* Waterbabies: II

Back in January I posted about the start of our fun Waterbabies sessions. Well, it has already been 10 weeks and last Wednesday was our last class. Aaron and I had a lot of fun on Wednesday nights with Avrie and the water.

We only missed one session and by the LAST class Avrie was really getting into it. She loved that the pool area echoed so she would scream and make noise, kicked, splashed and didn't almost cry when going through the tunnel. We also learned the proper way to dunk a baby that is 8 months or younger {this was at a class where there was a sub teacher- would have been good to know from day one}.

The activities varied only slightly each week; but for the most part Avrie seemed to enjoy each of the main events;

"swim for your ducky" 

"basketball hoop/waterfall circle" 

"stand & fall/jump off the mat"

We will not be returned for the Spring session, nor summer- we have grandma & grandpa ertle's pool to play in! We might think about joining another water class this fall but at a location closer to home and that is half the cost. Pros to class: it's GREAT family time, SUPER fun watching Avrie play in the water & even a little bit of water exercise too! Cons to class: it's REALLY hard trying to change a baby out of a wet suit and then to also change into dry clothes yourself! The pool area was REALLY warm which made Avrie either uncomfortably HOT or sleepy/fussy near the end of class.

I said it at the end of class one and I will say it a again. It's going to be a great summer at the pool and at the lake. Our Florida trip to the ocean is only a little over a month away- Avrie is ready to play in the waves {with her daddy!}

* Avrie Jo: 37 weeks

 This Week: 

• Avrie is: 37 weeks old! 
•  Avrie had a busy week doing the following: we had our last day of waterbabies for the season {another post to follow}. lots of hanging out with daddy while he had a couple days off of work last week. {photo 257} shows avrie under her bouncer- she is always into something just checking things out. over the weekend we had a fun visit with cousin sara! this was avrie's first time meeting sara and mommy hasn't seen her in ALMOST... {gasp} TWO YEARS! it was a great visit for all of us. {photo 259} avrie is enjoying one of her JILLION daily mommy kisses. and with the amazingly warm temps, today, we ventured out for a walk- avrie loved it and sang for almost the entire walk. i LOVE photo 261- she looks SO COOL {and a little B.A.} in those shades and her arm up on the side of the stroller. kind of like "dont mess with this..." HAHA
  
• Avrie's current favorite activity is: exploring {as explained for photo 257}. avrie also loves clapping- she wakes up clapping, lol! and mimicking, and making all kinds of noises! needless to say we have been taking a lot of mini videos of her this week. it's so cute the way she has been communicating with us lately. she will copy most sounds that we make, she claps when we clap and will always no matter what copy someone coughing {real or fake}. daddy is working on "high fives" and mommy is working on baby signs "more" "all done" "book" & "diaper" i am pretty positive that she clearly mimicks "hiiiii" while she is waving and also when we say "tiki" she says "ah-te" which means tiki in av talk.
  
• Dr. appts this week: no appts.
  
• We are Thankful for: baby sunglasses and strollers = cute & fun walks!
  

Next week: 
Avrie is looking forward to: avrie's 1st st. patrick's day! {which is also grandpa billys birthday and cousin tristan's birthday!} and picking up gma and gpa E at the airport on thursday when they return home from mexico.

* Catching up...

I love it when the babies get together- it's like they pick up RIGHT where they last took off.

This is has been so true for each of our play dates with little Ms. Kenley & ECFE playgroup.

A couple of weeks ago, Molly & I got together with the girls. Avrie & Kenley are about 3 months apart- and as I told her mommy- it's always so fun meeting up, it's a glimpse into what's to come developmentally & socially for Avrie.

Kenley had so much fun cruising along on the couch, playing with Avrie's toys, showing us "how big she is" and even helping to teach Avrie how to do "so big!" Kenley also loved playing with Avrie's singing puppy- she would dance each time the music came on- so cute!

 

As for ECFE we had a LONG break. The last time we were all together for actual group was Feb 13th! We took a couple of kid group photos. It's so fun seeing them all being able to sit up and all in a row. The trick was being able to get the photo taken before one or all of them crawled away!

