Conference Wrap-up: Insights for Breastfeeding Moms

Last week, I took Friday off of work to attend the La Leche League breastfeeding and parenting conference. It was great that the conference was in Indianapolis so we didn't have to travel out of town for it. It's a great benefit of living in the state capitol. Since it's a breastfeeding conference, babies and children are welcome to attend. So Ava and I went together. She nursed during the sessions, slept on my lap, and I carried her in the ring sling. By the afternoons she was ready to play so we stepped out when she got really vocal with talking. I was very pleased by how easy going she was during the conference, although on Sunday we were both very tired!

Dane from the milk bank was there and Ava a "Breastfed Hoosier" shirt. He said we've earned it since I've donated about 21 gallons! The breastfeeding community is fairly small, but active in Indiana so it was fun to meet other like-minded mothers. I'm very proud of what we've accomplished together since so many working moms wean much earlier than they intend. Our breastfeeding relationship is so special and worth protecting. I've talked to many moms (and dads) and they've shared the bond that they have experienced with their children through breastfeeding lasts a lifetime.

In March, I started the process to become a La Leche League Leader to help other moms and breastfeeding families. I should complete my training and preparations by December. Our group has 4 co-leaders and 4 more going through the process, but we have meetings and playgroups and a large group so having more leaders to share the burden is a great idea. I was really excited to go to the conference to learn information that would help me be more confident at helping other nursing mothers and to meet other leaders in our state.

The sessions on Friday were mainly a professional development day for lactation consultants, but LLL leaders and members are encouraged to attend. We had two major speakers, Marsha Walker and Dee Kassing, who have decades of experiences of helping breastfeeding families. Marsha Walker talked about the alarming rates and consequences of formula supplementation at hospitals and Dee Kassing talked about how to work with pumping moms, proper flange fitting, and adoptive breastfeeding.

On Saturday we breakout sessions and I learned about baby wearing, marriage relationship advice, child development, and breastfeeding information.

Here are some things that I learned at the conference that I wanted to pass along to other breastfeeding mothers.

• If you want to succeed at breastfeeding, skip the formula samples at the hospital and refuse supplementation at the hospital. According to Walker, a likely predictor of exclusive breastfeeding at 1-year is to get a good start at the hospital with lots of instances of breastfeeding, a good experience, and refusing formula.
• Breastfed babies develop 30% more lung capacity than exclusively bottle fed babies (no matter formula or breastmilk) since nursing requires more work for the baby. Bottles so easy for babies that they don't develop. I heard about breastfed babies with stronger jaw development, but never about the lung capacity. I wonder if my asthma would be better if I had been breastfed as an infant.
  
• To bring a mother's milk supply in and the baby is having difficulty draining the breast, it's best to use a hospital grade pump. This usually takes about 2-6 weeks for a mother to achieve her highest milk supply.
• Personal breast pumps are good for 1-year, 1-baby and for maintaining a mother's milk supply. I thought it was so interesting because I think many mothers don't know about this and they assume their pump from their previous child is still good to use for subsequent babies. But they start to pump less. It turns out that the pump may sound just fine, but they are not as effective.
  
• The Medela Pump In Style is much more effective than their Freestyle version, which is handsfree. Kassing said that she's seen many mothers experience lower supply due to the Freestyle pump. She recommends mothers use a pumping bra like Simple Wishes (check out my review) so that mothers can have hands free to do other things or do breast compressions.
  
• Breast pump cleaning: For Medela, remove the white membrane carefully by popping it out from the inside. If you have a full-term baby and not in the NICU, you don't have to clean your flanges more than once per 24 hour period and they do not have to be sterilized. Soapy warm water is fine. (I store my flanges in the refrigerator with my milk and they're warmed to room temperature in now time).
  
