Desperately Seeking Ava...

I think my daughter was born in the wrong decade.

And can I just say that she is a delightful little girl.

Check Up

I took Ian for his weigh-in last week and he's gained 3 pounds in the last month! He's still only in the 14th percentile but he looks chubbier and feels heavier. He's finally getting some kissable rolls on his chin and thighs. I think the formula is working and he seems a lot happier. Yay!

adventures in food carting...

So last Sunday we tried a new food cart with a family from church. Our girls have become fast friends after bonding over similar experiences in mama abandonment. They suggested we go to the grilled cheese grill and after hearing that you eat in a school bus, we were all for it. The girls LOVED it. They sat at the "bar" and took turns driving and then of course there was grilled cheese. I got "the preschooler" which is the classic with the crusts cut of. The other varieties looked equally tasty and I was very tempted to get the fatty melt which was a hamburger with two grilled cheese sandwiches as buns, but decided I had devoured a few too many calories over the week to justify it. Anyway, this is the spot to go with kids and apparantly after all the bars close and your drunk and craving deep fried cheesy goodness.

could they be any cuter?!

birthday week!

So today it was back to reality after Ben and I spent a few days celebrating our birthdays. And oh it could not have been any more beautiful, relaxing, spontaneous, and foodilicious. Except maybe if we had celebrated in a certain far away land where Gelato and topless sunbathing on the mediterranean are the order of the day. But I digress... Ben took Thursday off to celebrate my day and also to not have to teach with his mouth full of canker sores. He let me make every decision and cleaned all the dishes and did kid duty all day. We started with breakfast at our favorite local spot and even played cards while Ian slept and Ava relished her hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. Then we drove along the river with a new cd and the windows down and stopped in Lake Oswego so I could wander through the stores. Ben entertained Ava with the princess memory game on his phone and Ian chilled in his stroller. The weather was 70 and sunny and then we came home and I read outside and took a long nap. We took the kids to a fun park and then met my parents at Red Robin for our free birthday burgers.

On Friday we took the kids to my parents house and went to the park to play tennis. We used to play all the time and I don't think I've played since before Ava was born so it was so nice to do a pre-kids activity. Then we changed and went downtown to try a new sandwich place we read about. It was good and a new neighborhood is always fun to explore. Ben went to a favorite bike store and then we finally made it to voodoo doughnut. I've been wanting to go here for years but the line is always around the block and even though it's right by our church we can't ever seem to make it. I think it's one of the only Portland restaurants to make it onto food network which makes it imposible to get into. So when we drove by and there was no line I made Ben pull over for a maple bar with bavarian cream filling. I know...I know... So onto more shopping and then to a consignment shop to buy each other our birthday gift of a painting for our living room. Although we didn't find anything so finally we went back to my parents to pick up the kids.

Ben's actual birthday was Saturday and he had to help someone move so he didn't get much of a fun day. I did make him an awesome chocolate oreo milkshake for dessert though and he enjoyed his real present later that night. :)

All in all we had a great weekend and I was sad to see it end. I got some really fun presents from my awesome friends and I felt loved and celebrated! Here's a few highlight pictures:

Ava at the park

aforementioned doughnut

Mini cupcakes from Anne...AMAZING!

hot chocoloate bliss

Happy Mother's Day to me!

Today has been wonderful and I just thought I'd post a little of our day. Ben brought me Ian to nurse and then took him and Ava downstairs so I could get some more sleep. Then they all showed up with cards and a Panera bagel with fruit for breakfast. It was very sweet and Ben always has a way with cards that makes me cry and laugh. The sun was shining and it was warm enough to wear sandals and short sleeves. We went to church and took my mom out to Outback for lunch. Then we came home and I got to sit in the sun and read while the kids napped for two hours. It was a relaxing day and I feel very loved. It's too bad mother's day only comes once a year.

post nap snuggle fest

This week in pictures...

Ava told me she was going to go "pwactice my gardening"

"Princess gown...check. Tiara...check. Shovel...check" ok she's all set

Her main goal in dressing herself is to see how many skirts I will let her leave the house in.

I went in to check on her last night and found her asleep surrounded by her bibles.

She's partly obsessed with bible stories right now and partly hoping the bibles will protect her from monsters. It's pretty cute.

Roses from my fabulous in-laws and a moment of creativity. Such a fun treat for a Wednesday afternoon.

Ben's fun idea for our moms. If you squint your eyes and stand really far away you can almost tell what it says. :)

mom's 60th

Last week was mom's 60th birthday and I worked really hard to make it a special occasion, from the 2 day affair that is lemon cheesecake, to a photo album, dinner, banana muffins, presents, and this video which we projected onto the wall at the end of the night. This is why I should not confer with my overachieving friends (yes I'm talking to you Jenni!) before birthdays. Because I think, Oh I could do that, and then I have to end up staying in bed until 3 in the afternoon the next day to recover. Anyway, I think she felt very loved so it was all worth it.

Operation chubby

So Ian and I have had a rough go of it these last couple of weeks. We found out at his doctor's appointment that he was underweight and only in the fourth percentile. I actually was starting to see his ribs. So I started feeding him more and it was just frustrating for both of us. I never had milk problems with Ava and the girl was a buddah. This is her at four months.

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Most feedings with Ian have ended in one or both of us crying. So we've started adding formula to his diet. Part of me feels sad that I can't provide enough milk for him and at how much it's going to cost but I think we're close to a good balance and it's nice to know he's getting what he needs. So during this process I started taking mother's milk tea and this herbal supplement called Fenugreek. I read that it makes your milk taste like maple syrup but it actually makes me smell like maple syrup. Well you can only imagine Ben's comments to this new change , not to mention Ava constantly telling me, "Mama you smell like cooookies!" And the people who try on the clothes after me at Nordstrom Rack are probably going to be a little confused as to why they're suddenly craving pancakes. But it seems to be working, although I have to take 14 huge pills a day. I think he's getting bigger and that's really all that matters. I suppose I should be thankful that I have options and that my new medicine doesn't make me smell like mashed potatoes, because that would just be weird.