We're blessed. We know we are. We have jobs (although the terms of mine are currently the subject of discussion at a special session of the legislature), our bills are paid, our house is warm (insulated, I imagine, by the stuff on all of the counters and tables...) and we are healthy (unless you count colds). At the end of each crazy day, Rob and I look at each other and say it out loud, how lucky we are.
Ava is a little girl. Not a baby, not even a little bit, anymore. She knows more words than she says and her personality is really coming through. This morning I went in to wake her up, and she looked at me like "WHA?", handed me her monkey, and pulled the blanket over her head. That's my kid all right ;). We're working with Daycare to transition her to the Toddler Room. She is down to one bottle a day (right before bed) and she's losing interest in that pretty quickly. She can walk all the way from the car to her classroom. In the Toddler Room she will eat her meals at a table, instead of in a high chair. She'll nap on a cot instead of a crib. They have two hours a day of outside play (weather permitting...) which she is going to LOVE.
She's so big. I look at her on the rare occasions that she falls asleep in my arms, and I can only see glimpses of the baby she used to be. She's stretching out, so the rolls of little chub on her legs are going away (booooooo...). She is going to be a handful, I think. Already, she makes it clear when her world isn't what she wishes it to be. She doesn't like too many people, so we're watching her carefully as she moves from the familiar team of Daycare Ladies to a new group. She'll be OK, I know. But we will need to help her learn how to be OK and stay OK.
Right now, I have 3 close friends (you know who you are, ladies) in various stages of pregnancy. It's so cool to be on this side of it, like I'm in on a secret. It's such a big deal. One will have her baby next week (!!!! so excited!!!) and we can't wait to meet him. Seeing my friends go through this after having done it myself makes me realize that no, we're not ready to do it again. I'll say that again in case you missed it: no, we're not ready to do it again. Not yet. It's too big. We're good with where we are right now.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Ch-ch-ch-changes
I like to think that we've gotten pretty good at adapting to new stuff in the last year. There's been no rule book, and since everyone has survived, I'd call it a success. We spend a lot of time talking about how we can do stuff better, how we can help Ava become safer, stronger, happier, quieter (eh, we're realists, but we're hopeful). Work, for both of us, has been pretty static, and while we kind of got bored with the same-old same-old, it was easy to coast through most days after even the roughest nights.
Rob recently scored a promotion, and my job is about to undergo a major upheaval. Our days of phoning it in during business hours are O-V-E-R.
Rob will be traveling for his new gig. There is a training session that will be in any one of a dozen cities, depending on when he goes, and then after that he expects to be out of town 10 days a month or more. Adding that on top of his 2 classes at the university, and Rob's going to be one busy guy. He's gone from low man on the totem pole to "Guy With Company Laptop and Blackberry and Credit Card" with three days' notice, and we're kind of reeling from all of that.
My job hasn't changed in 2 years, and before that it hadn't changed for 4. Now, suddenly, of the 3 systems I use at work, one is being replaced (long overdue--the old one was implemented in 1990 and is written in freaking COBOL, which is the IT equivalent of carving runes in the wall of a cave), the process behind another is being redesigned by the Department of Homeland Security (seriously, and can you imagine my delight at their involvement...) and the third, which links the two others, is going to need some serious upgrades, both to hardware and software. My role in all this? Evidently my boss thinks I'm good at seeing what needs to be the end result and then working backwards to find the process that will be the solution. The cherry on top of the cake that is all of this, is that one more database is being tossed into the mix (just for kicks, I assume, because God is funny like that) and I'm not even sure where that one even is applicable.
All of a sudden, we have no constants. Ava is changing every day. She went from taking 5 hesitant steps from me to Rob on Monday to charging across the living room with a handful of toys and a big hyperventilating smile on her face. Rob's job is going to be full of new stuff every day for months to come. My job? My job description now consists of words like "development" and "implementation processes" and it all sounds like a big load of bureaucratic BS that is going to keep me jumping.
The changes to both of our jobs are good in so many ways. Suddenly we're both in careers with clear trajectories (if we choose) that will lead to even better opportunities. We will have control in what our jobs look like, and how they're done (to an extent). It's exhilarating!