• The flanges that come standard (24mm in Medela) with the breast pump only fit 20% of mothers so it's important to be fitted by a International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. At the highest point of suck, your nipple should not touch the sides of the tunnel and about 1/2 inch of the areola should be pulled into the tunnel.
• If you have condensation in your tubing, it's likely your flanges are the wrong size.
• Adoptive breastfeeding through induced lactation: it's not about feeding the baby 100%, but more about establishing a breastfeeding relationship. Some mothers can exclusively supply milk, but it's not common. You can wait for the baby and then begin the lactation process. You should to pump 8-12 times per 24 hours (preferably by double pumping with a pumping bra so that you can also do breast compressions). Hormone treatment is not necessary, but may give a mother better results. According to Kassing, it takes about a month to produce the first drops of milk and another month to produce the mother's highest supply of milk.
• If a mother says "I'm going to try to breastfeed" it's a red flag. Breastfeeding in a bottle-fed culture takes perseverance and the lack of good breastfeeding information makes mothers second guess themselves. Marsha Walker made the point this weekend that most of the time mothers supplement with formula not by facts and science, but because of stories they hear! How scary! Supplementation is a slippery slope because your baby is getting calories from another source, which means you'll make less milk.
• In the marriage and relationships sessions, the counselor told us that there are two root emotions that drive human behavior: Fear and Love. He says that love actions can cancel the fear actions. This is important because when you introduce children into a marriage relationship it likely creates distance. So during the heat of an argument, a loving comment or action goes a long way. He suggested making time for each other and being creative with what works for you.
  

I had a great time at the conference! It was very cool to see mothers with their nursing babies and small children manage to participate to the sessions and share their experiences. Very refreshing! It makes me sad when mothers don't have the best information to ensuring their breastfeeding relationship. We do the best we can to help mothers decide for themselves what works for them and their babies.

Wholesome Weekend Treat: Whole Grain Quinoa Bread

I just made this wholesome bread from my Feeding the Whole Family cookbook by Cynthia Lair. It's a whole grain bread made with quinoa, but you can use any other cooked grain that you have leftover. I made the starter yesterday afternoon with the food processor to puree the quinoa grain with water. The starter fermented overnight and then today, I added the flour and let it rise before putting it into the loaf pans. It hardly requires excessive kneading.

The bread bakes with a butter, honey, salt, and honey glaze, which gives the bread a beautiful finish and flavor. I sweetened the bread with honey from a family friend. It was fantastic! I made it at my in-laws house and they both liked it. My mother-in-law thought the whole house smelled delicious as it was baking.

I tried the bread with a bit of butter and the baby mouthed a piece and enjoyed it. It would be great to serve with a meal of soup or stew. You can experiment with the grains and combinations.

Here's the bread recipe from a blog post I found. I highly recommend the book!

April 28, 2011 update: I also made this bread last weekend with leftover oats from Saturday's breakfast and it turned out great. The bread is very hearty and earthy. We've served it as as grilled cheese and tomato sandwich or toasted with egg salad, peanut butter, or just butter.

Sleep: My New Mothering Challenge

Last night, I went to my La Leche League monthly meeting and our topic was working and breastfeeding. We talked about our ideal work schedules, daycare, pumping, and maternity leave. I shared that as a working mom, I get very little sleep. I think it's about 5-6 hours per night when I work in the office and on the days that I work from home, I hopefully get an extra hour. I know lots of moms and parents, for that matter, remember their days before children of sleeping 7-8 hours per night...or more! If I'm lucky, I take an afternoon nap on the weekend with Ava. But, I'm not getting enough sleep.

I'm curious how other moms do it! So please share your advice and tips. I'd love to hear how other families balance their time.

When I work in the office, I pick the baby up from daycare and we nurse there. Then we get home and she nurses for another hour to reconnect. We have about an hour to play together and eat dinner before we start her bedtime routine. Then I get to shower, make lunches for all of us, clean bottles/pump parts for the next day. After she goes to bed, that's when I have to finish work and respond to emails or if I'm lucky, I can blog about the stuff we're up to or share recipes. There's always laundry to fold or chores around the house that need attention. Sometimes, I want to just sit and relax with Aaron - what a novel thought!

Sleep is ultra important to restore energy, build immunity, and help keep my brain focused for work and family.

My sweet and practical friend, Jill, last night reminded me that I can say no to things. She's right! My goal is push back on extra things. I'm going to swap my book club for my La Leche League leadership application process. I can't read two sets of books in a month. And that might mean less blog posts or fewer activities. But I know I need it! It's my new challenge in mothering.

