Family Project Weekend

Thank Goodness for Family! Mom, Bdad, and Aunt Jeannie came to VA Beach to celebrate Aunt Jeannie's birthday while Greg was gone. We had a wonderful time catching up and they helped me out on several projects I needed to work on before the new baby arrived. Bdad watched Ava while Aunt Jeannie, Mom, and I did our various projects.  Greg was ecstatic to find out that the majority of our major projects were completed when he came home from his detachment. Thank you so much for your help AJ, Bdad, and Momma Dukes! 

We cleaned out half of Ava's closet, unpacked all the newborn clothes, and organized the shelves in the closet.  This is the new baby's part of the closet. Aren't the clothes so itsy bitsy?

We painted this dresser white and changed the knobs to girly green. We also installed the railing into Ava's twin bed. Ava has adjusted very well to the new big girl bed. We are so thankful she has inherited her daddy's sound sleeping!

Aunt Jeannie put together this filing cabinet from Ikea that came in about 80 pieces with instructions in Swedish! Finally we have all our warranties and paper work all organized in one place. 

Ava loves Bdad's undivided attention. Bdad has a knack with toddlers especially since he was trained in pediatrics. 

We got new plants, mulch, decorative ground plates, cushions, and refinished the wicker chairs for the back yard. Great idea Aunt Jeannie!

playing with Bdad

Ava putting the bow on the birthday girl, Aunt Jeannie

Life of the party 

helping AJ unwrap her presents

She was inseparable with her great Bdad all weekend. Right here she is playing with Aunt Jeannie's balloon. 

She wanted to snuggle with her Gigi when she got tired. 

When everyone has wine, Ava loves to get out her margarita glass and toast with us. 

Dancing with her wine glass

Splish Splash

We had a meetup at the Navy Rec Center baby pool in Norfolk (it is like an olympic sized baby pool).  Ava has decided adopted an "alligator" type crawl that she uses to "swim" around. It is hysterical to watch. 

The "alligator crawl". 

Balloon Fun

Today we went to a fun meetup with one of our Mommy groups. They made ribbon type toys and then ran around with balloons. It is always so refreshing to see how the simplest pleasures in life always amuse a toddler. Some of these pictures are blurry because Ava was running and squealing everywhere today.

Week full of eating

This weekend Ava and I went to two dinner parties. On Saturday Christine hosted one which had several of our college sorority sisters catching up and JuJu and Ava wrecking havoc in the background. Last Sunday, Joelle and Amy started a dinner club in which a bunch of the military wives from several different squadrons switch hosting a dinner party every Sunday night while the guys are gone. Amy hosted this week with a Taco theme and it was delicious. We had a wonderful time at both and it was so much more relaxing with Ava at someone's house rather than in a restaurant resenting being confined. To counter all our eating, we participated in the Strike Fighter Ball 5K race. Joelle and I waddled our way to the finish line pushing Ava in the jogger stroller. Today Aunt Ellen, Uncle Bill, and Brian came by the house and took us out to lunch. We are so happy that Brian chose to go to EVMS for medical school since it is only 20 minutes away. He is playing with the idea of going into pediatrics- I will have two test patients for him! We are hoping to be able to make it to his white coat ceremony next weekend. 

5K race with some of the VFA 32 Gypsy Chicks and kiddos.

Ava initiated potty training. I have just been introducing her to the potty with how it works, the sign for potty, and getting up and down on to it. On Saturday she ran up to me, did the sign for potty, and successfully used it! I am so proud of her. She isn't using it regularly yet but she definitely understands the concept. 

This is the first time I have let Ava lick the spoon when I am baking. She is having homemade whipped cream here. 

She has got a sweet tooth!

Big Girl Bed!

Tonight Ava was actually EXCITED to go night night in her big girl bed. She didn't fight with me at all and snuggled up into her sheebies and drifted off to sleep.  It might have been successful too because she was worn out from her busy day at the pool and gym. 

Sneaking in to take a picture of this momentous occasion. One battle down. Now on to begin Potty Training....

This is why we had to put her mattress on the floor because this girl tosses and turns in her sleep. She doesn't even wake up when she rolls onto the carpet. 

Summerness

Hampton Roads has had a heat wave this past week with the heat index over 100 degrees everyday with LOTS of humidity. We have spent most of our time either at the pool or beach to combat the heat.  

Ava's first pedicure. She demanded it and actual sat still while I did her nails. If only she would sit that still when I did her hair.

Ava's first video game with Uncle Matt 

Yorktown Beach for the day with Laura. Ava loves her boat.

The lady who took the picture said she knew how to use my camera....she obviously didn't know how to use the zoom button though.

Laura did a good job though :)

She was nervous about the water at first but then we couldn't get her OUT of the water. 

playing ball with Aunt Laura

squealing with delight

Loving the water on a super hot day

Ava loves showing off her kicking at the pool

"Tada!"

Splashing so much that she is getting it in her face

going down the water slide in the kiddy pool 

Lunch time at the pool.

They have a spray area and Ava's favorite part is this bench that sprays water

Playing hide and seek at the park 

What a ham!

So we treated ourselves to Coldstone ice cream cupcakes- by far one of my favorite desserts now

She was all about the icing 

she was giggling the whole time she was eating this cupcake