Memorial Day 2010...

Palisades State Park

Ava's new best friend, cousin Tavin Roth (3 years)

Ava loved to have the kitties chase her at Grandma Sieve's

Posing by Grandma Joyce's gate

Fun on the tire swing

Ava & Uncle Joe

Grandma Joyce & Ava

We had a rather busy Memorial Day weekend although not intentional. Saturday we decided to head to Palisades State Park for a nice family picnic. Ava loved the "big water" as she calls it and had fun hiking around with Brad while I relaxed by the river. The Sieve side of the family got together including Aunt Carol and Bill, Brittany, Aunt Joann, Aunt Barb, and her daughters Shannon, Kelly, and Katie. Shannon has a little boy that is six months older than Ava named Tavin. It took Ava a bit to warm up to him, but soon they were walking around arm in arm, nearly inseparable. They were precious to watch! We even stopped out for a brief visit to the Sieve farm where Ava enjoyed the kitties, cows, and Max, the dog. We really enjoyed all the visiting with family. This was by far the most outings I've had in a long time and I was exhausted even though I really didn't do anything but ride in the car and sit somewhere. It was so nice to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Picnic Fun & the Pool Comes Out...

One excited girl to go the park for a picnic

Daddy & Ava

Addie, 3 1/2, Sam 5, Ava 2 1/2

With the wonderful weather, we have spent lot of time outside lately. I have a nice lounge chair to relax in that my mom got for me which is very comfortable. We have gone to the park a few times for picnics which Ava dearly loves. Shelly, Sam, and Addie came to stay a night to start off our Memorial Day weekend. Ava was excited to have playmates to ride bike with her and swim in the pool. It was great having Shelly here to cook meals and help out, although the time went fast.

18 Weeks Pregnant....

Front: 18 weeks Front: Ava posing like Mommy

Side: Mommy's tummy

Side of Ava's tummy

Not to be left out, Ava couldn't pass up taking pictures like Mommy. She had to do her poses and flash her best smile as well! 18 weeks and counting!

Ava is 2 1/2 Years Old...

It's so hard to believe Ava is 2 1/2 years old already. She is growing up and becoming quite the little lady. As I've been able to do less for her with being on bed rest, she has learned to become more independent. There are many things she can do for herself if she wants to including dressing herself, getting her own beverages from the fridge, and using the bathroom. She is also getting pretty good at following directions.

Sleep: Ava is typically sleeping from 8:30 pm to 7:00 am with a two to three hour nap in the afternoons. She is rising earlier these days which has been an adjustment.

Food/Eating: She continues to be a very good eater. She can be a little fussy about her veggies, but will still eat most of them. She loves sandwiches of any kind, chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers, and several fruits. Of course, her true love is cookies or any sort of baked item. She will do almost anything to get her hands on something like this!

Communication: Ava seems to progressing very well in the speech category. She comes up with new phrases that never cease to amaze us. She is into referencing time right now. She often says "I go to the park later" or "I can ride my tricycle after nap". She has become quite a kidder. She will sometimes make up words and see if she can get one of us to repeat the strange word, and then she will laugh hysterically!

Favorite Pass Times: Ava's favorite things to do right now involve being outside. She loves to ride tricycle, play in the baby pool, and go to the park. She still loves to have books read to her and look at books herself. Her favorite toys are dolls and her little people house. I love to sit back and listen to her playing and all the things she is pretending. It can be quite a comical conversation! She also loves to watch "Baby Story" on tv. She almost likes it better than Mickey Mouse, but it's close!

Being unable to do all the fun mom stuff has been a little difficult for me. I miss doing things just the two of us like shopping and hitting the park, but Ava seems to be adjusting very well. We do more things as a family which has been good and Daddy can handle all the lifting and physical activity. We have lots of visitors and Ava still gets to do many fun things. She just knows now that it isn't ever just her and I for the day if Brad goes to work and always asks who is coming over. It's amazing how quickly children catch on to things!