Rocking Chair

Ava received a fun birthday gift from her grandma and grandpa Berkey that also has some family history.

Her grandparents came down to celebrate with us for her ladybug-theme first birthday party and brought Ava her very own kid-sized wooden rocking chair. The chair is a replica of a rocking chair that they originally got for Aaron when he was a baby. Ava gets to follow the fun tradition and have her own special chair like her Daddy.

Even though she's only a year old, she knows how to rock in it and laughs the entire time! She gets the rocking action going and then over time starts to inch forward. As she scoots forward, she eventually launches herself forward and lands on the floor on her feet. Good thing Mommy and Daddy are close by to make sure she doesn't fall and hurt herself. It's very entertaining for all of us!

Super Easy Homemade and Healthy Refried Beans

A few weeks ago, I shared on the blog that I have been cooking dried beans in the slow cooker as one of our main sources of protein since we have become full-time vegetarians. The method I use for cooking dried beans is soak overnight, slow cook all day, then store. The time saving tip is that I make big batches to use in multiple meals for the week. Check out my post for more. Beans are so versatile!

Pinto beans is one of our favorites and eating them brings me back to my Mexican heritage. They're so affordable! Organic pinto beans are about $1.60 per lb from the bulk bin at Whole Foods. What a steal when you think about the nutritional value you're getting from those beans. I often cook pinto beans to use for vegetarian enchilada casserole or just serve them plain on rice with a bit of sour cream and salsa. I reserve the leftover cooked pinto beans with some cooking liquid for refried beans. If I don't have time to make refried beans that week, I'll pop the container in the freezer and defrost it when I'm ready. I usually put the frozen beans in the refrigerator in the morning before work and it will be defrosted by evening.

Buying refried beans in a can is convenient, but you have to careful for the additives in some brands. And it's so easy to make them yourself with pinto or black beans, especially if you planned ahead and had cooked beans stored in the refrigerator.

My mom and grandmother used to make refried beans with lard when I was growing up. Now, my mom and I use heart-healthy olive oil. They're a staple to serve as a side dish or eggs in the morning. Check out my packable 5-minute egg breakfast burrito recipe.

Quick method for Healthy Refried Beans:

• Start with cooked pinto beans with reserved cooking liquid, which is why you need to cook from dried beans so you can use the cooking water for the refried beans. Use whatever you have leftover like 3-4 cups (including the liquid). Set aside.
  
• Warm a heavy pot or large skillet on medium heat.
• Generous drizzle of olive oil. Add about 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add cooked beans and reserved liquid.
  
• Using a potato masher, mash the beans and mix into the liquid as you're working. Check out the picture above. Eventually, it will be thick and creamy. The consistency may be thinner than the canned version.
  
• You can add other seasoning like chili powder or cumin, but I prefer to keep it simple because it tastes more authentic to me.
  
• Add a sprinkle of sea salt.

Serve as a side dish or the main ingredient for bean and rice burritos. Smear on a tortilla for a tostada and add your favorite toppings such as diced tomato, salsa, sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro, green onion, or lettuce. Or use the beans in a Mexican dip.

The beans can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

As a working mom, making refried beans from our leftover cooked beans is such an easy way to make a quick dinner on a week night. We serve our burritos or tacos with fresh fruit. Enjoy!

Lady Bug Birthday

We had fun celebrating Ava's first birthday last Saturday! We hit this milestone so quickly! The theme of the party was ladybugs, which was one of my childhood favorites. We hosted Aaron's grandmother, parents, and his sister and her family for the weekend. Our friends came over to celebrate with us during the party. One of Ava's caregivers from daycare came to the party with her son, which was fun. We had the party at 3pm to give us time to prep food and I thought later it was perfect since Ava was born at 3:33pm. It turned out to be a sunny afternoon, which was perfect for our spring baby.

Our little ladybug birthday girl was in a great mood all afternoon! She played in the morning and grandma gave her a bath while I was prepping the food. She took a 2-hour nap just before the party started so she was very playful during the party. It was funny to see her look around at everyone because she knew all of them, but I bet she was wondering what they were all doing there at the same time.

