the one where Ava is 13 months old

I know some people hate the whole "how many months old is your kid thing".. but I feel like since Ava is JUST over one.. I can get away with it.

There has been a lot going on in Ava's world lately.

At her one year check up we mentioned to the pediatrician that Ava had not been pulling herself up into standing position yet. No standing, no walking. Little nuggets preferred method of transportation is being carried. By Mommy. On my right hip. Second- crawling. She is really fast!

Pediatrician looked at her little leggies and said her muscle tone was great and as of right now, nothing to worry about. She said Ava might just be a little lazy. She said if by 15 months old she wasn't at least pulling herself up into standing position, we would have to talk early intervention but it was likely she "would just start out of nowhere"..

Fast forward from the doctor appointment to just two weeks ago- little girl is pulling herself up onto everything. She especially loves pulling herself up at Tori's little kiddo table because she loves to see what sister is doing up there, what sister is eating, what sh is painting and she especially loves pushing the buttons on sisters kindle while shes in the middle of a really good video. Nothing like making your big sister push you right back down into sitting position when you have just mastered standing lol. Tori has a fish named Piper who is usually on the table but that has now become a potential deathly situation for Piper so she has moved to the dining room table. She is very thankful for that lol.

Now fast forward to two days ago- Ava, our little baby who only just started pulling herself into standing position CLIMBED THE WHOLE WAY UP THE STAIRS by herself. Without anyone noticing. She is quick!!!! I was on the computer catching up on some work emails and Dan and Tori were upstairs in her bedroom.. (Dan was putting together Toris new dollhouse).. Dan yelled down to me to check on Ava, I look over and shes sitting at the bottom of the stairs playing with shoes (one of her favorite hobbies).. I swear about 3 minutes later, I hear Tori say "UH OH!!!" and I look over and shes not there! Ava crawled the entire way up the hardwood stairs to see what sister and Daddy doing. I about died. Dan about died/killed me. Tori thought it was hilarious.

I totally forgot how quickly everything happens once the ball gets rolling for the little ones. One minute shes crawling, the next shes climbing stairs like a boss lady.

I am so happy she is doing well and starting to get so mobile. The only bittersweet part about it is that it means my baby is getting big.. and that soon enough, I wont have a little baby anymore. Thank God she still nurses and doesn't sleep through the night LOL (kidding, I could use sleep haha).. those little things remind me she is still a baby and still needs me. Maybe my hip will start getting some rest. Which sort of makes me sad.

the one with a nursiversary

I may have just made that word up.

We are four days out from Ava's first birthday which means so many things. It means my baby is ONE. It means we survived year one of life as a family of four. It means I have NURSED MY BABY FOR ONE YEAR.

 

Guysssssssssssssssssssssss- I cannot even. Seriously. One year!!

One year of never leaving my babys side for more than 3 hours at a time.
One year of wearing clothes that made my boobs easily accessible.
One year of never leaving my kids overnight.
One year of watching what I eat so it doesn't upset my babys belly.
One year of watching what meds I take so it doesn't effect my baby.
One year of not washing bottles and nipples.
One year of wondering if I would be shamed for breastfeeding in public.
One year of planning my days around nursing my baby.
One year of planning work around nursing my baby.
One year of answering questions like "are you going to nurse her til shes 16?!"
One year of an intimate one on one connection with my baby.
One year of soaking in every nursing moment just in case this is my last go of all things baby.
One year of my body not really being "mine".
One year of nursing through sickness.

One year of nursing.

I survived the tears, the questions (so. many. questions).........

We made it. A whole year and Ava is going strong.

And now on that note: Anyone have any tips for weaning? Mom needs a break lol.

the one with Ava's first birthday party

Being that Avas birthday is right around the holiday crazy time I decided to host her birthday party ten days before her actual birthday. I'm glad I went with that date as it seemed that because of doing it early, almost everyone we invited was able to come.
We had the party at the Boettcher museum which is a rental we got through Manheim Township. It has a rustic feel and is in the middle of a park with lots of trees and trails around so it felt really cozy and went well with our FALL FEST theme.
The original plan included pumpkin painting, playing with balls/balloons out on the stone patio.. a warm apple cider drink.. and then life happened. I ended up with strep and it totally derailed a bunch of plans that I wanted to complete the week of the party. Throw in Tori getting ANOTHER double ear infection and the fact that Summer was the only person able to help me with set up and picking up the cake etc, the day of was a bit hectic.

