taylor jamie and ava

Happy Birthday Ava!

2012-02-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Our little Ava turned 1 this week. While this past year has flown by, it's also hard to remember life without her.

To celebrate, we had a small party with a few friends and some cake.

Ava got her very own. She didn't make it much past the frosting.

Aunt Kimmy got Ava her very own stroller. As you can see, it was a huge hit.

A few things about Ava at 1 year:

-Still long and lean... 21 lbs (50%) and 31" (96%).

- Though Ava doesn't really say any words, she is a chatterbox. She has her own jibberish that is hilarious. She will have long conversations with you, and almost every one of her sentences end in a question.

-She is getting in 4 teeth right now which can make for one grouchy girl.

-She still loves music. Anytime she hears the word "dance" or anything resembling music she will start bouncing.

-She has decided she only needs one nap. I dread the day that she doesn't need any.

-Ava has finally become a little cuddler. When we ask for a love, she will tuck her head on our shoulders and pat our backs.

Walking Girl

2012-01-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

By mid December, I was convinced Ava would be walking any day. She'd been cruising around furniture for weeks and would stand on her own, dancing and clapping, for minutes. She could even be coerced into taking a couple steps if you bribed her with something she really wanted. But pretty soon she gave up on walking as she realized crawling was much faster. She seemed to have the ability to walk, but lacked the desire.

But about a week ago, that desire suddenly surfaced. I was at my friend's apartment and while we talked we let Ava play on the floor. In the middle of the conversation I glanced over at Ava and saw her walking across the room. Not sure what sparked it, but it seems at that moment she decided she was ready. Ever since she's been walking all over. Later that night I got this video of her.

Couch

2012-01-18T15:01:00.000-08:00

Ava loves to bite furniture. She started on the coffee table but has moved on to the much softer couch.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2012-01-06T16:53:00.000-08:00

If you missed our Christmas card this year.....

We spent the holidays in Utah. Despite the fact that everyone got sick, we had a great time with family and friends.

Ava's favorite gift. These magnet letters were the best $3 I've spent in awhile.

At the Brinton family party, we took family photos. I had it on self timer and we could only stand the cold for one shot. Good thing everyone was looking.

Hope your Christmas was as good as ours.

Pea Farmers

2012-01-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

I came across this photo while looking through my sister's camera. Just a couple farmers and their little sweet pea.

i (chart) you

2011-11-20T15:43:00.000-08:00

My sister just started a really cool etsy shop. If you are stumped on a Christmas gift, you might consider one of these. I have this one framed in Ava's nursery and adore it.

9 months

2011-11-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

Some things about Ava at 9 months:

-She weighs 19 lbs 10 oz (65%) and is 30" tall (over 97%). The doctor told me this is the average height of a 14 month old.

-She is finally starting to get some hair, but most strangers still mistake her for a boy. The other night at the store we were told she was the "most handsome boy I've ever seen." I want to know what boys are wearing jeggings?

-Ava loves to clap. When she sees anyone clapping she claps too. And if you ask her to clap, she will (if she isn't preoccupied with anything else.)

-We baby-proofed our apartment just in time because Ava is all over the place. She's become a fast crawler and walks along all of the furniture. She has started standing without holding anything so I'm afraid she will be walking soon.

-Her top teeth are just starting to come in. It makes me kind of sad because I think she is so cute with just her two bottom teeth.

-She sleeps 12 hours almost every night which makes for a very happy mommy.

-Ava LOVES music! Anytime she hears any music she will start to "dance," which is basically her bobbing up and down or rocking back and forth. She gets a big smile and either laughs or does her heavy breathing (a sign that she is super excited).

-Once a week Ava and I go to a music class taught by one of my friends. At first she just liked to watch the older kids but now she will play with the instruments and dance and sing (make loud noises) to the songs. One of the highlights of both of our weeks.

Happy Halloween, from our little Sweet Pea

2011-10-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn Bridge

2011-10-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

For the past month, a few friends and I have been trying to schedule a trip across the Brooklyn Bridge with our kids. Rain and schedules got in the way, but last Friday we finally made the trek (and with 4 kids, it is definitely a trek).