I'm afraid of getting swept away by all of this and missing important stuff. I'm so relieved that all of it didn't hit six months ago, when we were still flying by the seats of our pants as parents (well, we still kind of are, but we bounce back faster when we fall). But now, Ava's becoming this little girl who points to herself when you say "Where's Ava?" and discovers a dozen new things every day. Shutting the door at the end of the day on the lunacy that our jobs are about to become is going to be so important. We'll need to not only set aside time that is just for family, but we'll need to remember that merely being present in the room is not the same as being present in the moment.
Rob recently scored a promotion, and my job is about to undergo a major upheaval. Our days of phoning it in during business hours are O-V-E-R.
Rob will be traveling for his new gig. There is a training session that will be in any one of a dozen cities, depending on when he goes, and then after that he expects to be out of town 10 days a month or more. Adding that on top of his 2 classes at the university, and Rob's going to be one busy guy. He's gone from low man on the totem pole to "Guy With Company Laptop and Blackberry and Credit Card" with three days' notice, and we're kind of reeling from all of that.
My job hasn't changed in 2 years, and before that it hadn't changed for 4. Now, suddenly, of the 3 systems I use at work, one is being replaced (long overdue--the old one was implemented in 1990 and is written in freaking COBOL, which is the IT equivalent of carving runes in the wall of a cave), the process behind another is being redesigned by the Department of Homeland Security (seriously, and can you imagine my delight at their involvement...) and the third, which links the two others, is going to need some serious upgrades, both to hardware and software. My role in all this? Evidently my boss thinks I'm good at seeing what needs to be the end result and then working backwards to find the process that will be the solution. The cherry on top of the cake that is all of this, is that one more database is being tossed into the mix (just for kicks, I assume, because God is funny like that) and I'm not even sure where that one even is applicable.
All of a sudden, we have no constants. Ava is changing every day. She went from taking 5 hesitant steps from me to Rob on Monday to charging across the living room with a handful of toys and a big hyperventilating smile on her face. Rob's job is going to be full of new stuff every day for months to come. My job? My job description now consists of words like "development" and "implementation processes" and it all sounds like a big load of bureaucratic BS that is going to keep me jumping.
The changes to both of our jobs are good in so many ways. Suddenly we're both in careers with clear trajectories (if we choose) that will lead to even better opportunities. We will have control in what our jobs look like, and how they're done (to an extent). It's exhilarating!
I'm afraid of getting swept away by all of this and missing important stuff. I'm so relieved that all of it didn't hit six months ago, when we were still flying by the seats of our pants as parents (well, we still kind of are, but we bounce back faster when we fall). But now, Ava's becoming this little girl who points to herself when you say "Where's Ava?" and discovers a dozen new things every day. Shutting the door at the end of the day on the lunacy that our jobs are about to become is going to be so important. We'll need to not only set aside time that is just for family, but we'll need to remember that merely being present in the room is not the same as being present in the moment.
Monday, February 1, 2010
"So, is Ava walking yet?"
Watch volume--there's a bit of squealing and "Oh my God!"-ing on this one.
Why yes, yes she is walking.
Why yes, yes she is walking.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
364 Days
Tomorrow is Ava's first birthday.
Later this week, I'll post pictures from her party this weekend and talk about how much fun we had and how wonderful it was to celebrate with our friends and family.
Right now, it's about where this last year has taken us. At 11:00PM on January 11, 2009, Ava decided that it was time for things to happen and things have been happening every moment since that moment. I recently came across the little outfit that she wore home from the hospital, the one with the strawberry pattern and the little hat, the one that was so big on her. It's so small; I remember thinking as we put it on her, how will she ever grow to fit into this great big suit?
I remember wrapping her in a blanket that was doubled up because otherwise there was too much blanket and not enough baby, and then laying her down in the crib, and there was so much crib around her. And she was this little soft pink burrito in this great big crib.
I remember how long a 2-ounce bottle used to take at 4 in the morning, and how we wrote down every feeding for three months in the pink journal that I will keep for my entire life.
I remember how long 3 months of maternity seemed to be as it loomed ahead of me as I left work on that last day, and wondering how I would pass the time and thinking that maybe I'd get really good at Guitar Hero before I had to go back to work.
