Tide Pooling

We spent one afternoon tide pooling at Shell Beach in La Jolla. It was a perfect day to explore with a low tide of -0.8 at 2:30pm. Rich and I love tide pooling and we were excited to share this experience with Ava. She was tired and had fun for the first 20 minutes. After that she spent the rest of the time playing in the sand with Papa and Nona while Rich and I explored a little more.

Ava trying to eat sea grass.

Ava trying to eat a snail.

Me pretending to kiss a chiton. (reenacting a dare from a high school field trip)

Papa and Nona collecting shells for Ava.

Ava taking a break from tide pooling with Nona.

Seals relaxing on the beach.

The Gardens

While in Oceanside we visited a few gardens. We went to San Diego Botanical Gardens (formerly know as Quail Gardens) on Monday. Then later in the week we went to Balboa Park and toured the Japanese Friendship Garden and the Rose Garden. We were sad to find the Botanical Garden Building was closed the day we went...maybe next time.

San Diego Botanical Gardens

The S.D. Gardens are spread out over 35 acres. There are a variety of gardens to walk through and two children's gardens. We saw cactus, succulents, palms, vegetables, bamboo, water lilies, and more. We enjoyed the variety of vegetation and colors.

I think our favorite area was the musical section in the Hamilton Children's Garden. Rich and I had a great time playing the rock xylophone, water drum, rawhide drums, and tambourine. Ava played the xylophone a little with Rich and I think in a couple years will love this children's garden.

The Japanese Friendship Garden

The Friendship Garden was a small peaceful place. We enjoyed artwork, a rock garden, and bonsai trees. Rich's favorite part was (of course) the Koi pond and waterfall. Ava also liked watching the Koi swim.

Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden
The rose garden is 3 acres and has about 2,500 roses. There are 200 different kinds of roses that range in a variety of beautiful colors from red, purple, to orange. The roses were in bloom, so we got to enjoy their colors and fragrance.

Waking up by the ocean

When we got there on Saturday it was late and we were exhausted so we weren't able to appreciate our location until Sunday morning. Rich and I woke up to a beautiful view of the ocean. My parents have a time share in Oceanside and this time they got the Presidential Suite on the 7th floor, so we had a great view. We also had a great place to stay. There were 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, kitchen, and living space. It was wonderful and great that Ava had her own room. We also loved our roomy shower and jacuzzi tub. After staying in this suite it will be hard to stay in a normal hotel again...thanks mom and dad for an awesome week.

This was the view I had every morning (picture taken while in bed).

Ava's first view of Oceanside.

Since our fist day on vacation was Sunday we got ready for church. We found the local ward on the internet and attended sacrament meeting at 11am. It was a beautiful brick building surrounded by Birds of Paradise.

After church we just relaxed at the condo and enjoyed being together. My parents brought some food so we didn't have to go out. We enjoyed Boursin cheese & pretzels (my favorite snack), chili baked potatoes, and hamburgers. That evening we played Italian cards and watched the beautiful sunset. It was the perfect Sunday: Church, beautiful views, good food, and relaxing with family.

Rich and Ava outside the Oceanside chapel.
View of the sunset from our balcony.

6am Wake-up

On Saturday, Oct. 31st we started our vacation. This was Ava's first vacation and we were excited for the week ahead. We decided to get an early start so Ava would sleep through most of the drive to L.A. and then onto Oceanside (San Diego). Rich and I got up at 4:45am and then we got Ava up just before 6am. Since it was so early we just changed her diaper, put her in the car, and headed down the road. Fortunately she was able to fall back asleep before long and we got to enjoy the sunrise.

Our first pit stop was in Santa Nella, 2 hours down I-5, to meet my parents at McDonalds. Since we were vacationing with them we caravaned part of the way. By the time we got to McDonalds Ava was awake (meaning her eyes were open), grumpy, and ready for her breakfast. We all got something and Ava had her usual oatmeal and bottle before we hit the road again.

