Month 24

I've decided this should be the last post named by how many months it has been since Ava was born. This, among other things, is the sad (and exciting) reality that we are getting used to with a two-year-old. Now she'll be marked by 6-month increments, she'll be two for about four months, then two-and-a-half for a few months, then "almost three" for the few after that. An exciting switch, yes, but a change nonetheless. Another reminder of her age, Ava decided this week that her beloved Ducky will now be called "Duck". A heart-wrenching, "I'm to old to say Duck-KEY" moment. I'm sure she'll switch back and forth or maybe forget her decision altogether eventually, but when the change was announced I must say, I had a mini-meltdown inside. My daughter is TWO... and she knows it!

At 24 months, Ava is:

• Speaking in broken but very clear sentences
• Much more outgoing than she was at 12 months
• Loving trucks, planes, trains and any other mode of transportation, dresses, doing things by herself, playing all kinds of pretend, singing songs (and making up her own lyrics) and taking care of her baby dolls with all the vigor and detail of a real mommy
• Jumping with two feet
• Constantly reciting songs and books from memory, and repeating everything she hears
• Wearing size 3 and 4T in most clothes and size 6 1/2 - 7 in shoes, wearing size 5 diapers and size 6 at night.
• Finally thinning out a bit, weighing in at 28.8 lbs (68%) and 35 in (81%)
• A very good listener
• A great eater, favorite foods including blackberries (all berries really), grapes, broccoli, yogurt, cottage cheese, colby cheese, mac and cheese (yes, she loves cheese) and dried cranberries
• Wanting three meals and two snacks (most days)
• Sleeping 12 hours a night and taking one nap for 1.5 - 2.5 hours
• Finishing mommy's sentences (truly)
• Switching to 2% milk and getting used to cold milk (as opposed to warm). Yes, it took us this long (gasp). Who wants to give up the ten minute snuggle that comes with warm milk? Not I, so I let it linger awhile...
• Counting to 8 and knows most of her letters, colors and shapes

Personality Traits at 2 Years: She still has a GREAT sense of humor, she is very in tune to and observant of others, and she is careful and deliberate but much more adventurous and gregarious than she was at 12 months. She is very sensitive, loves to be the center of attention, still loves to snuggle, and is soft natured but very talkative. In a group of kids she is definitely the most quiet, observant and least rambunctious, but when she's the star of the show she loves to show off, be loud and run around with the best of them. She wants to know and follow the rules, of course pushes her limits but responds very well to consistency, boundaries and calm.

In a nutshell, Ava is truly a sweet little heart and is a lot like her mommy. She is nurturing, personable, affectionate, witty, detail-oriented, purposeful, imaginative, others-centered (as much as a two-year-old can be) and LOVED!

Ava's 24 mo. Photo Shoot

A Special Day

Ava on her birth day

Ava at her 1st birthday party

Ava at her 2nd birthday party

a thomas party

Ava couldn't have been more excited for her Thomas birthday party this year and I couldn't have been more unsure of how to pull it off. But, after some research and creativity, this is what we came up with! A Thomas the Tank Engine birthday party fit for my girlie girl and a grilled cheese bar fit for kids and adults alike. We forgot to take pictures before the festivities began so here are a few post-party captures. Among our missed photo-opportunities was the grilled cheese bar I adapted from Martha Stewart's How to Throw a Grilled Cheese Party.

Ava's Thomas birthday banner

Some of the spread with coordinating labels

Above the grilled cheese bar hung signs with recipe combination ideas

and "How to Make the Perfect Grilled Cheese"

The cupcake toppers that inspired the decor!

Personalized with Ava's name, age and train logo

Train whistles for the kiddos

Ava was blessed to have 7 kids and 16 adults come to her party to celebrate with her! She had so much fun with friends and family and took a 2 1/2 hour nap afterwards to prove it. We so enjoyed watching the kids play together, spending time with cousins and family and seeing Ava's face light up all day. Thank you for all who celebrated with us!

