Birthday Fiesta

Ava's birthday party was this weekend.

The theme was a Dora the Explorer fiesta.

We had Mexican appetizers and burritos (hotdogs for most of the kids). Vic and I bought Ava a giant inflatable for her birthday, so the kids were able to entertain themselves in that despite the fact that it was nearly 100 degrees outside. Every so often, the sun went behind the clouds and there was a reprieve from the sweltering heat that actually allowed you to be outside. Vic held the pinata on a stick while the kids whacked at it- he is very brave considering the kids' heights.

Ava had a great time. At the after-party, we stripped her down and let her and a buddy swim and bounce. Daddy made a HUGE mistake and allowed Ava to play during this time in her actual birthday suit. She proceeded to poop in the pool and yard. Probably spending too much time with the dog.

Eli, of course, was an angel. He never really fusses, just a sweet boy. In addition to teething though, he was wondering who all these people were in his house.

The Sponge

Ava is the Sponge. Lately, her vocabulary has increased significantly. Unfortunately, there are a few words that should never be spoken by anyone so young (okay, probably not anyone). For example, we stopped by a restaurant last night to pick up dinner. I went to a door marked "to go orders". I pulled on the door, but it was locked to which Ava commented "sh#t" to voice her disappointment. This morning, she was eating yogurt and dropped her spoon, getting yogurt on her chair. Again, there was another "sh#t". Luckily, so far, she has only done it around me, at least that I am aware of. I am dreading the impending moment that she mutters the word in public. Hopefully, Vic will not be around, and I can say something like- "I told her dad he needs to watch what he says around her". The lesson here being that you must always choose your words carefully, you never know who is listening (and filing away to repeat later). However, if sh#t, is the worst of what she repeats, I will consider us lucky and remember that the Sponge is always listening.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Well, the Goodins continued their streak of bad luck all the way to Pensacola. First, a four hour car ride took us 6 hours. Then, it continued to rain for the next three days, only to stop on the fourth and our final day in Pensacola. So, we had about two hours of sunshine the entire trip. And, Ava got eaten alive by bugs not to mention scrapes and bruises covering just about every inch of her.
The good news is that I love my family even more after being trapped in our car and then our condo for hours. We are fun. We laughed, played, watched TV (e.g. Dora, Cars, Cinderella, and Mickey Mouse), cooked, and drank (us, beer,Ava, juice). We are beginning to officially feel like a normal (but, fun) family. Eli is off oxygen and almost all of his meds, so things are good. We still look at him and can't believe he is the same baby that weighed in at 2lb 14 oz and spent three and a half months on the ventilator. Now, we see a 14 pound baby that laughs and is developing a real personality. Also, other good news is that no one got sunburned.

Ava was such a blast this trip. She wore her floaties at all times and got in and out of the pool completely on her own. Her being able to get in and out of the pool, however, was tiresome. She runs really fast. She ran around and around the pool, really fast. She chased people that weren't even running from her, yelling-"I get you" and cracking herself up. She even liked the beach- loved getting knocked down by waves with her daddy. Eli was not so crazy about the pool, which is understandable why a 4 month old would not be comfortable in a big cold bath tub with other people when he is just getting used to his blue baby tub. However, not once did he cry- just kept a look of fear on his face. Such a good boy.

Well, we're home now. The vacation is over. Ava and a pen were a quick return to reality. And she is back to her favorite pastime- TV, though not quite ready to leave the beach behind.

Sh#% Fingers

This is not an adjective and a noun (not in this particular case, anyway) but a verb, an action. An action performed by Miss Ava Claire. Lately, Ava can't seem to keep it in her pants- poop that is. Her new favorite pastime is to poo, stick her fingers in her diaper, then run at you yelling "oh, no!!". As a result of this act being performed numerous times over the past few weeks, Ava has learned lots of new words (most she probably shouldn't)- like, nasty, stinky, and shewwwww (okay, this isn't a word, but we're not playing scrabble here). Sorry I don't have a picture to post for you of this. I know you are disappointed but not as disappointed as I will be when I am recounting this story to Ava's future boyfriends.

Ava, be sweet please

These are the words muttered over and over in our house these days. Ava REALLY loves Eli, but she also likes to test the boundaries with him. She likes to hug him (not so gently), kiss him (again, not so gently), feed him her snacks- he likes goldfish, all,very sweet things. However, she also likes to cover his nose and mouth with her hands (not good for a baby who already has airway issues), drag him by his legs/arms/head, and ride him like he is a horse, among other things that are not so sweet. So, we find ourselves saying over and over"Ava, be sweet please". And Ava is, a very sweet girl. Probably, the sweetest girl ever.

We spent most of the weekend in our backyard pool. Actually, we have two pools. Daddy likes to mix it up and throw in the slide sometimes, too. Ava loves her pools. She has no fear, sliding down at warp speeds and smashing into whatever happens to be in her way. She has the battle wounds today from a weekend spent in the water. Luckily (or maybe not for me), Ava is off school this week, so I can avoid explaining all of the scrapes/bruises/marks covering her. So, Ava, Mommy, Daddy, and dog spent the weekend in the pools. Eli enjoyed watching from afar in his swing- out of danger's (Ava's) way.

We have officially lost control.......

.....or maybe I have just given up. I am such a pushover these days for Ava- all she has to do is say "pease, mommy", and I melt. Which leads me to this morning.........Ava wanted "chocate" in her morning "baba" (sippy cup). And if you are wondering already, yes, I am going to make you a little nauseous by spelling out grammatically each word of Ava's that I can make out (and those that I guess/interpret on my own). So, Ava had chocolate milk this morning. Does this make me a bad parent? Gosh,I hope not because I have given into so much WORSE than chocolate milk. Now Ava is content, watching Blues Clues and Dora on her 42" flat screen TV and sipping (really chugging) her chocolate milk. She really has it good.


Then, there is my sweet boy. He slept eight hours straight last night, then woke for his breakfast and right back to sleep in his swing. He is such a sweet, sweet boy. He has now been home from the hospital for two months. Still, not as long as he lived at the hospital but we're getting there. He has made such progress in the past two months. It is like he is a different baby. Though, he is still on all of the same meds and oxygen at night, he is eating like a champ. He is now 3 months adjusted (six months old, but adjusted for his prematurity) but eating like a six month old. He definitely has his sister's appetite. And yes, we have spotted some fat rolls! He is approaching 12 pounds, a long way from his 2lb 14oz at birth.

So, this is our first official blog post. Maybe boring to some but never a dull moment for us. As every parent knows, anything that your child does is the cutest, smartest, and most interesting thing there is. Prepare to be amazed.