It was a gorgeous fall day and the bridge was full of tourists and commuters. Of all of the activities in New York, I think this is one of my favorites. Every time I walk across I am more impressed. (If you haven't read "The Great Bridge" I would definitely recommend it.)

On the other side we found a grassy field in a park and had a picnic. And it was even a dog free field...what a luxury!

Ava has begun to crawl and the lawn was a perfect place for her to practice.

The was also an antique carousel at the park. Our friends rode it but we just watched as Ava was a little young to appreciate it.

After the park we got ice cream on the pier and took the water ferry back to Manhattan. A lovely day.

Cape Cod

2011-10-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I found a great deal on a trip to Cape Cod. We persuaded our friends Marci and Dan to join us and headed up for the weekend. The forecast called for heavy rain and it was an absolute downpour on the drive up, but we lucked out and had perfect weather the rest of the weekend.

We spent Saturday in Provincetown at the very tip of the Cape. First stop...a Portuguese bakery where Dan showed us the best pastries. Mmmm!

Marci did some great research beforehand and found this little gem. I don't think I would have ever ventured in if she hadn't recommended it, but I'm sure glad I did. It was the nautical version of Smith and Edwards with a little bit of thrift store thrown in.

The ceiling was completely covered with various parts of ships and other nautical paraphernalia. We had so much fun browsing through all of their random merchandise--American Airlines dinnerware, 1950's era gas masks, sailor clothing, leather jackets sold by the pound... We even found a hat that inspired our Halloween costume. (You'll just have to wait until the end of the month for that.)

Another great find was the candy store with tons of flavors of salt water taffy. Delicious!

Marci and I left the boys a few times to look at some home decor stores (so amazing!). They were sure glad when we came back as they got quite a few looks from the more "flamboyant" population in Provincetown. Apparently it's the east coast's version of San Francisco.

Ava was a trooper and was content to sit in her stroller most of the day. But when she did get out, she was extra happy.

Lunch was at the Lobster Pot where we had some great seafood. This trip was the first time we've put Ava in a high chair at a restaurant and she loved it!

After lunch we headed up to this monument commemorating the first Pilgrims. We climbed to the top, Taylor carrying Ava, for some great views of the entire Cape.

Even at the base the view was beautiful.

Marci and Dan were fantastic to travel with. Not only did they research all of the fun things to do, they put up with Ava. And while she was fairly well-behaved, she is nevertheless a baby which makes traveling a little trickier.

We had a fantastic time in Provincetown and I would definitely recommend visiting it if you are in the area. Next time I would love to go whale watching in one of the many boats that leave from this dock.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at some sand dunes. When we first started up this hill we hoped to make it to the ocean, but when we got to the top and saw a bunch of massive hills in the way, we decided against it. Instead the boys did jumps and flips off of the cornice of one hill.

It was a gorgeous night as the sun was setting and Marci and I made the best of photographing it. (Marci more so than me as Ava finally started to break down.)

After our long day out we spent the evening at the hotel playing games. All in all it was the perfect day!

Ava's 7 Month Photoshoot

2011-09-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some of the photos from Ava's shoot last week.

7 Months....Just a Preview

2011-09-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

While I was pregnant I did a retouching project for a baby photographer. We decided to do a trade where she did a photo shoot of Ava in exchange for my retouching work. Yesterday I finally got around to collecting. Ava was in a great mood (especially considering she threw up an had a fever 8 hours later), and I'm hoping the pictures turned out well. After she left I decided to take a few of my own since everything was set up. I was quite pleased with the results.

The night before the shoot Kimmy and I went through our closets to find possible backdrops. She had some great scarves and I found this Ikea black and white wrapping paper.

The bunny was Ava's very first toy. When we found out she was a girl Taylor picked it out for her. And Sofie the Giraffe, her second toy, is by far her favorite. On a recommendation from a friend we got it while in France last year and have found the rubber is a bit softer than the ones purchased here. The downside of that...it has started to come apart. Anyone going to France anytime soon?

And check back soon for the real photos from the shoot!

Beach Time!

