Po's Trick or Treat

Ava's T.V. obsession is the Teletubbies. There is something about these puffy looking creatures that Ava just adores. Po, the red Teletubby and by far the cutest, is Ava's favorite. It only made sense that she dress up as this red, U.K. creation for Halloween. So here she is looking wickedly adorable.

Ava and daddy. What a cute pair.

Have we been invaded by space aliens?

Ava loves her pumpkin.

Stay awake Po. There is candy to be had.

Frozen Pumpkins

Pumpkin patch time seems like a lifetime ago seeing as how our pumpkins are now covered by a couple inches of snow, but I thought I ought to chronicle our adventure to Reeger's Pumpkin Patch at the end of October anyway. When I say "our" adventure I am referring to Courtney, Riley, Pap Pap, Matt, Ava and I. Reeger's had more than just pumpkins. There was a plastic pipe slide, a barn tour, (This turned out to be a bust. A dollar to get in only for Ava to see a horse, a bunny, a couple barn cats and a cow that mooed and freaked Ava out), a corn maze (Riley and Ava were too little for this), a hay ride (very cold but fun and heart warming) and various other fun and festive activities for little tikes. The hay ride took us to the patch where the kids were able to choose their favorite pumpkin. Pap Pap kept telling me that my pumpkin was lop sided and I should pick out a more round one. I liked my pumpkin with unique character. Pap Pap wasn't sold. I know I'm a little late, but these pictures are still cute.

The pipe slide.

Ava and daddy on the hay ride.

Ava at the patch.

Pap Pap's most perfect pumpkin.

What! No Party Hats?

You would think that a great grandmother turning 82 wouldn't need party hats. However, the 3 1/2 year old attending her birthday insisted upon it. When Riley found out noone had party hats for Grandma's birthday he was more than upset. He cried and cried over the party hats, insisting that we needed them and demanding that someonme go buy some. Bruce, in an attempt to quiet the room and appeal to the craftiness in Riley, crafted a party hat out of newspaper. Riley continued crying. It did not look like a party hat. He threw Bruce's creation on the floor. I picked the hat up and placed it on Ava' s head to show Riley how cool it was and how much she liked it. Bad move. Riley got jealous, ripped the hat off of Ava's head and placed it on his own. More tears fell, but this time they were Ava's because she no longer had a hat. Bruce quickly folded another hat so we could get on with the pie, icecream and present celebration. Things were calm, but a little shaky in this photo. Riley was now happy with his hat and Ava was recovering from her crying spell by clinging on to blankey. Poor Grandma just wanted to eat her pie.

Happy Homecoming

IUP's Homecoming Parade was October 13. This was Ava's first experience at a parade. She seemed less than impressed at the start. I think she was more confused than anything. Marching bands, majorettes, drunk fraternity brothers, funny men in small cars-- it was all just so much for her curly head to process. She finally got into the spirit when the parade was nearing its end, proclaming more, more! We would have turned into popsicles if the parade were any longer.

Ava Bean vs. Green Bean

One would assume that the most imminent threat to her 19 month old child would be sharp objects such as corners of furniture, corners of crown molding (Ava and the molding had a wrestling match at age 12 months resulting in her 1st trip to the ER), scissors, pencils, screw drivers and the like. Ava has somehow made a can of green beans a weapon. I suppose she inherited her mother's gracefulness. This can of green beans met Ava square between the eyes leaving her with a horizontal, swollen, blood seeping, purple wound. How? She handed me the can of green beans at 10am in the morning hoping to have them for breakfast. After telling her no, she went to grab them from me, pulled too hard and the can of fresh cut green bean goodness came crashing down on the bridge of her nose. Many tears and screaming ensued (from both Ava and her mommy) after a very long silent pause. After such a fight with her opponent, she needed a much deserved rest. You can see her in the photo below sleeping sitting up. She couldn't even make it lying down before passing out. You might be wondering when exactly this fierce match up occurred. Judging from her attire you might think it was late summer. It was actually October 6. Mother Nature granted us with an unusually warm day thus the sun dress she wore only one other time. The evidence is clear-- Ava lost. The can of green beans was victorious leaving its mark on her gorgeous face. Luckily it healed rather nicely. There is only a faint line across the bridge of her nose now.













