avablog

It’s been fun lately to watch Ava become more interested in physical pursuits. I haven’t pushed her in this direction at all, mainly because I wanted to see what kind of natural affinity she’d have for things like throwing balls and riding bikes and scooters.
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What a nice weekend. Leah and Em had a baby “sprinkle” to attend on Sunday, which meant Leah had to have her hair done on Saturday. So Ava, Emmett, and I toodled around downtown for a spell while Buzz did their worst with my wife’s locks.
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I have a general sense that Ava’s getting used to having Emmett around. A small poster, created by her, appeared on her easel the other day that reads “I LOVE EMMETT.” She’s also having an easier time going places without us, such as school, which makes things easier.
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Leah and Ava (and Emmett, I guess?) got me a new external flash for my camera for Father’s Day, and so far, this is my favorite shot with it:

I’m such a huge fan of natural light photography that it’s going to be a real transition to using this flash more, but I can already see how it’s going to free me up indoors, especially with my Sigma 17-70 lens. Gary Fong, here I come!

So far, the coolest thing about having Emmett in the house is how much more I’ve come to appreciate Ava.
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I was reminded today that there haven’t been any posts to this blog in five days. And I was like, “Really?” But I see it’s true. Why would MySQL lie?
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Before I left the house this morning, I made Ava pinky promise that she’d give her mom a break today. It’s Leah’s first day home solo with both kids, and I’m sure it’ll be trying.
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Whew. This morning was a doozy. Ava was insistent that she didn’t want to go to school, and Emmett’s fussiness from last night carried over into the daylight. At one point, both kids (weird…”both kids”) were crying away downstairs, Emmett on my lap and Ava to her mom on the sofa in the TV room. And I thought to myself, “So this is what it’s going to be like now.” Like any responsible adult, this thought was followed quickly by, “Well, I asked for it.”
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I’d always considered Ava a tiny little thing. Until recently. I held her on my lap this morning for some cuddles before leaving for work, and she seemed downright huge. It was really odd to have that big hunk of kid on my legs after toting Emmett around on my forearm last night for some burps.

We’re all eager to see what a great sister Ava becomes as the days and months go by. We tell her frequently about all the fun things she’ll have to show Emmett this summer, and her eyes light up at the prospects. Once Emmett can see a bit better, maybe Ava can blow some bubbles for him.

My sweet, sweet Ava. This has been a tough couple weeks for our little girl. It’s wonderful to watch you with your new little brother, how you kiss his brow and pat his head. We can’t wait to watch you two grow up together.
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I took a couple pictures of Leah on her due date yesterday, and Ava insisted on getting in on the action. I never dissuade her from having her picture taken. I really like how this one turned out, even if it’s miles away from the shot Leah would’ve preferred I take of our lovely little girl. My opinion? The world doesn’t need another studio shot!

Photo note: V, if you’re reading this, this shot was taken with my Sigma 17-70mm macro lens, which I adore. I know you’re in the market for glass now.

There’s not much I enjoy more than taking a stroll through the yard this time of year to see what’s going on with the garden. I try to include Ava as much as possible; watering plants, pulling weeds, dead heading. The usual. So I was eager to grab the video camera today as I ran outside to see what Ava wanted in the yard. Here ’tis:

Ava and I were sitting together on the porch yesterday, watching the rain and listening to birds while she munched on a popsicle (no, Firefox, I’m not going to capitalize “popsicle.” Grab a kleenex to wipe your tears).
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Her balled-up little hand pressed against my black shirt in the dark of her bedroom. She whispered urgently, “Mama, you are my dark sky, and I am your bright, white moon.” My heart cracked open and flooded my body with all the light in the universe. I said, “Yes, you are, little one. Yes, you are.” Then we laid there, we two, breathing together in the darkness.

It was a great day for running through the sprinkler and then cuddling in a warm, dry towel on the porch and eating a lime popsicle. Here’s what that last part looks like:

Leah has an ingrown toenail. Rachel recommended a good soak in warm, soapy water to help with the infection and swelling. You’ll never guess who absolutely loved the idea of soaking her feet in warm, soapy water:

I took this shot a while ago and just got around to posting it. I planted this tree when we moved into our house, the thinking being that Ava and the tree could grow up together. Anyway, unlike Ava, the tree is planted in violation of city ordinances, so mum’s the word, OK? Thanks.

Cynthia posted on her blog today about our mutual hair stylist Katie (and I’m using the royal “our” here; all my “styling” is done standing up in the laundry room with hair clippers). Katie’s great. Ava lights up for her like she does for few others. I had my videocam along this evening at the appointment so I could show you what Katie’s like:

You might also notice that the comments system here at avablog is new. Enjoy the power and flexibility that is DISQUS.

Out typical Sunday lately usually involves a trip — ordinarily on foot — to Lou Henri for breakfast. Their huevos diablo is really everything a man could want in a breakfast, particularly when ordered with a side of their insanely golden hash browns and a cup of joe. Ava orders the Mickey cakes, seen here:

Recently Ava uttered her first words of ill will towards her unborn sibling. “Here we go,” I thought. I’d been expecting this, if only because it makes sense to me that a young child with direct and uninterrupted access to her parents’ time and love might well find the introduction of a competitor for those goodies as a bad thing. Encountering the sentiment suddenly and in the midst of an unrelated tantrum, I was surprised it had taken so long to arrive.
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