Remember when I said the time had slowed down with Bug? Yeah, that was a complete and total lie. I don't know where August went, or how September showed up so quickly. Every single day Ava does something to exert her independence, and every single day I can't help but take a moment to take in all that my toddler has to show us. She's gabbing so much more. Like literally trying to have full blown conversations with us. When she's upset, she goes on and on, and you can tell that she's getting frustrated because we don't entirely understand her.

She runs everywhere. Walking anywhere is seldom. She's always in such a rush, and it's the cutest thing to watch. We started using flashcards with Ava this past month. ABC flashcards, number flashcards, first word flashcards, etc. There really isn't a day where I don't take the opportunity to incorporate some type of fun learning game. She's catching on really quick, and she loves pointing at a new animal or word when you say it. Her appetite continues to surprise me. She will try just about anything, and this makes me shout the hallelujah chorus! I don't think she'll be a picky eater in her adult life (fingers crossed). Bug still uses the potty really well, and I have high hopes that she'll be set before 24 months.

Over the past month Princess A has taken "daddy's girl" to a whole new level. Justin took two weeks off from work in August, and each and every day of his vacation was spent with Ava bug. They did everything together. So much in fact, that my child will allow daddy to soothe her (no matter the situation) when she's upset. That didn't happen on a regular basis, until now. Justin also spent the last week at home due to his eye surgery, and that definitely just made the whole "daddy's girl" situation that much more hyped. My favorite thing to do is watch them dance together. Ava rests her toes on her daddy's feet, and they will dance to just about any song. When they are done, Ava wraps her sweet little arms around his neck and gives him a huge kiss. Talk about waterworks, right? Those two are just too stinkin' cute together.

I'm not to sure that we have introduced any new items with Ava (aside from her converse sneakers, baby gymnastics, and baby dance classes)... but I have had several questions asked via email that I plan on answering.

Q: Does Ava bug hit you or bite you? if she does what do you do to make her stop?

A: Ava has never hit us before, but she did have a few incidents with biting while nursing. I know those are completely different types of biting, but I still wouldn't resort to physically discipling her. I would explain to her that it hurts mommy when she does it, and I would stop her immediately each time she bit me.

Q: Have you stopped nursing yet?

A: I have not completely weaned Ava bug. The only rush we had stemmed from trying to conceive a baby earlier. Now that baby # 2 is (temporarily) on the back burner, the rush for weaning isn't here anymore.

Q: What is your favorite baby carrier?

A: Honestly, this is a tough one. My favorite is my Sakura Bloom ring sling. Ring slings are just so much easier for us. If you were to ask my husband this question, he would say the Ergobaby.

Q: Do you ever let Ava watch television?

A: The only time Ava really catches a glimpse of t.v. is *sometimes* during her mealtime. Because we don't eat as a family for 2 out of 3 meals a day, a little Sofia the First can be helpful. That being said, I will not and have not allowed my child to sit in front of the television for long periods of time.

I'm still having a hard time processing that my child is almost a year and a half. She continues to be such a sweet and loving soul. Oh! I completely neglected to mention that we have introduced crayons and coloring pads as of late... I can't really verify how much of Ava's art ends up on the paper, but she seems to enjoy herself.

Here's a little throwback from our last family session in July. I love my kid and our relationship so very much.

Photo Cred: JOP

Happy Wednesday all!

♥- Leilani

Document it all

Over the weekend I caught myself reminiscing on Ava's infant days; I was trying to figure out a specific date that one of her milestones occurred on. For the life of me, I couldn't remember the exact date. It really started to bother me as the time passed and I still couldn't recollect. Thankfully, I had written it out in a blog post, so I was able to go back and kind of relive the moments on that past date. I was so grateful for my blog more than ever yesterday. These are the moments that I am thankful that I blog out my life experiences, not only for my readers, but for myself as well.

After this incident, I decided I needed to transfer milestone information into Ava bug's baby book and my pregnancy scrapbook. Yes, you guys.. I'm that mom! I know you weren't surprised though. During my pregnancy with Ava I made a scrapbook full of notes, ultrasound pictures, and my maternity pictures. It was a great way to document my pregnancy, and I included mommy and daddy pages as well. Before Justin deployed he included a sweet, sweet note for his growing baby and that note warms my heart over and over again.