Poor Ava Bean

Trip to St. Louis

Enjoy some cuuuuuuuuutttteee pics from out trip to see Jujin, Headid, and baby.

Encore Presentation

I am happy to report that the little pooper pooped in her potty again today! It was almost an accident on the floor, but we made it in the nick of time. I asked Ava if she had to go potty. When she told me yes, I took off her diaper and she took off streaking down the hallway. I was still in the bathroom waiting for her to come back. When she was right outside the bathroom door I could hear her making a slight grunting noise. I quickly scooped her up, set her on her potty as the poop hit the plastic potty. Pwwehhhh. But then she was trying to get up as she was still going, saying no, no, no. I transfered her to the big potty instead. She sat quietly and finished her business (I guess we're skipping the potty chair altogether). Just like yesterday, Ava looked at her poop in sheer confusion. I praised her up, down, backwards and sideways. She smiled a little. As I dumped her business in the big toilet, she looked at it, pointed and said, "mommy's poop." Well, judging by the size it could have been, but I corrected her. We said our farewell to the poop as we flushed the toilet and immediately called daddy to share the good news. It is funny how so much of our conversations revolve around poop these days. Stay tuned for more on the poop diaries.

Holy Shit

Today was a day that will go down in the history books. No war broke out and no war has ended. No one has even been elected president, but Ava pooped and peed in the potty!

We were out at my grandmother's house today for a visit. Ava watched me pee in the potty as she has done day in and day out. As we were getting ready to each lunch, Ava walked into the hallway pointed towards the bathroom and said "pee." I asked, "Ava do you have to pee?" "Okay," she answered. She toddled in and I toddled after her expecting her to sit for a moment only to announce done after nothing happened. Today was different. Today was just the day she felt ready to tackle the big white porcelain hole. I sat her on the toilet, clutching her underneath her arms so she wouldn't fall in. "Are you going to pee Ava?" With a look of concentration and determination she said yes. A moment later I heard the tinkling of her pee meeting the bowl of the toilet. My face exploded with sheer delight. I made such a big deal. I clapped. I smiled. I sang. I shouted. I gave her a high five. We walked into the kitchen so great grandma could give Ava her due praise. Ava smiled from ear to ear. She was proud of her new found accomplishment. I told Ava to tell mommy if she had to go potty again. About an hour later Ava announced "potty!" I took her by the hand into the bathroom. Surely lightening can't strike twice in one day, but I indulged Ava with her request. I held Ava over the toilet again. I waited and I waited. I propped my arm up on the edge of the tub to relieve some of her weight. I thought-- there is no way she is going to pee again; she just wants to sit on the potty. I asked Ava, "Do you have to go potty?" "Yes," she replied. I waited another minute. I was just about to call for my grandma to bring the training ring when........ plop, plop, plop. Ava pooped in the potty! Holy shit, I thought! "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Ava pooped in the potty," I explained excitedly. Once I helped her down off her throne, she turned to look at a job well done. She seemed sort of confused. She looked puzzled, like why is it floating in there?; Why can't I feel it on my hiney like I usually can? I reassured her, "Ava pooped in the potty! Good girl! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" I wiped her hiney, put her diaper back on and proudly announced to great grandma her newest feat. More cheers, hugs and excitement ensued!

I know this is the first step in an upward climb, but I think it is an explosive start! Two times in one day with one time being the big deuce! Our daughter has mad skills! Kudos to Ava. You're a big girl now sweetie. I think this deserves a champagne toast or a mango margarita. I'll consume the latter.

SeptemberFest

I really meant to write about this before I left for my trip to STL, but lack of time and procrastination were a factor.