2011-09-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

When I think of NYC, the beach is probably the last thing to come to mind, but we are surprisingly close to quite a few of them. A few weekends ago Taylor and I decided to take advantage of this and took Ava to her first beach. She LOVES the bath and the pool (if you'd like to see a hilarious video of her dancing in the tub let me know), so we figured the ocean would be a hit. But when the waves washed up on her legs, she was less than pleased. The sudden rush of cold water startled her and she immediately started crying. For the rest of the day I tried to convince her it was fun and she gradually began to tolerate it, but by the end of the day, she still wasn't loving it.

So when some friends invited us to the beach today, I was a little leery of going. But it was the perfect day for the beach with some of our favorite friends, so I decided to give it one more try. And I'm so glad I did! Ava had a great time, as did I. She loved splashing in the water and even when a wave knocked her over shortly after these photos were taken (bad mother I know), she was laughing and happy. It really was the perfect day. (Until we got home and I realized I didn't get sunscreen under her eyes. Poor girl looks like she got hit in both eyes.) Thanks Gardners, Lybberts, and Melgars!

Island Park

2011-08-28T15:39:00.001-07:00

For the second half of our vacation, we met up with Taylor's family in Island Park. We rented a gorgeous house on the lake and had a great time boating and lounging around the house.

Ava got to meet all of her cousins. Her closest cousin, Katie, is a year older and thought feeding Ava was the best thing in the world.

Ava got plenty of attention from all of her cousins. Aunica even let her pull her hair and jewelry. She was in heaven!

One day we took a trip to Yellowstone.

Ava loves being carried around by her dad.

Our only family photo of the trip.

Buffalo are cool and all, but after hundreds of them they just became a nuisance.

I was in charge of the family photo and I found a great way to get everyone's attention....place the camera far away enough that you have to run to beat the self timer. The sight of me racing down the stairs and leaping onto the deck put a smile on all of the kids' faces (well most of them, but at least everyone is looking).

And of course we had to do a funny one. Thanks Wrides for making it such a fun vacation! We had a great time and are looking forward to the next trip.

Ava, Ella, and Anna

2011-08-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

For our summer vacation, we headed to Utah and Idaho to visit our families.

First stop: Rupert for our annual triathlon. The highlight is always the post race breakfast at Grandpa Rob and Grandma Tweet's house. They have the most beautiful backyard and we couldn't resist getting a shot of Ava and Anna.

Later in the trip we met up with them again. Alissa and I had independently bought these outfits and decided a photo shoot was in order. I love how Ella interacts with the two babies.

First Tooth

2011-08-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

While we were in Idaho Ava had a tooth pop through. I had no idea she was even teething until she bit my finger one morning and ouch! there was a tooth. It's kind of hard to see, but this is the best shot I could get. And now the second one is on it's way.

6 Months

2011-08-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

We had Ava's 6 month check up today. I can't believe she is growing up so fast!

She weighed in at 16 lbs 10 ounces, almost doubling her weight since she was born, and is 28 1/2 inches tall, still off the charts.

During the summer we have tried to get outside as much as possible. At picnics she will lay contentedly on a blanket watching her surroundings. It's these moments that I love living in NYC.

In the past few months she has become very vocal. This video was taken a few months ago. Since then, she has expanded her vocabulary to "dada" and other babblings. Our least favorite sound is a high pitched and very loud screech she makes when she is happy.

Ava has also started solids and LOVES them.

In general she is a very happy baby. She is finally sleeping on a good schedule (including 2 long naps hooray!) and when she is awake she can entertain herself much of the time.

Life is great. This little family is happy as can be.

Lake George

2011-07-22T04:15:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite parts about living in New York is being within a few hours of so many fun places. The past few summers we have rented houses with our friends in Cape Cod, Newport, and Narragansett, RI. This summer's destination: Lake George.

Ava had a great time.

The house we rented was fantastic and we spent most of our time there, playing games and just hanging out.

Jenga was a favorite. Can you tell who pulled the tile that caused the tower to fall?

If we weren't playing games, we were lounging by the pool.

The boys particularly enjoyed the pool. They had all sorts of competitions...biggest splash, longest swim underwater, longest dive, etc. Boys will be boys.