Ava and Liam playing with Ava's new ironing board

Miles, Ruthie and Ava playing with Ava's new Thomas track

No birthday is complete without a special cupcake for a special girl.

Happy birthday my sweet sweet two-year-old.

a family-of-three vacation

Last weekend we decided to take advantage of Blair's slow work week and take a mini-vacation to Philadelphia. Blair works long hours (which means so do I) and as a family we have been pretty burnt-out lately and in serious need of some together time.

On Friday we set out for Exton, Blair's hometown, and stayed the night at his parents house. Ava opened a few early birthday presents, we enjoyed a little time with Nana and Papa and a good nights sleep.

Saturday we met my sister and brother-in-law and Ava's cousin Miles at the mall and had a great time running around and shopping. Now you might think, what a silly thing to do on a "vacation", but believe me--when you live in a small town, shopping in such a big mall qualifies as vacation-worthy.

In the afternoon we had some great family time at home, took a walk, played outside, blew bubbles, picked up sticks, and Ava had a blast with her new lawn mower from Nana and Papa.

Saturday night we went out to dinner and Ava was enchanted with the balloons and serenaded by the waiters for her birthday. Now whenever we go out she starts singing Happy Birthdayand then looks around and says, "People do it??". Unfortunately I had to break it to her that not all strangers are prepared to sing to her at a moments notice.

Early Sunday morning we grabbed our Starbucks and breakfast sandwiches and headed to the city. Ava was much more taken by the "tall buildings" than I expected and it was a fun car ride as we neared our destination: the Camden Aquarium. We all enjoyed this stop and Ava had a blast running around and seeing all the little fish and big fish. Her favorite attractions were undoubtedly the porcupine and hippos, and she loved standing in the shark tunnel!

After lunch we headed to our hotel for Ava's nap. Unfortunately it didn't go so well, she was exhausted and thrown off by the immediate change of venue and refused to nap. Sometimes she can breeze through a missed nap without much harm done but this was not one of those days. So, we took our distraught baby down to the hotel lobby and proceeded to stroll her around in figure 8's for about an hour before she fell asleep.

Despite the less than stellar nap, Ava did very well sharing a room with us in the hotel that night. Even though sleeping next to a pack 'n play meant Blair and I had to also stay quiet after 8pm, Ava slept through the night without a peep and we soaked in the quiet, restful togetherness.

We thoroughly enjoyed and took advantage of our luxurious hotel room and accommodations. Monday ushered in one of the most delicious breakfasts we've had in a long time and then we decided to head to the Please Touch Museum, a recommended attraction for toddler-toting families. Ava absolutely LOVED it and I too was very impressed by the amount there was to enjoy with an almost-two-year-old.

Even though we only had three short days to "vacate", we enjoyed every minute of it!

Spring days

Spring has come early this year, at least for a few days. Ava could not have been more excited to get outside and enjoy the warmth yesterday!

23 months

This month Ava has once again experienced an explosion of growth and is showing all signs of turning two. Illustrated in part by her wardrobe--with only about 3 shirts and 2 pairs of mismatched pants that fit her now--Ava's growing inner-dictionary and monologue have also reached new heights. Though a translator is often needed, she is speaking in longer sentences now, beginning to add smaller words like "the", "to" and "and", and her vocabulary continues to expand daily. Frequently heard semi-sentences around the house are things like, "Show mommy?", "Mommy come in!", "Ava do it, self", and "Baby's crying". Just a few days ago Ava was fussing and I asked her what she wanted. She paused, thinking hard, and then pointed to the remote in my hand and said clearly, "To push the buttons!" as if I should have known all along. She didn't get to push the buttons but she got a big kiss for being so darn cute and putting such a great sentence together.

With her growing vocabulary we've welcomed an onslaught of song lyrics, nursery rhymes and other books that she's memorized to her daily play. It is beyond adorable to watch her sing songs to her baby, "Jesus suv me, dis I know, Bible... so" and use lines from her books as dialogue while she's playing. She has also started to "read" books to herself from memory and fill in many words while we are reading to her before bedtimes.