I remember watching Ava sleep, and knowing that I should try to sleep too, but how can I put her down when she's making all these cute little faces and she's so snuggly and I can sleep later.
I write this down because I won't remember all of it forever, and I want to make sure it doesn't disappear, because it's so precious.
We have spent 364 days getting to know this amazing little girl, and watching her figure out the world around her. We laugh because she laughs, we cry because she cries, we wake up because she wakes up, we love because she loves. It's amazing. It's exhausting, sure, but it's amazing. We're better people because we have someone watching us and learning from us.
Happy birthday, Ava. It's been the best year ever, and it's only the beginning. Let's go look at the world and see what we can see.
Later this week, I'll post pictures from her party this weekend and talk about how much fun we had and how wonderful it was to celebrate with our friends and family.
Right now, it's about where this last year has taken us. At 11:00PM on January 11, 2009, Ava decided that it was time for things to happen and things have been happening every moment since that moment. I recently came across the little outfit that she wore home from the hospital, the one with the strawberry pattern and the little hat, the one that was so big on her. It's so small; I remember thinking as we put it on her, how will she ever grow to fit into this great big suit?
I remember wrapping her in a blanket that was doubled up because otherwise there was too much blanket and not enough baby, and then laying her down in the crib, and there was so much crib around her. And she was this little soft pink burrito in this great big crib.
I remember how long a 2-ounce bottle used to take at 4 in the morning, and how we wrote down every feeding for three months in the pink journal that I will keep for my entire life.
I remember how long 3 months of maternity seemed to be as it loomed ahead of me as I left work on that last day, and wondering how I would pass the time and thinking that maybe I'd get really good at Guitar Hero before I had to go back to work.
I remember watching Ava sleep, and knowing that I should try to sleep too, but how can I put her down when she's making all these cute little faces and she's so snuggly and I can sleep later.
I write this down because I won't remember all of it forever, and I want to make sure it doesn't disappear, because it's so precious.
We have spent 364 days getting to know this amazing little girl, and watching her figure out the world around her. We laugh because she laughs, we cry because she cries, we wake up because she wakes up, we love because she loves. It's amazing. It's exhausting, sure, but it's amazing. We're better people because we have someone watching us and learning from us.
Happy birthday, Ava. It's been the best year ever, and it's only the beginning. Let's go look at the world and see what we can see.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
This Was The Year That Was
Holy crap, what a ride 2009 has been. I find that when I look back each New Year's Eve, there tends to be a theme to the year that may or may not have been apparent while it was happening. This year's theme? 2009: The Quest For Sleep.
When it began, I was sleeping for none and Rob was sleeping for 3. Two weeks later we were both sleeping on eggshells. In the subsequent months, we came to realize that at some point we would need to sleep more than 3 hours at a time (or total) in the night. So we consulted our team of experts and learned how to Train Our Child How To Sleep. It involved a really awful week of being awakened around 1AM, checking to make sure there was Nothing Actually Wrong, and letting her learn how to get herself back to sleep, all the while checking on her in 2 minutes, then 5 minutes, then 10, then 20, then 40, then (one awful, exhausting night) another 40. The theory is that the baby will figure out that it's OK to go back to sleep. And after a few days, it worked.
So now we gauge how we're all doing by whether or not Ava sleeps through the night. Whenever something is up, she evidently needs our undivided attention, which is most easily accessible between the hours of 1 and 4:30AM. This is when we learn about teeth, fevers, rashes, and various other potential unpleasantries. We find that the helplessness we feel at not knowing what to do about whatever is going on is compounded nicely by not being able to call anyone for help because it's the middle of the night.
Sleep begets sleep, we've found. When she has a good nap during the day, there's better sleep at night for all of us. And that's our year.
Happy New Year from Las Vegas. We won't make it to midnight--Ava's down by 9:00, and we'll wear out long before the tape-delayed ball drops on the west coast. But that's OK. Because a good night's sleep beats the crap out of Ryan Seacrest and the Black-Eyed Peas.
