Flowers for Mother's Day

Doug and I picked-out some flowers at HD the day before Mother's Day. We hope to enjoy them this season, and possibly for many seasons to come! These were some pictures of the flowers we've planted within the past few weekends.

Plectranthus mona lavender & white salvia (& purple flower-wheel for Ava)


Lilies


Lilies


Cockscomb (Plumosa) and some sort of yellow flower


Cockscomb (Plumosa), close-up


The mysterious unnamed yellow flowers


This past weekend, Doug made a trellis and I painted it, so our newly-planted Clematis could climb to the high heavens. I've always liked seeing clematis around other people's mailboxes, so I thought it might be nice if we gave it a try ourselves. It seems to grow really well in the full-sun of Georgia.

H. F. Young Clematis and our spankin'-new trellis


H.F. Young Clematis, close-up


I've always loved foxglove flowers. They're very interesting-looking. One myth states the flowers are called "foxglove", because foxes would save the flowers and wear them on their paws during Winter, to stay warm. This is my first attempt at tending to them.

Foxglove (digitalis purpurea)


Foxglove (digitalis purpurea)


I also ordered some Cockscomb seeds (Celosia argentea cristata-Chief mix), which I'm very anxious to receive in the mail and plant. Some of my Grandmother's relatives in Kentucky have beautiful fuschia cockscomb flowers. The flowers are fool-proof, hearty and seriously the size of a human brain (they actually look like a 12 to 16-inch velvet brain, in my opinion)!

Cockscomb is named as such, because some varieties of the flower looks like the "comb" of a rooster. I ordered a mix of colors, so I'm anxious to see what colors bloom. There was a very pretty yellow-gold color for sale, which I've never seen before. Unfortunately it was sold-out. Hopefully the seed mix I ordered contains at least one of the yellow-gold flowers. The fuschia-looking flowers we planted in pots (on our porch) are also cockscomb, but they are of the "plumosa" variety. It's amazing how different two flowers with the same name can appear! See below for a few of the MANY different types of celosia / cockscomb.

Love and flower-power,
Shelly

Recent pictures

And The Home Of The Brave

Braves game with my team from work:

pics

My Girl Wants To Potty All the Time, Potty All the Time, Potty All the Time…

We recently introduced Ava to the "potty". A neighbor recommended and let me borrow a book “Diaper-Free Before Three”. The book states that “the earlier you start, the earlier you finish”. Sounds good to me! We’re in the “introduction” phase, currently, letting Ava get comfy with the whole toilet experience. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to be a diaper-Nazi, but thought it couldn’t hurt to help Ava learn the process.



I told the day care principal about wanting to start the process. She says her own kids started the potty-training experience at six months, and were completely potty-trained by their first birthdays???? Whaaaa? Based on the book I’m reading, it appears that most other countries potty-train much earlier than we do in the United States. I found that pretty interesting. (The day care principal is from China.)



The first time I put Ava on the toilet (about two months ago), she wasn’t having it. She threw a fit, stiffened her body, cried, and that was that. My neighbor reassured me this was normal, and to casually give it a “go” again. Okay, if the following pictures aren't blackmail for when she's older, I don't know what will be... She SERIOUSLY looks constipated in these pictures, although she wasn't. In fact, this "round" didn't result in a full pot... Doug and I cracked-up when we saw these pictures. She was just having fun hangin' out on the potty chair, with her fun books...



A few weeks ago: I put Ava on the toilet for what seemed like forever. Normally a pretty “regular’ kid, she didn’t think it was time to “go”. She LOVED sitting on the potty-chair that Grandpa Carey made especially for her, though!



The next day: I put Ava on the toilet for 10-15 minutes. She didn’t go. I took her off, she decided to start tinkling in the bathroom floor. I immediately put her back on the toilet. No tinkle-sprinkle. I took her off the toilet. Tinkle-sprinkle on the floor. I put her back on the toilet, and she decided to go herself. Yay! Breakthrough!