During our break, four of us met up for a lunch at Key's. The kids all did SO good sitting, playing and talking- while us Moms caught up with one another and chatting about "baby is doing this and that, etc". Before we knew it an hour had passed and it was time for all of us to part ways. Group resumed again yesterday and we had some new group members- more boys!! Now Hudson won't be the only little stud in the group. Charlie who is 7 weeks and TINY slept most of the time and John a 3 month old who was LOVING tummy time on the colorful mats watching all of the babies. It will be fun having some new mommies in the group for these last 3 months.

This Friday Avrie and I have a play date with Katie and Parker and Avrie also gets to see her long lost BF Nolan next Wednesday!

* Avrie's 6month photos

There were TOO many good one's to choose from, but in the end we went with these shots:

 {she wasn't quite sitting up the very best just yet- i love that she is kind of peeking/falling over...}

{her little muscles & overalls are just TOO cute in this one!}

{with her hands together and her feet kicked up- you would think someone put her like this, 

but NOPE she does this all on her own when laying on her belly}

{i followed the trend of picking out one FAV mommy/baby photo in b&w that i have purchased previously. this photo will be displayed along with those. xo!}

Thank you to CT Ryan, again... as always FANTASTIC job! I can't believe and don't want to believe that baby's last session in this series {1 year} is not that far away! ahhhhhhhhhh where has the time gone!?

* Gabriel Goes to The Movies!

Last weekend Mom {Grandma E} wanted to take Gabriel to his first movie in the theater. Not knowing how he would handle the dark, she asked Jamie to come along. She/they "forgot" to invite me so I kindly invited myself ;)

I know... they reminded me that Mom and I do things together all of the time, but it was more about me wanting to ALSO get to spend time with Gabriel and be apart of his first movie experience. I would LOVE to take him to a movie any dang time he wants from now until he's old! Going to the movies is one of my all time favorite things to do and also something that I haven't been able to do much of with Avrie keeping me busy at home.

We planned for an 11:20am showing of Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax". Gabriel called it "The LorDAX". After settling into our seats with all of our snacks- Gabriel got into the story right away. I loved when he would laugh out loud at the silliest of things- you know the only kind of things that little kids would laugh at. It's so fun & different watching a movie a 2 year old vs. another adult. hehe

Gabriel was SO into the movie, that at some point there was another little one crying that was carried out by their mommy and as they made their way out of the dark theater... Gabriel proceeded to SHUSH them "Shhhhhhhhhhhh"- hahaha!

After the movie I took a photo of Gabriel on this movie day of fun. He loved the giant bucket of popcorn- so much that he even takes after grandma and took the leftover popcorn home with him.

It was a fun afternoon, I loved the movie- I kept hearing that the bad reviewers said the movie doesn't send a good message to kids. But I don't agree- I don't feel like kids that are 5 and under are really going to understand "the bad message" that some movie goers are saying {chopping down trees in order to make money}. It was a cute story, with fun characters, quirky words, fun songs & bright colors- a classic Dr. Seuss all the way! I'd say take your favorite little one and make a date of it!

* Avrie Jo: 36 weeks

 This Week:

• Avrie is: 36 weeks old! 
• Avrie had a busy week doing the following: standing, she is getting more and more brave with her standing. she will let go of my hand with one of her hands and she will lean forward on to something that is in front of her so that she can "stand" as in photos 248 & 254. grandpa billy schlomka was up for morning visit- she showed him how well she eats peaches and yogurt. he was impressed with how quick she eats- there is no messing around when it comes to food with this girl! in photo 250 avrie is sucking on her pointer finger- this is her que for "mommy, i'm tired!" i think it's so cute- she has also had her hands/fingers/everything in her mouth so much b/c her teeth have REALLY been bothering her this week. even though she still has yet to pop a tooth! this weekend avrie was outside in the yard a lot. saturday we took a long walk all the way to the back of our lot {we live on 10 acres} i was SWEATING by the end... she was falling asleep in my arms. the next night, daddy had a HUGE fire outside and we headed out to check out the flames- i love avries hat! in photo 253 avrie is sticking her tongue out- a favorite thing of hers to do, too cute.
  