A couple of months ago you might remember the introduction of the toothbrush into Ava's language and routine. She enjoyed sucking on it and splashing in water with it. However, this month I excitedly presented her with her very first Thomas the Tank Engine toothpaste and she will have none of it. We've tried multiple flavors and she is adamantly opposed. I've continued to make brushing with water a part of our routine (though she also will not let me brush for her so the actual brushing that takes place is minimal) and have set up a goal. I keep telling her that after her birthday party, when she's a big two-year-old, we will start brushing every day with toothpaste. We'll see if a months-worth of mental preparation spares us from having to hold her down for teeth-cleaning time! As for the number of teeth in her mouth, I'd estimate about 13. She has definitely made up for lost time and has three of her frontmost molars and almost everything in between.

Ava has struggled for many months with separation-from-mommy-anxiety but this month we made a breakthrough. She previously has not done well with saying goodbye to me if I am leaving her with a babysitter or even Blair, but in the last couple of weeks she's done much better. I think it is partly due to her age, but I've also made an effort to explain to her that I'll be leaving, say a clear goodbye, and then leave. This helped immensely, as opposed to our previous sneak-out-of-the-room tactic, to limit anxiety. The first few times were hard but just a couple of weeks ago I dropped her off at a friends house and left to a, "Bye mommy. Toys!" and the pitter patter of scampering feet off to enjoy her play date. Success!

January and February have marked a new love for Ava--the love of dresses. We went to try on dresses of the bridesmaid and flower girl variety with Blair's sister Emily a couple of weeks ago and ever since, at the sight of a dress, Ava will shiver her fists and whisper, "Dresses! Exciiiited!" Ava has also begun to have an interest in dressing herself, so here is a picture to illustrate both.

I put off potty-training, mostly because I wasn't ready and Ava's interest died down a little, but we still regularly sit on the potty when she asks to or makes mention of the need before it happens. A week ago she asked to take off her diaper, to which I obliged with the direction to tell me if she needed to go potty. When the time came, she sat quickly and peed on the potty with excitement! She has yet to show any fear of the process which is a huge relief and I pray that continues.

Ava has gone through two major growth spurts this month and has outgrown almost all of her winter clothes. I thought we could last until spring but after multiple episodes of her pulling at her pants and saying, "tight, tight!" and my making her cry while trying to fit her head through a tshirt, I figured it was time to make a few purchases. She is now wearing 2T in most things and 3T in anything that is remotely fitted. Her belly has yet to slim down from her infant pudge so she can't really wear any pants that aren't elastic at the waist and I have to be very selective with her tops, searching for things that fit loosely and are extra long. I am very interested to see where her weight is on the charts at her 2-year appointment next month!

Despite having this month bookended with stomach bugs and the flu, it's been a great one for our little munchkin--growing like a weed and talking up a storm! What fun it is (and what energy it takes) to be the parents of an *almost* two-year-old.

a new love

On the tenth of February I had the privilege, honor and blessing of witnessing a baby being born. There have been only a few times in my life where my emotions have overcome me like they did that evening, and where God's presence in a room was so palpable. My dear, best friend Erin gave birth to a beautiful little boy, Brayden Timothy, and I am so proud of her.

After 22 hours of labor, I was set with the task of capturing the miracle on film--should it happen to come about. Erin had a c-section with her daughter and was attempting, against all odds, to pull off a vaginal birth. Each hour went by and the doctors came to check her, told her they would do everything they could but this just might not happen for her.

So we prayed. I don't remember the last time I prayed so hard. Literally until that final push we didn't know if he would be able to fit, hang onto his heartbeat as long as it might take, or if she would have the strength to finish. Knowing the intense, awe-inspiring moment I'd experienced with my own daughter's birth just two years before, I wanted that so badly for Erin and knew how honestly she yearned to push out her very own baby and hold him on her chest immediately, know his face, be the first to comfort his cry. When he came out, it was almost a shock to the whole room, you could hear the doctor, loved ones and nurses gasp and cry out with excitement that this had happened for the Stube family. Everyone stood and I lost my camera close-up moment, so I quickly ran back behind Erin's head in time to capture this long-awaited sight.