DECOR: I got a bunch of red, yellow and orange décor. Fall leaves were spread out on all of the tables. My mom got me a bunch of cute pumpkins to use on tables also- so I used them for décor around the cakes and food table. I also made an adorable (if I do say so myself) banner using fall colored cloth and clipped some leaves on it.. then I had a banner of Avas "monthly" pics that we have taken over the last year (missing month 10 of course because well, me). Erica picked up a "1" gold balloon for me (which she pointed out looked like a penis LOL) and we blew up a few red balloons for the kids to kick around and play with.
CAKE: I got the cake from Oregon Dairy.. a spice cake with cream cheese icing. DELICIOUS. Literally, everyone was raving about it. I had two pieces (oops). And I would be lying if I didn't say I wish I had more so I could have had another piece today. It was decorated with pumpkins and Ava even got her very own smash cake which had a pumpkin on it and a #1 & was sparkly and sweet. I loved it.
FOOD: Dan smoked some pork a few weeks ago & froze it so we unfroze/reheated it for the party. It was AWESOME. Dan is so, so good at smoking bbq. It is his specialty. We also had pasta forno courtesy of my parents and an Italian meat and cheese tray, they also brought buffalo chicken dip and then Dans mom brought a veggie tray and my Grandma brought chips. Plenty of food. And it almost all was eaten, so we definitely filled everyone up.
PICTURES: I was way too busy to get my fancy pants camera out and honestly, I'm glad I didn't. I got to really take it all in, mingle with everyone and watch while my Ava girl was celebrated with everyone we love. The only bummer: my phone died while at the party LOL and the only charger was in the car, so I had to rely FULLY on everyone else which sucked and is why I didn't get as many pictures of the party as I had hoped.
PRESENTS: We didn't open gifts at the party because Tori was sick and Ava wasn't very interested in anyone or anything that wasn't 1-cake 2-Mommy. I did however open them all last night and today and man, girlfriend made out. She got some of the cutest clothes ever and a bunch of fun and loud toys.

Ava's first bday party = great success!

the one where Ava is 11 months old

Ava Estelle

Eleven Months

 

Size:

Ava is about 22 lbs give or take and wearing size 12-18 months
 

Health:

She has a runny nose and cough which sucks. Poor girl. I hope this isn't a sign of what is to come this winter.

Feeding:
 

11 months breastfed and going, going, going. I give her solids during every meal time and she lovessssss food. Especially nuggets.. and cheese.. and chicken.. and eggs.. and yeah, everything.

 

Sleep:
 

Ava is waking up once a night or not at all. I am so ready for no more middle of the night wake ups its not even funny. Her naps are either.. one morning nap and one afternoon nap or one super long middle of the day nap.

 

Extras:

-She dances!!!
-She loves to give hugs.
-She makes dinosaur noises.
-Can drink out of a straw.
-Her hair is much longer at this age than Tori's was.
-She loves playing peek-a-boo.
-She loves to facetime.
-She loves looking at pictures of her family.
-Loves music and lights.
-Hates getting her nose wiped.

Cant believe we are planning her first birthday! Such a fast year!

 

