Walking with daddy at the park

We love our cautious little lady. She is going to make sure she has perfected walking before she lets go of that finger! :) 

Spring break part 2 and Easter

Spring break part 2 was very low key. Steve was home with us for the week and we had planned on going down to San Diego and attempting Sea World, but decided to just relax at home. We took many many trips to the park and enjoyed just being a family without the stress of work.

We had a lovely Easter with Grandma and Grandpa Scifres. Anna was able to join us too!! We attended Church in the morning and headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's in the afternoon for an egg hunt and tasty dinner. I think Anna enjoyed her first California Easter! We were all so relaxed on Easter we forgot to take a lot of pictures. I guess it's the memories that matter the most. :)

Ava is still not independently walking, but she is getting closer and closer. She has finally started to enjoy walking and asks to go outside all the time to walk around. She will point to the door and say, "go." All she needs is to hold a finger and she will walk around the block just fine, but as soon as we let go she immediately sits down. We are giving her time and not worrying about it. I know she will walk at some point and in the meantime I love that I get to hold her hand anywhere we go. :)

We are going to the doctor next week for her 15 month check-up so I will update with stats after that.

For now, here are some pictures from our second week of spring break and Easter......

Ava loved that her Easter basket was filled with babies this year (and a few bunnies). 

Looking for eggs on Grandma and Grandpa's stairs

Found one!

Ava and I side by side around the same age (1).  For all of you who say she looks exactly like Steve, this picture proves that I get some credit here. :)  

Errands are more fun when you get to ride on dad's shoulders. 

When she is inside all she wants to do is go outside!

Bruce and Ava are best friends these days and I love it. There was a time that I wasn't sure this would ever happen when we had constant pulling and biting going on, but thankfully that was just a stage that is now over! 

Sometimes we eat standing up at the chair. She is a pretty good eater, but when she thinks she is "done" after only a few bites we have to resort to other "fun" ways to eat the rest of dinner.

Bruce is never too far when it's dinner time. 

One of Ava's favorite activities at the park....pushing the strollers around. 

Walking with daddy at the park

<3

We've got quite the talker over here

Ava is talking up a storm. She is obsessed with saying every name she knows all the time and I just think it is the most adorable thing to hear her little voice. She was saying "Nanna" all afternoon as she missed her nanny Anna once she left for the day. I tried to get it on film, but as soon as I started recording she was onto another word, so the video turned into Ava repeating a bunch of words. She has a ton more, but as you can see at the end of the video she was done and clearly communicated that to me with a lovely toddler tantrum.

A few videos.........

Anna took a video of Ava reading her Chicago 123 book. She loves this book so much. She will pick it up and say, "Ca-Go." When she turns to the page with pizza she always says, Mmmmmmm. In this video you can hear an MMMMM and a few Ca-Go's. :) 

I started to take this video because Ava was saying, "Ca-Go" over and over again, but it ended up being a video of her problem solving skills. The walker was stuck and she was determined to fix it herself. Steve and I are amazed at her determination and problem solving skills! 

Spring break - Part 1 in Chicago (or as Ava would say "ca-go")

My school district gives us two weeks for spring break, which I absolutely love because I can spend the first week in Chicago and still have a week at home with Steve. Our trip there was a little rough since Ava had a 101 fever when we left. She had no other symptoms other than a fever and the morning we left her fever was down to 99, so I decided not to cancel the trip over something that could be nothing. I was wrong and the nothing turned into something, which we believe was Roseola and an ear infection. For the first three days of our trip we stayed inside so Ava could get better. Her fever finally broke on Monday night, which allowed us to finally get out and about on Tuesday.


The rest of the trip was wonderful!! We enjoyed the Children's Museum, a day in the city visiting Brooke and baby Lily, seeing Aunt Beth, and lots more!

I took this picture the morning we left for Chicago. I had been debating whether we should go or not because of her fever. This was her "Mom, I can do it" face. 

Reading with Papa. Ava was obsessed with saying, "Papa" the whole trip. Even now that we are home she asks for Papa all the time. 

On our way home from Urgent Care. It was a bit of  a scary visit that required lots of tests and even oxygen monitoring, but luckily it ended up being nothing serious. 

Reading with Grammy. You can tell by her eyes in this picture that she is not feeling well. 

Finally fever free and able to go outside! Checking out the snow we got the night before. 

I am not a fan of having to bundle up my child before making a quick trip to the store. In California my biggest debate before leaving the house is if I should put socks on her or not. 

Visiting the Children's Museum where Grammy used to work

She loved the light exhibit

I think her jaw remained open most of the time we were there.  Everything in the museum amazed her. 

I wish we had something like this near us in LA. This is by far the best Children's Museum I have ever been to..

The water table!

Visting Baby Lily in the city. She is so adorable!! 

Getting into trouble at Grammy and Papa's house

Rocking her baby in my old baby rocker. So sweet! <3

Out for lunch with Grammy and Papa. 

Ava saw her first train in downtown Glen Ellyn. This was her face the whole time.  She kept saying, "wow." 

Very excited about the train

She loved looking outside and seeing trees and birds as apposed to the building she sees when looking out of our windows. 

Ava loved all of the toys Grammy had for her. 

All bundled up and ready for a walk around the block.