Just to clarify, if you're reading this you're invited to the party!! Ava's birthday is February 28, but her party will be on Saturday this year. She's currently in 9 mo clothes, almost ready for the 12 month size. She's already got a zillion toys, thanks to her older sis. So really, she only needs you to attend her party!

Can you believe it? My baby is about to turn one! She is cruising around furniture, crawling crazy fast, sporting 2 teeth (bottom) and about to get 4 top teeth. She eats anything she can get her hands on, but this week is loving blueberry yogurt and also wheat club crackers. She says Momma, Dadda, and Emma - but that's about it. She can sign. . . milk, more, all done, blueberry.

Chatty Chatty

That is how we describe Ava. Chatty. Just like Momma! She sings, she babbles, she calls for Momma, Dadda, and Emma. She makes one babbling sound for banana - her fav food. Speaking of food - Ava will only self feed. No spoons, but fingerfoods. She loves anything she can pick up.

She has started dancing when she hears music. She cruises around furniture and will go from one piece to another just letting go for a split second. Emma is just the right height to hold Ava's hands & let her walk. They love to play together & neither can sleep unless they go to bed at separate times - its like a slumber party every night!

Emma has started reading lots of things & can spell quite a few things too. She's still loving preschool and all her friends. She & Omp will start swim lessons at the end of the month.

Tree Hunting

The only hunting we do around here is for a Christmas tree - we found one!!


I'm now in the "lets get the first tree we see" group of people rather than my beloved "hunt for hours to find the perfect tree" group. Emma has decided she is not a cold weather girl - that doesn't go over well for snowboarding. Maybe Dad & I will go without her. I know Brad will never go again. . .

More pics later & maybe sometime I'll figure out how to get them lined up better! We're off to the preschool concert tonight!

First Wave

Ava's first official wave was yesterday - to Daddy!! Its a big awkward arm motion, but a wave none the less!

Both girls spent the late morning with Grandma Jill, who picks Em up from preschool on Thursdays, Great-Grandma Dona and Great-Grandad Keith, and Auntie Gay. They all had a great time and everyone should be ready for a nap. Everyone except Ava, who slept the entire time!!

I've been busy sewing shopping cart covers for my Etsy shop - they've been selling like hotcakes!

www.bumblebabymommy.etsy.com

Patty Cake

Ava can officially Patty Cake! She hasn't moved much past the patty cake part but sometimes will do the pat it. She's signing More and Milk, but doesn't sign milk very often and its hard to know if she's clapping or signing more - you have to watch close for context.

She's repeating sounds and chaining them together. Brad swears she said Mama today while I was gone and that it wasn't just babbling.

She loves finger foods and is not always fond of food on a spoon - but we did feed her potato soup the other night and I couldn't feed her fast enough! She's still nursing well but is easily distracted and seems to prefer solid foods.


Not much else to report. Emma is growing like crazy and almost all of her shirts are too short, and many of her pants are getting that way too. She loves preschool, her teachers and all her friends there. She has her own sense of style & amazingly looks great no matter what she wears. We just need to work on brushing her hair! BTW-her hair was cut to shoulder length just a few weeks ago.

Pumpkin Party!

We spent Saturday at the Pumpkin patch. . . Emma & Daddy went through the corn maze. When asked how it was, Daddy replied, "Well, we made it out." Em had no comment. We went looking for a giant daddy-sized pumpkin, and came home with a tiny Ava-sized one.

This is all 6 Christianson grandkids. Isaac (8mo), Ava (7.5 mo), Eli (8mo), Hannah (1.5 yrs), Emma (5 yrs), Noah (3.5 yrs) . . . where is Noah? Likely running around - I know there was a pic of him but I guess this wasn't it!

Brad's family from Portland, Seattle & Boise came for the weekend. We went out to Kelly & Jon's vineyard Sat night for a dinner and to pick grapes. We also bottled some wine Jon had made 2 years ago, and pressed some grapes for jelly & wine.

Sunday, Brad & I left the girls with mom & dad so we could go buy the yeast for Brad's wine. Until Hometown starts stalking it, we drive to the TriCities or order online.



Ava is babbling but not really repeating the sounds yet. She's loving her food - we let her suck on some grapes this weekend, but she really is only eating Sweet Potatoes, Acorn Squash, cereal and a bit of fruit chunked up in her mesh feeder.

Okay, so I'm sleep deprived

I am so tired that I forget I even started this blog for the girls. Emma wakes about once a night with a nightmare. Ava wakes about 3 times to eat. This is why sleep deprivation is a form of torture. Ava is now sitting & rolling but refuses to sleep. I used to trick her into sleeping by letting her play in her crib - she's caught on and now screams at me when I leave her alone.

Ava's favorite toy of the week is her telephone - the old rotary dial with the eyes that go up & down when you pull it. Emma's favorite is her sister - she just can't leave her alone.

Dad & I took the girls sailing down in the TriCities on the Snake River last weekend. It wasn't Emma's first trip, but it was the first one she'll remember. This was, however, Ava's first trip. She liked being on the boat and Em kept talking about how fast we were going!

Ava has 2 bottom teeth and is eating rice & oatmeal cereals, avocado and has chewed on an apple and some frozen green beans. She loves to try to feed herself and will reach for any food near her.

This is Emma's official thank you to everyone who gave her a birthday present - we're still working on some we can mail out. The pic of Em by herself is on her first day of preschool. She loves going to school and gets sad on Friday when she has to take the day off!