Hollyhand House

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Ava Kate--15 months

Time sure does fly when you are having fun!!  I just can't believe my little baby is already 15 months old!  She has changed so much lately...her little personality is really starting to shine!  


- At her appointment this morning, she weighed 22.6 lbs. and was 31 1/2 inches tall.  She is a little smaller than what Anna Riley was at this age.  AR was 24.9 and is 32 1/2 inches long at 15 months. 

-She wears 18 months clothes mostly and the shoe size really varies so I am not sure.  She wears a size 4 diaper.

-She had her tear duct probed right after Thanksgiving.  She had to be put to sleep but did great.  Her eye has been so much better since then. 

-A big milestone that happened the Sunday before Christmas is Ava Kate took off walking!!!  She had taken a few steps here and there but that night we had just gotten back from a Christmas gathering and we were unloading gifts and opening toys from boxes and all of a sudden, AK is headed down the hall with two small toys in hand.  I grabbed my phone and caught a little bit of it (Thank goodness for videos on the phone!) She walked all the walk down the hall to our bathroom and then got in there and threw the toys in the air!! I was in tears!  I don't know if it was because I was a little concerned about her not walking yet or because my baby was walking!!  (maybe a little bit of both!)

-She is also climbing on everything she can and cleaning out every cabinet in sight!

-AK eats so well!!  She will eat pretty much anything you give her. She mostly only eats foods that she can feed herself.  She eats all table food and her favorites seem to be fruit (bananas and strawberries especially...she doesn't care for apples). 

-She is getting better with keeping food on the plate.  She usually makes it halfway and sometimes the whole time.  She usually does better with the plates in a restaurant but she has thrown a couple down.  I have to remind myself that one day it will be much easier to take two kids out to eat!!


-She loves her milk!  She has 2-3 cups a day with her meals.

-Her little personality has really started to show!  She can be so stinking cute sometimes, I just can't stand it!  
-She will finally give us real kisses.  In the past, you might get one or you might get a slap in the face! (she has a rough side!).  Now most of the time she will give you a kiss and if she isn't in the mood, she will lean her head over for you to give her one! 

-She always seems to be in the mood to give Anna Riley kisses though!! Those two will be fighting one  minute and kissing and hugging the next...true sisters!



-I have noticed that Ava Kate's fine motor skills have really improved this month.  She picks up the tiniest things.  Mom bought this counting piggy bank for her for Christmas and it has been a favorite of both girls.  
-She is also really playing with toys now.  She loves her little people princess castle.  She likes to put all the princess on the bottom and make them dance.  
 -She will finally sit still and look at books.  She loves the books about animals and the first word books.  She points at them over and over.  
-I find her in AR's big chair reading books all the time!  
-She is talking more but not a lot right now.  I see her more as an observer being the 2nd child.  She will repeat a lot of things we ask her to and if you ask her to point to a certain picture, she will. 

-She really tries to do some of the things Anna Riley does.  Anna Riley was telling her to "shhh" one day and had her finger on her lips and so now AK does that.  

-Ava Kate loves to dance!  I say it is because I danced for about 8  months while she was in my belly! If you know Riley, you know he loves his music and we always have some on, so Anna Riley gets us all to have dance parties!  AK loves it! 

-Ava Kate is a complete Daddy's girl 110%!!! If she has a choice of who to be with it is always him!  When he walks through that door, the excitement on her face is just the sweetest thing!!  He can go to the bathroom and come back and its the same excitement, like she hasn't seen him all day!  

Sunday, January 6, 2013

The Weekend

We had a really low key weekend.  My Dad had an unexpected day off on Saturday so he ask if he could come get Anna Riley on Friday and let her spend the night and then he and Mom take her to see Monsters, inc. on Saturday afternoon before bringing her home.  She was so excited and told me numerous times how excited she was! :) I enjoy getting the one on one time with one of the girls!  

 Riley has to work most Saturday mornings right now but he got finished a little early so when I woke up at 8:30 (yes, my sweet AK let me sleep late and she was actually still sleeping), we made plans to meet at Another Broken Egg when I got both of us ready. So excited to have one of these in town! 

Reading books with Daddy Friday night
Waiting on breakfast
Peace and quiet playing with toys
Mom sent me this of AR in the movies! :)

Eating popcorn and watching TV with Daddy
Teaching Mommy some of her ballet warm ups! :)

On Sunday, we went to church and since AK is doing SO much better in the nursery, we got to stay for both Sunday school and the service.  I had really missed Sunday school but it had gotten so hard to be there for 2 hours because she would get so upset.  The girls got bundled up and played outside for a little bit while I got lunch ready.  AK even squealed with excitement!! I guess it really had been that long since we had played outside!  With it being so cold and them being sick, I just haven't let them and they were beyond ready!!




After lunch, the girls were playing in the playroom.  And when I went in, Ava Kate had the potato head lips in her mouth so we had to add the glasses and then of course Anna Riley had to do it too!  Silly girls!


Helping Daddy put together a new tv stand for the playroom

New Year's Eve celebrations


New Year's Eve Day we took the girls to the Children's Hands on Museum for a New Years Party.  It was really cute. They had Ginger Ale in little glasses for the kids to taste and AR loved it because she thought it was coke (definitely my child!) Then they did a countdown and released balloons.  Amanda, Riley's sister and Duncan were in the area so they came in for a few minutes and then went with us to lunch at Mellow Mushroom afterward.  







