Sunday, November 28, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
They Do
The wedding of the year occurred on October 16, 2010. Let's see, so this post is only a little over a month overdue. Huge congrats to Julie and Todd - we couldn't be happier about them hitching up ;-)
The wedding week was a busy one...beginning with "wedding practice" as Ava called it on Wednesday, October 14th. Because the venue - the Como Park Conservatory - is a public attraction, the rehearsal times were limited. But look how beautiful it is...
It was then that the likelihood of Reese being a proficient flower girl was put into question. She wasn't too keen on walking on her own nor was she having anything to do with holding Ava's hand. Cute was only going to get her so far..so plans B, C, and D were discussed. And then we deferred to figuring it out later. Like on Saturday.
Thursday marked the end of one cast era (who knew we'd be revisiting this again so soon) as Reese's was sawed off that morning. Yay, the little girl had her arm back! The loud and foreboding saw was hugely traumatic, many tears were shed, many screams were screamed, but she survived. She used her arm tentatively for a day or two, but then was right back to bouncing, jumping, climbing, you name it.
Before
After
Friday night was the Groom's Dinner at Mufaletta in St. Paul. Todd's parents Dixie and Joe hosted a wonderful evening - great food, drinks, and company! We were lucky too in that my parents stayed home with the girls, so we could really have a relaxing evening :-) Todd gave a very touching speech that night that I will always remember. We are very lucky to have him in our family and I so wish that Di and Gardy were here with all of us, not only to share in that week's celebration but all of the years ahead.
Saturday finally came and the wedding day was perfect. From the beautiful fall weather, to the conservatory, to the ceremony, to the reception...it all fell into place. We made a game time decision to carry Reese down the aisle, while Ava walked on her own. She took her job very seriously and did great. Julie and Todd both looked incredible - it was such a happy time. The party continued at W.A. Frost in St. Paul with drinks and appetizers. Ava fell asleep watching a video on the restaurant floor while Reese hammed it up with the guests. My parents were nice enough to take them home early, while Scot and I enjoyed the rest of the evening with friends and family. Congratulations Julie and Todd!
I'm kicking myself for not getting more pictures of Ava and Reese in their dresses...but it was a busy day!
Here is a glimpse at some of the professional pictures from the day.
The wedding week was a busy one...beginning with "wedding practice" as Ava called it on Wednesday, October 14th. Because the venue - the Como Park Conservatory - is a public attraction, the rehearsal times were limited. But look how beautiful it is...
It was then that the likelihood of Reese being a proficient flower girl was put into question. She wasn't too keen on walking on her own nor was she having anything to do with holding Ava's hand. Cute was only going to get her so far..so plans B, C, and D were discussed. And then we deferred to figuring it out later. Like on Saturday.
Thursday marked the end of one cast era (who knew we'd be revisiting this again so soon) as Reese's was sawed off that morning. Yay, the little girl had her arm back! The loud and foreboding saw was hugely traumatic, many tears were shed, many screams were screamed, but she survived. She used her arm tentatively for a day or two, but then was right back to bouncing, jumping, climbing, you name it.
Before
After
Friday night was the Groom's Dinner at Mufaletta in St. Paul. Todd's parents Dixie and Joe hosted a wonderful evening - great food, drinks, and company! We were lucky too in that my parents stayed home with the girls, so we could really have a relaxing evening :-) Todd gave a very touching speech that night that I will always remember. We are very lucky to have him in our family and I so wish that Di and Gardy were here with all of us, not only to share in that week's celebration but all of the years ahead.
Saturday finally came and the wedding day was perfect. From the beautiful fall weather, to the conservatory, to the ceremony, to the reception...it all fell into place. We made a game time decision to carry Reese down the aisle, while Ava walked on her own. She took her job very seriously and did great. Julie and Todd both looked incredible - it was such a happy time. The party continued at W.A. Frost in St. Paul with drinks and appetizers. Ava fell asleep watching a video on the restaurant floor while Reese hammed it up with the guests. My parents were nice enough to take them home early, while Scot and I enjoyed the rest of the evening with friends and family. Congratulations Julie and Todd!
I'm kicking myself for not getting more pictures of Ava and Reese in their dresses...but it was a busy day!
Here is a glimpse at some of the professional pictures from the day.
Miscellaneous
Good thing we already had a follow up appointment scheduled this morning at the orthopedist.
Ava and I were sitting on the couch Sunday morning when she said, "Hey Mom, watch this - my cast comes off." And then proceeded to...pull off her cast. I watched in horror, my mouth agape. I finally said something like "I think we should put that back on." And so she put it back on.
At the orthopedist office, the PA asked us how things were going and if the cast seemed to loose or anything. I told her that yes, it probably was a little too loose, telling her about yesterday's events. She said that wasn't too unusual - that Ava's wrist and arm were probably a lot more swollen when the cast went on. So, a sawed off pink cast, a few more xrays, and a new (red) cast and we were on our way.