When it began, I was sleeping for none and Rob was sleeping for 3. Two weeks later we were both sleeping on eggshells. In the subsequent months, we came to realize that at some point we would need to sleep more than 3 hours at a time (or total) in the night. So we consulted our team of experts and learned how to Train Our Child How To Sleep. It involved a really awful week of being awakened around 1AM, checking to make sure there was Nothing Actually Wrong, and letting her learn how to get herself back to sleep, all the while checking on her in 2 minutes, then 5 minutes, then 10, then 20, then 40, then (one awful, exhausting night) another 40. The theory is that the baby will figure out that it's OK to go back to sleep. And after a few days, it worked.
So now we gauge how we're all doing by whether or not Ava sleeps through the night. Whenever something is up, she evidently needs our undivided attention, which is most easily accessible between the hours of 1 and 4:30AM. This is when we learn about teeth, fevers, rashes, and various other potential unpleasantries. We find that the helplessness we feel at not knowing what to do about whatever is going on is compounded nicely by not being able to call anyone for help because it's the middle of the night.
Sleep begets sleep, we've found. When she has a good nap during the day, there's better sleep at night for all of us. And that's our year.
Happy New Year from Las Vegas. We won't make it to midnight--Ava's down by 9:00, and we'll wear out long before the tape-delayed ball drops on the west coast. But that's OK. Because a good night's sleep beats the crap out of Ryan Seacrest and the Black-Eyed Peas.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Whoever invents these toys is my hero.
Watch, as Ava amuses herself for six entire minutes.
Awesome.
Earlier tonight, we watched Cinderella together. She danced to the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo song and clapped when it was over.
Oh hey look, on Christmas Eve at my dad's house? She climbed the steps.
Such a big girl!
Awesome.
Earlier tonight, we watched Cinderella together. She danced to the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo song and clapped when it was over.
Oh hey look, on Christmas Eve at my dad's house? She climbed the steps.
Such a big girl!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Christmas Wrap-up (Get it? Christmas? Wrap? That's a joke, son)
So it wasn't too crazy. I think she's still too young to really lose her mind over Christmas. We're still at the point where everything is still so we can get pictures of her doing stuff rather than her being aware of what's happening. But it was awesome. There was no wistful wishing for what comes next, no drama, nothing that took the focus away from Ava's First Christmas. It was magical.
We had Christmas Eve with Grams&Gramps, and Ava got her first baby doll (awww...).
And then Christmas Day we were at home. And we had the perfect Christmas morning. Seriously. I was sitting there, watching her surrounded by her new toys...
...in her monkey pajamas, thinking that this? is perfect.
We did learn a few things for next year:
So it was wonderful. And our friends had wonderful Christmases too. There's a lot of joy in this world right now, and we're very thankful to be a part of it.
We had Christmas Eve with Grams&Gramps, and Ava got her first baby doll (awww...).
And then Christmas Day we were at home. And we had the perfect Christmas morning. Seriously. I was sitting there, watching her surrounded by her new toys...
...in her monkey pajamas, thinking that this? is perfect.
We did learn a few things for next year:
- Take the stupid presents out of the stupid packaging before you wrap them. This was OK for her this year, but next year when she KNOWS that it's HER PRESENT, I doubt she'll be very patient about waiting for Mama and Daddy to untwist 17 twisties so as to release each component of a 43 piece set.
- There is no drive too long to go see a cool Christmas Lights display. Sometimes the search for a house we've heard about that has amazing lights and music is part of the fun, and it's always worth it.
- Grams's loaner Christmas tree is pre-lit, and fits perfectly on the table. Festive? Check. Lovely? Check. Entirely out of reach from small grabby hands? CHECK.
So it was wonderful. And our friends had wonderful Christmases too. There's a lot of joy in this world right now, and we're very thankful to be a part of it.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Baby's First Christmas
Merry Christmas from Rob, Kristie and Ava!
She had quite a haul, pictures and film will be up shortly. We're watching Christmas movies and dinner is already in the oven (ribs YUM). Best. Christmas. Ever.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
We have words!
There is much rejoicing, as Ava's first words were not related in any way to the 90 minutes a day we spend in the car together and the morons with whom we share the roads!
Ball. She said ball. Actually, she said "baw", but she was pointing at a ball when she said it, so it counts. Because it's close enough, and she meant what she said. She was talking about that ball, right there. So, as you can plainly and unmistakeably see (because you just said "baw" out loud to test weather it qualifies as "ball"), a word was spoken.