I purchased Ava's "first year" baby book a couple weeks before I had her. I have filled all the pages in her first year book, and I love that she has her hospital bracelets, confirmation of birth, and even umbilical stump ( I know it's morbid) in one handy place. Documenting these events have been so very important to me as my baby grows. Tonight I even included Ava's infant gloves from her first week of life.

I can't tell you how happy it makes me knowing that one day my little girl will ask me for her baby books when she begins to start her own family. Inside these books are our history with her so far. I don't think I'll make a book for each year of her life, but I always see myself scrapbooking for the sake of having my memories tangible, and the dates! With the busy lives that we live, please remember how important it is to document the special moments, and even the more trivial ones.

We all have five minutes out of our day to write something down or to blog something out. That's the one benefit of technology that I have yet to resent. Being able to share everything with my daughter. Even this website. I hope that by reading about all of the moments I had as a new mommy that someday it helps her with her little ones. That was the exact point of this post guys. Life moves by so fast. On days like yesterday, it's nice to have those fond memories handy somewhere. Whether it be a journal, blog, or written down on an old paper napkin.. make it happen!

Check out some of the pages from Ava's books! Please excuse the terrible lighting.. I took these last night. How many of my readers scrapbook their special milestones? How many have scrapbooked once they had children? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below or by email!

Happy Sunday all!

♥- Leilani

Take Care of Mama

Oh my goodness you guys, it has been a long weekend. I learned a few things, got a spider bite, and I spent the last twenty-four hours on bed rest. Let's rewind back to Saturday. My step dad had a huge birthday bash, so we decided to head on over and join the celebration. We got there around five and I initially planned on only staying an hour (for the sake of getting Ava home in "time" for bed). Well, that didn't happen. We actually stayed over four hours. We played everything by ear though. There were seriously one hundred people there. Ava bug was a little sketch about her surroundings at first, but after awhile she warmed up. She got comfortable enough to leave mom and dad's side (never happens), and she even let a random stranger hold her.

She ate big girl food, she danced ALL NIGHT, and she was full of smiles. Justin was able to enjoy himself as well. He had a great time socializing with people that have known me since I was a little girl. I even allowed myself to loosen up a bit. It's not easy being able to be laid back (at least for me), but I'm glad I did. Ready for the lesson I learned? It was about half an hour before we left, I really had to use the bathroom, so I tried to give Ava bug to my dad... she was not having it. She started crying and I knew she was tired. I took Ava back from my dad only to have some RANDOM woman (her name is Wendy, she is sweet), take my daughter from my arms and tell me to go away.

My initial reaction was to freak out. Especially since Ava was crying. My dad was there, and he kind of gave me that look that said everything was fine. I remember telling myself if Ava kept crying just one more second, I was going to take my baby back. All of a sudden, Ava stopped. Wendy took Ava on the dance floor, and the two were dancing together. I couldn't believe it. As I followed them on the deck, Wendy said something to me that I will never forget. She said, "You are a good mom. Good moms need to take care of themselves too. Go have fun." The whole situation was strange because I had never met this woman before. She told me exactly what I needed to hear in order for me to let go, and really have a good time.

I ended up dancing the last thirty minutes away with my husband (with Ava in sight), laughing, and really just enjoying myself. It was a perfect Saturday evening, and also Ava's first late night out. Ava bug is clearly a party animal and she did so well with going to bed later than usual. I wish I could say Sunday was equally as perfect, but it was not.

Sunday morning I noticed there was a welt like bump on my back.. I asked Justin to take a look and he immediately said it was a spider bite. Me, being the dramatic woman I am, instantly started to freak out. I legit though I was a goner. I eventually started to get the chills and that's when I knew it was time for an E.R. visit. After two calls to the consulting nurse, six hours, and a prescription later, I was finally back home. Apparently I'm having an allergic reaction the bite, and I just have to ride it out until it's over. If "taking care of mama" wasn't true on Saturday, it was definitely true on Sunday.

Justin pretty much took care of Ava bug and I the entire day. I'm still not feeling tip top today, but definitely better than yesterday. I guess the point of this post was to remind myself (and other mamas) that we need to care for ourselves too. Sure there's always a load of laundry to be done, kiddos to tend to, and dishes that probably need to be washed... but those things can wait. Make a date with yourself and don't forget it's okay to not have baby around you 24/7.