I thought I knew what to expect that day, but I was unprepared on all accounts. For the exhaustion of sitting and doing nothing but expending immeasurable amounts of emotional energy for my dear friend each time she moaned in pain. For the moment the baby emerged and the emotion that would pour out of my eyes in tears without warning. And I was unprepared for how proud of Erin I felt, how in awe at her perseverance after 22 long hours without food, without water and not without pain. How much closer I felt to her after witnessing such a miracle with her and seeing her true character. And for my unadulterated and humble gratitude to the Lord for saying 'yes' and granting such a gift to my friends--my family.

Erin, I love you and will cherish the memories of that day forever. You are such a strong and dedicated mother, your endurance unmatched, and I am so proud to know you. I knew and loved you before that day but am now overflowing with admiration and love and pride. I am having trouble putting into words my emotions surrounding those moments with you--I am so grateful to you for inviting me into that intimate room and sharing your life (and Brayden's) with me. I love you Stube's!

tummy bug #2, i despise you.

From my previous post, you all know how much I despise, fear and dread the stomach flu. We made it through Ava's first with only a few minor anxiety attacks on my part, and a lot of gagging on all accounts.

This week has been a little different. On Monday Ava had a normal nap, woke up playing and then a few minutes later surprised me and herself with the first offering. Over the next four hours she continued to throw up every 15 or 20 minutes... a heart-wrenching sight. The good news is this time around I was much more prepared and Ava too was better at giving me signals when it was time to lean over.

We went through 9 towels in 4 hours and then I had to put Ava to bed hungry and thirsty--arguably one of the hardest moments since she was born. I said goodnight and left while she cried, "milk! milk!" knowing I had to just let her fall asleep since she couldn't keep down even a sip. Thankfully she was exhausted and it only took a minute because I was in the living room sobbing. Ever since she was a baby one of my worst fears has been that she will go hungry (for whatever reason this has been a frequent nightmare of mine) so deliberately leaving her cry unanswered was torturous to say the least.

She awoke at 11:00pm and cried, "drink! drink!" so I let her have some gatorade. Of course she gulped it and then threw it all up within a few minutes. Thankfully I was able to get her back to sleep and by the morning she was keeping down liquids. Ava has thrown up two other times since Monday night--this virus apparently just keeps going and going and we are very ready for it to stop.

I thought that mommy and daddy were in the clear, but friday night Blair awoke at 5am and joined the ranks of the sick. Two down, one to go. This initiated my second round of sobbing for the week and intense prayer that God would spare me from realizing my fear for just a little while longer.

I have managed to weather other illnesses and may have bypassed this one--I'm praying. The Lord knows I'm not ready to face that fear. But I can safely say, we're surviving this tough illness-stricken winter and are looking forward to the first snow that we're actually healthy enough to play in!

22 months

Another day, another trip to the doctor

The new year brought another illness into Ava's body, this time a consistent fever and runny nose for about a week. Then, on the 8th, coincidentally the last day of her fever, we ended up in the ER with Ava after she tripped into a large glass candle holder and got a noteworthy gash on her forehead. Ava did remarkably well at the hospital, she didn't cry through the checking of her wound by the doctor and even through the lying down and disinfecting of it (an intense process). She looked at us with a cute little frown but didn't cry until the nurse had to hold her chin and forehead down while they glued her cut closed (a quicker alternative to stitches). She did so well and hasn't skipped a beat since we got home, thankfully!

Word of the month: self

Ava has learned the word "self" and it can be heard multiple times a day as either a question or a demand! She loves to do things by herself and now has the words to dictate when she needs help and when she most certainly does not.

A hair update: it's growing!

