Into The Second Week

If it's even possible, we finally feel like we know what we are doing, at least in terms of the basics. Ava is healthier still, and so are we. It has made all the difference in the world.

We have been very fortunate with Ava's sleeping habits, although we have been following some of the scheduling and sleeping advice in the book Good Night, Sleep Tight. The book has been invaluable, and as a result, Ava is taking two naps a day and sleeping well through the night, with just a few stirrings that last only a few minutes. Last night she slept from 7 until 2:20, at which time we gave her a bottle and then she slept until 6:30. Naps have been a little trickier, but with some of the gentle techniques in the book, we have been able to get her down fairly quickly (within 10 minutes) and she has been sleeping for about 40 min to an hour at each nap. Bedtime is easier, and she doesn't fuss anymore when we put her in the crib. We couldn't be more pleased! Ah, sweet sleep. We'll just see how long this lasts.... Since she is so close to walking now, we've read that milestones like this become additional hurdles (among many others) in getting a child to sleep.

Today for lunch Ava tried some straight-up, vitamin-packed avocado. She didn't like it as much as the tofu, although she ate about a dozen pieces before moving on to some spoon-fed sweet potatoes. She finished up with some of those yummy Gerber puffs. I think she would eat only those if we allowed her!

A couple of new things she does: Makes kissy faces and noises. Winks without being prompted. Stands for 3 or 4 seconds unassisted! (That was a surprise to her and us. She stood up with a book, and when she realized she was standing, she went straight down to her bottom!) Babbles more. When prompted, sometimes puts her arms up to indicate "all done," as we've been showing her.

We also want to just give another BIG THANKS for all the clothes, food and support everyone has been giving us. In fact, if you are not aware, bringing us food can be your ticket to see Ava sooner than later. Ha ha. Just kidding. Sort of.

Riding, Standing, Sleeping, Walking

Ava is STILL under the weather, but she is eating and drinking like a crazed hyena. Actually, it's more like a crazed vegetarian hyena. She wolfed down some tofu today and loved it. We coated the little bits with crushed apple puffs. In fact, she enjoyed the tofu so much she ate it at two meals.

During supper, Ava demonstrated her ability to do two complicated tasks at once: eating tofu while spitting up tofu. It was a very minor refund on the tofu, but she didn't skip a beat, reaching instantly for another tasty morsel and replacing the lost soy cubes without hesitation. We are so proud.

We also heaped some apple sauce on her tray and let her loose. She really went to town on the pile, swishing it around with her hands, coating her sleeves. She ended up eating a bunch of it as the tofu and apple sauce mingled. A delicious treat.