We also hear Mama and Dada a lot. And they're not just random sounds anymore. When she says them, she looks for us. When she hears Rob talk from the other room, she says "Dada" and squeals. And it's adorable.
Smartest. baby. ever.
Ball. She said ball. Actually, she said "baw", but she was pointing at a ball when she said it, so it counts. Because it's close enough, and she meant what she said. She was talking about that ball, right there. So, as you can plainly and unmistakeably see (because you just said "baw" out loud to test weather it qualifies as "ball"), a word was spoken.
We also hear Mama and Dada a lot. And they're not just random sounds anymore. When she says them, she looks for us. When she hears Rob talk from the other room, she says "Dada" and squeals. And it's adorable.
Smartest. baby. ever.
Friday, December 11, 2009
We? Are in trouble.
So today about 10:30, Daycare Lady calls me at work. It seems Ava got a bit tangled up in a toy bin while she was reaching for The Toy That Was Furthest From Her. When they attempted to extricate her she kind of, well, lost her mind. We hadn't seen Hulk Baby for a while. Things have been pretty uneventful. We're back on a fairly regular sleep schedule that actually involves everybody getting some sleep. We were lulled into a false sense of security. We got cocky.
So today, when the batphone rang, it kind of caught me off guard.
She's OK. Daycare lady called just to let me know that Something had happened, but there didn't seem to be any lingering effects. She calmed down after maybe 10 minutes (with the help of a bottle and some Cheerios). She had her normal nap and lunch and snack. She was a little edgy for the rest of the day, though. At pick-up, I picked my first battle: Ava doesn't want the coat? Ava does not have to wear the coat. All righty then.
In the past 11 months (precisely 11 months, in fact...) I have worried about many things where Ava is concerned. Today, I worry that my kid is going to handle anger and frustration in much the same way as I do. That is, she's going to explode like a grenade as her first reaction, and when that passes, and it will pass quickly, she'll be over it, she'll be fine, and everyone around her will be like "what the hell was that?!". I want to make sure she learns how to handle stuff like that in a way that doesn't alienate everyone and perhaps trigger a semi-negative component to a performance review at her job (don't ask.).
Or, maybe, she's just a toddler and we just have to suck it up for a few years. It could also be that.
So 11 months ago, to the minute, I had a contraction. I didn't know it was a contraction. I thought it was my dinner settling. Dinner on January 11, 2009, was In & Out Burger, which I am convinced is what put me into labor. So at 9:30 PM that night, I stood up and stretched and felt something ODD. Like I was being stabbed by my burger (double-double with onions). And then nothing happened for probably an hour. And then everything happened all at once.
It's been 11 months of astonishment. We know Ava pretty well now. But she's changing so quickly that sometimes we don't keep up like we should. I looked at her the other day, and she's not a chubby little baby anymore. She's a (still somewhat chubby but less so) little girl. She's about to take off walking (OMG we are doomed) and one day soon the babbling is going to pause and she's going to say a word and mean what that word means (hopefully it's not something she picked up whilst riding with me...).
So today, when the batphone rang, it kind of caught me off guard.
She's OK. Daycare lady called just to let me know that Something had happened, but there didn't seem to be any lingering effects. She calmed down after maybe 10 minutes (with the help of a bottle and some Cheerios). She had her normal nap and lunch and snack. She was a little edgy for the rest of the day, though. At pick-up, I picked my first battle: Ava doesn't want the coat? Ava does not have to wear the coat. All righty then.
In the past 11 months (precisely 11 months, in fact...) I have worried about many things where Ava is concerned. Today, I worry that my kid is going to handle anger and frustration in much the same way as I do. That is, she's going to explode like a grenade as her first reaction, and when that passes, and it will pass quickly, she'll be over it, she'll be fine, and everyone around her will be like "what the hell was that?!". I want to make sure she learns how to handle stuff like that in a way that doesn't alienate everyone and perhaps trigger a semi-negative component to a performance review at her job (don't ask.).
Or, maybe, she's just a toddler and we just have to suck it up for a few years. It could also be that.
So 11 months ago, to the minute, I had a contraction. I didn't know it was a contraction. I thought it was my dinner settling. Dinner on January 11, 2009, was In & Out Burger, which I am convinced is what put me into labor. So at 9:30 PM that night, I stood up and stretched and felt something ODD. Like I was being stabbed by my burger (double-double with onions). And then nothing happened for probably an hour. And then everything happened all at once.