We've had Monica the cast lady 4 times now...in 2 months. Hoping visit #5 is the last for a long, long time.
In other news...Reese has turned into a talking machine. She babbles nonstop and occasionally throws in some real words and 3-4 word phrases. We giggle now when she orders, "Ava, wash your hands!" after eating. Another favorite phrase is "Wash your body!" when she's in the bathtub...she will repeat this about 27 times each session and with much gusto. She definitely has turned into a little parrot. Got to watch what you say...
And this morning, when I got out of the shower, I found a surprise. Reese was walking down the hallway towards me, fully dressed. I looked around, remembered Scot wasn't home, so it could only be one thing.
"Ava, did you get Reese out of bed and get her dressed?"
"Yeah, Mom. I changed her diaper too."
This I could get used to.
Ava and I were sitting on the couch Sunday morning when she said, "Hey Mom, watch this - my cast comes off." And then proceeded to...pull off her cast. I watched in horror, my mouth agape. I finally said something like "I think we should put that back on." And so she put it back on.
At the orthopedist office, the PA asked us how things were going and if the cast seemed to loose or anything. I told her that yes, it probably was a little too loose, telling her about yesterday's events. She said that wasn't too unusual - that Ava's wrist and arm were probably a lot more swollen when the cast went on. So, a sawed off pink cast, a few more xrays, and a new (red) cast and we were on our way.
We've had Monica the cast lady 4 times now...in 2 months. Hoping visit #5 is the last for a long, long time.
In other news...Reese has turned into a talking machine. She babbles nonstop and occasionally throws in some real words and 3-4 word phrases. We giggle now when she orders, "Ava, wash your hands!" after eating. Another favorite phrase is "Wash your body!" when she's in the bathtub...she will repeat this about 27 times each session and with much gusto. She definitely has turned into a little parrot. Got to watch what you say...
And this morning, when I got out of the shower, I found a surprise. Reese was walking down the hallway towards me, fully dressed. I looked around, remembered Scot wasn't home, so it could only be one thing.
"Ava, did you get Reese out of bed and get her dressed?"
"Yeah, Mom. I changed her diaper too."
This I could get used to.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Five.
And just like that, my baby girl is five.
Ava Marguerite entered the world at 4:05 pm on November 10, 2005. It's hard to believe that 5 years have passed since I first felt what it was like to hold a baby, MY baby, and know instantly what it was like to be a mom.
5 years later, I've watched my little baby evolve into a little girl. And an amazing little girl she is. At 5, she is really is her own little person and it is so fun to be a part of her life. Ava is very creative - her favorite things to do right now are drawing, coloring and playing with Barbies, Pet Shop Toys, and any other little toys that are nearly impossible to not misplace. And, it goes without saying, that she is still fearless when it comes to outdoor activities. Her broken wrist says it all. She loves to be read to and is just starting to recognize some words. She has been writing her name and our names for quite some time and can easily write other words when we tell her how to spell them. Ava also has a good heart - she is a great big sister and likes to play with Reese more than fight with her, so we're grateful for that. While her strong will can be a continuous challenge in our house, I'm hopeful it will be something she can use to her advantage as she grows older. I have no doubt she will get her way in life most of the time :-) I'm also impressed daily by her outgoing personality, as that is something that has never come naturally for me. Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl.
On Ava's actual birthday, I took the morning off of work and Scot and I took her to Caribou for a special breakfast after dropping off Reese at daycare. After that, I went to preschool with Ava. It was the first time I volunteered in her class and I really enjoyed it. She got to wear a birthday crown and the kids sang a birthday song to her during circle time. She chose 5 kids to be her candles and at the end of the song, she blew them out and they each fell to the ground. It was really cute. For the rest of the morning, I just helped manage the classroom and did different things to help the teachers. It was really fun to see Ava interact with her friends and teachers - she is very well-behaved in the classroom setting (at least we have that going for us!)
In the evening, we let her open the presents from us. Reese got her some new books and Scot and I got her a leotard, a Ken doll, and a huge set of Littlest Pet Shop Toys and buildings that I bought from a coworker. She was happy with all of it :-)
We had a party for her on the 13th - most of our friends and family were able to joing us for the festivities and we had a really nice celebration. She picked out a Barbie cake and had a lot of fun opening her presents and playing with the other 7 little ones there. I think one of her favorite things about her birthday party day was waking up to the 5+ inches of snow we got that night! Crazy!
Playing in the snow in the morning
The 5 year old!
And I'm horribly delinquent on a wedding entry and a vacation entry - one of these days...
Ava Marguerite entered the world at 4:05 pm on November 10, 2005. It's hard to believe that 5 years have passed since I first felt what it was like to hold a baby, MY baby, and know instantly what it was like to be a mom.