Oktoberfest came early. Ava had her first beer sampling at age 18 months, and if she could speak in complete sentences I'm sure she would tell you that it was the best thing she has ever tasted. It has been several weeks now, but it is funny just the same. We went to dinner at Bruno's Restaurant (where I work) to eat dinner. When I say "we," I mean Matt, Ava, Riley, my mom and I. I ordered a draft of Yuengling in an attempt to cool down and relax. Ava decided that she no longer wanted to sit in her highchair and opted for a much comfier spot on my lap. I think she was just plotting to get closer to my frosty mug of beer. As I raised the glass to my lips, Ava watched intently. I put the glass down and she reached for it. I pushed it back. As I turned my head to talk to my mother, Ava stretched to reach my beer. She put her tiny little hand into the glass and then sucked on her hand. She must of enjoyed it because she tried to go back for seconds! I moved the glass to the opposite end of the table behind a table tent. Ava wailed as she attempted to crawl across the table in search of the Yuengling. My relaxing beverage turned in to a game of hide and seek. The beer hid and Ava tried to find it. In order to finish my beer, I had to sneak a drink when she wasn't looking. I'm glad my daughter has such a refined palette, but I am not willing to share my beer. You'll have to wait until you can order your own baby bean.

Home, Sweet, Home

Ava and I have been going to vist great grandma Syster between once and twice a week while I'm only working part- time. Gram really looks forward to our visits, as do Ava and I. Ava mostly likes to show up and house everything Gram puts in front of her (and that's a lot). I like to go visit because I feel so safe and at home there. It is so serene and peaceful out in the country. The fresh air, the green grass, the plentiful trees, the spacious yard is so soothing.

Last Thursday, Ava and I made our weekly visit. When we arrived the table was set with sloppy joes, corn, noodles in beef broth, salad, bread, and for desert-- angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream. This was only lunch mind you. Once lunch was over, Ava was fed oyster crackers and no-bake cookies for snack. What can I say? The girl can eat and grandma will never stop feeding her. We eventually made it past the table to go outside. Gram had made a special trip to K-mart that morning to buy two balls becasue she knew we were coming to visit. Ava and gram bounced the balls on the porch and of course Ava tried to eat the smaller of the two balls. MMMMMmmmmm. Rubber is good. Afterwards, we basically chased Ava around the yard and down to the corn field as Gram warned Ava not to touch any of Mr. Altemus's sweet corn. Ava was like, screw the sweet corn, there are rocks down here! After school let out, Mike came down with his two dogs to say hello. Ava quickly scurried into Gram's lap, clenching every muscle in her body everytime Coby and Sarah came near her. Of course once the dogs retereated into their own yard, Ava was all like, bye Mike, bye puppies. Apparently puppies and men are only cute from far away. Anyway, enjoy the photos of our time spent in the place that is home.

Hello, My name is......

At nearly 18 months, little miss Ava has named everyone in her family. She has even granted her grandmother with a name. Ava calls her GrandmaTrudy, Trudy, except when she says it sounds more like Tooty. Why not, right? This is her name after all. I guess Grandma or grammy is just out of the question for Ava bean. Well, hey at least it's something. For the rest of the family it goes something like this:

Mommy- self explanatory
Daddy- again, self explanatory
Cici- for Aunt Courtney
Riley- pronounced Wyley, although the R sound is coming along
Mammy- for her Great Grandma Syster
Papap- no need to explain
Na- for Grandma use to be Visnesky, was Syster and now is Manecke
Juchin- for Uncle Justin
Heather- we're still working on this. I think she said it once and it sounded kinda like Heaba
Eli- for Eliot
Chip- for Uncle John, this is what baby brother Matt referred to him as and still does. Weird.
Jo- for Aunt Mary Jo
Ryan- this sounds almost right on
Emmie- for Emma
Arkie- I think this may be her favorite name to say

Ava often runs through the list of people she holds near and dear at various points in her day, and if in the same room, she points to the person's chest and identifies him or her by name. Her newest feat is naming herself. She points to her chest and either of the following things come out: Emmie, Avy or Abee. Most often times it is Abee. It is the cutest thing ever and she does it at the most random times. I have been asking her, what is your name? Then I point to her chest and announce, your name is Ava. She hasn't quite yet caught on to responding to this question. I'll ask, Ava, what is your name? Her response: a knowing smile and a laugh. She'll point to her chest and say Abee an hour later.

