Old McDonald was crazy.

I think we can cross "farmer" off Ava's list of potential career choices. Some friends invited us to spend an afternoon at Belleview Park, a fab little family paradise complete with petting zoo and miniature train. We started with the petting zoo, naively thinking Ava would see all the animals as big, fun dogs and enjoy sinking her little hands into their soft coats. Instead she kept a wary distance from the sheep and goat, and practically climbed me trying to get away from the pig. (In her defense, he was kinda gross.) She did however love the train, made a new friend (Hi, Josie!), and discovered the divine treat that is red licorice. All in all, a successful outing.

I'm guessing veterinarian is off the list as well.

Independence has its drawbacks.

In an effort to foster some of the freedom that comes with toddlerhood - and hopefully get Ava to try eating something that isn't a Cheerio - I decided to attempt a little experiment. I thought that perhaps if Ava had free reign over her food, then it might make it more interesting to eat. So, I warmed up some macaroni and cheese, gave her a spoon, and let her at it. The result? A bath, a clothing change, the taking apart and cleaning of the high chair, and - no surprise here - not a single noodle anywhere near her mouth. But boy did she enjoy herself.


In keeping with the theme of free will, I've also stopped putting Ava into toys that restrict her ability to move around the house as she pleases. No more stationary bouncers for her; its crawling and climbing and rolling around all the live-long day. And she has started using that newfound freedom to help around the house. For example, she recently rearranged the tupperware cabinet...

And reorganized the diaper bag...

I don't know what I'd do without her.

If you're thinking of hiring her for some projects in your house, forget it. Her hourly rate is outrageous.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Baby!

It's hard to believe it's been a whole year since our lovely little angel was born. And what a fabulous celebration we had, surrounded by the love and laughter of friends and family. I know I've said this so many times before, but our Ava is one lucky girl. The smile on her face says that she knows it too.

The tutu and sash say that her mom got a little carried away at the mall. But you have to admit that she looks adorably fancy.

Despite missing a nap and being a little over-tired, Ava managed to pass out smiles to all the revelers, and was the perfect birthday trooper as she was handed (and kissed, and hugged) from person to person.

And then it was time for.....the cake. I'd been anticipating this moment for months, and admit I was skeptical at best. I expected her to poke at it a little, maybe give the frosting a taste, then stare at me until I replaced the offending thing with a pile of Cheerios. I put the strawberry confection in front of her, lit the candle, and joined in on a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday". After the candle was out, I put a little frosting on her lips, and waited. And boy was it worth the wait. She went after it with a gusto I was unaware she was capable of. Mama was proud.

And of course, what would a birthday party be without gifts? And what a haul it was! A brand new pink and purple tricycle, and a state-of-the-art two-seater wagon complete with canopy...

...puzzles, stuffed animals, and a set of musical instruments that turned Ava and her cousins into a rock n' roll sensation. I know you're dying for a copy of their first album, but we're still shopping around for the right record deal. We'll keep you posted.

It was the perfect way to celebrate the first year of our beautiful baby's life. Thanks so much to all of you who came and shared Ava's day with her. And to those who couldn't be here, you were sorely missed. We love you all.

In my next life, I want to be Ava

My life is pretty darn good, but hers is positively fabulous. She spends her days playing on her swing set, splashing in the local pool, and since I never met a toy I didn't like, she has an endless array of colorful diversions that sing, light up, and giggle. Our house is a paradise for the under-2 set, and when we're not at home, things like carousels are eagerly sought out by parents that are still young at heart...

To further make my point, Ava and Ollie recently spent a day at the baby nirvana known as Monkey Bizness. For the older kids, there are rope swings, giant lakes made of balls, and gauntlets worthy of a Richard Gere movie. For the little ones, it's a giant walled-in section full of age appropriate, and soft climb-worthy items that thrilled the target audience. We will be going back. Repeatedly.

One of the faves turned out to be this seemingly boring little 4-key piano. Ava crawled over and made like Beethoven, while Ollie lurked in the background, planning his takeover. It wasn't long before he pounced.

Eventually, they made beautiful music together.

Ava had a blast riding the little foam animals and twirling the knobs and buttons on whatever this big thing is.

She also spent the week getting love from Aunt Marianne.

Ava is starting to really get into eating "people food" so we're offering her everything that looks soft enough for her to tear apart with her three little teeth. The only problem is, she seems to be the world's youngest Junk Food Junky. Here's a perfect example: In this photo we've given her the choice of a cucumber, a whole-grain fruit bar, and a french fry. Guess which one she chose.



She's also shown an affinity for ice cream.

Officially, I'm horrified. Unofficially, it kind of makes me giggle.

Happy Friday.

And....she's off!!

The moment you've all been waiting for is finally here! Ok, so maybe that's overstating things a bit, but we're pretty darn excited around here. After months of demonstrating, cajoling, and attempting to entice her with absolutely anything she might find remotely appealing (see the picture below of a toy pile I created and placed just out of reach), Ava has finally decided it was time for her to be on the move. She's not setting any land-speed records yet, and she's really only interested in using it to get to whatever she has her eye on, but the bottom line is that she's crawling, and we're so proud of her. Let the baby-proofing begin!


I knew you wouldn't believe me without proof, so here is a short video for your viewing pleasure. I assure you, no stunt babies were used in the making of this film. Enjoy.

Ye Olde Irish Ava

Ava decided that our little family needed to attend the local Irish Festival on Friday night to celebrate her heritage. And who were we to argue with such an important cultural experience? I mean, what kid shouldn't spend a Friday night listening to bagpipes and eating funnel cake? So, off we went.

She was a little confounded by the giant turkey legs, but quickly got over it and ate hers like a champ. (Ok, so I made that up. Sue me.)

Then had one too many Jameson's and passed out in her stroller. Kid can't hold her liquor.

(Just kidding, of course. It was Andy. But none of the pictures of him passed out in the stroller were any good.)

Our hot water heater has been broken for the last several days, so Andy and I have been taking our showers at the gym. But since Ava is the only one that fits in the sink (I know, I've tried.) and I can heat up just enough water on the stove for a teeny tiny bath, she gets to clean up without the need for shower shoes. I'm a little jealous. And she, of course, is happy no matter what she's doing.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Babe in Toyland

Do you ever sit around and think to yourself, "If only I had more stuff..."? Ava doesn't. You get bonus points if you can find her.

Spoiled and happy. I can't think of a better life for a kid, can you?

I have a brilliant new idea for the punishment of violent criminals: force them to sit around all day and blow up baby pools with the world's smallest bicycle pump. Repeat offenders will be a thing of the past. Here is a picture of the pool we ordered from Pottery Barn. It took over two months to show up, an hour to blow up both pieces - the tail is blown up separately, in case you were wondering - and the length of one of Ava's naps to figure out that the stupid thing has a hole in it. This whale will be swimming back where it came from, and we will be having our pool time fun at the Grant Ranch club house. So there.

We had a big family play-date a couple of weeks ago to get the summer started off right. There was swimming, swinging, food, and beer, and a good time was had by all. Here are some pics of the festivities. I'm not sure why Ellie is resting on the slide, but since she seemed to catch her second wind afterwards, I assume it was necessary. And yes, that is Ollie climbing into Ava's lap to claim the toy she was playing with. Our girl may need to toughen up a bit if she's going to hang with the boys. :)