• Avrie's current favorite activity is: getting mommy's attention! she has figured out a way to really get me to react to her. when she wants me and wants me NOW she holds her breath and yells all at the same time... i dont know she does it but her whole body tenses up and she makes her face turn beat red!! i HATE it... i wish she wouldn't DO IT and i am going to ask the doctor about it and he is going to look at me like i'm crazy. oh and p.s. just TONIGHT she put two {hands} and two {feet} together and crawled on all fours for a TINY bit! now i am sure she will master it in no time. i think she knows that the army crawl {for now} will get her where she wants to be much faster.
  
• Dr. appts this week: no appts.
  
• We are Thankful for: baby orajel {thank you sister!} & icy teethers. and seeing the robins out and 50 degree temps!! spring is right around the corner!
  

Next week: 
Avrie is looking forward to: her last class of waterbabies tomorrow night and then another weekend home just hanging out- maybe we will take another walk in the woods- that was FUN!

* February Cooking Class

February cooking class was nothing short of DELICIOUS! It was simple, yet tasty and items I would never think to make on my own. This is something that I love about cooking class- I always take home a new idea, but I need to be better about incorporating them into our weekly meal plans.

Avrie and I attended both classes. The second class was a last minute decision and worked out perfect seeing that Lana was down for a visit, so she was able to join us again. It was not long ago that she was down and able to join us for class a couple months ago as well.

Our menu, as I mentioned, was simple and more meal like with two main course items. We made Chicken Kiev {from scratch} SO good. We learned a great tip for making your chicken extra crunchy when baking. Toast your bread & panko crumbs on the stovetop before breading the chicken for baking in the oven. The chicken kiev was served on a bed of Rice Pilaf and Alfredo Sauce. Along with our chicken we made a rich and tasty Shrimp Alfredo Pizza- this would also be SO good with chicken! I recall it being difficult for the class to pick a real favorite, as everything was so good!

For dessert, we went with a Pinterest found item, Mini Red Velvet Cheesecakes. It's a good thing that my mom tests each menu item before using them in class, because this particular dessert recipe was WAY off. Due to my Mom's kitchen talent she was able to make them "better" of course! 

As with other mini dessert we have had in the past- we decided that 3 mini cupcakes equals one large cupcake. I think I even had FOUR at each class. Oops!

Last month I talked about the new punch card/cooking class info cards. These are new this year with an inviting photo {we love our wine at class!} and on the back a punch program of sorts. Along with class you are invited to but not obligated to order and maintain your kitchen supply of Wildtree and or Pampered Chef. After 5 orders of $25 each- you are then eligible for a  20% discount on any order.

New or Old, we hope to see you at classes in March! 

* Avrie Jo: 35 weeks

 This Week:

• Avrie is: 35 weeks old! 
• Avrie had a busy week doing the following: making silly faces, she closes her eyes real tight when she is fake crying now {hehe}. avrie was finally able to meet her uncle garrett & aunt jenny this past week- they were up from texas for grandma evenson's funeral that we all traveled back to minn lake for. at gma & gpa sonnek's she had fun playing with toys, visiting with a lot of family and being cute as a cupcake {photo 244}. we made it back home on saturday afternoon and sunday avrie and i had a fun afternoon hanging out with auntie jamie, cousin gabriel, cousin amber and baby W who is 6 months in utero ;) on monday we had a fun playdate/lunch with our playgroup friends then avrie helped me grocery shop- she has only sat up in the cart a couple of times... she kind of slumps to one side and slides down but we manage- the carseat is just too much and she is outgrowing it REALLY fast! and... yesterday avrie turned 8 months!!! my usual photo session of her laying on her back didn't go as well as it has the past 7 months. she is on the move and really fast- so... photo 247 shows her in action rolling every which way while i sat back being REALLY patient and trying to catch just one photo of her on her back- HA. later on aaron told me that "i should of just had her sitting up"... hmmm why didn't i think of THAT!?
  
• Avrie's current favorite activity is: slithering {i call it slithering, b/c she is fast}... remember last week when i said she is close to crawling... well she rocks ALL OF THE TIME- and looks like a little frog, but no crawling. what she does do is slither and she is FAST! we had to put the baby gate up by the stairs. she pulls herself along the floor with her arms and pushes off with her toes and gets anywhere and everywhere she is allowed.
  