I made red velvet cupcakes with red-dyed chocolate frosting. I added chocolate chips to the cupcakes and the chocolate frosting which had brewed co. I also made a two-layer chocolate cake and used the same red frosting and the middle layer was vanilla pudding. The pudding layer was a disaster because it oozed out of the side. I didn't even put it out on display at the party. When it came time to serve the cake, we served pieces of it and it was all gobbled up. It tasted great, but wasn't pretty. I made a veggie pizza, 7-layer Mexican dip, and a fruit platter.

I decorated with lady bug pop-up toys, a ladybug splash mat as a table cloth, and lots of red balloons. I put daffodils everywhere in the house with the ladybug toys. I didn't want to overdo it.

Ava enjoyed opening her presents. She got books, clothes, toys, a cute bunny bath towel, and a personalized growth chart to hang in her bedroom. Grandma and Grandpa gave Ava a kid-sized rocking chair the same as they had for Aaron when he was a baby. Ava's friend, Violet, sat with her while she opened presents. She had fun watching her cousin, Colin, run around the house all weekend, too! Her eyes are glued on him.

Then came time for Ava to try her cupcake. We sang Happy Birthday to her and gathered around her. Aaron and I blew out her candle and then she looked at it unsure on what to do next. I offered it to her and she opened her mouth to taste it. She was hooked! At first, she didn't know what to do, but she tried diving for it to lick it. Eventually, I pulled off some pieces of cake and she was not shy about putting in her mouth. Aaron and I were shocked since she barely eats any food! It was fun to see her eating and with the unmistakable "red" lipstick. Our friend, Shawn, took some amazing pictures of Ava while she ate her cake. I'll post them to the blog when I get the files, but for now they are on my Facebook profile page. He did an amazing job!

We are planning to take some family pictures in April after the spring blooms start coming up. Shawn loves to take photos outside and it will be prettier when we have some green and spring flowers.

On her birthday, it was emotional for me thinking about her birth and how much we've enjoyed Ava's first year! She's truly a dream come true for me. Ava has been so entertaining and we love her snuggles and laughs.

Now some growth stats from Ava's 1-year doctor's visit.
21lbs and 1oz 50th percentile
30 1/2 inches height 90th percentile
46 cm head size 80th percentile

Ava's weight gain has slowed down, but that's normal for her age because she's using more energy for moving around. She's still very tall, which I suspected because we're out of some 12-month clothes already and onto 18-months. Ava is as tall as the average 16-month old. She has a healthy appetite. She still waits for when we're together to nurse. Ava's caregivers are great about feeding her milk on-demand and in general she takes about 9-oz on a full-day. We're going to work with her on her sippy cup skills so she will take her milk in the sippy instead of the bottle in the next couple months. Then she'll get to nurse when we're together.

Ava's tastes for foods is growing, too! Right now, Ava is enjoying:

• Mashed banana with plain yogurt (sweetened with a bit of maple syrup)
• Pureed mango with plain yogurt (similar to my morning smoothie which she likes to sip)
• Steamed sweet potatoes
• Cinnamon applesauce
• Butternut squash
  
• Likes to lick orange slices
  
• Self-feeding puffs, mum-mums, and LOVES yogurt bites

We give Ava food from our meal and it ends up all on the floor! We've been eating orange slices a lot because they are in season so they're coming in our produce box. It's funny because she asks for the rind and mimics us eating the orange. It's really funny because she only does it with the rind and not with the actual orange flesh. She even makes the sounds. Funny!

I have lots of food that I've made for Ava in the freezer and we've avoided store-bought food (except for puffs and yogurt bites, which are great because they're easy for her to eat). She's trying zucchini, beets, egg yolk, mashed avocado, and a soup I made for both of us this week - leek, potato, and peas. She seemed to enjoy it.

One thing is for sure, Ava is very strong willed just like her mommy and daddy. She is relentless about going after the TV remote, cell phone, or the cabinets in the bathroom. She has quite the dramatic flair too when she wants her way! Ava is having fun moving around and she loves to stand up.