There was also a "clay" tennis court that got some good use.

Our friends were kind enough to babysit so Taylor and I could join those without kids on a date night. Lake George has about 20 mini golf courses and we settled on Goony Golf. In a somewhat controversial last minute charge, Taylor and I made up the 6 points to tie with Kimmy and Chris.

We managed to get out of the house once to go to the lake and sail Taylor's remote controlled sailboat. The boys each took a turn while the girls did what we do best...chatted.

We had a wonderful time and can't wait till next year! Thanks to all of our friends for making it happen. (And I must give credit to Chris and Stacy for the photos. It was nice to just relax all weekend!)

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-25T19:08:00.001-07:00

I may be a week late posting this, but I did do something right this Father's Day. A couple months ago Taylor found out that his favorite soccer team, Manchester United, is coming to New York this summer to play the MLS Allstar team. He really wanted to go, but tickets didn't go on sale for another month or so. This time, Taylor's poor memory worked to my advantage. He completely forgot about it, or at least didn't mention it to me. But with Father's Day looming, and Taylor being impossible to shop for, I saw the perfect opportunity. Not qualifying for any of the presale tickets, I had to wait until it opened up to the general public and hope they hadn't already sold out. I set an alarm and was on the site the minute it opened, knowing tickets would go fast. I made the mistake of trying to figure out which section would be best and by the time I was ready to buy the site was no longer working. But after four hours of refreshing the screen every few minutes, I finally prevailed and was able to complete the sale.

The hardest part of it was keeping it a secret for 4 weeks. On Sunday morning I was bursting with excitement as I gave him is gift. I hid the tickets in the back of the picture frame that Ava gave him for Father's Day. These three photos were in the frame:

When we were in DC for Memorial Day, Emily came up with the brilliant idea for this photo shoot. Taylor loved it! And when he opened up the back of that frame to see "other photo options," I could tell both Ava and I had managed to get dad the perfect gift this year, a first for both of us.

Happy Father's Day Taylor! We love you and are both lucky to have you in our lives.

Ava's Nursery is Famous!

2011-06-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, well not really famous. But it is on a website featuring design for nurseries, birthday parties, baby showers, etc. Check it out here.

Four Months

2011-06-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Ava is already 4 months. How the time flies! Here are some random photos from the past two months:

Easter.

We are hoping she gets her aunt Kimmy's sense of style. So far, so good.

We were given a jumper before Ava was born and pulled it out a few weeks ago. She doesn't quite get the jumping thing yet (except when her legs give out), but she loves to stand.

For Taylor's birthday he got a remote controlled sailboat. The whole family came out for the christening of "Bijou," including Alissa and her kids.

One night when Kimmy and I went to Costco our car was parked a few blocks away. So instead of lugging the carseat the whole way, we put her in the wagon. She thought she was very cool being carted around like a queen.

Once a week the moms in my ward meet for playgroup. Usually Ava and I just hang out and watch the other kids play, but last week someone suggested I put her in the swing. She loved it!

A few things about Ava:

-We haven't been to her 4 month check-up yet, but I think she is still pretty tall for her age.

-She has the reputation in our ward of being a really good baby, but that's because she is happiest when she is outside and around other people...they rarely see her meltdowns. But I can't really complain. About 90% of the time, she is very pleasant. The other 10%, watch out.

-She is starting to hold her bottle. I cannot wait for the day when she can hold it for longer than 30 seconds.

-She is still a horrible nap taker, but is finally getting a bit better. Yesterday we had a total of 30 minutes of nap time. At least she sleeps like a champ at night.

-Last week Ava got her first haircut. Taylor couldn't take the friar hairdo she was sporting and so he got out his clippers and we buzzed the back.

-We are loving being brace free! Now that she can use them, her legs are getting pretty strong. If we lean her against the couch, she will stand up by herself.

-Right before nap time, Ava gets super giddy. She laughs hysterically at almost anything. It is one of my favorite times of day with her, even though a split second later she is ornery and ready for bed.

Memorial Day

2011-06-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day we headed down to Washington DC to spend some time with the Jacksons. We had a fantastic time seeing the sights, BBQing, and playing Acquire.