the one where Trump and I go way back

Lets rewind to a little girl being raised in a traditional and old school Italian family. I knew at a very young age (I'm talking elementary school) that I didn't want to marry into another Italian family. No exaggeration, 7 or 8 years old and I knew that.
My family is off the boat Italian. Not the never-has-seen-Italy kind. The legit, born and raised in Italy kind and they have Italian culture deep in their soul.
When I was growing up.. the girls did things like cleaned off the kitchen table because I mean, boys don't do kitchen things. My brother took out the trash because well, girls don't take out the trash. I hated that. I hated that my role was very early on supposed to be that of the "woman role" (along w my sister) and my brothers role was immediately to follow in that of the "man role". I watched at a young age as women like my Mom, my Aunts, older female cousins.. worked in their husbands, dads, uncles pizza shops.. because when the pizza shops were first starting, they couldn't afford to hire too much help because they just didn't have the money to pay anyone. So these same women.. went to work.. 12 hour days.. with their husbands.. and took their kids along. So while they were assisting their husbands with things like answering phones, making food, cleaning tables, mopping floors.. they were also changing diapers, playing, kissing boo-boos, helping with homework. I saw them as Super Women. Wow. They really did it all. These same women who did it all.. went home.. and then did some more. They did laundry. They washed dishes. They scheduled appointments. They vacuumed. They put away clothes. They went to the grocery store. Literally, did it all. I watched as a lot of these women did it ALL and never asked for a thank you. Never asked for a break. I watched as some of them (my mom included) did get those things. They got thanks. They got gifts. They were appreciated. I also watched a lot of them not. I watched a lot of "you don't do enough". I watched a lot of women getting run to the ground. I didn't get it. I didn't understand why I could watch some of my boy cousins play video games for hours on end while I got asked to help set the dinner table. I didn't understand why those same cousins could come eat and then go right back to playing video games while I had to then clean off the table. I didn't understand why the boys could play outside in the dark but I had to come in before it got dark. Or why they could make jokes about girlfriends but I couldn't date until late high school. Or why I had to get good grades(obv not a bad thing) and they didn't. I didn't understand why I would be told to learn how to cook for my future husband. I didn't understand why comments were made to me about my weight and how I looked or dressed. I felt at a young age that men had it "easy" and had a "privileged" life... a life where I would  never feel that way, no matter what I did because as a woman, nothing would be enough.
I have already been fighting so hard for this to not be what my daughters see. I want them to know in their hearts they can truly do anything and everything they want. They can be anyone they want to be. That marriage is a TEAM. That a relationship does not define them. Equality. They have choices. That they are enough.

Trump emulates everything that I hated in how I saw men. A guy who thinks he is above everyone else because he has money. A man who thinks women are here for the sole purpose of his wants and needs. He brings out the feeling I get at the thought of women not getting to make their own reproductive decisions. He brings out that feeling of rape being the womans fault if she was drunk. He brings out the feeling I get when I imagine how men look at women as objects. He brings out the feelings I get when I think of women being unappreciated.
I actually do not consider myself a democrat or a republican. I have beliefs that fall under both. I just really, truly, hate everything that Trump stands for.

(I would like to note that I am not a man hater lol. I have the best husband, ever. Like literally that has ever existed. Who regularly makes me feel happy and that I know appreciates me for what I bring to this family. A man who splits duties with me because we are in this life together. And another side note: things have changed over time as far as the cultural side of my family which is great and I am hopeful to continue to see a shift.)

the one where I review Luca

LUCA

436 W. James Street

Lancaster, PA

If there is one thing I really love in the food world: its Italian food.
Sauce on sauce on bread on top of more bread. I cannot get enough.
It is hard for me to find Italian food I love that can compare to my familys Italian food. My dads meatballs or eggplant parm, my mom's pasta with broccoli or lentils, my Aunts lasagna.. brb- wiping drool.
Enter: Luca. This place had a lot of hype surrounding it before it even opened. The owners also own a French restaurant in Lancaster (Maison) that people die for so Luca was supposed to be just as amazing. I couldn't wait. We have been there twice. Twice because well, its not exactly a standard for a Friday night dinner date. Its on the pricier side.. our kids aren't great at taking out to eat anywhere that doesn't include the atmosphere that comes with a "Buy one adult entrée get one kids entrée free" sort of thing. We save this place for special occasions. Follow me as I give you a play by play of the place, beginning to end.