Our next pit stop was just before the grapevine a few more hours down the road. Ava slept almost all the way there and had some sweet bedhead when we arrived. We ate at Taco Bell and Ava enjoyed some sweet potatoes and puff cereal. Since I really don't like public restrooms (especially for changing Ava) we changed her in the car. I however did brave the restroom because I knew I was not tough enough to hold it for 6+ hours. After refueling our bodies and stretching our legs we got in the car and headed to L.A. to see the McDowell's (Rich's sister). Fortunately, Ava fell asleep again and we enjoyed listening to "The Dawn Treader" by C.S. Lewis on C.D. This leg of the journey did not take long and we were happy to have a long break at the McDowell's. We were excited for Ava to see her cousins and have the chance to play with them. We were sad that Parker was sleeping, but happy we got to spend some time with her before we left. Zoie was wide awake and did a good job entertaining Ava. Rich enjoyed taking a break from driving and played video games with Craig. I just enjoyed the opportunity to visit and watch Ava with her cousins.Since it was Halloween we did bring our costumes and changed into them at the McDowell's. It was great to see Anne and the girls dressed up as Disney Princesses. We went with them to part of their Harvest Festival, but then left to finish our journey to Oceanside.We got to Oceanside around 8:30pm and we were all worn out. We were happy to finally be there and out of the car. Ava did amazingly well during the long day and slept most of the time while in the car. When we were settled we gave Ava a bath, feed her a bottle, and laid her down to sleep. She did not fuss or fight sleep too long and probably slept better than anyone else during the whole vacation.

Rossmoor Ward Harvest Festival

On Friday, Oct. 30th, we attended the Rossmoor Ward Harvest Festival. We were excited because this was Ava's 1st Halloween and we have been planning our costumes for over a year. We went as the Ghostbusters and Ava was slimer. Many people asked us why she was a slimey ghost instead of a princess and this was our response: "What better costume is there for a drooling, teething, baby? Also in a few years Ava will be able to choose her costumes and I'm sure we have a lot of princess moments to come." After that most people chuckled, but some still thought she should be a pretty princess...oh well not everybody has a good sense of humor.

At the festival there were the usually activities, trunk-or-treat, and a bonus dance at the end. Rich was in charge of gourd bowling so we spent most of our time in that room. Ava was tired before we got there so she didn't care too much for the activities. Rich enjoyed the chili and hot dogs and I enjoyed the candy. Since we had to get up early the next day for our vacation we stayed for a little bit of the dance. We had fun dancing as a family especially to "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo and "Ghostbuster" by Ray Parker Jr.

9 Month Check-Up

On October 28th Ava had her 9 month check-up. She weighed 20 lbs. 9 oz. and is in the 81st percentile. She measured 28 1/4 in. and is in the 75 percentile for her height. Ava continues to be bigger than average, but is growing at a steady rate. She wears some 9 months clothing, but is starting to move into 12 months. Ava's feet are still tiny, chubby, and so cute. She wears a size 2 shoe, but it is hard to keep them on since her feet are so chubby.

Ava is still trying new foods and her new favorite thing is bread. We have given her different kinds of bread and she woofs it down. She also still really likes pears and always gives us big smiles when we feed her some. We are still waiting to give her eggs, berries, and milk until after she turns one, but anything else we are eating we let her try.

Ava is crawling faster than ever. She can get around quickly and easily. She has figured out how to maneuver the step down into the frontroom and can go back up too. Today she crawled all the way down the hall which is about forty feet. We now keep a close eye on her and I put her in the jumperoo if I need to use the bathroom or do some laundry in the garage. Ava can be very sneaky so if I don't do this she will go after Luca's water bowl.

Ava has definitely found her voice. She is making new sounds all the time. Her favorite things to say are "Ba, Ba" and "Da, Da". Ava can say "Ma, Ma" but doesn't do it very often. She loves to talk to herself in her crib in the morning and after naps. We enjoy listening to her over the baby monitor. This past week Ava has learned to scream and loves to do it when she is happy. When Ava is laughing and happy she often screams and sounds upset. It is funny because we know she is happy, but other people look concerned and aren't sure what we are doing to our precious baby girl.

These past 9 months have flown by and it is hard to remember Ava as a tiny 6 lb. 4 oz. newborn. She has changed our lives in many ways and we are grateful for her everyday. Ava is a beautiful daughter of God and we know she is a special gift that has been given to us. We are honored to be her parents and love her more than words can express. She has brought so much joy into our lives and has filled the void we felt for many years. We know Ava was meant to be with us and we are blessed to have her as a part of our forever family.