That night, Mom and Dad had offered a while back to keep the girls so we decided to go to dinner with some friends.  We went to dinner at Depalmas one of our favorites...Wade and Mandy and Jason and Elaine went with us.   Surprisingly, me made it out to midnight...but barely.  I didn't feel well with sinus stuff and by midnight my head was pounding.  We are definitely more low key people these days I do believe...I think that is a good thing! :)

The girls side of the table

The boys


Ran into Miss Katie
And my Bff...Bethany! :)


Misc. December Pictures

Here is some pictures that never made it to the blog.  Most you that follow my instagram or are friends with me on Facebook may have seen these but I wanted them on here for our Memory Book.  


Our little Mary

Already loves her shoes....Daddy is in trouble!

One warm afternoon...having snack outside!

After church one Sunday...AR usually
requests to see the statue!

Sick with bronchitis

Date night

Bet you can't tell which one belongs to Ava Kate?!

Love peeking in on her when she is sleeping!

CHEEESSSSEEE!  Taco Casa for lunch!

Miss Sassy!

AR insists that sissy dress up too!


ARs December crafts

"What? I didn't do this!!"


Reading Sister's Potty book...maybe she will get some tips!

More dress up fun!

Treats I made for ARs school party

AR's class Christmas party

Friday, January 4, 2013

Year in Review



2012 was really a great year! As, I was writing this post, I couldn't help but stop and think how blessed we are. We are surrounded by family and friends that love us so much.   In 2013, my "goals" are to be more in the moment.  This means spend less time on my phone, on FB and what have you and really focus on my family. I just don't want to take the time I have with them for granted!  I also want to really focus on making sure I am putting HIM first and trusting in him with everything.

 Here is our year in review:

In January, we started the year off with Bama getting their 14th National Championship! Roll Tide! Anna Riley started preschool at St. Mark Methodist 2 days a week. Anna Riley got good news from her one year check at the heart doctor after wearing the holter again. Ava Kate started eating rice cereal and quickly moved on to more yummy food! Ava Kate started going to the nursery at church.  Anna Riley was in her "hairbow phase"  and had to have one it at all times!


February was really somewhat low key.  We started February off with Anna Riley's birthday and Minnie Mouse party.  We enjoyed walks during some of the warm February weather.  We went to Fairhope for Mardi Gras.  

  
In March, Riley and I went on "kid-free" beach trip to celebrate our friend Courtney's 30th birthday.  We went to see Eric Church in concert.  We also had our house broken into which was unfortunate.  Ava Kate had her baptism and we had our first Easter Egg hunt/party.  
  

We started April off with our Sunday School egg hunt and the Blue Angels at Aunt Amanda's house. On Easter, we went to Granny Earnest's for her Easter Egg hunt and lunch. Both girls had their first time at the zoo in April and AR especially loved it. She even rode the camel with Daddy! We ended the month with a trip to Fairhope. Riley's two relatives from Seattle got to join us for a couple of days also.  

     

In May, we started the month with New Baby Sunday at our church. On Mother's Day, we dedicated a statue at the church in memory of Mrs. Cindy.  We ended the month in Destin for Riley's annual conference. 
 

In June,  Riley and I celebrated our 4th anniversary in Destin on a somewhat work trip while the girls stayed with Granna and PawPaw. When we got back, I took my Granny and Aunt Kat and the girls to Fairhope for a few days.  It was such a great trip!!  We started Potty training Anna Riley and she said Bye bye to diapers this month!  Anna Riley did Swim Lessons at Swim Kids and it wasn't that great of a success.  We celebrated Father's Day in Berry and in Tuscaloosa with Pop Pop. We also had a play date at the small splash pad with Lily Grace and Cooper.  We ended the month with another trip to Fairhope with the Tidmores. 

     

In July, we celebrated Duncan's baptism and then headed down to Fairhope for the fourth of July with Pop Pop and the Thomas family. I got to have a girls weekend back in Fairhope.  Ava Kate started crawling.
    

In August, we went to the movies and bowling for the first time.  Anna Riley took swimming lessons with Coach Anne for 4 days and was swimming on her own! Anna Riley started her first day of 2-K at St. Mark. She started going 3 mornings a week.  We made a visit to the Barnyard.

In September, we started the month off in Fairhope with my parents and Riley's Dad.  We cheered on Bama's during their first game there. Anna Riley started Ballet at the Academy of Ballet and Jazz.  She fractured her foot and had to wear a boot for a couple of weeks. We had a lots of yummy food and fun times tailgating (we tailgated mostly at home this year).  The girls enjoyed seeing Big AL at Elephant Appreciation Day at CHOM.  Anna Riley went to her first Bama game and Paw Paw got to go with us. And we ended the month with my ten year class reunion.
       

In October, our sweet baby girl turned one!!  We had a fun pumpkin patch birthday party to celebrate. I spent a weekend in Atlanta and helped host a baby shower for one of my best friends.  We celebrated Ainslee's birthday at the barnyard.  We spent a weekend in Fairhope and went to the corn maze there.  We went to a Halloween party and also the Punkin Knights carnival.  Anna Riley and I went trick or treating on Sorority Row, we carved a pumpkin and finally we ended the month trick or treating with some of our friends from church.



In November, we had a pretty calm month.  We celebrated with Audrey, Emma and Caroline for an early birthday party We celebrated Thanksgiving with Riley's family the week before and the we went down to Fairhope on Thanksgiving Day with my Parents and Mr. Doug.  It was very nice and relaxing.


December was filled with tons of holiday activities, visits with Santa, cookie decorating party, Daddy's birthday, friends' birthday parties, Christmas programs, School Christmas party, family gatherings.  
AND....Ava Kate took off walking the Sunday before Christmas! :)