General Conference

This weekend was General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The conference takes place twice a year in Salt Lake and is broadcast throughout the world. It is a time for us to hear from our prophet and other leaders of the church. They share counsel, teachings, and their testimonies of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We always look forward to conference weekends because it leaves us refreshed, uplifted, and inspired. This conference was a little harder to pay attention to because we had a cute little distraction, but that is the beauty of technology. The conference is broadcast on Dish Network and we record it with our DVR, so we can watch it again when we our less distracted.

Dad and Ava watching conference together. Ava actually paid attention for a while. I think she was fascinated by all the faces from the different speakers.

Dad and Ava napping after conference.

Now & Then

This is Ava on January 22, 2009 wearing her polar bear pants and....

This is Ava on April 3, 2009 wearing the same bear pants.

Snickers Sunday...MMMMM!

This last week I kept seeing ads for the Baskin Robbins Snickers Sunday, so I decided I needed one...I guess the ads worked. On Friday the three of us went to Togos/Baskin Robbins for dinner and dessert. Rich and I each enjoyed a sandwich and then we shared a Snickers Sunday. It was DELICIOUS!!!

I tried to share some with Ava, but she was more interested in the neon sign on the wall...Just kidding. I wouldn't really give Ava any, but I am excited to take her to Baskin Robbins for her 1st birthday.

This is Ava starring at the neon sign.

New Recipes

Even though I haven't been updating my recipe blog doesn't mean I have stopped cooking. I still enjoy cooking and sometimes being in the kitchen is my break. I often pass Ava off to Rich or put her in her bouncer, so I can fix meals. This past month I made a menu for the entire month and try to make something new each week. It was great being organized and not having to think about what to make. We also did most of our shopping at the beginning of the month and only went to the store for produce or forgotten items. I definitely enjoyed cooking this month because I was organized, prepared, and it gave me a chance to be a little creative.

I will try and be better about updating my recipe blog because I did find some delicious recipes. It is hard to find time to post an entire recipe, but I do enjoy sharing my love of cooking. This past week I made Lasagna with four cheeses and it was GOOD! It was a white lasagna and unlike what I usually make, but I enjoyed the change. To check out this recipe and some others I tried this month check out my recipe blog.

Lasagna with Four Cheeses

(recipe from Northern Italy)

Baked Onion Rings

I also made a Cranberry Walnut Bread. I don't have a picture, but I will post the recipe anyway.

House Full of Sickos

Sorry I haven't' blog or posted any cute pictures of Ava for a while, but we have all been sick. Ava started getting sick last week and then Rich and I both got it too. We actually took her to the doctor twice last week because we were nervous and wanted to make sure she was okay...this is RSV season. Fortunately she just had a little cold and it did not spread to her lungs. She is doing better now and continues to get stronger.

The only thing good/interesting about Ava being sick was she was weighed at both doctor appointments. It was fun and surprising to see how much she grew. The previous week we took Ava for her 2 month check-up and she weighed 8lbs. 11oz. During the 1st visit this last week she weighed 9lbs. 8oz. and at the 2nd appointment she weighed 9lbs. 10oz...CRAZY!! Ava gained 1lb. in a week. We were both surprised. We were happy to know she was gaining so much weight even though she was sick. Our next doctor appointment isn't until April, so we hope that will be the next time she gets weighed.

Even though she wasn't feeling well we still continued taking at least one picture a day. It is so much fun to look at the pictures and she how much she has changed. Here are some cute photos from the week.

Sneezing

Going to the doctor.

Storytime with mom. Ava loves books. She especially enjoys Eric Carle books.

Ava's New Toys

2 Month Check-Up

On Tuesday, March 17th Ava had her 2 month doctor appointment. Since Ava was going to get her first round of shots I made Rich come. I wasn't sure how I would handle the shots and I didn't want to hold Ava's legs down. It was nice for Rich to be there and to see his daughter weigh-in too. We knew she had gained weight, but we were both surprised to hear she had gained almost 2lbs. in 6 weeks. Ava weighed-in at 8lbs. 11oz. and was 21 3/4 ins. long. Her head circumference was 15 ins. According to the growth chart she is in the 25th percentile in all areas. This is exciting because she was only in the 5th percentile at birth.

The NP we saw was impressed with Ava. She said Ava is doing really well and on target for her development. Ava has always made cute squeaky noises, but she is becoming more talkative and cooing more. Her neck muscles are getting a lot stronger and she can hold her head steady and lift it up for a short time when on her tummy. During tummy time Ava really gets her legs moving and is slowly gaining strength in her arms. Sometimes she enjoys tummy time and other times she gets frustrated and mad.

The last part of our doctor appt. were the shots. Ava had 5 immunizations, but only 3 shots. It is nice because 3 of the immunizations come in 1 shot. The nurse asked me to hold her down, but I said that is why my husband is here. I wanted no part in holding her down, but Rich is tough enough to do it. I did hold Ava's hand and kept her pacifier near. The shots went quick and Ava did really well. At first she screamed, but about 5 minutes later she started calming down and was asleep before we got to the car.