The day after: Again, normally a very regular kid, she didn’t go when I thought she might. Seeing her hunched over and concentrating in her high chair at dinner (with her face turning a deeper shade of red every second), I knew it was time :-). I took her to the toilet, read through the “Elmo Goes To Potty” and “It’s Potty Time” books (complete with fun flushing sound effects). Twenty minutes later, we have jackpot! (or should I say “semi-full pot” :-)).



Since then, we've tried putting Ava on the toilet after each meal. Somehow I don't think she is associating the toilet with "going", completely yet. Hopefully we'll get into a routine and work-out the kinks... (okay, pun intended, sorry TMI :-) We've had some success a few times. I never thought I would do the happy-dance in the bathroom, because someone else "poopied". My how things have changed...



The poor kid has also been cutting more teeth (at least three, this time). They're cropping up everywhere! Truthfully, I'd rather they come in all at once, so she can be done with it for a while.



I am so gonna pay for these pictures in the future...

It’s a straight flush,
Shelly

The Bunny Family

Ava has her own "Bunny family", of stuffed animals, which are on a regular rotation in her crib. Yesterday we saw a different bunny family!



Looking in our backyard, we saw quite a few bunnies. We then figured out there are FIVE BUNNIES (four adults and one baby bunny) which reside next to our creek, in the far back corner of our yard. When I was transplanting lantana last Sunday afternoon, I heard something scurry in the wooded area, but thought it sounded too big to be a squirrel. Now I'm certain it must've been one of the bunnies.

Yesterday they were very playful, running circles around our backyard. Of course Ava LOVED to watch the bunnies. She said "Bah!!!!" (The bunnies didn't seem too phased by her constant pounding on the kitchen window, due to her extreme excitement). I put some carrots and lettuce out for them, which seemed to scare them off momentarily.



Ava loves the outdoors! When I bring her home from daycare, she gets upset when we walk upstairs instead of me setting her down to run out of the garage, to play outside. She loves to venture around and check-out nature. She's not afraid of getting dirty, either! I've been planting some flowers lately, and often she wants to help.

She officially "runs". I'm sure we're in for our fair share of bumps and bruises on the noggin', now that she's Speedy Gonzales.



Ava has been especially cuddly lately. She clings to my neck like a little koala bear. She gives many kisses and hugs. She likes to be held when inside, but when she's outside, set her down and watch her go!!!

It's amazing what Ava understands, lately. When it's time for Ava to take a bath, I undress her and then tell her it's time for a bath. She runs over to our stairway, waiting for me to open the gate, so she can walk up the stairs. It's hysterical to watch how she walks up the stairs. She holds onto our hands and likes to use one foot per step. I guess this is how she sees us walk up the stairs, so she doesn't think she should do it any differently. :-) She thinks she's grown!



Have a great weekend!

Shelly

P.S. - Our "pool membership" (at a neighboring sub-division) starts today. We'll be putting it to good use this year! The weather has been absolutely beautiful lately, with a bit of a breeze to keep everything cooled-off. Nice!

Happy Mother's Day!

We had a great Mother's Day, and hope you did, too!

I woke up to cards and two gifts on the kitchen table. For Mother's Day, Ava got a card for me, as well as two books I can read to her. One is the "Mommy and Me" Baby Einstein book. Doug said she actually did pick it out. It's funny; she LOVES the kangaroo on the Baby Galileo DVD. The Mommy and baby kangaroo are both on the cover of the book, so she "picked the book" for Mommy. Ava also made a card at school, that has her handprints in red paint. Doug had a very nice card, perfume and earrings for me.

We went to early service at church. Doug was sweet to drop-off Ava in the nursery and said he would get her if we got the dreaded / typical "page" in the middle of the sermon. Half way into the sermon, I asked Doug if he thought the pager was broken. (We've had this happen twice in the past; the nursery attendants tried to page us to no avail.) Doug said he would go check on Ava... She was FINE! We think we learned our lesson, that Daddy needs to drop-off Ava in the nursery (instead of me) for us all to have a drama-free Sunday morning. Doug drops her off at day care, so I guess she is used to that routine. Ahh, sweet sanity.