Check out a video of my child and her daddy dancing to happy. She really is the light of my world.

Happy Monday all!

♥- Leilani

14 months

Today my Ava bug is fourteen months old, and I'm pleased to say that the months seem to be slowing down just a little bit for us. I'm really hoping her second year of life doesn't go by nearly as fast as the first. Ava continues to grow and amaze both Justin and I with her extrovert personality (she gets that from both mama and daddy), her constant talking, and her exploration of foods. She loves mandarins, strawberries, and organic whole milk yogurt. Walking is pretty much a no brainer at this point, and we actually have to run a bit to keep up with her. We've introduced even more kinds of shoes (saltwater sandals are our fav), and Ava is willing to walk on just about any type of surface.

Here lately my child wants to climb on everything, and explore new heights. It puzzles me sometimes how fearless she is. She has no caution when it comes to climbing, jumping, etc. I've noticed in the last month that Ava is taking to strangers a lot more than she ever has. She'll wave, smile, or sometimes reach for someone she isn't familiar with (most times it's the grandma's that get this reaction out of her). We've also noticed that Ava has finally taken a liking to her dolls and stuffed animals. She totes her baby around all the time, and I have already purchased a sakura bloom ring sling for her (never too early to introduce baby wearing). The biggest change we've seen this past month is Ava's temperament. We are experiencing the "toddler tornados" and they are pretty heartbreaking to say the least.

When she is told that she cannot have something (and we explain *why* to her), it's like world war three. When she cannot access a certain part of the house (because it's blocked off), it's like world war three. If you take her down from something she's decided to climb on... you got it, it's like world war three. She will lean on the couch and start crying, she will throw herself down and start crying, or she will grab our legs and start crying. Justin and I remain calm and comforting whenever this occurs. Most times, all she needs is a moment to gather herself, and she'll come running for hugs or to nurse.

It honestly makes me feel so helpless knowing that my child is experiencing such strong emotions without being able to verbally communicate all that she is feeling. We don't look at tantrums as bad behavior, and we never resort to any type of discipline when it occurs. I'm actively looking for a specific type of parenting group (within attachment parenting) that focuses primarily on the toddlerhood temperaments. I want to know the ins and outs of this part of toddlerhood, so I can be a better support for Ava.

Normally, I would make a list of things we are now using with Ava, but we haven't really introduced too many new things in the past month. We have finally found the perfect "big girl" cup that works best with Ava. Munchkin Flip Straw cup is so easy, and Ava bug is extremely fond of it. Aside from that, things seem to be pretty consistent around here. I adore watching Ava pick up on new things, and I'm enjoying all the new challenges and milestones that my child's toddlerhood has to offer.  Here's another photo from the lovely Jessica Oda Photography; be on the look out for a blog post with more pictures, and a review on our experience with Jessica.

Happy Thursday all! 

♥- Leilani

Toddlers in Public

Yesterday, I had Ava bug on the go with me for a lot longer than usual. Since she's ditched her infancy, I've tried to feel things out, and test the waters with our schedule. I'm trying not to be as strict with our days, and I'm allowing Ava to show me how she feels about certain things. For instance, yesterday we went out to a lunch with some of the Army wives here. Ava is a relatively good baby on the go, so I really didn't have any worries. I've noticed in these last few months that she wants to be entertained more than before. She wants you to pay attention to her and include her in the conversation. That's precisely what I did.

While trying to have conversations with women I had just met, I had Ava on my lap. She was perfectly content with chewing on the straw I bought from home, and snacking on some treats her mama made. She hated the resturant high chair (not surprised), and I think it was because it prevented her from being in the loop. She decided to have a LOUD opinion about me putting her in the highchair.  Instead of getting upset, or ducking out early, I just went with it. I am not ashamed to have my child in public. I'm not ashamed when she displays strong emotions that lead into fussing; that's how she communicates with me.

I ended up nursing her at the table, and the ladies there were more than okay with it. It actually got us into a whole new discussion on breastfeeding, and you guys know I was more than elated to share my experience and knowledge. Breastfeeding turned into cloth diaper talk, which turned into baby fever talk. All the while I either had Ava on my lap or my part of the table. I ended up sharing my lunch with Ava while we were out, and I can honestly say that is the only time she was okay with being in a restaurant highchair. She was so happy munching on "big girl food" with mama.