Atmosphere:
The place is BEAUTIFUL. Exposed beams. This gorgeous, huge bar. You can see the kitchen area (which I love), think lots of wood... modern and yet eccentric. Swanky, if you will.
Staff:
In the two times we were there, our servers were nice and prepared with recommendations. I personally am not a fan of asking your server for a recommendation because well, everyone has their own likes and dislikes so I guess I just don't necessarily think they will like something I will. Anyways, their uniform is a t shirt and jeans which may sound super casual (and it is) but somehow it works. I don't know if its the color of the t shirt or just the fact that everyone looks so put together (nice hair etc) but it works. Its a little on the louder side since the kitchen and everything is open to the restaurant so you hear lots of movement, plates, etc.. but the place is very open so you don't feel like its over powering.
Drinks:
I only had one drink in the two times I was there and then my grandma had a glass of wine. The drink I had isn't on their usual menu, it was a special for the evening. It had a limoncello base and was super light and summer-ish and I really loved it.
Apps:
In the two times we visited we had: the handmade burrata, housemade ricotta and the prosciutto de Danielle. DELICIOUS. The apps were all super original and not just the typical things you find in an Italian restaurant. They make their own cheese there and although a little on the salty side, so good. The only thing about the apps that would be considered a negative is that they are small. Two people can have a serving of an app but there isn't much more than that. And you definitely cannot share it with more than two people.
Dinners/Pizzas:
I am going to review just what I personally had for dinner. The first time I went I had the Tagliatelle (pasta Bolognese). It was delicious. The portion size was perfect. It had the perfect about of sauce on it and they used homemade noodles. The second time I went I had the Piccante pizza. Pretty much a fancy pepperoni pizza. It was a wood oven pizza. It was DELISH. The pizzas are also a great size. I think I had two pieces and then we ended up taking the rest home, I was stuffed. I only stopped eating because I ran out of room in my stomach. I without question wanted to keep going.
Dessert:
This is 9 times out of 10 my favorite part of a meal. They make their own gelato there and my gosh it is amazing! They don't have their desserts on their online menu, I suppose because they change quite often so I cant remember exactly what the flavors were of the gelato but seriously, delish. I remember one of them was a lemon/olive oil type.. the flavors didn't sound like something you would walk into a shop and order. Super unique. We also tried their Italian donuts dessert which was just to die for. Little fried balls of dough, dipped in sugar and then served with this delicious raspberry glaze. Heaven.

*I would rate this restaurant 4 out of 5 stars. The only changes I would make is more dessert options and that there be less salt in some of the food items.

Check out their website to book a reservation or click HERE for the menu!

(Side note: the following photos are from their facebook page)

the one where Ava turns 10 months old

Ava Estelle

Ten Months

 

Size:

Ava is about 22 lbs give or take and wearing size 12 months clothing like a boss
 

Health:

So good! Growing like a weed.  

 

Feeding:

10 months breastfed and going, going, going. I give her solids three times a day now. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Typically its whatever it is that me, Dan and Tori are eating. She loves all of it. Really. If it is going in our mouth it better go in hers or she will scream at you. SO LOUD.

 

Sleep:

Ava is waking up once a night or not at all. Thankfully. Her naps are either.. one morning nap and one afternoon nap or one super long middle of the day nap.

 

Extras:
-She is putting weight on her legs for a longer period of time
-Loves stealing her sisters toys
-Loves dogs
-Crawling everywhere
-Hates getting in her car seat
-Waves hi!
-Hates getting dressed
-Hates getting her diaper changed

First birthday party planning is officially started! I cant believe it!

 