A sleep update

Ava has entered a new phase which includes waking multiple times during the night and much earlier in the morning than we're used to. Most of the time I don't have to go in to soothe her but regardless, she wakes at least once and usually more like 3-4 times throughout the night and cries out for snuggles. Sometimes she wakes for longer stretches, either to cry or just to talk and play in her crib. She has been waking up much earlier too, going to sleep at 7pm and waking around 6am. I'm hoping this phase retreats quickly as it's leaving mommy exhausted and Ava much more fussy during the day. As Ava has gotten older she is also having much more trouble with daddy's unpredictable schedule and minimal time at home some days. All of these things have made Ava a little more anxious and very clingy to mommy.

That said, now that Ava is healthy and not teething (for the moment), she has transitioned well into her one-nap routine and is sleeping for around 2 hours, sometimes more. I am thrilled and it's been really fun to do more things with her in the morning.

A narrative

A story from yesterday will illustrate well where Ava is and what she's doing these days. I was cleaning up after lunch and witnessed some very sweet and advanced pretend play from my little 22-monther. Over the span of a few quiet minutes, Ava went over to her kitchen area, scooped cookies from their tray into her oven, closed it and turned it on, and waited a few seconds before saying, "Beep! It's ready!" She then took the cookies out, put them on the cooling rack, set her little table with a plate, fork and cup, transfered the cookies to the plate and sat down. Before eating, she folded her hands and bowed her head and whispered, "Jesus sus sus sus sisuss sus. Amen." I literally had my hand over my mouth while watching her, trying to hold in the smile that was threatening to turn to loud laughter. We have a sweet girl, no doubt about it, and she LOVES to pretend and mimic mommy. Even at this young age, her attention to detail is really remarkable and it is becoming such a highlight to watch her play.

a drake holiday

Finally we've resurfaced after a crazy but lovely holiday! Blair had off of work for a few days around Christmas so we went down to the Philly area to visit with family from the 23rd-28th. This was a great time, we saw almost everybody and celebrated fully, though Blair was unfortunately plagued with a horrible cold and we left on the heels of Ava's double ear infection. Blair had to miss out on a few of the festivities and rested a lot, but it was still a joyful thing to watch Ava explode with excitement for Christmas and especially presents.

I slept in the basement of the Drake's house with Ava and she woke up early on Christmas morning. She was happy and ready to be up so I brought her into bed with me and we snuggled and talked for a few minutes while I woke up a little. I then turned to her and said in an excited whisper, "Ava, do you remember what today is? It's Christmas!" She looked at me and her eyes got wide as she whispered back, "...Presents!!!" With what ensued that day, you'd think someone taught her how to "do" Christmas. She shook with anticipation as she opened each gift and squealed the name of the gift, "Puzzle!!!" at the sight of it. What a delight to watch her and feed off her childish wonderment.

With one parent sick and the other on Ava duty, we took a total of about ten pictures during the whole trip. But, here is one to mark that Christmas did in fact exist:

Here also are some pictures of Ava using her gifts in the days to follow:

Resting on her new armchair with her beloved baby

Baking cookies in her new oven this morning!

Having a tea party with Daddy at her new table

All in all, through illness and busyness, we had a truly wonderful Christmas. We are so aware of how blessed we are (though I know we still take it all for granted) to have such generous and caring family, and a daughter that is as sweet as they come. We have so much joy and so much to be thankful for this year, namely our God and the gift of his son Jesus. We praise him for the wonderful things he has done and all that is before us in the new year!

double trouble

Here is a mid-month update. I know from our Thanksgiving experience that Ava's monthly post in January will be swallowed up by the regaling of Christmas festivities, so I will try to keep up with the day-to-day as well!

Ava got her third cold of the season last week and two days later got the fever and the ear-pulling and the diagnosis of a double ear infection. We started swiftly on amoxicillin, only to find out that she wasn't responding to it. She has been on this before, about two months ago, and it makes me wonder if her previous ear infection never really cleared up either! In between, if you recall, I posted about Ava's fussiness, teething, trouble sleeping, and a cough that never cleared up... the oomph with which all of those things manifested leaves the possibility that she was struggling with her ears that whole time too. Poor baby! So, we've switched to Augmentin and thankfully have already seen a great change in her mood, eating and sleeping habits of late.