At the end of the lunch a couple of the girl commented on Ava's demeanor. They said she was one of the most well behaved babies they had seen. It actually kind of made me giggle. I had thought that Ava was a little bit more fussy than usual.. and they hadn't noticed what I had. Granted, it's my job as her mama to know. This is kind of how I treat every place we go. You really don't ever know what type of mood your toddler is going to be in. You can't let that hinder you from taking them on the go! We are heading to a festival later today, and I'm excited to see how this goes with her. I have always tried to avoid really busy places with bug, but there is a first time for everything.

Happy Sunday all!

♥- Leilani

The Crib

I mentioned in Ava's thirteen month post that our co-sleeping days were coming to a close, and Ava's crib days would soon be among us. I am proud to say that Friday night was the first night she successfully slept in her crib. She woke up after four whole hours of crib sleeping. I nursed her in the rocker, and laid her back down to sleep. I didn't do anything special, nor did I try placing her in the crib during nap time on Friday afternoon. We got ready for "night night" the routine way we always do, but instead of laying her down on my bed, I carried her to the nursery. I really didn't expect Ava to sleep in her crib so soon. I told myself I would actively try, but if she wasn't comfortable, I'd take her out. Well, that didn't happen. I could hear her make a few little noises on the baby monitor, but that was it. I kept tiptoeing into he room to check on her pretty much every fifteen minutes. It didn't help that Cooper would tag along too. I thought for sure the sound of him galloping around would wake the baby... it didn't!

I had the drying running when I put her down, I figured a little noise in the background would be best. Normally we'd use her sound machine, but I didn't want to take it out of our room to put in her room, just to bring it back when she woke up. Well the sound machine is currently in her room. It took me a while to get the socket protector off, and I remember thinking that she would for sure wake up. She didn't. I really didn't expect for this transition to happen so smoothly. I plan on trying every night from here on out. Since Ava is clearly ready for the change, it looks like I have to jump on board too. Consistency is really going to be my best friend in this transition.

I know Justin is going to be thrilled about the progress that we've made. This is definitely a decision I've grown to become content with. After all, it only took us six months to really start this transition. The best part about this entire ordeal is that Ava bug seems to really enjoy the new independence. I didn't want to force her into making a change, and it looks like we won't have to. Have any of my readers successfully gone from co-sleeping to using the crib? If so, I'd love to hear about some of the methods you use. Feel free to leave comments below or email me.

Happy Monday all!

♥- Leilani

Baby wearing (one year)

I can't believe it's been one full year of wearing our sweet girl. It has truly been an amazing experience to witness the benefits of holding our child. It's crazy that something so simple has made a remarkable impact on the relationship Justin and I share with our daughter. I knew even when I was pregnant that I wanted to wear my infant. I remember talking to Justin about what kind of wrap/carrier he wanted to use for Ava when she arrived. It was actually pretty cool that Justin was on board from the start as well. He's always been up for being equal parents, which to me means, equally sharing the parental work, and excitement. Watching him wear his child proudly makes me all kinds of happy. I really love the gentle father he is, and baby wearing contributed to that a bit.

Through this past year we have tried three different types of carriers for baby wearing. I fell in love with the Moby wrap right from the start. I actively used my wrap for about seven months, until we purchased an ergo baby carrier, and that became Justin's favorite way to wear Ava bug. I'm not a huge fan of structured carriers, but I did love that Justin and I both found our "go-tos" Three months after that I discovered ring slings. I was offered a free sling for a review, and it quickly became my favorite way to wear our daughter. Sakura Bloom is without a doubt my favorite line of ring slings. The hype about baby wearing is extremely real. We have never had a fussy, crying, unhappy baby. Granted there's the rare occasion where Ava is a bit out of sorts, but other than that, Ava is so chill. Aside from compliments about how beautiful she is, we hear this more than anything.

People are always telling us how calm, chill, and easy she seems. I happen to believe it's in large part to baby wearing. I never let her cry it out, when she wants to be held, we hold her, we don't keep her in strollers, infant seats, or any type of toys. Being able to hold her whenever I want and still have the same level of productivity is completely golden. Fostering a strong bond between a child and their parents is vital early on. I'm glad we have been able to do that with Ava!