Ruby and Ava were fascinated with each other. We spent a lot of our time just watching the two of them play. (Can you tell we are both first time parents?)

We thought it was a very appropriate weekend to visit Arlington National Cemetery. We all guessed how many graves were there and Emily was by far the closest. How many would you guess? (Check the comments for the answer.) There was a flag on every single grave which made it all the more beautiful.

The perfect spot for a family photo.

Ava was having a great time, and so did we. Thanks Jacksons for having us. We had a blast and will be back soon!

Brace Free!

2011-05-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

After two months in the brace, the doctor said Ava's hips are looking great. She has to wear it at night for two more weeks, but during the days she is brace free! As you can see, she is loving it. Her favorite thing to do is arch her back, kick her legs, and scoot herself backwards. I guess I can't leave her alone on the bed anymore.

Two months

2011-04-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

My goal was to write an update on Ava every month, but by the time I'm actually getting around to posting this, she is almost 3 months. Turns out I'm not so good at blogging.

Another thing that it seems I'm not very good at, booking plane tickets. A few weeks ago Aunt Kimmy and I went to Utah to visit Ava's new cousin, Anna. I was planning on staying a week and a half, but three days before I thought I was scheduled to leave I got an email telling me to check-in for my flight that day. Oops. I had a bunch of plans for the next 3 days so I had to change my tickets and ended up staying an extra week. That gave us plenty of time to take photos of the two little cousins.

Anna and Ava are only 4 days apart, though you probably wouldn't guess it by looking at them. When we did an informal measurement Ava measured 3 inches longer. At her official 2 month checkup she was 24.25 inches tall (97%) and 11 lbs 9 oz (66%). My pediatrician told me that she is the height of an average 4 month old. She definitely gets that from her dad.

My dad thinks that Ava is telling Anna a funny secret in this photo.

2 of my cousins also had baby girls a few months before Ava and Anna. A bunch of the family gathered at Grandma Lota's while I was in town so we could get a photo of all of them.

When Ava was born, the pediatrician was a bit concerned about her hip. She sent us to an orthopedist who said it didn't look too bad and should heal on it's own. What a relief! But when we went back a few weeks later, it still hadn't developed properly so he put her in this brace. I absolutely hate it, but she doesn't seem to mind too much. She's been wearing it for 5 weeks and hopefully we will be done with it when we go back on Wednesday.

For the first month, Ava hated bath time. Now she LOVES it! I can stick her in the "tub tub" and she will splash around all day if I'd let her. And every now and then she likes to sneak a drink of bath water.

A few other things that Ava loves:

Her bumbo. It is so funny to see her bob back and forth. She loves

to be sitting up so she can see the world.

Watching TV. A bad habit to start I know, but sometimes that's the

only way I get anything done.

Having her mouth open. I think in the hundreds of photos we have

taken, there are only a handful where her mouth is closed.

Blessing

2011-04-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we blessed Ava. Both sets of grandparents came into town for the event.

Our first family photo. The conservatory gardens are gorgeous right now.

Taylor and the new love of his life.

Ava was a bit sleepy after church and didn't cooperate very well for photos, so we dressed her up again a few days later and had a little photo session. She was much happier this time around.

Despite a little rain we had a great weekend! Thanks to our parents for making the long trek to be with us.

One Month

2011-03-06T17:28:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe little Ava is already one month old. The time has flown by! We are starting to get the hang of things and life is definitely getting easier.

A few things we've noticed about Ava:

-When she is eating she puts her little hands into a fist and sticks them under her chin....reminds me of Photos by Deb.

-When I undo the swaddler on her sleep sack she stretches for about five minutes. It is the cutest thing ever.

-She has crazy toes. When she flexes them they all splay out in different directions. Taylor thinks she may have a future in the circus.

-She loves to eat! I couldn't keep up with her appetite so we had to supplement with formula (which I have mixed feelings about, but it sure is convenient when we are out). When she is hungry her head starts bobbing back and forth, mouth wide open, and tongue going crazy. It makes me laugh every time.
-I never thought I'd be excited about a dirty diaper, but after 4 days without one Taylor and I cheered last night as we changed her. I hope this trend doesn't continue.