It's been 11 months of astonishment. We know Ava pretty well now. But she's changing so quickly that sometimes we don't keep up like we should. I looked at her the other day, and she's not a chubby little baby anymore. She's a (still somewhat chubby but less so) little girl. She's about to take off walking (OMG we are doomed) and one day soon the babbling is going to pause and she's going to say a word and mean what that word means (hopefully it's not something she picked up whilst riding with me...).
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanksgiving 2009
We had a wonderful time in San Diego with Rob's family. AJ, UK, and BA made sure that Ava's first Thanksgiving was just magical. They even put up a Christmas tree and had a present ready for her (thank-you note is forthcoming...).
Such a fuss! They went all out, as they usually do, and we can't thank them enough for spending so much time with us throughout the week.
I'd also like to give up a shout-out to Hampton Inn for their almost entirely childproof rooms and the fact that the coffee table is the exact length of the distance between the bed and the dresser. We had a little Ava Corral that helped us all keep our sanity :)
We also had a little fun with giggling.
Surprisingly, this was after a Night Of No Sleep and a Day of No Naps. OMG we were exhausted, all of us. I think part of the laughter is just out of delirium.
Friday we went to Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla. Ava likes watching fish when they're on Discovery Channel, so we figured she'd really be into watching actual fish. She loved it! Even though it was crowded, we had a great time watching her watch everything else.
She got eaten by a shark...
And she giggled quite a bit more...
We have so much to be thankful for. It sounds kind of cliche', but Ava has made our lives amazing. Every day is an adventure that we are thrilled to share with our families and friends. We're SO excited for Christmas, and we're starting to plan a birthday party (shhhh..... don't tell her! It's a surprise!).
Such a fuss! They went all out, as they usually do, and we can't thank them enough for spending so much time with us throughout the week.
I'd also like to give up a shout-out to Hampton Inn for their almost entirely childproof rooms and the fact that the coffee table is the exact length of the distance between the bed and the dresser. We had a little Ava Corral that helped us all keep our sanity :)
We also had a little fun with giggling.
Surprisingly, this was after a Night Of No Sleep and a Day of No Naps. OMG we were exhausted, all of us. I think part of the laughter is just out of delirium.
Friday we went to Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla. Ava likes watching fish when they're on Discovery Channel, so we figured she'd really be into watching actual fish. She loved it! Even though it was crowded, we had a great time watching her watch everything else.
She got eaten by a shark...
And she giggled quite a bit more...
We have so much to be thankful for. It sounds kind of cliche', but Ava has made our lives amazing. Every day is an adventure that we are thrilled to share with our families and friends. We're SO excited for Christmas, and we're starting to plan a birthday party (shhhh..... don't tell her! It's a surprise!).
Sunday, November 22, 2009
'Twas The Month Before Christmas
It's been a little hectic.
To recap, with bullet points...
Last night, we went to the opening night of the Opportunity Village Magical Forest. We figured it wouldn't be too busy (see above RE: don't get too close...) and it wasn't too chilly outside. Grams & Gramps were there too, and I'm so glad they came with us. Ava got her first taste of Christmas. She saw Santa in his sleigh with his reindeer and 4 showgirls in elf suits (hey, it's Vegas, whatever) and her first Christmas tree, 40 feet tall, covered in lights and all twinkly. She saw all the things that make Christmas look like Christmas. And she loved it.
One of the attractions is a train, and we thought she might like it. She likes to look at stuff and at people (as long as they don't get too close...). I think it was a success :)
How cute is that! We had so much fun! Toward the end of the night, she even smiled at people she didn't even know. Her heart grew three sizes that night!
So now our quest is to find any Christmas light display that we can find and show it to her.
Tuesday we're driving to San Diego for Thanksgiving. Ava will have her first turkey and mashed potatoes (we have rubber bibs locked and loaded) and we're looking forward to getting out of town and seeing the folks. Safe travels and Happy Turkey to all!
To recap, with bullet points...
- It wasn't a tooth; it was roseola. Roseola is a stupid illness.
