she has poop in her diaper.

Time-Out:

She now knows where her "time-out" spot is (the rug by the front door). She is just testing us, the little booger. She likes to say "Niiiiice" and rub your face and then all of the sudden WHACK!If you say "Do you need to go sit in time out?" She will actually go sit there. At first she would pout and give you a look, but now she is starting to get a little ornery while sitting in her time-out or try to get up. It is often hard not to laugh though, she's so cute!

She is definitely soaking everything in each and every day!!!!!