the one with our visit to Groton, Conneticut

My sister lives in Groton, CT with her husband (who is in the Navy) and my niece, Samantha. We don't see her much (obviously).. its about a 5 hour drive, one way and well- everyone has work, school, etc and I mean, life happens.
This past few days my sisters husband was away for work and Dan was in California for a wedding so we figured this was the perfect timing for a ladies trip.
Me, my Mom, Tori and Ava packed up the car (what on Earth did we ever do without an SUV?!) and headed for Ct.
We left at about 9:30 am and made it in exactly 5 hours. That is of course not counting the two stops we made for nursing, bathroom visits and food. That time of day worked out perfectly because it went over Ava's naps so luckily she was sleeping for most of it. Tori did great, between talking to Mommy and Nonna, watching her kindle, a nap and playing with some toys she brought along, she did really well.
My sister doesn't live directly on the Navy base there but only about 10 minutes off of it. The neighborhood is cute and filled with a ton of kids. It is mostly military that live there so everyone knows each other pretty well and I was comforted to see just how much they all sort of become like family for each other since most of them come from far away. One couple was from Texas.. another New York, my sister and her husband from PA, etc. We spent the first day hanging out, cuddling, laughing, playing, getting a house tour, setting up sleeping arrangements and just overall trying to work some energy out of the kids since we had spent so much time in the car. We ordered out for dinner to this pretty good fire grilled pizza place. Pizza, a spinach/artichoke app and a smores dessert. When I vacation, all good eating goes out the window lol.
The second day we went and visited Mystic, Ct. It reminded me a lot of Kitchen Kettle Village in Lancaster. A cute little area that you could walk around, check out some shops, restaurants, etc. There was a pond so of course a LOT of time was spent chasing watching ducks. Those poor ducks.
We ate at a restaurant with outdoor seating, thank God. It was a beautiful day and the kids were super wound up so we needed to be away from people. After a lunch we barely made it through (due to Tori and Sams inability to sit still for longer than 1o minutes at a time) we headed across the way for some homemade ice cream. It was good, not Carmen & David's good, but good. We headed back to my sisters house and her and my mom put together a spread of breaded chicken, salad, broccoli and corn.. finished off with a couple of well deserved Coronas and a visit to the park which is right around the corner from my sisters place. That park saved us. Perfect for little kids and so close by, it was a great way to end the day before bath time and bed.
Saturday. The Nautilus Submarine Museum. This place was awesome. First of all, it was FREE. Thank you sweet baby Jesus. Second, besides the actual museum you go into and walk around.. there is an actual submarine that was partially submerged. It was old, huge and seriously awesome. It was almost surreal to walk through it and think about the fact that there were people who did that all of the time when they were in the military back in the day and that my brother in law does it now for a living. They slept on the tiniest bunks, the bathrooms were so small you could barely stand in (I don't know how you sit on the toilet lol) and even just the idea that you have no communication with anyone outside of the submarine for such long periods of time.. crazy.
The kids were mostly good at the museum, I guess since  it was something they could actually walk around freely in and it was also such a beautiful day outside so we really got lucky.
Fast forward to late afternoon and both Tori and Sam were spent. I don't know if it was because we all stayed together in one house so it was non stop excitement for them or what but they were borderline out of control. We tried the mall and basically got to go there to eat and that was it. They screamed, they cried, fits were had. Embarassed is an understatement. You couldn't get me out of that mall fast enough. I guess I asked for it though considering how before we even left I questioned multiple times if I should go along or just stay home with the kids. Tori has serious issues with being over stimulated. It really, truly messes up her brain. She goes nuts. Meltdown mode. Its bad. So bad.
Anywho, that brings me to us leaving a night earlier than planned. I really didn't want to sit around and deal with the girls being so tired that they just wanted to kill anyone and everyone and my mom started feeling under the weather anyways so at 5pm Saturday night we packed up the car and hit the road. Both kids were asleep by 7:30.. it was a 6 hour drive home INCLUDING dropping my mom off at her house and coming home myself.. I was greeted by my amazing neighbor who helped me get the girls inside, my other neighbor had changed my front porch light AND turned on one of my living room lights so it wouldn't be too dark for me when I made it home at 11 (did I mention my neighbors are AMAZING?!) and the girls both slept until 7ish the next day.
We really had such a nice trip, a big thank you to my sister for having us! Now onto some pictures, which most of you have alrdy seen via fbook and IG.

the one with Tori's first day of preschool, 3 year old class

I NEED TO GET BETTER WITH MY UPDATES.

So Tori started preschool today.
If you remember, last year she went at two years old to Calvary preschool. She loved it. I loved it. The teachers were great. Tori got along great with her classmates.
I hated how huge it was. I hated the drive. I hated that even though her day was 2.5 hours long it felt more like 2 because we had to leave early to get there and then wait in line to pick her up. Then comes an opening at the preschool which is ONE BLOCK away from our house. We can WALK there. Our neighbors kids have all gone there. Its small. Its close. Good reputation. Sign me up.

Today.. she started at the new school. I wasn't sure how she would take this but figured she is young enough that it wouldn't really matter to her.. or that she wouldn't even notice. I was wrong.
Anytime I would mention her going to school she would mention her friend Mia or Mrs. Davies. Sorry babe- they are at your OLD school. You are going to a NEW school. You will make NEW friends. You will have a NEW teacher.
She got upset at orientation and wasn't very interested in going into her classroom. In her defense.. there are 24 kids in her class. Orientation included the 24 kids.. and their parents.. and for some, even their grandparents. It was loud. It was busy. Tori is not a fan of lots of people close to her. She is not a fan of being over stimulated. Or of sharing.
After a few minutes she got over it and we got to chat with the teachers and a few other parents. Am I the only one who feels like orientation or first day of school etc is like the first day for me too? I got this weird feeling like I needed to talk to everyone and hear their story. I needed to learn names. I needed to find out everything. I am going to blame the sales person in me for it.
So the run down..
24 kids with 4 teachers (pretty good ratio). The kids would be split into two groups, 12 and 12. 2 teachers each. The groups will change. I'm not sure if I like that or not. Tori likes to really get to know her circle. I think it may be confusing to her to have a different mix of kids vs just being with the same 11 all the time. I guess we will see. The classrooms are so nice! They are big, bright, busy looking. Very pre school-ish which made this mommas heart happy. So much to do, so much to see and learn.
Today was only a short day as the parents had to fill out paperwork and stuff, so even though today was officially her first full day, Thursday is the first FULL day.
Victoria loves school. I hope that she does for forever. Mom and Dad were never really school people so we are hoping she can break the cycle lol.

the one with my last ten

I saw this on a fellow bloggers blog and thought it was fun! The last ten pictures I have on my cell phone... most of them are of my kids.. which I am sure is a surprise to no one lol..