We're having lots of fun with our little 1-year old!

New Breastfeeding Journey....Helping Other Moms

Now that we're about to celebrate Ava's first birthday, we have been through a lot with nursing together. We had a challenging first few weeks to get started, but soon enough we got into a rhythm and like other breastfeeding moms know, now we can both breastfeed in our sleep! Along the way with working full time, teething, or with Ava's developmental phases, it's been so amazing to have the support and advice from other experienced nursing mothers from my La Leche League group. The organization offers mother-to-mother support with the backing of an international body that uses everything from scientific research to practical mother's wisdom to help breastfeeding families manage their everyday lifestyle within a bottle-feeding mainstream culture. If I have a question about food introduction or family sleeping strategies, I ask the group. I've become empowered by going to the meetings from the knowledge shared and in the early days it was great to learn to nurse Ava in public discreetly by watching other experienced mothers.

I've learned first-hand that being a breastfeeding mother from newborn to now at almost a year, has cemented a foundation for our mother-daughter relationship that will last our lifetimes. It's a relationship that takes effort, but it's so rewarding! When the babies in Ava's nursery at daycare are sick with RSV, pneumonia, or high fevers, Ava either avoids the bug or gets a milder form since she's getting antibodies in her milk. As a working mother, it's a relief to know that Ava is in good health and that I don't have to take excessive time off of work because she's sick. Another advantage for me is that while she's still ramping up on eating solid foods and only tasting foods, I don't have to worry about her nutrition since mother's milk is designed by nature for babies and toddlers to thrive.

Now it's my turn to give back! Last month, I was invited to a coffee meeting for members that were considering becoming a co-leader in the group. I was honored and excited that they thought of it. Aaron's mom served as a LLL leader when her kids were growing up and I felt like it was a great way to continue the family tradition.

For the next nine months, I will be my accreditation process with three other mothers that are going through the process at the same time as me. I'm also going to a La Leche League area conference in April here in Indy for a weekend. Babies and small children are welcome to attend. I love that through this process, Ava will be with me at all the meetings because she's part of the process! In the next months, I will do tons of reading with many different subjects around breastfeeding and in the end, I'll be able to support more moms and families. I knew it was my calling because since I've become a mother, I've become so passionate for breastfeeding and through that many friends have asked me questions. I'd love to help more women that want to make breastfeeding a core part of their parenting. I'm so excited for my new journey....

The Easy Way to Cook Dried Beans

One of the best budget-friendly protein sources that I can think of is dried beans. You can buy dried beans in the packages or bulk bins at the grocery store for next to about $1.99 per lb. You can of course buy cans of beans since they are convenient for quick meals on the fly, but dried stretches your dollars further because dried beans expand to about double in size when cooked and it's much more green friendly because of less packaging and processing.

I have many childhood memories sorting pinto beans and smelling them cooking on the stovetop. My mom added bacon slices, onion and garlic as she cooked them on the stove and it smelled amazing. I've found an easy way for cooking dried beans to fit into my hectic lifestyle without slaving away in the kitchen.

I soaked these pinto beans on Friday overnight, then cooked them in the slower cooker on Saturday during the day. I used the cooked beans on Saturday night for vegetarian chili and Sunday night for homemade refried beans (frijoles). More on the refried beans later...

Why eat beans and legumes? Beans are packed with protein, fiber, and iron. As recent vegetarians, Aaron and I have been eating more beans than ever and they are very filling and tasty. Beans are so versatile and can be made into patties (Falafel), stews, chili, filling for burritos or tacos, or plain on a salad for protein. Beans are great combined with whole grains like brown rice, barley or quinoa. Our favorites are chickpeas (for curries, soups, hummus) and pinto (in the picture) for burritos, chili, and tacos. We also like kidney for soups (minestrone) and black beans for enchiladas, chili and burrito filling. We love Lentil Stew served over brown rice. The possibilities are endless!

