No More Highchair

As of Wednesday evening Ava is no longer using a highchair. I got a booster seat for $5 on rileybookoo.com (like a local craigslist or online yard sales) and it is perfect for our needs. It has two heights. Right now we need the highest notch but as she grows we can move it down a notch until she's ready to sit in a plain old chair. She is also using a fork quite well. She has been for a while but she's really getting good at it now. Sometimes she tries to sneak and use her fingers but all it takes is a little raised eyebrow from Richard or me and she smiles and uses her fork. I can't believe we have a toddler who is quickly becoming a little girl! Below is a picture of Ava's first meal at home on her "new" booster seat. :)

Added Words

Some of these were left off the previous list, some are new:

street, car, truck, leash, blanket, jacket, slide, baby
hot, cold
Mimi, Pancake, Roxy (neighbor's dog)
hello, yes, yeah
grapes, banana, cheese
cheeks, weights, potty, poop
jump, bounce, knock

Potty!

Last night Ava peed in the potty for the first time! It was just a little bit and she startled herself with her great and unexpected accomplishment, but it was a step in the right direction. I am not really working with her on it or even having her sit on the potty super often so this "first time" was very exciting. I still don't plan on really trying to get her trained right now but she's showing more and more signs of being really ready, which is cool.

Oh the things that I think are "cool" nowadays... haha!

Words, Words, Words

So Richard and I were making a list of all the words Ava can say now with some degree of regularity. Some are only understandable to us but most are pretty clear. I need to get some talking on video! Here's the list (with more being added daily!):

Mama, Dadda, BB, Sookie (neighbor's dog), I, you
cow, bird, cat, tiger
hi, please, thank you, no, nap, up, down, see yah, bye-bye, ni-night
more, water, snack, juice, cereal, cracker, milk, all done, all gone
eye, nose, ear, toes
kick, sit, rock, shake, beep
chair, book, vacuum, hat, glasses, shower, shoe, socks, diaper, keys, trash
oh shoot, yuck, good girl, uh oh, side (for outside & inside), whoa, gentle, sorry, stop it, watch out, hush (those last 3 are said to BB and Pancake)...

Not So Much a Baby Anymore

This post will make the most sense with pictures and captions but here are a few notes on what's new to start out with... First, Ava is 17 months old... WHAT!?!? How is this possible!? Second, I have started getting her familiar with the potty. We got her a little seat that fits on the regular toilet and I've been having her sit on it a few times a day; pretty much whenever I'm changing her diaper the old one comes off, she sits on the potty for 5 minutes or so, then a new diaper goes on. I just want her to get used to the idea of being on the potty for now. Third, a few days ago I realized that Ava hadn't played with anything in her toy box in a few days. She is not interested in those little things anymore. She is interested in whatever we are using/doing/interested in. She likes "helping" me sweep, checking the mail, pulling weeds, playing the recorder, etc. So on Memorial Day (since Richard was off work) we went to Topeka to go to the zoo and do some shopping. The zoo was awesome; most of the animals were active and clearly visible (not sleeping in the far corner hehe). After the zoo we went shopping and got a couple new toys for Ava: a little popper thing that she can push around, a toddler sized broom, and a mini vacuum that lights up and has sound. So cute! Fourth, we went to the pool today. The water was very cold but it was still fun. :) Okay, so here are the pics:She actually enjoys sitting on her little potty seat, as you can see.

Playing the recorder while relaxing on Pancake (best dog ever).

Face to face with a gorilla. What is she looking at in this picture, though? A little black bird that was hopping through the exhibit. "Bird!"

She kept roaring at the lions.

Yes, those are real flamingos. That's how close we were able to get! She really wanted to touch them.

Looking at the North American Black Bear with Daddy.

She fell asleep in Target, which was our last stop after the zoo, lunch, the mall, and Toys R Us.

Running around at the pool. She did not like the cold water but got used to it eventually.

Cutest little booty!

Helping me clean up with her new vacuum. She loves it! We are keeping it right next to the real one in the laundry room. (And her little broom is with our real broom and mop too.) Big girl!