I have been incredibly lucky to have so much support this month! An amazing husband who takes her every night to give me a little break. A wonderful mother who took care of all of us for that first week. I'm not sure we could have made it through without her. Two great sisters: Alissa who I call daily for medical advice and Kimmy who is the best babysitter I could ever ask for. (If you ever have a baby in New York, I recommend having your sister move into your building.) And a whole bunch of great friends who have brought us dinner, listened to my complaining, went on walks with us, and even brought me medicine when Ava was screaming so much I couldn't take her out. Thanks so much! I love you all.

Details

2011-02-27T17:46:00.000-08:00

My official due date was January 31st, but that day came and went with no signs of labor. I was starting to get a bit impatient, as was my mom who was waiting for the green light to buy her plane ticket. By February 3rd, she couldn't wait any longer and hopped on a plane, hoping that the little girl was just waiting for everyone to arrive to make her grand entrance.

By Saturday, February 5th, there were still no signs. We researched all of the tricks to induce labor and my mom spent the morning pushing the pressure points on my ankles. It didn't seem to do much so we went ahead and had some friends over for the BYU basketball game. About an hour after everyone left, and after some delicious takeout from Lolitas, I had a contraction that actually hurt. (I'd been having contractions for weeks, but nothing painful.) I had a suspicion that this might actually be "it", so I started thinking of all of the ways I was going to pass early labor. I'd read that it can last from hours to days and I wanted to labor as long as I could without going to the hospital.

Well about 5 minutes after the first contraction another one came...and then another and another and another. Within a couple hours I was at the hospital, dilated to a 4. They told me I had to get a bag of fluids before I could get my epidural. After an hour of watching the slow drip between contractions, the bag was finally empty. Thank goodness...I wasn't sure how much longer I could last.

Only one woman was in line ahead of me to get the epidural, but another hour went by and still no anesthesiologist. The other woman was apparently having problems. By the time he got there, I was dilated to a 9. I contemplated not having it at this point as I was almost done, but the pain was getting to be a bit too much to bare. Ah, what relief! I could see the contractions on the monitor, but I felt absolutely nothing. It was amazing! I was soon at a 10 and my doctor broke my water (which had a significant amount of meconium) to see if the baby would progress a little more on her own.

At about 2 am, 6 hours after the first contraction, I was ready to push. As I had progressed very quickly up until this point, we figured the baby would be out within 20 or so minutes, and the pediatrician was called to be there the moment she arrived. Unfortunately, 20 minutes turned into 2 hours. I don't think I have every been so exhausted in my life. The last few weeks of my pregnancy I was incredibly congested and during the pushing I was having some difficulty breathing. They had to give me an oxygen mask to use between the contractions. But the breathing was nothing compared to the heart burn. Trying to hold my breath for ten seconds while my chest was on fire was miserable.

After two hours of this, I was beginning to fade. The baby's heart rate was low and with all of the meconium my doctor was starting to get worried. She suggested an episiotomy which I really didn't want so I asked if we could try the vacuum (she had mentioned it earlier.) She agreed to try but after a few attempts where the vacuum was yanked from the baby's head, I agreed to the episiotomy. Within seconds, literally, the little girl was out, arriving at 4:05 am. Apparently she was sunnyside up which is why I had such a hard time pushing...that and the fact that she was 8 lbs 11 oz and 21 in long. We named her Ava Lynn Wride.

Taylor was amazing during the whole birth (minus the moment that the baby came out and he had to run to the bathroom). He was pretty uninterested throughout the pregnancy, but sometime during the birth a switch flipped and ever since he can't get enough of little Ava. She has turned our world upside down, but we are both head over heels in love.

The Nursery

2011-02-21T18:26:00.000-08:00

Baby Ava has finally arrived! (More details to follow.) Ma Sue came a few days early to help me finish the nursery. I am one lucky girl to have such a talented mom! This is now one of my favorite places to hang out. It has also become my bedroom for the first few weeks (thank you Britney and Martin for the futon).