Go, Go, Goers!

One of our fall traditions is going to the Afton Apple Orchard to pick apples and pumpkins, play with the animals, and take a hayride around the fields. Last year Ava was too little to really know what was going on, so we were very excited to have her experience it this year. We didn't want to go too late in the season as we noticed last year that the apples are picked over by that time. When decent weather was in the forecast for this past weekend, we knew it was time to go! We had to make a few stops before we actually got on the road...I think Ava's getting bored waiting for us to start moving again! When we finally arrived, the first thing we did was check out the petting zoo. Ava absolutely LOVED it! She immediately screamed (happy scream, not scared scream) and ran up to the fence to pet the animals. Even the bigger donkey didn't scare her. Notice how I'm trying to teach her to pet the animal nicely... And notice how she still wanted to stick her finger up his no...

Well, we've had a big week at the Goers' house - not only did Ava go an entire week with ZERO time outs at daycare (hooray!), we've also seen her vocabulary explode. She's started attempting to say her ABC's, as well as counting with the pre -school kids. She seems to like skipping over "one" and "two", and going straight into "three, four, five"...with "five" being the repeat winner. Over and over and over. Every once in a while we might get a "six" and a "seven". In fact, the other night, she sat in her crib and counted to herself for 30 minutes. I guess it really IS exciting learning something new! She's also been repeating words as we've been talking to her, so now she's saying "please" with a little prompting. And "shoe"...I should really get her to try to work on saying "purse" and then "Coach purse, please, Dada?" :) And the other night at the dinne...

We took Ava in tonight for her 15-month checkup, and it was confirmed...she is one healthy little girl! She cooperated very well with Dr. Hocks, and only cried for a minute or so with the three shots she received. Ava is now 31" long (75 th percentile), and 24.5 lbs (also 75 th percentile.) What a well-proportioned kiddo! She has a little cold right now, so I've been trying to wipe her nose on a regular basis - which she truly hates. Tonight I gave her a tissue, and she pretended to wipe Scooter's (the purple cat) nose with it. It was SO cute!

Ava's been such a smiley girl lately, so I wanted to capture some of our evening moments together... At dinner one night, I took a ton of video of her, but it's mostly stuff to amuse us as the parents - it would probably bore everyone else! She's loved climbing on the furniture lately - when I look at these, it makes me realize what a big girl she's becoming. I love the crossed legs in this one! I've said it before, and I'll say it a million more times...Darla is the most patient dog. Scott thought it would be funny to have her wear Ava's toy. Silly Scott. Ava's got several molars coming in...as Scott was feeling around for them tonight, she showed him exactly how sharp and strong they are. Guess Daddy won't be doing that again any time soon!

This past weekend, Scott and I traveled up to northern Wisconsin for a weekend wedding celebration for my good friends Julie and Casey, as well as an early 4 th Anniversary getaway for us. Ava spent the weekend at Grandma Deb's , and we took full advantage of being baby-free! The weather was absolutely perfect while we were in Cable - mid 70's and sunshiney ...perfect weather for an outdoor wedding! We wanted to stay out of everyone's way, so after Friday night at the resort bar with friends, we left the resort, and decided to explore the area on our own. We drove into Cable, and did a little shopping. We then headed the opposite direction, and ended up in Clam Lake, and did a little more shopping. At this point, I was thoroughly enjoying the adventure (due to the shopping); however, Scott wanted something a little less shoppy , so we decided to head down a rustic "highway" in search of a wildlife viewing area. The only wildlife we saw was a turtle sunning itsel...

Gramma Karen and Grampa Doug bought Ava an early Christmas present while we were in KC last weekend. I had been looking for a kid-sized table and chair set, but I didn't want anything that was uber -girlie. It seems like there's a big market for "princess" items, and frankly, I don't think we want Ava to believe she's a little princess. Momma yes, Ava no. :) We stopped in at Nebraska Furniture Mart (thank goodness we don't have one of those in the Cities - I'd have a hard time not buying everything I saw!) After we searched through the entire kids department, and nixed the princess and sports options, I spotted what I was looking for...something neutral that kids of both genders could enjoy. Granted, we may live in the city, but that doesn't mean we can't bring a little bit of the country into our home. Check it out! Ava loves the pig and the cow at the bottom of the table (I don't think she's noticed the sheep and the chicken at the t...

We drove down to KC to visit my parents this past weekend. I had NO idea what Ava would be like in the car for 8+ hours each way, since the last two times we've driven, she's either slept or cried most of the way. We did NOT want a repeat of either of those two options, so we loaded the car up with snacks, toys, the DVD player, and anything we could think of to keep her occupied. And you know what? It worked! She slept around her regular nap times, and she only started getting fussy when we started getting close to mealtimes - at which point, we needed to stop to eat. All in all, things worked out well on the drive! We also had a great time with my parents - we had very little planned for the weekend, so there was lots of time to relax and enjoy each other's company. Ava came through as the regular entertainer for the weekend - that girl sure does like to be the center of attention! We also had a visit from my great-aunt and her dog, so it was nice to catch up with t...