- Her gastronomic repertoire of solid food consists of sausage, pancakes, quesadillas, string cheese, rice, honeydew melon, tilapia, chicken (grilled, baked, fried, and nuggeted), bananas, cheerios, peas, fish sticks (but she's not a gay fish, and if you don't get this, you don't watch South Park), soft tacos, bean burritos, spaghetti & meatballs, ravioli, and just about anything else we can cut up small enough for her to feed to herself
- Twenty-one pounds, nine ounces,
- First haircut happened and, no, I didn't save it. It was just a trim of a strand that was hanging in her eyes.
- The crawling is out of control, and she is officially faster than we are.
- She really doesn't like people. If you're not me, Rob, Grams & Gramps after about 20 minutes, or any of the Daycare Ladies, don't get too close.
Last night, we went to the opening night of the Opportunity Village Magical Forest. We figured it wouldn't be too busy (see above RE: don't get too close...) and it wasn't too chilly outside. Grams & Gramps were there too, and I'm so glad they came with us. Ava got her first taste of Christmas. She saw Santa in his sleigh with his reindeer and 4 showgirls in elf suits (hey, it's Vegas, whatever) and her first Christmas tree, 40 feet tall, covered in lights and all twinkly. She saw all the things that make Christmas look like Christmas. And she loved it.
One of the attractions is a train, and we thought she might like it. She likes to look at stuff and at people (as long as they don't get too close...). I think it was a success :)
How cute is that! We had so much fun! Toward the end of the night, she even smiled at people she didn't even know. Her heart grew three sizes that night!
So now our quest is to find any Christmas light display that we can find and show it to her.
Tuesday we're driving to San Diego for Thanksgiving. Ava will have her first turkey and mashed potatoes (we have rubber bibs locked and loaded) and we're looking forward to getting out of town and seeing the folks. Safe travels and Happy Turkey to all!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
If This Happens For Every Tooth, I'm Going To Need A Bigger Wine Fridge.
This is going to be a terribly interesting summary of Ava's first fever, which will also serve the purpose of reminding me about what to do when future fevers happen. Blog = baby book.
So Friday morning we got up and Ava was warm. Rob noticed it first. We took her temperature and it was 98.5 under her arm which means her core temperature (I just learned this phrase, thank you Auntie Nurse Amy) was 99.5. She usually runs about 2 degrees cooler, so we knew something was up. She didn't sleep worth a damn last week, so between that and a higher temperature, we figured it was teeth. When her bottom teeth came in over the summer, she ran a little warmer than usual.
At 4:00 Daycare Lady called me at work. We were on deck to take advantage of a delightful thing they occasionally do at Daycare called Parents Night Out, where they host a slumber party and watch movies until 10:30. Their threshold for Calling Parents and Sending Children Home is 101 degrees, and Ava hit it. OMG. So I wrapped up the week, shut stuff down, and picked her up a little early. I walk in, and they all look at me like "There's Little Miss CrankyPants's mom now." Evidently she spent the day glaring at everyone. Parents Night Out (a nice relaxing sushi dinner, in our case) was abruptly cancelled.
Over the course of the weekend, Ava's temperature steadily rose. I got some great advice from the aforementioned Nurse Amy, and another BFF called to give some fantastic info about fevers and Baby Tylenol (a freaking miracle drug...) and between the two of them, we felt pretty confident about what to look for and when to start calling doctors or running to the ER.
Saturday sucked. She just flat didn't feel good. Poor little boopy, she tried to play but quickly realized that she preferred to sit quietly and cuddle. This was alarming. Saturday night she woke up at 3 and the thermometer stopped at 101.9 which adding one for armpit (even simple math at 3AM was very trying--I'm going to put a sticky on the thermometer that says "just add 1"). Had it hit 102 (meaning 103...) that's when you call doctors or run to the ER. But it stayed at 101.9. She didn't have any other symptoms, either. Just a freakishly high Fever Of Unknown Origin (OMG DO NOT LET ME GO ON WEBMD AT 3AM). We could feel the heat radiating from her poor little head. It was awful.
Today she was better. No fever at all since we got up this morning. She just went to bed, and is a nice cool 97.5 (oh just do the freaking math...). So we're all better, and very optimistic about getting some sleep tonight.
