Trip to the Zoo

We took a trip to the St. Louis Zoo Thursday morning, and had a great time! Our friend Margaret went with us and helped wrangle the kids. Otherwise, the trip would not have been possible! Ava and Dane both behaved really well, but they were beat by 1 p.m., as was I.

This is the best picture I got of Ava looking at the animals (giraffes, in this case) -- all the others were of the back of her head. She kept trying to climb over the fences to get a closer look.

Ava thought it was more fun to chase the wandering birds than to look at the animals on the other side of the fence.Dane had fun, too. Ava served as his main source of entertainment for the day.Ava and Margaret looking at the "mun-kees." Well, lemurs, actually, but they were all monkeys to Ava. She's still talking about the monkeys. They were definitely her favorite animals at the zoo.Ava thought the seals swimming in the water were "feessshhh" (interpretation: fish).These are the real fish, Ava! There was also several hippos in the tank, but I don't think Ava even saw them because they were so big and close up.This tunnel was great fun to run through. We had a hard time convincing Ava to leave.And this is how we ALL felt by the time we got home!

On the Road

We got a new set of wheels! The kiddos really seem to enjoy our morning walks together, and Mommy gets a little exercise. In these pictures, they needed to wear jackets even though it's late July. We've been loving this beautiful weather! We took the new double jogger to the zoo today. Pictures from our expedition coming soon!

Bed Bath & Beyond

Naptime

There's just no way this position can be comfortable:

Bathtime

Playtime

They really DO like each other! Ava was showing Dane how the toys are supposed to work. Dane thinks anything he can get his hands on is meant for a chew toy, including electrical cords. Other current favorites include wheels (on doll strollers, ride-on toys etc.) and books/paper.

Scooter

That's what we should call him, 'cause that's what he does. Actually, the best description I've heard yet is "he looks like a seal!" Whatever it is, he's getting better at it. He can get across the living room quicker than you might think. Anyway, here's the promised video of Dane executing his not-so-graceful method of locomotion. If you listen carefully, you can also hear a little of the growling noise he makes now.

The "Other" Children

As you may or may not know, there are also two feline members of our family. The poor cats have really gotten the short end of the stick since we've had babies. They used to roam free about the house all day and night. Actually, when I first got Jake, he even slept in my bed. By the time Ava came along, they were getting locked on the porch at night, because they would practically tear the house apart chasing each other around. And when Dane was born, they were banished to the basement. Now, I've decided to give them back some freedom and let them explore the great outdoors. They seem to be enjoying it, too.

Jake

I acquired Jake when I was in college, in the summer of 1997. He's 10 years old now, which means I've known Jake longer than I've known my husband! He's an ex-barn cat whose mother was a good mouser, but you'd never be able to tell by looking at him now. Hopefully outdoor life will help him trim up a bit.

Ava was a year old before she out-weighed Jake!

Steve

(AKA Pee-Wee)

Steve is our southern cat. I suppose if cats could talk, he'd have a drawl. He joined our family when we lived in Georgia in 2003. His mama got run over by a tractor and one of the guys left him where I would find him, because he figured I would take good care of him. He fit in the palm of my hand (hence the name Pee-Wee), and was so malnourished his black fur was a brownish color. Then he developed a skunk-like white stripe down his back. Now he's true black and white. His name morphed from "Pee-Wee" to "Steve" for several reasons: 1. Russ saw an episode of Letterman where the top ten list was something like "top ten books with the name Steve in the title" and thought it was funny; 2. my brother Allen's nickname is "Pee-Wee" and I guess he didn't like sharing it with a cat; and finally 3. "Steve" is easier for Ava to say than "Pee-Wee". So there you have it, the story of Steve the Cat.

Update on Steve:

After a day or two of roaming outside during the day, Steve got brave and decided not to come in Friday night. I found him cowering in a corner of the garage Saturday afternoon, and he seemed to be really sore. Judging by the pile of black and white fur I saw out in the yard this morning, he must have gotten into a pretty big scuffle. Guess a lazy neutered house cat is no match for a farm-raised tomcat! Steve did venture outside again this afternoon, but not too far past the patio. Poor guy. Must've been traumatic.

Six Months Old

Dane turned six months old on Tuesday, and had his well-check today at the pedi's office. He weighs 18.2 lbs and is 27 inches long. For comparison, Ava weighed 18.8 lbs and was 28 inches long . . . at 12 months! Dane is growing like a weed, and he should, because he also eats like a pig. He's eating two meals per day of cereal and a fruit or veggie, and is still nursing 6 or 7 times per day. No teeth yet, but he's working on it, judging by all the drooling and chewing. Aside from a rashy face caused by all that drool (his skin is still very sensitive), he is in perfect health! Here's what Ava looked like at six months old:Dane is going to be my wild child, I think. He's already scooting all over the floor, mostly trying to get to Ava's toys. It's not exactly crawling, and it's not pretty, but it gets him where he wants to go! He can also be really difficult to hold, because he's such a wiggle worm. Sitting through a church service with him is getting interesting. Oh, and he's getting more vocal, too. He babbles constantly, and the latest sound he's learned is a growl that doesn't sound like it should come from a baby! I've got some videos of him in action that I'll post once I get them uploaded to YouTube. So, stay tuned!

I Love Rock n' Roll!

Ava is apparently a fan of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts:

More Swimming Pictures

Ava's swimming lessons are over now. The second week was much cooler than the first, and Ava wasn't quite so enthusiastic about swimming, because after about 20 minutes in the water she was shivering and turning purple. But she had a great time, and her instructor was impressed with how fearless she was in the water. At her last session, I got a few more pictures and a video of her going down the slide.

Got (Chocolate) Milk?

Ava got a special treat yesterday. Since the weather was so nice, we went across the road to the dairy farm to look at the cows. Ava got to see where milk comes from, watch the cows eat, and pet the "baby cows." Then, when we got home she got her first taste of chocolate milk, compliments of the milk truck driver (AKA Mommy's Uncle Craig).

Mmmmm. . .

Milk mustache. . .

All gone!

Just Dane

Brother & Sister

Ava and Dane are interacting a lot more these days. Most of the time, Dane enjoys Ava's show, then tries really hard to get in on the action. You can see in his eyes how determined he is to join the fun. Soon enough, he'll be crawling and getting into Ava's toys all the time. Sometimes, Ava shows that she really loves her little brother with a big hug and a kiss. And sometimes he even returns the love by looking up at her with big adoring eyes and cracking a big dimply smile for her!In these pictures, Ava crawled up on the couch and insisted that I put Dane next to her. It was really cute!

Little Mermaid

Ava started her first swimming lessons last night. She had a blast! I think she might be part fish -- she has absolutely no fear of the water. She even went down the water slide all by herself. Some of the older kids were afraid to go down sitting on the instructor's lap. Ava got mad because she couldn't understand why she had to wait in line for the other kids to go down the slide.Swimming in the big pool with her teacher, Miss Julain:

This Little Piggy . . .

Dane started waking up in the middle of the night absolutely starving, so he started eating rice cereal for breakfast about a week ago. By now, he's tried acorn squash and pears, and he gets solids for both breakfast and lunch. He loves to eat! Here a few pictures of his very first meal.

I'm ready, mom! Bring on the food!

He was so hungry and excited, he was lunging for the spoon!

Mmmmm, that was yummy. Can I have more?Messy face!