Easter!

Easter is big fun!

Ava was SQUIRMY all through mass, but was entertained by her buddies Trish (her babysitter), AJ (her favorite little buddy), and the entire Boyle family who sat behind us. She was making quite a racket in her new "clappy" shoes. We tried to make a quiet exit during the homily, but I think everyone heard us!

The rest of the afternoon was spend with Shelby and Selso. Ava fell asleep during dinner, but was wide awake and full of energy during her "photo shoot" with Selso, an amazing photographer. See all the pics at Photobucket!

We are weaned!

At times I thought this day would never come. We made it almost 22 months. My little nursling is a nursling no more. We were down to only 2 nursing sessions a day, but with a little effort, we dropped these last 2 and we're mommy-milk free. She still says milk when I'm changing and she catches a glimpse of a breast, which I find pretty funny, but I've been reminding her that it's all gone now, so she drinks her milk from a cup. When I embarked on this breastfeeding journey when Ava was born, I had my own (mis)conceptions of nursing, but I always felt strongly that it was something I wanted to do. And boy did I have to work hard at it in the beginning...wincing in pain and trying not to let my little precious baby see my discomfort. Cracked nipples, engorged breast, pumping malfunctions, galactocele (lactating cyst). But I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I'm very proud of the quality and length of our nursing relationship and the closeness and relaxation it imparted to us.

Bunny hop

Today Ava and I went to an Easter party. She had a great time watching all the crazy kids, making crafts (or helping mama make the crafts!) and hunting for eggs. Here she is in her cute bunny ears.

And here's a bonus picture of her napping last weekend. It's usually pretty hard to see her face amidst the mass of messy hair when she's asleep!

Thanks Auntie Shelby!

Ava was treated to almost a full weekend of fun with "Auntie" Shelby. In fact, she barely wanted anything to do with mommy! It was all about Shelby! It's really fun to see Ava so happy and comfortable with her. She was giving her kisses and snuggling her head on her shoulder. It was so adorable.