While I have always encouraged Ava to favor daddy just as much as she does mommy, I never thought the saying, "daddy's girl" would ever become so literal in this house. I think this all started when I stopped nursing this past February. I was just about to start my first round of fertility meds and I was unable to nurse Ava with the meds I chose. While that was a really hard decision for me, I knew it was the best decision for our family. Three months shy of two years old and I could tell that weaning my toddler was the right thing to do for our circumstances. Surprisingly, after about a week in, we had found a new normal. Justin and I were no longer co-sleeping, Ava was no longer nursing, and all of a sudden, Justin was also called to for comfort. Let's fast forward seven months later, and here we are today.

My two year old absolutely adores her daddy. I'm sure this is the case for a lot of other two years old, but there is something extremely special about watching my kid and her dad bond together. They've developed their own relationship that has absolutely nothing to do with me. I no longer encourage Ava to let daddy help, because he's her go to. When she's upset, she calls for her daddy. When she wants "lovins" often times, she runs to her daddy first. When she comes into our room in the middle of the night because something disrupts her sleep? You got it, she goes to daddy's side of the bed first. It took me a good while to actually notice the shift that Ava made, and most days, I cry about it. It's weird not being her # 1 anymore. I wouldn't call this jealousy, but I think our new norm (& pregnancy hormones) have really caused me to be emotional about the entire situation.

At the end of the day, Justin is a terrific father, and he makes an effort to be. For that, I will always be grateful. He wakes up before the sun five days a week, and at times comes home just before sunset. Tired, exhausted, and just in the mood to relax.. he still does just about whatever Ava wants when he walks through that front door. Stickers, coloring, princess dress up, or tea party fun, you name it, he does it! I have never heard him tell his daughter no because he just didn't feel like it, even when i notice the sleep in his eyes. In the morning when he comes home from P.T. Ava leaps into his arms and gives him the biggest bear hugs! I truly think this is what jump starts his day. I listen to our daughter sing to daddy as he's getting ready in the morning, and I watch her move her toys off of the couch so daddy can sit in his favorite spot. I gaze at them sharing a bowl of her favorite cereal and laughing and having tickle wars.

I see how happy he makes her when he's reading Ramona the brave right before she goes to sleep, or how he dances around her room ballerina style, just the way she likes. There are literally a million reasons why daddy is a favorite in this house, and I try to remind myself this isn't personal. This is my daughter realizing all the things I've always known about Justin. With his career in the Army, we are truly fortunate with all the time these two have been able to have together. He's one of the first people she sees in the morning, and the very last person she sees before closing her eyes at night. I'm learning to appreciate what we have, not envy it. While there was a time where I was her sole comfort, those days have come to an end. It's been a natural process, and I have found so much love in watching Justin gain so much more special moments with his girl.

With baby #2's impending arrival, I know this is how everything was suppose to be. While another sweet girl of ours consumes more of mommy, little Miss Ava bug will be completely content with having more one-on-one time with her daddy.

♥- Leilani

Locked Out

Today couldn't have gone any better if I had planned every minute of our Christmas.. well aside from being locked out of our house, but more on this later. I was the first of the bunch to wake up, so I took that time to turn on Christmas jams, get dressed for the day, and prep Ava bug's breakfast. Shortly after, Ava bug woke up. Justin immediately opened his eyes after this. We spent a few minutes getting everyone prepped for the day, and then we headed downstairs. YOU GUYS, the look on my child's face when she saw all of the commotion downstairs was bar-nunn, incredible! It was like watching her birth all over again. Pure joy. Just absolute joy when she saw the pretty bows, big toys, and all that was waiting for her.

Truth be told, that's what Justin and I waited for. We spent over 4 hours on Christmas Eve night prepping for Christmas morning. I watched my husband deal with little pieces, directions without English, and kitchen sets that seemed almost impossible to set up.. he managed to work through it all and finish everything! In this moments, I realized just how much of a hero this man is. I mean it guys. Justin is that dad that you'd want your kids to have. That attentive daddy that wakes up with the kids, cleans them up, plays tea party with them, and manages to put them above ALL ELSE. This family wouldn't functionally effectively without his presence (sorry for that brag moment, but it is more than deserved).

The first thing that Ava decided to play with was her custom kitchen from her grandparents, then she migrated over to the cozy coupe, and then she played with her easel. She fell in love with her tea set and table. In fact, she immediately grabbed her daddy's hand to sit and have a tea party with her. My heart was so full in those moments. I gush at the sight of the loves of my life enjoying one another. This is kind of how our morning went, until family came over. Because of last week's events, we sort of lost a tad bit of holiday spirit. I normally go overboard with Christmas, but this year, I wasn't over the top with it all, and that was okay.

I spaced on getting a few things from the store, but thankfully, Walgreens is opened on Christmas. As much as I hate that people were working on Christmas day, I was so thankful for a store that had foil, adult beverages, and egg nog. The rest of our day went rather smoothly... until I decided to take Ava bug outside in her new cozy coupe. Normally, I lock our dog up prior to us going outside. He acts completely irrational and barks so loudly, but the mister decided that it wasn't necessary this time. Well, after our random outside trip, we go back home to find out that our door is locked shut. The dog was jumping on the lock and somehow managed to lock the door on us. We had no windows opened ANYWHERE. Our back door was locked and we had NO cell phones outside with us. Thank god for our sweet neighbors and their kind father. We ended up busting out one of our garage door window panels, and now we have the luxury of heading to Lowe's first thing tomorrow to replace it, Yay(total sarcasm)!