This is our neighbor girl. She is almost 16 and just got her braces off. STUNNING. Inside and out. I can hardly stand it.

 

 

 This girl.. as happy as a clam, always.

 

 

My sweeties enjoying sister bath time together. I love watching them interact. It is so special. Dan just said to me the other day that he cant get over how much Tori has loved Ava since she was born. Tori has just known its her baby sister and they have bonded so quickly. It is like Ava has always been here.

 

 

A screen shot from a work related email about some updates being made to a home.

 

Our best friends James and Erica just welcomed a sweet little girl to the world a few weeks ago. Brynn Reed. She is so sweet and Tori is a natural with babies.

 

 

We had a playdate the other day with a little girl from Toris preschool class. They sort of love and hate each other at the same time but we still try to see them here and there. Ava got to be pushed on the swing and she loved it so much.

 

 

This is from a morning wrestling match. Ava knows how to take sister down. Grab a handful of sissys hair and she is guaranteed a win.

 

 

We went shopping and I was trying to find a fall coat for Tori. I do not particularly like closet staples that are too girly so I really liked this coat but it was a bit too light to count as a fall coat, we passed.

 

 

Mom just had her thyroid removed. They had to test some cyst type things in it a few weeks ago (for cancer) and the tests were inconclusive. It was recommended that she just remove it. Surgery was just done and after healing she will have to be on a medication for life. Surgery went well. She is home recovering. We are thankful.

 

 

I am the baker in our house. Dan is the cook. He loves these chocolate chip ricotta cookies I make. This day, Tori and I made them to surprise Daddy when he got home. She loves helping me in the kitchen. Its a fun thing for us to do together.

the one where Ava is 9 months old

Ava Estelle

Nine Months

 

Size:

Ava is about 20 lbs give or take (her dr check up isn't until next week). She is wearing 9 months clothing and I'm sure just a couple more weeks until shes in 12 months.
 

Health:

The cough that never fades FINALLY WENT AWAY!!! Thank God!

 

Feeding:

9 months of breastfeeding this little boobie lover. I'm going to be honest, I was really expecting that breastfeeding would have slowed down by now. She is still regularly nursing every 3-3.5 hours. We have added solid foods to her diet, shes getting it about twice a day but it hasn't seemed to stop her from wanting to nurse. She has also been taking water from a bottle but will not take milk. It is like she realizes its breastmilk and then freaks because she knows it is not coming from her preferred source.

 

Sleep:

Ava is waking up once a night but doing well other than that & gives me a full night of sleep every now and then. Her napping schedule varies. She takes a morning nap around 9:30 but then doesn't nap again until 2ish... and sometimes needs a cat nap around 5 to make it to bedtime. She doesn't take long naps, usually a half hour to an hour. They really just happen as big sisters schedule allows.

 

Extras:
-She is sitting up longer
-Loves shared bath time with her sister
-Loves fruit
-Still isn't crawling but can roll to wherever she wants to go
-Now screams as her way of communicating to others (its a happy and loud scream)
-Hates getting dressed
-Pinches Mommy and tries to put her hands in my mouth while nursing
-Does this very cute "shy" act when someone talks to her and shes in my arms where she rubs her head on my shoulder & covers her little face.
-Everything goes in her mouth.
-She is a total Mommas girl
-Her favorite thing to do is pull big sisters hair
-Pulls anything and everything off of the tv stand
-Loves to people watch.

 

the one with my Fall to-do list 2016 edition

Its 90+ degrees out today with a heat index of over 100.
In honor of the sweat dripping down my face, the fact that my glasses slide off my face, the fact that I will probably take two or three showers today.. I decided to put together a list of my fall to-dos. Some of these are traditions that we do every year so of course I wouldn't miss doing them this year since we can add our little Ava girl to the mix :) It is only fair that she get to participate in the memory making fun.