Cooking dried beans is super easy. If you plan ahead you can save money and time for future meals. Store your dried beans in a sealed container in the pantry, marking the type of bean and the date that you bought them. The easiest way to cook dried beans is to do it in batches, then use the beans for multiple meals. The slow cooker is energy efficient and easy.

Step 1: Soak Overnight
With dried beans, you need to soak them in water to help the cooking process. You need to soak all beans except for lentils, split peas, and black eyed peas.

• First, sort the beans and make sure you don't have any debris.
• Rinse the dried beans in water and drain.
  
• Use a mixing bowl to soak beans overnight in water. Fill the bowl a couple inches above the water.

Step 2: Slow Cook
In the morning, the soaked beans will double in size and most of the water will be absorbed.

• Drain the beans and rinse.
  
• Add the beans to slow cooker with fresh water covering the soaked beans a couple inches above.
  
• No need in adding any seasoning since you can season later. It's better to cook them plain so they will be more versatile for different dishes.
• Cook on Low setting for 8-hours, stirring infrequently and making sure to replenish water, if needed.
  

Step 3: Store
After the beans are cooked, I like to store beans that won't be used that evening for future meals that week.

• Use cooked beans in any dish, any way you like. Use a slotted spoon to use the beans you need for that night.
  
• Keep cooking liquid for some recipes such as refried beans or hummus, according to your recipes.
• Let beans cool, then store in resealable containers for the refrigerator. I've never tried freezing them.
  

That's it! It's really easy!

Vegetarian Baked Gnocchi

I made a Baked Gnocchi for dinner tonight. It was hearty and filling even though it was vegetarian. It's a quick dinner that I was able to whip up while Aaron was giving Ava a bath. I got the broccoli cut and Aaron helped me by cooking it while I was nursing Ava and the gnocchi was baking in the oven. It flowed easily and with the tag team action, dinner was done. It turned out great!

Gnocchi, Italian potato dumplings, are a treat. They are tender and when cooked right, are fluffy pillows of goodness! For tonight's baked version, I used Italian soy sausage and vegetables (fennel, fresh tomato, fresh spinach, and garlic) with a bit of chopped kalamata olives. I topped it with ricotta cheese, fresh chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, and shredded Parmesan cheese. Paired with broccoli, it was delicious and very easy to make.

Vegetarian Baked Gnocchi
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 package of gnocchi (find it at Trader Joe's or World Market)
  
• 1-14oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tbs olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup soy Italian sausage
  
• 1/2 bulb fennel (chopped small) or substitute onion instead
  
• 1 Roma tomato, chopped
• 3 cups fresh spinach (or 1/2 cup defrosted frozen)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cloves minced garlic
  
• 5 Kalamata olives, chopped
  
• 4oz part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 tbs breadcrumbs
• 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley or basil
• 3 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Start water for gnocchi pasta.
• Chop vegetables and preheat medium skillet.
  
• Coat pre-heated skillet with olive oil (liberally since soy sausage doesn't have fat like pork). Add fennel and garlic. Saute 2 minutes, then add soy sausage. Cook until sausage in browned and the fennel (or onion is cooked through). Add fresh tomato, spinach, and oregano. Saute until spinach is cooked. Keep warm until gnocchi is cooked.
• When the water is boiling, add gnocchi carefully. The dumplings are heavier than pasta and will splash. I drop in a few at a time slowly. Cook according to the package directions, until the gnocchi floats to the top (about 5 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
• Drain gnocchi and return to pot. Add can of tomato sauce, and sausage-vegetable mixture. Toss with chopped olives.
• Coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Add gnocchi to the dish, then carefully scoop out small spoonfuls of ricotta cheese on the top of the gnocchi. Sprinkle evenly with parsley, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly.
• Cook vegetables while gnocchi is baking.
  
• Let gnocchi cool for 5 minutes before serving.
  

If you try this recipe, feel free to experiment with the vegetables. Other ideas would be zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, or mushrooms.

• 
  

Ava Marie at 11-months

Now that we're at 11-months, we're starting to plan Ava's first birthday on March 12. We're planning a birthday party at our house with friends and family. I'm not sure on a theme quite yet, but I have some ideas. Before we start celebrating, we're enjoying this stage of Ava right now! Here's the latest update on what's going on with Ava at 11-months old.