All in all, our day was perfect. I loved spending time with family. I loved watching Ava climb on her big girl slide, baking pretend cupcakes, sitting on her Sofia the first vanity, and pushing her shopping cart. Our families outdid themselves with the gifts and we couldn't be more grateful for the love they show through the act of gifting. Here are a few photos from our morning with Ava. I tried my best to be absolutely present while my family was here. More than anything, I realize more each day how important it is to relish family and all that goes with having a family. Moments like today only happen every so often!

Merry Christmas all!

♥- Leilani

Daddy/Daughter Dates

Can I just say that I absolutely love four day weekends? Seriously. I love that Justin gets these every so often from work. I know Ava bug is a fan too. When daddy's off, it's always a good time in the Howland house. Tickles in the morning, daddy's homemade pancakes, and lots of extra playtime. This weekend Justin mentioned that he is ready to incorporate more time geared towards him and Ava. We do multiple activities as a family, so it melted my heart a little bit when he suggested that idea. He's going around calling it his daddy/daughter date days.. hence the name of this blog post. How sweet is that?

The first one will actually happen today, and I'm really excited to see how it goes. There is an unlimited amount of things they could do on a Monday afternoon. Children's museum, frozen yogurt, stroll in the park, etc. I'm really glad that while they are bonding, this mama gets a little "me" time in the process. It's definitely a win/win for everyone. I guess the point of me blogging this topic was to express my gratitude. I admire the distance Justin goes in order to bond even more with his daughter. He's so happy and eager to be more involved (if that's possible) when it comes to teaching Ava something new, or taking her out on the town. Even when it comes to baby-wearing or pushing her in the stroller.. daddy wants to be the one to do it. Being a mommy is more than a full-time gig, and I really do appreciate my husband putting just as much effort into parenting as I do.

Sometimes I'll just sit and watch these two interact. I'll hear Justin say, "Do you know you are the most beautiful Ava bug in the world?" I just smile because he's said those same words to her just about her entire life. It's little things he does with her that tug at my heart strings. I'm excited to watch this new tradition between these two unravel. I think it's important that Justin and I both foster individual bonds with our kid. I also believe that the bonding process can start at any age. Take a look at some of the moments I've captured this past week. Daddy helps with everything around here, and we are blessed to have him! How many of my readers have these type of date days in their household? Do any mama's have incorporated date dates with their littles? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below or by email.

Happy Monday all!

♥- Leilani

Thank you Justin

Ava bug is in a morning slumber, so I thought I'd use this time to give credit where credit is due. Parenting is tough. I mean it's really tough. Not necessarily tough because of your child, but tough because you are invested in all aspects of your entire universe. That's actually putting it lightly. I wouldn't be the parent I am without Justin. I really mean that. He really is the icing on top of the Howland cake, and I'm so grateful and extremely blessed to have his help and guidance while parenting our daughter. Since day one, I've seen Justin dive into being a father, like this is a journey he was meant to embark on.

He's helped me with every part of being a parent, (dirty diapers & late night wake ups included). He loved doing tummy time with Ava, now he loves holding her hand while she walks. He was thrilled when she started solid foods, now he loves being able to give her "table foods" while we eat. He stayed up with her when she got her first cold, and he still snuggles her when she doesn't feel well. He watched her grab her first handful of dirt, and he was there the first time she stuck sand in her mouth. He was bummed when her first word was mama, but he loves that her favorite word is dada.

I don't have many memories of Ava, that don't include Justin. He always makes it a point to be there, even when the Army decides to take him away for weeks at a time. He makes sure he's never left out, and he makes sure that Ava knows who he is. I admire that about him. I couldn't imagine leaving Ava's side for as long as Justin has to at times. I know it kills him, but he overcompensates for it. When he's home, he's really home. He wants to do everything with Ava from wake up to bedtime. I of course never complain about having his help. I love watching him with Ava. I knew I loved my husband before we had a baby; I now know that the love I have for this man is irrevocably stained on my heart. I hope all of our children mirror their father in some way (with the exception of sarcasm, sorry babe).

June 2013

June 2014

So there's the credit! Thank you Justin. Our family wouldn't be quite as unique, or full without you. Whether you are near or far, we are grateful for all you do. Ava and I love you so much honey!

Happy Friday all!


♥- Leilani

Still the Same

I got an email this morning from a baby program that I used throughout Ava's infancy, and I actually read the entire thing. It discussed all the milestones that toddlers will (or have already) gone through at her age. I am pleased to say that Ava bug has hit every single milestone and then some. Something I'm really excited for, is seeing how much her vocabulary takes off in these next few months. I was an early talker, and I think it'd be sweet if Ava bug was too. Either way is really fine with me, it just seems as though her development has favored her father's infancy, rather than mine.

Of all the changes we are undergoing, I am really glad that there are some things that still remain the same. Cuddling is definitely one of those things. I don't know how I would feel if our baby girl just suddenly stopped loving to snuggle with mom and dad. She has seriously been a snuggler since day one of life, and that's not something I'm ready to let go of. I know Justin doesn't want to either. He loves when Ava falls asleep on him. That's his time with his little girl, and we both cherish it so very much.

On the right, Ava is about seven months, and on the left she's just two days past one year old. I've got a ton of photos like this with these two throughout the past year. I'm really glad I've been an avid picture taker. It's been nice to flip through and compare moments like this. Sadly, I think both pictures were taken after Justin fell asleep watching some type of sports game. I guess some things really don't change! 

Well, that's all I wanted to share this morning. I hope you enjoyed the Tuesday flashback as much as I do! 

Happy Tuesday all! 

♥- Leilani