-Apple picking with my SIL and niece, Izzy.
-Making apple butter with said apples that are picked.
-Attempting to make my very first pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling.
-Hosting Thanksgiving at our house.
-Dressing in a family theme for Halloween.
-Going trick or treating with the neighbors, spiced rum in hand.
-Picking pumpkins.
-Carving pumpkins.
-Painting pumpkins.
-Ava's 1st birthday (that is going to creep up so fast!)
-Dans birthday.
-Barnyard kingdom/Take a hayride
-Leave and acorn scavenger hunts.
-Leaf crafts.
-Jump in leaf piles
-Go through a corn maze.
-PSL... because I'm basic like that.
-Go to a haunted house.
-Have bonfires.
-Eat smores.
-Drink hot chocolate.
-Watch football.
-Go to the York/New Holland fair(s)
-Go hiking.
-Wearing boots.
-Wearing flannel.
-A family of four photoshoot (finally).

 

Have I ever mentioned that fall is my most favorite season ever?!

 

 

the one where Ava is 8 months old

Ava Estelle

Eight Months

 

Size:

Ava is 18lbs 9oz. My little chunk is wearing 6-9 months clothing comfortably.
 

Health:

Ava is still battling her cough and it also has added a runny nose to the picture. I took her to the doctor again yesterday for it as the cough/runny nose has also made her so much more irritable. The Dr had the same news as last time.. its viral, she will pass it. The end. Ugh.

 

Feeding:

8 months breastfed.
She is still getting food once or twice a day and also water in a sippy cup. She hasn't mastered the sippy cup and pretty much bites on it to get the water out but occasionally she will figure out how to suck on it and she gets so excited. Baby girl loves cold water. Her favorite foods so far seem to be green beans and pears. She is still nursing every 3-3.5 hours. I'm getting a little anxious for that to spread out a little more.

 

Sleep:

Ava is waking up once a night but doing well other than that. She goes down around 7pm and then wakes up anywhere from 2-4 am... eats, then goes back to sleep to around 7-8ish unless of course her big sister decides to wake up early and gets the whole house up at like, 6. That was fun, you know, after Ava had just gotten up at 4 to eat so I was barely back to sleep over an hour.. oh man. Why kids aren't born with the innate appreciation for a late morning, I will never understand. 

 

Extras:
-She is getting better and better at sitting up.
-She is finally more regularly putting weight on her legs.
-She can share headbands with her big sister (she has a huge head haha)
-She has been lifting her hips up off the floor, I think shes getting ready to crawl.
-Loves to take toys from her big sister
-Loves to pull on Daddys beard
-Is shy
-She is being more needy and doesn't want to be sat on the floor, in her bouncer, or pretty much be anywhere that isn't with me
 

the one where I am getting my mojo back

Here we are, 8 months into life with two kids and I am finally feeling like ME again. Less stressed, USUALLY less tired, doing things I love again... and lastly: caring about me again.
I have always been a gym goer. That never changed through two pregnancies but other than working out, I haven't been spending much time on myself.
Haircut? Probably had been 6 months. Pedicure? Probably two. Shopping for clothes that don't look like a Mumu? Over a year.
I have been a throw on an old t shirt with shorts kind of Mom for much longer than I care to admit. I guess since having Ava, getting dressed and doing my makeup has just been about being quick and easy. I have needed to wear clothing that is easy to nurse in & clothing that can be spit up on. Now that we are 8 months into nursing, it is so much easier so I don't have to be as worried about what I'm wearing (as long as I can get a boobie out we are good to go).
Fast forward to the past month or so and I have really taken on a new outlook about my appearance. First of all, old t shirts.. they are meant for the gym. Not running errands in. Second, I have more than lost my baby weight. I do not need to wear clothes I was wearing in the early months of pregnancy lol. It is more than ok for a Mother to care about her appearance. Its actually important for a mother to care about her appearance.
I cant get over how much more confident I feel when I have makeup on (I don't wear a lot) and actually make myself get dressed. I'm like a whole new person.
So anyways- my point- new Mommies, don't forget about yourself! Do what you can to make yourself feel beautiful. Take time for yourself! It is so needed and deserved!

the one with cold brew coffee

Its been awhile since I have shared a fun recipe on here.. and what better way to make up for it than with a COLD BREW COFFEE recipe.