Rich removing Ava's diaper before the weigh-in, so it is more accurate.

Ava still enjoys the mirrors at the doctor's office.

This is Ava right after the shots.

And this is Ava a few minutes later and about to fall asleep.

Baby Shower

On Saturday March 14th my parents gave Ava a baby shower. Their house was packed with family and good family friends. This was the first time many of them met Ava and it was nice to have all of the support and love.

Since I don't like traditional baby showers my parents kept it causual with a yummy assortment of bite-sized desserts and no games....Thanks Mom!! They also got a cute Noah's Ark cake and a friend bought "It's a girl" hershey kisses. We were overwhelmed by the generousity of all our family and friends. Ava received many nice gifts and some money to start her college fund. Ava is especially exicted to spend her gift cards. She is not sure what she is going to get yet, but a baby bath tub is at the top of the list (we're hoping it will make bathtime more enjoyable).

Ava enjoyed meeting everyone and was worn out for the rest of the night. She is grateful for all the nice gifts she received and wants to say, "THANK YOU"!! Her parents were also worn out from the days events, but were happy to share their beautiful baby girl. Ava is a blessing in our life and we are proud to show her off.

Great-grandma with 3 grandkids, Ava, Allyson, & Anthony

Four generations: Great-grandma, Grandma, Me, Ava

Uncle Eric and Ava

Cousins: Stephanie, Kelly, Me & Ava, Natalie

Rich and I are surrounded by presents while Papa Bruce (Rich's dad) holds Ava.

Ava with a paper tiara...she is our little princess.

Cute Ava Photos

Big Blue Eyes

Ava is starring at her daddy and smiling.

Ava's Glamour Shots with Deb

(Napolean Dynamite reference with Deb and Uncle Rico)

Ava strikes a pose.

I'm so cute!!!

Stretching

Ava likes to dance.

Whatcha talkin' bout Willis?

Pouty face

I'm so tired of taking pictures.

Kim's Visit

Kim, Ava's birth mom, came to visit last Sunday through Wednesday. Kim, Ava, Luca, and I mainly hung out at the house and relaxed. In the evenings when Rich got home we had dinner and talked. One day we took Kim to one of Rich's favorite sushi restaurants, Ichi Machi. Rich and Kim had sushi and I had teriyaki.We also did a photo shoot of Ava and Kim and then some photos of just Ava. We put the dress Ava wore home from the hospital on to see how much she has grown. Kim bought Ava a pretty pink dress, brown tights and cute pink boots to wear home from the hospital. Back then they were really big, but now they fit and will soon be too small.

Utah, 1-17-09

California, 3-10-09

Friday Nights

This is what Ava and I look like on Friday nights. Ava is still beautiful and happy. I on the other hand am tired, worn down, and ready to pass the night shift on to Rich for a couple of days.

Ava's 1st Sunday at Church

Today was Ava's first Sunday at Church. She attends the Rossmoor Ward at the Cordova Lane Building in Rancho Cordova. We dressed Ava in her pretty red velvet dress, white tights, fancy pants (diaper cover), and white satin shoes. She looked so pretty. Ava and I stayed for Sacrament meeting and Sunday School before going home. Rich stayed for the last meeting and then came home to take care of his girls. There were many people who came to welcome Ava to the ward and commented on how beautiful she is...there right...she is!

Watch Out For Tics

While walking on the bike trail last Tuesday Luca picked up 3 little uninvited guests...TICS...YUCK! Rich took him walking in the grass next to the trail, so he could smell all the different scents and there he picked up tics. Luckily Luca is white and we spotted the tics before they had the chance to burrow into his skin. Rich saw the first one on the leash and that alerted us to check him thoroughly. We were still on the trail, so we checked him good and found two more. Then when we got home Rich got a fine toothed comb and checked Luca again. Fortunately he didn't find anymore.

This is the first time we have ever seen tics while walking on the trail. We will definitely be more careful and aware in the future. We are also happy that we use Frontline (flea and tic killer) on Luca each month and will keep using it, so he is protected.

Busy Weekend

We had a lot of visitors and good food this weekend. On Friday Rich's parents came to see Ava and took us to Tahoe Joe's. We all had a good time and Papa Bruce got to feed Ava. This was also Nona Alicia's first time to hold Ava because she has been sick and unable to get close to her. Ava was happy to be in her Nona's arms and her parents enjoyed a nice steak dinner.

On Saturday my parents came to visit. They took us to Johnny Garlic's. We have been talking about going there for awhile because it is owned by Food Network Star Guy Fieri. We all had a good time and enjoyed our food. Again Ava was a great baby and doesn't mind being out and about.
Today two of my friends from high school, Marisa and Heidi, came to see Ava. We had a good time catching up and they were surprised at how small she is. Marisa gave us some fun toys and cute outfits. Heidi knowing my love of shoes added to Ava's shoe collection. It was a nice visit and I love showing Ava off.