• Dr. appts this week: no appts.
  
• We are Thankful for: safe driving weather AGAIN to minn lake in the middle of "winter" and bouncy exercise saucers- she still loves hanging out in that thing.
  

Next week: 
Avrie is looking forward to: making a snowman outside in the first REAL accumulating snow fall so far this winter! this weekend we are also looking forward to hanging out with mommy's friend michelle- she will be meeting avrie for the first time.

* Feb Challenge: day 28 & 29

LAST DAY!

day twenty-eight: "money"

 {cleaning out the purse and finding some change, fun.}

day twenty-nine: "something i am listening to"

{avrie napping... notice the mini cadbury's in the background!?}

and blog challenge- DONE.

* Feb Challenge day 27

day twenty-seven: "something i ate"

{yummmmmmmmmmmm.... anyone else OBSESSED with these EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR!?}

* Feb Challenge: day 23, 24, 25 & 26

gone and away from home = behind on the february blog challenge.

day twenty-three: "my shoes"

{i am SO NOT a shoe person- at all... these are some of my current go to kicks- so boring, right?!} 

day twenty-four: "inside my bathroom cabinet"

{the house of perfume. i was REALLY hoping we would get to our bathroom gut & remodel this winter BUT looks like we again have to wait... FL vaca comes first, anything for warm sun! haha once we DO get this done... we will be turning this weird bathroom closet into something like so}

day twenty-five: "green"

{in avrie's weekly update this past week, i mentioned a favorite page in one of the books- the fresh green grass page- she still really loves this book.}

day twenty-six: "night"

{tonight i am watching the AA's and folding a very LARGE pile of laundry...} 

*only 3 more days of this!

*Avrie Jo: 34 weeks

 This Week:

• Avrie is: 34 weeks old! 
• Avrie had a busy week doing the following: waterbabies w/ daddy, being silly {sock in the mouth- sucking on it, so silly}, spending an entire day out and about with mommy & daddy- we had a tax appt, went shopping, went to lunch and had a bank meeting- LOVE photo 236! she just sat there like that with aaron watching me while i ate my panera breakfast sandwich- like "are you gonna share that with me or what!?" avrie had fun sharing toys and playing with her friend kenley last saturday. when playing on the floor, avrie is almost always on all fours rocking- she is close to crawling, soon... very, very soon. photo 239 she is trying to reach up for my purse- she is so curious about everything around her, has to touch and feel everything! avrie is also trying to figure out her sippy cup... still not really sure what to do with it besides chew on it ;)
  
• Avrie's current favorite activity is: avrie LOVES books with textures! her favorites right now are "little feet love" the green grass page & "little hands love" the pink tutu page. she is also playing the "soooo big" game, peek-a-boo and LOVES shaking anything in her hand that rattles.
  
• Dr. appts this week: no appts.
  
• We are Thankful for: fun babysitters!
  

Next week: 
Avrie is looking forward to: we will be ending our work week early and headed south to minn lake for a couple of days AND turning 8 months, next week!

* Feb Challenge: day 21 & 22

i'm a little behind, it's been a busy week... {i also need to post avrie's 365 week 34} be back with that too :)

day twenty-one: "a fave photo of myself"

 

{taken at our resort while in cabo for our wedding in Feb 2010}

day twenty-two: "where i work"

{i work from home, so this is my desk that is 100% pure chaos, ugh...}

* Feb Challenge: day 20

day 20, february 20th... our 2 year anniversary! for today, i bring you back to the LAST envelope of our anniversary countdown- shared on day one.

day twenty: "handwriting"

 {here is what i wrote on the last activities card for our countdown}

i will be back to share our 2 year anniversary date night later this week.

* Feb Challenge: day 17, 18 & 19

"is it the end of the month yet?" kidding... again, i keep forgetting to post these challenge photos on their day, but anyway- here you have the last three days:

day seventeen: "time"

{we had such a long day... left the house at 9am and returned home at this time with a HUGE headache!}

day eighteen: "drink"

{enjoying a nice glass of pinot- notice the thin mints and baby monitor in the background}

day nineteen: "something you hate to do"

{i hate hate HATE filling the humidifier!}