Last night (it counts as "last night" rather than "this morning" because I did go back to bed after she went to sleep) I suddenly felt like a mom. As upset, uncomfortable, unhappy, and generally pissed of she was, she held on to me because Mama Makes it Better. There wasn't a lot I could do about the fever, but she didn't care. She couldn't rest in the crib, but she calmed down and was able to fall (and stay) asleep in my lap. She was holding on to me with one hot little hand, and holding on to the binky with the other. Mama and Binky. We're a good team.
She's OK now. I'm still taking her temperature at every diaper change, but she's cool to the touch. And it's weird--suddenly, I can tell if she's got a fever just by putting my hand on her head. I've always wondered How They Do That. And I still don't know. But now I can do that too. Because I'm the mama, and Mama Makes It Better.
Oh and that freaking tooth better be the best goddamn tooth ever to break through a gum when it ever shows up.
So Friday morning we got up and Ava was warm. Rob noticed it first. We took her temperature and it was 98.5 under her arm which means her core temperature (I just learned this phrase, thank you Auntie Nurse Amy) was 99.5. She usually runs about 2 degrees cooler, so we knew something was up. She didn't sleep worth a damn last week, so between that and a higher temperature, we figured it was teeth. When her bottom teeth came in over the summer, she ran a little warmer than usual.
At 4:00 Daycare Lady called me at work. We were on deck to take advantage of a delightful thing they occasionally do at Daycare called Parents Night Out, where they host a slumber party and watch movies until 10:30. Their threshold for Calling Parents and Sending Children Home is 101 degrees, and Ava hit it. OMG. So I wrapped up the week, shut stuff down, and picked her up a little early. I walk in, and they all look at me like "There's Little Miss CrankyPants's mom now." Evidently she spent the day glaring at everyone. Parents Night Out (a nice relaxing sushi dinner, in our case) was abruptly cancelled.
Over the course of the weekend, Ava's temperature steadily rose. I got some great advice from the aforementioned Nurse Amy, and another BFF called to give some fantastic info about fevers and Baby Tylenol (a freaking miracle drug...) and between the two of them, we felt pretty confident about what to look for and when to start calling doctors or running to the ER.
Saturday sucked. She just flat didn't feel good. Poor little boopy, she tried to play but quickly realized that she preferred to sit quietly and cuddle. This was alarming. Saturday night she woke up at 3 and the thermometer stopped at 101.9 which adding one for armpit (even simple math at 3AM was very trying--I'm going to put a sticky on the thermometer that says "just add 1"). Had it hit 102 (meaning 103...) that's when you call doctors or run to the ER. But it stayed at 101.9. She didn't have any other symptoms, either. Just a freakishly high Fever Of Unknown Origin (OMG DO NOT LET ME GO ON WEBMD AT 3AM). We could feel the heat radiating from her poor little head. It was awful.
Today she was better. No fever at all since we got up this morning. She just went to bed, and is a nice cool 97.5 (oh just do the freaking math...). So we're all better, and very optimistic about getting some sleep tonight.
Last night (it counts as "last night" rather than "this morning" because I did go back to bed after she went to sleep) I suddenly felt like a mom. As upset, uncomfortable, unhappy, and generally pissed of she was, she held on to me because Mama Makes it Better. There wasn't a lot I could do about the fever, but she didn't care. She couldn't rest in the crib, but she calmed down and was able to fall (and stay) asleep in my lap. She was holding on to me with one hot little hand, and holding on to the binky with the other. Mama and Binky. We're a good team.
She's OK now. I'm still taking her temperature at every diaper change, but she's cool to the touch. And it's weird--suddenly, I can tell if she's got a fever just by putting my hand on her head. I've always wondered How They Do That. And I still don't know. But now I can do that too. Because I'm the mama, and Mama Makes It Better.
Oh and that freaking tooth better be the best goddamn tooth ever to break through a gum when it ever shows up.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
R2D2
Ava's favorite uncles Mike and Clay loaned us R2D2 to help us complete her inaugural Halloween costume theme. He is a functioning voice-activated robot droid thingy, and he'll do what you tell him to do if you know what to say. He beeps and pings and rolls forward and back, and when Ava knocks him over he makes this farty sound that cracks Ava up.
:)
:)
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