We headed home so Ava could take a nap, thinking we would go out for an early evening dinner and avoid the Mother's Day lunch rush. The day prior, we bought some flowers and landscaping supplies at HD, so Doug and I both worked on the landscaping while Ava took a very long nap. It is SWELTERING already, here in GA! The landscaping looks very nice, though. Doug and I came to the realization that we will NEVER have a garden in our back yard... We transplanted some lantana plants from our front yard into our backyard. There is SO MUCH CLAY in the back yard; we're hoping the lantana will survive and thrive. 'No vegetable gardens while we're living in this house! From our time spent in the sun, I got a bit of a sunburn on my shoulders, neck and the back of my arms from bending-down gardening. I am officially a "red" neck.

When Ava woke up, we thought we would go for an early dinner at Red Lobster on the way to small group. I LOVE their salads and broiled flounder. I used to work for "RL" in high school and during college. Ava didn't share mine and Doug's vision of a peaceful dinner, so we ended-up leaving RL earlier (scarfing down dinner). She wailed the entire way home. We haven't known what her deal has been lately; it seems like whenever she gets in her car seat, she cries. She definitely prefers to be walking around and exploring, instead of strapped-into a car seat. I figured it out yesterday... She is cutting at least two teeth on the bottom and one top-front tooth. There are two more that are also growing in. She hasn't been eating a bunch, hasn't been sleeping soundly at night, so this explained it. When it rains, it pours! I just pray that they come in quickly and with as little pain as possible.

All in all, it was a wonderful Mother's Day! Sunshine, flowers, long baby naps, a nice breeze and my sweet husband and little girl here, too. God truly blesses us over and over again.

We hope you were able to have a great day, too, spoiling your Mom and other family members.

With love,
Shelly

The Newest Hairstyles, Straight From Paris...

Pigtails, anyone? I've seen other babies with cute hairstyles; "waterfalls", side-ponytails, pigtails. Why not our kid? So, I attempted to fashion my daughter's hair into pigtails. I was laughing so hard, trying to take these pictures... She has STUMPS for pigtails. I won't be torturing her with pigtails for another few months, I guess. These little piggies were so short, I kept trying to get the right angle for a picture... There wasn't one! These pictures are over a month old, so she has quite a bit more hair now. Still not quite enough for piggies. :-)

Old MacDonald Had a Petting Zoo...

Today the older kids at Ava's school "graduated". All parents were invited to attend the ceremony, eat lunch at the school, and then enjoy the petting zoo (next to the playground) with their child.



Ava was overdue for a nap when I got there, but managed to stay awake until the animals arrived, after noon. When the animals got there, you would've thought the Beatles plane just touched down in America. Unbelieveable pandemonium! "It's a duck! AAAAAAAAHHH!" "It's a pig! WOOOOOOOOWWWWWW!" I'm surprised my eardrums are still in tact! Ava screamed right along with the older kids, so excited to see animals walk off the pages of her story books. She would wave at those critters she recognized most easily.



I was interested to see her response to animals roaming about freely, and I wondered if the animals would be friendly. Indeed they were, and Ava didn't seem one bit timid. Now that I look at these videos, I think Ava might've been more scared of the crazy kids running around, than the animals... As you can see in the attached videos--you may want to take some Dramamine first--we were walking in circles as I was taping...she liked to chase after the animals, but somehow they move a little faster than the stuffed animals to which she is accustomed... :-)



She got on a pony a few times for a ride, and seemed a bit more cautious than she was while petting the animals. She was able to pet a duck, rabbits, a billy goat, chicks, and feed a duck. (She wanted to eat the duck-feed herself, at first). There were also roosters, a ferret, baby pigs (so cute!), a guinea pig, and some other animals I can't recall right now.



I kinda felt bad for these animals. It reminded me of the little girl in the old Animaniacs cartoon: "I will love him and squeeze him and call him George". I was glad to see these animals were still this friendly and well-adjusted after possibly having already been poked, prodded, dropped and/or stepped-on by visits to other day care centers, just like ours! :-) PETA needs to refocus their efforts, I'm thinking. :-)

All in all it was a great morning. Ava fell asleep in the car on the way home from day care; the princess continues to sleep. I'm sure her dreams are vivid and animal-filled, this afternoon!