5 years later, I've watched my little baby evolve into a little girl. And an amazing little girl she is. At 5, she is really is her own little person and it is so fun to be a part of her life. Ava is very creative - her favorite things to do right now are drawing, coloring and playing with Barbies, Pet Shop Toys, and any other little toys that are nearly impossible to not misplace. And, it goes without saying, that she is still fearless when it comes to outdoor activities. Her broken wrist says it all. She loves to be read to and is just starting to recognize some words. She has been writing her name and our names for quite some time and can easily write other words when we tell her how to spell them. Ava also has a good heart - she is a great big sister and likes to play with Reese more than fight with her, so we're grateful for that. While her strong will can be a continuous challenge in our house, I'm hopeful it will be something she can use to her advantage as she grows older. I have no doubt she will get her way in life most of the time :-) I'm also impressed daily by her outgoing personality, as that is something that has never come naturally for me. Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl.
On Ava's actual birthday, I took the morning off of work and Scot and I took her to Caribou for a special breakfast after dropping off Reese at daycare. After that, I went to preschool with Ava. It was the first time I volunteered in her class and I really enjoyed it. She got to wear a birthday crown and the kids sang a birthday song to her during circle time. She chose 5 kids to be her candles and at the end of the song, she blew them out and they each fell to the ground. It was really cute. For the rest of the morning, I just helped manage the classroom and did different things to help the teachers. It was really fun to see Ava interact with her friends and teachers - she is very well-behaved in the classroom setting (at least we have that going for us!)
In the evening, we let her open the presents from us. Reese got her some new books and Scot and I got her a leotard, a Ken doll, and a huge set of Littlest Pet Shop Toys and buildings that I bought from a coworker. She was happy with all of it :-)
We had a party for her on the 13th - most of our friends and family were able to joing us for the festivities and we had a really nice celebration. She picked out a Barbie cake and had a lot of fun opening her presents and playing with the other 7 little ones there. I think one of her favorite things about her birthday party day was waking up to the 5+ inches of snow we got that night! Crazy!
Playing in the snow in the morning
The 5 year old!
And I'm horribly delinquent on a wedding entry and a vacation entry - one of these days...
Monday, November 08, 2010
Broken Wing. Take 2.
So it was another Sunday night disaster for one Girl Wilcox. This time Ava, not Reese. We went out to a school playground nearby to burn off some steam and enjoy what was likely one of the last few nice days of fall. The girls were running around like crazy and doing a lot of screaming (why are our kids SO loud?). Scot and I were just watching as they played around, and we noticed Ava traversing the monkey bars on the other side. While it just started to register that I should head over and supervise, down she went. Scot says he could hear the breath get knocked out of her when she hit the ground- I ran over to her and she was wailing and pointing at her left arm. There were some scratches on the inside of her elbow from the mulch on the ground, but otherwise she looked ok. I sat and held her for several minutes and then we went and sat in the truck while Scot and Reese played a little longer. She still seemed OK. She told me, "I thought I could do all the monkey bars in the land."
But of all the monkey bars in the land, these were higher than most and probably spaced a little further apart than what she might have been used to. Anyway, when we got home, I did a more thorough exam and it was obvious right away that something was wrong with her left wrist - it was really swollen and she consistently told me that that's where it hurt.
Instead of going to Woodwinds ER, we tried a different place in Woodbury that just opened - "The Urgency Room". I checked it out online quickly before we left and was able to find out that the wait time was 0 minutes. Perfect. As my friend Jess would say, it was pretty "yupperific". We walked in, they gave Ava a juice box and a koosh ball, then we went into our room with a TV. The (cute) doctor came in, guessed that her wrist was broken, and she went in for xrays. Wrist fracture confirmed, they fit her with a splint and we were on our way. I neglected to mention to them that we had just done this 2 months ago with a different daughter. Didn't feel it was relevant...
And so, we were able to get in to an orthopedist at 9 this morning for the hard cast. She chose PINK, of course, and she did great. She was a trooper throughout the whole experience, even though she really didn't want a cast. I've had better Sundays...and I hope dearly that our cast count stays at 2 for another 14-16 years.
But of all the monkey bars in the land, these were higher than most and probably spaced a little further apart than what she might have been used to. Anyway, when we got home, I did a more thorough exam and it was obvious right away that something was wrong with her left wrist - it was really swollen and she consistently told me that that's where it hurt.
Instead of going to Woodwinds ER, we tried a different place in Woodbury that just opened - "The Urgency Room". I checked it out online quickly before we left and was able to find out that the wait time was 0 minutes. Perfect. As my friend Jess would say, it was pretty "yupperific". We walked in, they gave Ava a juice box and a koosh ball, then we went into our room with a TV. The (cute) doctor came in, guessed that her wrist was broken, and she went in for xrays. Wrist fracture confirmed, they fit her with a splint and we were on our way. I neglected to mention to them that we had just done this 2 months ago with a different daughter. Didn't feel it was relevant...
And so, we were able to get in to an orthopedist at 9 this morning for the hard cast. She chose PINK, of course, and she did great. She was a trooper throughout the whole experience, even though she really didn't want a cast. I've had better Sundays...and I hope dearly that our cast count stays at 2 for another 14-16 years.
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