Clothing size: 12 months and 18 months on the top. We have three boxes of hand-me-down clothes from Ava's friend, Violet, in 12-24 month sizes and we're thankful to have them because she's been growing so quickly!

Two more teeth! Ava has two more teeth on the bottom that started popping through about a week ago. Her current count is 6 teeth! When they first come out, those new teeth are sharp and she likes to rub her tongue on the new teeth. Nursing is challenging sometimes because it's uncomfortable for both of us. I use homeopathic teething gel, which really helps.

Loves to stand up...Ava loves standing, though she doesn't pull herself up, she's good at balancing herself by holding on to the furniture or us. She can stand a long time and doesn't seem interested in walking yet, but we're guessing that will come soon enough.

Mobility, we're getting there. No crawling forward, but Ava likes to push backwards either on her tummy or on her bottom. Her arms are strong and she moves in a circle, backgrounds, and rolls all over the place. We give her some help by propping her up on her knees to help her crawl and she puts her head on her arms and snuggles. It's really funny! Ava watches everything that we're doing and how we're moving. Her hands and arms are always moving. Aaron called her "Miss America" because she loves to clap and wave. She likes to play catch! No joke! She throws balls and small objects and when you throw it back, she will return it by throwing. When I unload our weekly produce bin, she goes crazy for a chance to play with the oranges!

Her first words: Ava is talking ALL THE TIME! Daycare says she's talking/babbling constantly and she's saying words now. She says "Dog" when she sees Bena and the deer in our yard. She says "Ball" when she sees an orange, which she thinks is a ball. Her most favorite word is "Dada" and she finally has started to say the "Ma" syllables, which is music to my ears. :)

Very playful! Ava plays hard all day and especially likes to play with her friends at daycare. We were all home together during the ice storm just a week and a half ago. The city was basically shut down, including her daycare. On Friday, when Ava returned to daycare, she was so happy to see her friends after three days at home. She enjoyed being at home with us, though. I worked from home, while we juggled taking care of Ava while working. Aaron and Ava got to bond a lot, which was fantastic! When Ava wakes up for the day, she smiles and starts talking. She really is a playful little baby, who likes to dance, laugh, and sing to music. Her favorite caregiver, Miss Sharon, told me that when she sings "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," Ava makes the hand movements!

Sleeping well at night. Ava has always been a good sleeper, waking to nurse and then right back to sleep. She sleeps well in her crib, but there's some nights that she doesn't want to be by herself and she sleeps in our bed. Ava sleeps until 3-4am before she wants to nurse. Sometimes, she will stretch until 5:30am when I wake up for work. I usually nurse her in bed after the alarm goes off and she is sleep nursing in bed. I ease out of bed and get ready for work. The nice thing is that because we're nursing, it's not a big deal when she wakes up because we can both nurse in our sleep. She loves to wake up in the morning and touch her Daddy's face. It's so sweet! Daytime naps are less predictable and short at daycare, especially. Ava is too busy playing to nap. Many times, she falls asleep nursing when we get home and has a cat nap in the evening. It doesn't seem to disrupt her night sleep.

Very affectionate. Ava kisses me when I arrive at daycare to pick her up. It's an open-mouth kiss, which is so funny! Ava will her hand out to touch her baby friends and caregivers when we're leaving. Last week, I let her give her friend, William, a hug. It was so cute! She's as much as a sweet snuggle-loving baby now, just as much as she was a newborn. I guess that's why Ava likes the sling so much because she likes to be close to me, but sit up high to observe the world around her.

Parenthood: We're adjusting to our new role as parents every day. Aaron is very supportive and is fiercely in tuned with Ava. He picked her up from daycare a few nights in the past few weeks and she's been caught off guard since I pick her up and we nurse as soon as I arrive. She has cried for as long as 20 minutes, but Aaron understands that it's a phase she's going through and he tries to distract her with playing with toys at home. We're learning together, which is all I can hope for. Right now, I feel our life stage is so intense because Ava is so young. I intensely love and miss her when we're apart!