One great thing that came from our second visit to the doctor was the discovery of molars! All the while we've been counting incisors, Ava's been popping out the big ones too. While the doctor had Ava upside down with the tongue depressor down her throat searching for strep (an awful and gag-inducing experience), her professional flashlight noted at least one of her two-year molars is half-way down! Many people said that our late bloomer would push them all out at once but I can't believe the mouthful that has ensued over the last two months. And man, I can't tell you how excited I am for all the sleep we will get (hopefully) when the growth spurt is finished.

To all who will read this before the holidays, Merry Christmas from the Drakes! We love sharing our lives with you and hope you have a wonderful, Christ-filled weekend.

1 year and 9 months

What a full month! We've had a wonderful time traveling, celebrating and making some big changes around here.

In the last week Ava has popped out four more teeth and there are two more (that I can spy) on the way. She has been much more prone to tantrums this month and not sleeping well (more on that later)... now we know why! I suspected she could be teething but it just kept going on and on and on. Little did I know she was pushing out a whole mouth full. Poor girl! Thankfully she seems to be doing a little better and hopefully her teethers (as we call them) will give her a break soon.

Teething is almost always accompanied by troubled sleeping patterns but for about two and a half months now Ava has been fighting her daily naps. As I mentioned in a previous post, after much hesitation, I finally decided to drop Ava's morning nap. She has adjusted very well and now wakes up asking, "Gonna go? Gonna go?" since our newfound morning freedom allows for regular outings. She is still often tired in the mornings but she will continue to adjust, especially as she gets used to sleeping for longer stretches in the afternoon. For now she is sleeping for 1 1/2 -2 hours but hopefully this will lengthen in time.

Now for the third major change, Ava has started to potty-train herself! In a previous post I wrote about her growing interest in the potty and this interest has only continued. A few days ago we even spent a few hours diaper-less (after much pleading from the babe) and though we had two accidents, she also peed twice on the potty! After the holidays I am going to get serious and consistent with the potty-training, I was planning on waiting but she definitely seems ready and I want to jump on it while excitement is high. Here is a picture of the potty-training uniform and its happy donner.

And Ava reading Better Homes and Gardens on the potty:

This also marks the first month when I stopped keeping track of all of Ava's new words--simply because she says almost all of them! She repeats almost anything you say and is in a constant state of naming and conversing. It is not unusual these days for me to wake up to her role-calling from her crib, "Piggy. Light! Mommy. Daddy. Blankie. Ducky! PJs. Diaper. Zipper...". It puts a smile on my face! She is not speaking in any long sentences but has added things like, "Miss you", and "Thank you God" to her repertoire. She is just beginning to understand (or attempt) the use of words like mine and yours, me and you, and for the first time this month pointed to herself and said triumphantly, "Ay-bah!" (Ava).

In the morning Ava has enjoyed crib-time for many months now, time where she gets to play on her own while mommy takes a shower and gets ready for the day. This month marked the transition from crib-time to room-time, in which she is still barricaded in but is allowed full access to her room. It has been a learning process, the hardest part for her is having the door open and being able to see the rest of the house, the door where mommy is, etc. But, most days she plays happily with her toys and then anxiously awaits mommy's exit from the bathroom once the shower has been turned off! The idea is to move to non-barricaded room-time eventually but that is a little while off yet.

Ava loves "fire" (candles), drinking water from a cup and playing in her bin of rice with scoops and bowls. Her color of choice is purple, favorite person to pretend-talk to on the phone is Mimi, and has two new wintry breakfast favorites: meal meal (oatmeal) and toast. She has a surprising love for citrus fruits, pop songs and snow flakes (as long as she doesn't have to touch them) and a surprising hatred of the cold.

Our baby is big. Old. Independent! She spends much more of her time on her own now but still comes up to me mid-play, holding her ducky, and asks for snuggle breaks! I will never turn one down.