Lilypie Premature Baby tickers

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Tuesday, September 24, 2013

September brings colder weather and busier lives........

Many of you probably already know that we are embarking on a new journey in our household this school year! Steve is going back to school for a second masters in administration. He is very excited to be advancing his career with this degree, but for the next year our lives will be very busy. The program is designed for full time teachers, so classes are held on the weekends. Every other weekend he has school all day Saturday and Sunday and then additional online and class work during the week. Needless to say, he is very busy and Ava and I are spending a lot of time just the two of us. Ava and I have been making the best of it and using those weekends to have special mommy and daughter time. We also make sure to enjoy every minute on the weekends Steve is home!

Even though it has been a busy start to the school year, it definitely has been a good one! I am really enjoying my new class this year and have taken on some leadership roles that have kept me busy, but in a very good way! Most importantly, Ava is in love with her new school and so am I! I was very nervous about daycare, even though I had heard nothing but amazing things about her school. I was more nervous for the change in her schedule as well as mine. I was used to having someone come to our home and not just someone, but the amazing Anna who Ava adores! I was nervous I wouldn't be able to get her out the door, make her meals every night, and leave school in time to pick her up by 4. My biggest fear was that she wouldn't be happy and I couldn't deal with tears every morning and afternoon. I am so grateful that it has been a smooth transition for both her and I. We have our routines down and they are working well for us. I have to leave work a little earlier than I am used to, but have been learning to make up the missed work by doing a little bit every night.

At 20 months she is changing daily and we can't even believe she will be 2 in 4 months!

Here are some things she is up to at 20 months......

- Eating like a champ! (So happy about that, we had a rough couple of months with eating)

- Sleeping about 11 - 12 hours a night. On the weekends she will sleep in until 7:45, but I have to wake her up at 7 during the week which she doesn't love.

- Talking more and more each day. She can say some 3 word phrases like "I see Mama" or "I don't know." She more consistently sticks to 2 word phrases.

- Counting (Not in order, but we don't care). She will say, 1, 2, 9......doesn't see a purpose for 3 through 8! :)

- Loves books and is remembering the patterns in many of them. She can repeat parts of "Brown Bear Brown Bear" and it is really adorable.


- Her hair is getting longer (finally), but she won't even let me brush it! I can foresee this being battle for many years to come.


Here are some pictures from this past month and daycare (Her wonderful teacher sends me pictures throughout the day and it always brightens up my day).

Cool Girl!


Practicing her math skills at daycare 

Feeding the babies is one of her favorite activities according to her teachers

Cutting and coloring.....all in a days work. 

Whole foods dinner date with my little lady. 

Hanging with cheerleaders while we wait in line at the LuluLemon Warehouse Sale. 

Still in line.....we waited 3 hours, but with the help of my friends, entertainment, music, and the ipad she was a champ! 

Ava loved the cheerleaders. They were so cute with her too! 

After a very long shopping trip Ava gets some quality time with her Anna. 

Beverley Hills Farmer's Market with Claire.......they have some serious kiddy entertainment here. 

A little naked reading before bath time. 

More reading at daycare

Taking care of those babies again.....

Having triplets is a lot of work!

She loves the bikes at daycare.

Cooking in the kitchen just like Mamma! 

Another school year begins (but this time for Ava too)!

School started about 5 weeks ago and not just for Steve and I, but for Ava too! Luckily, Mimi came out for a visit to help us all transition into life at daycare. Since Ava's first day was the same as mine I was not able to take off to help transition her into her new surroundings, so Mimi attended daycare with Ava for the first few days. Ava did so well Mimi was able to leave at lunchtime and have a few hours to relax before it was time to pick Ava up.

Ava had so much fun with her Mimi and still asks for her every day as well as Chicago Monkey who only comes to visit with Mimi. We were so busy that week we didn't take many pictures, but here are a few, mostly from her first few days at daycare.

Making tents with Mimi.....

Ava discovering lunch is more fun when your in a tent.

First day of daycare.....trying to get a good picture of her with her backpack, but as you can see it didn't workout so well. I want to be one of those moms that always captures the cutesy pictures with a sign reading, "First day of......," however, I have no clue how those moms find the time to do it!

Ava fit right into her new class....of course it helped to have Mimi there for security. 

Playing with her new friends.....second day went well too!

She eats so much at daycare and I love that! She has put on a few pounds in the past month, much needed pounds! 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Silly girl

Going to update soon about the start of daycare and Mimi's visit, but in the meantime here are some videos of our silly little girl talking on the phone and singing along to "When I'm gone."