Parents, teachers, nurses, accountants, chefs, maids.. whatever it is that you do with your time-you know that caffeine helps you along the way. I like my coffee either super hot or cold. No in between. I find that I drink my hot coffee much faster than cold because I cannot do room temperature coffee. As a mother, I have had a time or two where I have had to use the microwave to reheat it and well, that just doesn't always cut it. Over the summer, iced coffee is my go-to. I also prefer Dunkin Donuts over Starbucks (judge all you want). The people who work at the DD right by our house are so, so nice... and almost every single time we go-they give Tori a free Donut because she says hi and well, she is cute as hell. Once I realized that it may not be normal for the workers at DD to know me and my children by name, I thought about the cost of a medium iced coffee and figured there has to be a cheaper way to do this. And like (most) things home made, iced coffee has been added to the list of cheaper to do at home.

Things you'll need:
-Strainer
-Coffee grounds
-Coffee filters
-Mason jars or pitchers

To Do: (told exactly by what I did)
-Put 1/3 cup of ground coffee and 1 1/2 cups of cold water in a mason jar. Close lid and let sit overnight (somewhere between 8-12 hours)
-The next day-your goal here is to get the grounds out of the water. I took the strainer and put it on top of an empty/clean mason jar. I put the coffee filter on top of that and then took the mix that was sitting overnight and slowly poured it into the clean mason jar. The coffee filter and strainer take care of getting the coffee grounds out.
-After you have done this, you will have an iced coffee concentrate. So when you are ready to drink it.. you will take the concentrate and pour some into a glass (I don't have a measurement for this because it is really just however you prefer the taste).. then you will add cold water, sugar, creamer.. pretty much whatever it is that you like to flavor your coffee with. Stir and add ice. ENJOY.

the one where you tell Tori your name

Hello friends. It has been awhile that I have posted anything other than an Ava monthly update. Let me start by saying, thanks for sticking around. Frankly, we have been having so much fun with Daddy home this summer that I am just too busy to blog. Or actually-too busy to remember to take pictures and blog right away so a lot of the fun we have been having I have forgotten details of before I can blog about it. Oops.
Today, Ill be honest-this post is a bit about bragging about my Tori and a bit about something I think every parent should do. And I mean that in a not bossy or that I know everything sort of way. But it has proven to add some happy.

Tori loves to know peoples names. It is how she connects. When we are at a restaurant, the grocery store.. pretty much if she locks eyes with you or wants any sort of interaction, she will ask you what your name is. Sometimes if she is feeling shy she will ask Mommy to ask for her but then I always tell her "its ok, you can ask him/her what their name is"...
People love it. I cant even tell you how many times people have told me they think it is just so sweet that she wants to know their name. This girl, already connecting and touching people in such a sweet and simple way. Its pretty awesome.

Rewind to a couple of weeks ago. We are at a birthday party and there is a family there with their two daughters. Their younger one has special needs. Tori notices she is playing with some toys that look fun and Tori heads over and asks the little girls mom "What is her name?".. The mother replies "This is Kayla.. thanks for asking Tori, you are playing so nice". Simple. Simple. Simple.
Before Dan and I are leaving the party.. the mother of the little girl says to me, "You are doing a great job with Tori..., she came over and played with Kayla and asked me what her name was.. a lot of kids see that she is different from them and cant play the way they do and they lose interest in her or pretend shes not even there. Tori just asked her name and played with her so sweet. Shes such a good girl".
I left the party and cried. Ugly cried. Like couldn't tell Dan why I was crying because I would cry harder cry. First, I know Tori is only three, so to her-she probably didn't see anything was different about this girl to begin with.. but regardless, she connected. She took her little bit of understanding about how happy it makes people when she asks their name and she rolled with it. She played with her. She shared with her. And her mom noticed. The little girl, Kayla didn't have a clue what was going on. No clue that she is different. But her mom, her mom does. Her mom knows that kids don't play with her. Her mom knows that she looks different and that people do sometimes make assumptions about her not being able to play. And in that moment, my sweet little Tori.. the one who loves to make people feel special.. did that for this mom. She made her so happy with just the most simple gesture. Ok, now I'm crying again just thinking about it.

Anywho, I guess my point is to not underestimate the power of a simple hello. A simple what is your name? A simple smile when you make eye contact. Your children are watching. They watch how you treat everyone you come across. Be someone that you would be proud of your child becoming.

 My little photographer who has the most pure heart