Zoooooorific

So, we visited the Pittsburgh Zoo yesterday. Ava seemed to enjoy herself. Her all time favorite attraction was the monkies followed closely by the fishies. She was pretty much afraid or apathetic towards every thing else. Mommy's favorite was the polar bear exhibit. Here are some photos from our trip.















Pink birdies














Fishy.














Ava to herself: I wonder if I can get in there?














That is one big fishy!














Hi bear!














Hot! Hot! Hot! Especially with an additional 23 lbs.














Holy Crap!














Yes, she insisted on walking across the rickety bridge.

Daddy says relax!

It seems that Ava has inherited one of her daddy's most cherished pastimes-- RELAXING. If relaxing were a sport, Matt would be named Most Valuable Relaxer with a full spread of his accomplishments in The Indiana Evening Gazette. Instead, here are several pictures of what he and his daughter do best-- relax baby.















Relaxing while working.














Relaxing.














Still Relaxing .














Passed out.

Dance Party

As I'm sure you all are aware, Ava looks a lot like her daddy. What you might not know is that she has her mother's spunk, brilliant sense of rhythm and dance ability. Yes, if So You Think You Can Dance (my favorite reality show on Fox) has a 20th season, I'm sure Ava will win.

In order to spend nearly every waking moment with a 17 month old, one has to get creative or Teletubbies will rule the world. That is why she and I have open house dance parties on an almost daily basis. They are just as you might imagine-- I put on some dance music (something I can sing along to of course), I bounce my head to the beat and dance (or as Matt likes to say, I move in a spastic manner). In turn, Ava erupts with fits of laughter and attempts to mimic my super, awesome moves. She mostly just nods her head and stomps/kicks her feet as she slowly, but gracefully spins around in a circle. Ava will break out into extreme hysterics if I turn my head upside down so my hair flops back and forth. This move is a complete show stopper for her!

Now open house dance parties aren't just limited to our house. We generalize to other settings as well. Just last night the three of us had dinner at Luigi's. On the way home Ava started to cry because she was tired and did not have her blanket :( . Matt turned on the car stereo in an effort to distract/soothe her. What came through the speakers was very unfortunate and hardly soothing--the Clarks (we were riding in daddy's car). However, our little Ava sensed a beat and she couldn't deny it. Her head, and curls, started bouncing to the beat. She couldn't exactly stomp or spin, seeing as how she was harnessed in her seat, but I think I may have seen a shoulder shrug! Be it The Clarks, Metallica or a cell phone ringer, Ava will rock out!

Picture Time

I'm stealing your bike, Riley.

I can do it all by myself.

What? I didn't do anything?

I'm making an important call, mom.

Mommy you said @%*#

It has been really hot. Not just hot, but humid. Now, when it is humid my hands tend to swell. I was trying to take off my wedding rings to moisturize when they became stuck. In a moment of pain and panic I muttered the word F*&*. My sweet Ava was laying on the floor staring lovingly up at me when she replied, f*@*. My eyes began to widen. Surely she did not say what I thought she said. F*@* she said again, as clear as if it had come from a dirty trucker's mouth. Now, I know our baby is super smart, but I didn't think she was quite ready to be swearing like a sailor. She has repeated my utterances day in and day out, but they all have been words and phrases I have proudly shown off to her grandparents. I'm pretty certain f*@* would not be on their list of things to boast about their granddaughter. I have to admit, it was kind of funny to hear such a nasty word coming from such an angelic face. I quickly changed the subject to Ernie, her new favorite character on Sesame Street. Luckily, we haven't heard the word since. We are back on track with her day to day vocabulary of mommy, daddy, bubble, Po (her favorite Teletubbie), Arkie (just to taunt Grandma Trudy), CiCi, NA, poop, ewh, Ernie and her all time favorite, which she repeats countless times-- Riley (WYley). I guess mommy needs to swear more secretly!