Here is a scroll of some of our baby wearing memories so far. I plan on doing a session at the beach (mentioned in my last post) that hopefully captures the very essence and art of baby wearing.

Happy Wednesdsay all!

 ♥- Leilani

Toddlerhood (so far)

Today Miss Ava is thirteen months old, and boy have things changed dramatically for us Howland's in the last month. Bug has been talking a lot more since her first birthday. She can say nom nom, yum, and we are working on "Coop" for Ava's fur brother. She understands what we are saying more. If we ask her to bring something to us, or if we ask her to put something down, she does it. Whenever we say good job, she claps for herself and starts laughing so loud! It's the cutest thing ever. She is full blown mobile. She runs, and she knows no limits. Everything has been baby-proofed top to bottom. Just recently Ava had her first fall from our bed, so we won't be actively co-sleeping like we used to. I'm trying to incorporate the crib again, and I'm actually making a conscious effort to get Ava bug comfortable with sleeping on her own.

What else has Ava learned this month? She started stacking, she can drink from a straw, and she wears big girl shoes! She loves Ed Sheeran (totally my fault) and she dances around our house all the time. A lot of my readers know that we did away with the baby foods, and Ava eats table food. So many changes to occur just over thirty days. I'm loving all of the advancements and growth that I see in my daughter. Prior to actually getting to this toddlerhood stage, I really missed my squishy little newborn. I thought the "newborn phase" was going to be my favorite part of motherhood, turns out it's not (you'll see a post on that later). It's so fun being able to take Ava into downtown Seattle, and watch her eyes gaze over skyscrapers. I love taking her to the waterfront, the zoo, basically anything outdoors and watching her mind work. That has been the best part of this entire experience. Watching Ava bug grow.

Like always here is a list of things that we have started using with our sweet bug!

This is the straw starter sippy cup from Playtex. We originally bought this because we weren't sure what type of cup Ava would take to best. Turns out she hates the traditional sippy cups, and she loves using her straw! Straw cups help advance her oral mortal development more than the traditional cups. She still nurses three or four times a day, but we introduced organic cow's milk, and she drinks it from this big girl cup. We are making a slow transition from breast to sippy cup (there will be a trying to conceive post that explains more about this), and I'm glad Ava is setting a pace.

Shoes are another big change we've made for Ava! Since she's walking like crazy, it makes sense that we'd do away with the crib shoes, right? I found a line of shoes for infants/toddlers, that I absolutely love! Lately I've been trying to stay away from more mainstream brands with Ava. This is, See Kai Run. We have purchased three pairs of shoes from this company, and we are just in love. Ava has another pair of sneakers and some of their sandals.

Food is definitely one of the biggest changes. We have Ava on a whole eating, organic, gluten free type of diet. She loves string cheese, she loves fruit, and she loves ezekiel bread with almond butter! We don't give her juice, sweets, or any type of processed food. Whenever we snack, this child picks out some of the healthiest options! I'm glad she's enjoying the whole eating life!

The last thing we started doing is exploring more of the outdoors. I've taken a real leap and stopped treating my kid like she needs to be in a bubble. We explore everything. There are TONS of activities to do here that are geared for kids. I've also upped the amount of play dates Ava has in a week. I figure it's never too early to start socializing! She's gone on picnics, lunch dates, and soon she will be experiencing her first fair! The exploration is truly one of my favorite parts of her toddlerhood.

She's not a little infant anymore, and I'm okay with that. We are working on teaching her words, numbers, and letters as well. We still aren't huge fans of letting Ava sit in front of the television, but the occasional glimpse of Sofia doesn't bother me. Justin and I still baby wear Ava pretty frequently. It doesn't hinder her growth or her walking. I love it! I've pretty much stopped using my moby, and now I stick to our ring slings. Be on the look out for baby wearing photos soon! We have a photo session in the works with the beautiful Jessica Oda!


I know this next month is going to present a whole new set of milestones for my toddler, and I can hardly wait to share them with you! Aside from having a thirteen month old, tomorrow marks one full year of baby wearing for us! There will most definitely be a post on that as well (there will be a to of blogging in my near future). The benefits we've seen due to our parenting styles have been truly phenomenal. Attachment parenting is really the right fit for us, and I'm glad we've stuck to it since day one!

Happy Tuesday all!

♥- Leilani