E-I-E-I-O,
Shelly

Petting Zoo at day care
Video sent by thecareyclan

Petting Zoo at Day Care 2
Video sent by thecareyclan

Petting Zoo at Day Care 3
Video sent by thecareyclan

The Big Bad Vacuum Cleaner

Ava has been so much fun lately! She has this little delayed laugh, if Doug and I are laughing at something. She gets the joke, just a few seconds after the punchline :-)



She also has fangs. Her top front teeth aren't growing in, yet, but the teeth beside them have arrived. So, she has a little "goal post" of sorts, in her mouth. (Score!) When she laughs and throws her head back while in her car seat (with her little nose scrunched up), you can see her little fangs. Doug and I laugh endlessly about the "fangs.



I turned on the vacuum cleaner yesterday, and she just about ran out the door. I've never seen the kid move so fast! She wouldn't stop crying or calm down while I was vacuuming. I had to pick her up and vacuum. Even then, she was petrified. She didn't want to get on the floor. She's seen me vacuum before, so I'm not sure where this newfound phobia came from. What's even more interesting, is that she isn't afraid of the vacuum attachment, but she's afraid of the vacuum itself. You see, we have what looks like an "old school" vacuum cleaner. It's a Royal stand-up vacuum, with a lot of silver chrome and a bag on the back. There is a light on the vacuum itself, so you can see what you're vacuuming in dark corners. It IS LOUD! Hopefully over time she begins liking the vacuum. :-)

The weather has been in the upper 70's and low 80's this past week. Nearly every day, after I pick Ava up from day care, we hang-out outside, enjoying the weather and pushing her Fisher Price car around the cul-de-sac. She LOVES the outdoors. She walked on the grass without her shoes on the other day and didn't seem to get freaked-out. She likes to feel the grass, too. About a month ago, she didn't like to feel a flower in her hand. Now, I think she is a bit more courageous with what she'll hold or touch. She enjoys watching the neighbor's dogs go for a walk, too.

She loves to cover her eyes with her hands, and then show her eyes. When she does this, she puts her hands in the air as if to say "ta-da!", like she's some little entertainer.



Shannon, Jorge, Bella and Abbey Flores were in town this past weekend, up from Columbus. It was great to visit with them. Being that they stayed with us Friday and Saturday night, Ava had a built-in slumber party! She really seemed to enjoy watching the "big kids", and learned lots from them! It was fun catching-up with them. We went to the park on Friday night and let the kids play. Doug and Jorge have extremely similar taste in music. When Doug brought-out his guitars, Jorge would play a tune that Doug would've played. Crazy! We had a great time with them, and hope they return for a visit sometime soon!







Ava now likes to "high five", and point at Mommy and Daddy's noses. She can't seem to point to her own nose yet, but is getting close. She runs around like crazy. Thinks she owns the joint, here. She LOVES her Barbie laptop, and types on it like she knows what she's doing. It's pretty funny to watch.

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When I walk up the stairs with her, she likes to walk up the steps (holding onto my hands), instead of crawling. The funny thing is, she likes to take only one step per step, just like an adult would. So, it's a stretch for her to walk with one foot on each step, but she does (with our help).

Oh, this was the sweetest thing. I was singing "Old MacDonald" one day, and got to the "E-I-E-I-O" part. I kept repeating it, and Ava was focused intently on my face / mouth, trying to understand how to say it. She now says "E-I-E-I", with her sweet little voice.

She can "woof-woof" like a dog, and if she sees a monkey in a book, she can "ooh-ooh-ooh".

Ava has an appetite like I've never seen. At day care, they tell us that she is such a good eater, and that they wouldn't believe how much she eats, if they didn't see it themselves. She LOVES ravioli, canteloupe, watermelon and just about anything you throw her way, with exception to green beans (lately). For example, one day at day care: she ate five fish sticks, a small plastic container of ravioli, an entire banana, two bottles of milk and part of one sippy-cup of juice. What can I say? The kid has an appetite!

These days have to be the best days yet, with her in our lives. It is so fun to watch her explore and find exciting new things about the world. She seems to meet every experience with a smile and so much happiness; we'll work on the vacuum. :-) For that we are thankful.

Enjoy the day and all it has to offer!

With love,
Shelly