Little Gym Graduation

Today Ava graduated from her class at the Little Gym. She's been going there ever since her first birthday (it was her birthday present from her grandparents) and she loves it. She has learned how to do a forward roll, walk on the balance beam, swing from the bars and so much more. Here are a few videos of some of the skills she has learned and also of her receiving her medal from Miss Kelly.

Forward roll on the balance beam...


Climbing up the wall and doing a swing on the bars...


Jumping over the rope with two feet...


Receiving her graduation medal from Miss Kelly...

Swimming Lessons - Week 3

Here's more swimming lessons - this is the end of week 3 - the halfway mark. Ava is now progressing to the point of being able to do many of the skills on her own, without the help of her instructor. If you watch closely in the video there are several moments in which he lets go of her. For a mom this is an extremely scary, yet also very gratifying moment all at the same time (if that is even possible). She is doing so well, and getting quickly to the point where she will be swimming on her own! She's still crying, but the intensity and frequency are decreasing. She also still begs us to take her everyday - in fact if we drive by Mr. Carlos' (her instructor's) house without going that direction she gets upset! All good signs that she's having a good time.

Swimming Lessons Week 2

Here is a video clip from Ava's second week of swimming lessons! Is she making progress, absolutely. Is she still screaming her head off, absolutely! She begs us to take her swimming, talks about it all the time, but when it's her turn to get in the water it all begins. Only when she is finished and she is able to get a lollipop for a job well done, does the wailing stop. They never told us that she would be learning how to swim and getting a cavity all at the same time! :) Anyway, it's obviously not hindering her learning process, because she's doing great!

Hard Day

Today was a hard day. An emotional day. A day full of tears, anger and questions. It was Ava's first day in her new classroom, she's moving up now because she's two. She was with her preschool class, playing on the indoor play structure, when a child (who is known to be aggressive) bit her. It's not just any bite. It broke the skin, is placed right by her eye and left a huge red and blue circle on her face. She didn't take his toy, she wasn't even playing with him, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As a mother, you want to protect your kids and when that isn't a possibility it's heart wrenching. Thank God that her doctor said it's not deep enough for stitches, but still, I know it hurt.

She hasn't mentioned a thing about it, has probably already moved on, but as her mother I'm heartbroken that I wasn't there to rescue her. I'm praying that this never happens again, but the sad truth is that there will be more times in her life when I will not be able to save her...and those too will be hard days.

Oh, needless to say, the bite was so violent that the child was asked to not return to the preschool. So sad that it had to happen to my baby...

My Baby Girl

In the last two years she has gone from being a 5 lb. 1 oz premature baby, to a 28 lb. toddler that is in to everything! Her development is completely caught up and then some. She is changing daily. She's beginning to speak in sentences - ones that actually make sense and you can understand.


I'm so proud of her. I know that sounds crazy because she's only 2 - but she is amazing. She is teaching us every day how to enjoy the simplest things in life.

I never want to forget the moments we've cherished over the past two years, and I will be certain to cherish those to come. She is a blessing from God and we love her more than life itself.