Favorite Things: Primo EuroBath

I have had a few people ask for baby bathtub recommendations, and my response is always the same...I absolutely love the Primo EuroBath. 

This wasn't the first baby bathtub we purchased for Ava. For the first few months, we used this bathtub made by Safety 1st...

However, Ava quickly grew out of the tub and didn't have room to splash her legs...her favorite bath activity at the time. Since we have a taller-than-average baby, I searched for a replacement tub that would last us for a while (and I really wish I had done this when registering for a tub). 

My research led me to the Primo EuroBath. According to the company's website, they offer the "largest baby bath available." Additionally, the tubs are made in the USA, BPA and Phthalate free, and can be used from birth to two-years old. They are also super easy to clean. Win, win, win. 

Before your baby can sit unsupported, you use the infant side of the bathtub. The infant side includes a contoured ramp that is both comfortable and safe because it keeps the baby from slipping down into the water.  

And once your baby is older, they can sit up on the toddler side of the tub. However, I still usually sit Ava up on the infant side so I can lean her back to wash her hair. This makes hair washing much easier!

As you can tell, Ava really likes her bathtub :). 

(And yes, someday she is going to be so embarrassed that I posted these pictures.)

Busy Weekend

This weekend was fun, long, busy, and very productive!

On Friday, I tucked my sweet baby girl in and (once Josh got home from work) met up with two of my favorite friends for some wine, baby shower planning, and great conversation at Times Ten Cellars. 

Then we had a very productive Saturday and Sunday...we went to the mall, had a new mattress delivered (our Christmas present to each other...we are so old!), and took a much-needed trip to the grocery store. 

We cleaned and organized our bedroom as well as finally moved the newborn cradle to the garage (it had just been collecting clothes for quite some time now). Josh also tackled the project of putting up our curtains (that my Mom made) and bedside lights. 

While we have done a lot of work to our house in the last four years, we have barely touched our bedroom (except for the master closet remodel, which deserves its own post). We still need to get art/photos for the walls as well as new furniture (the people we bought the house from left most of their furniture, and even though most of it is not our style, it is all functional and FREE...so we have been slow to replace it all), but this is a great start!

Luckily, we didn't spend all weekend running errands/crossing off to-do items. Since the weather was so gorgeous, we spent most of Sunday afternoon hanging out at the park. Ava loved it!

Josh had to work today, but Ava and I both had a holiday and enjoyed a nice day relaxing at home. We headed back to the park for some more swinging and exploring.  

This look cracks me up!

Keeping the wood chips out of her mouth was quite a challenge. 

We also took her trike out for a spin today. 

Ava totally thought that she was driving it :). 

And we spotted some polka-dotted flamingos on the ride. Just a normal day in the neighborhood.

This weekend couldn't have been any more perfect. And now we just have a four-day work week ahead. Win!

Second Sunday Brunch Bunch: Komali

This Sunday, the Brunch Bunch hit up Komali. 

I have been there before for dinner, which was delicious. So I had very high hopes for their brunch. 

It was the first time that Lolly has been able to make it to our monthly brunch, so we made her take a picture by herself as punishment.

Most of the girls ordered mimosas, which are only $2 a glass and cheaper by the carafe. 

However, I was way too hungover to partake (only sushi for dinner + 2 martinis + 3.5 glasses of wine = no bueno). Thus the coffee...

As a starter, they brought everyone (not just us...everyone their eating brunch/lunch) a small bowl of soup. I didn't catch the name of the soup, but it was basically a tomato broth with chopped spaghetti noodles and a little cheese. It wasn't bad, but the consensus at our table was that it was very reminiscent of SpaghettiOs. 

We also ordered the Queso Fundido with mushrooms and poblano chiles for the table. It comes with tortillas to wrap around the ooey, gooey cheese, and was really good. 

Jill ordered the Migas, and was pleasantly surprised that the chorizo wasn't super greasy. 

Erin got the Cazuela de Papa, which is "beef tenderloin & potato hash, fried egg, pico de gallo, Mexican crema, and queso fresco." She said it was good and was glad the egg to other stuff ratio was low because she is not a huge egg fan. 

[On a side note, when I looked up the description of the menu item on the restaurant website, I noticed that they use the serial comma inconsistently. Blerg!]

The two Lauras ordered Chilaquiles...although only one could pronounce it :).

And Rachel and I both ordered the Machacado con Huevos, which is described as "shredded short ribs, scrambled eggs, pico de gallo, and queso fresco, breakfast potatoes and black beans."

Everyone agreed that the food was good but not great.  All the entrees could have used a little more flavor/spice. I will definitely be back for dinner at some point, but probably not for brunch. 

However, even though the food was a little underwhelming, the conversation definitely was not. We discussed new babies, new jobs, going back to school, a "weird uterus," and ordering condoms via Amazon's "subscribe and save" program...totally normal. Ha!

Weekend Fun with Friends

Last weekend, we had a very last-minute get together with some of our favorite friends (that was instigated because the boys wanted to smoke cigars while the weather was so nice). 

Ava was so excited to hang out with her BFF, Abby. 

Grant joined in on the fun as well. 

 The kids were very good at sharing the toys. 

Abby had a great time, but when her Mom would leave the room, this is what happened...

She is definitely a Momma's girl!

"This will look so good in your hair, Ava."

"She did it!"

It is so much fun to watch them play together...we definitely need to do it more often!

Ava - 11 Months

Ava turned 11-months old just after New Year's, and the fact that she is now less than one month away from her first birthday is crazy! She is turning into a toddler before our eyes...an adorable, smart, sweet little toddler. 

She didn't add any new words to her vocabulary this month, but it is amazing how much she understands. For example, when I ask her if she wants to read another book, she looks up at the books on the shelf. Ava can also point out our noses and eyes (and sometimes mouth and ears) when asked. Additionally, she knows that her socks go on her feet and will try to brush her own hair (and mine) if I hand her the comb. Ava is still a fantastic eater, and she also responds very positively to just about every word that has something to do with eating...breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, eat, food, bottle, etc...and will make her lip smacking noise.  

It is so fun to see her budding imagination as well. Ava loves the fake food in her picnic basket toys (yes, she has two), and she not only pretends to take "bites" herself, but she also thinks it is so much fun to offer us some. So cute!

Below are my favorites from our monthly photo shoot. She sat still for slightly longer than last month. 

This is her mischievous look :). We are in trouble. 

Ava kept finding additional stuffed animals. 

And she wanted to hold them all. Ha!

Blowing kisses. 

And waving at her daddy :). 

Milestones/Firsts:

• Her first Christmas and New Year's!
• Last month, Ava took her first real steps, but she didn't completely take off until this week (more to come on that in next month's post, but I don't want to get a head of myself). 
• At the end of the month, she moved up to the next class in daycare. I was worried about the transition, but she absolutely loves being in their with the "big" kids and all the new toys :). 
• She ate her first restaurant food...a grilled cheese and fruit from Fuddruckers. 
• Ava learned how to give hugs. I can't tell you how wonderful this is!

Likes:

• Her current favorite foods are bananas, cheese, broccoli, sweet potato, hamburger meat, yogurt, avocado, chicken, puffs, green beans, peaches, mum mums...and that grilled cheese she got to try for the first time :). And she loves eating out of squeezie packs. I just bought some reusable ones so I can fill them with homemade purees and avoid spending a fortune!
• If we put a pillow down on the floor, Ava gets such a kick out of rolling around and lounging on it.
• Ava loves to read! Her favorite books are Spot books, the small Baby Einstein books that Grammie got her, and any books with textured items. She is a little ADD when it comes to books. If there are a few laying on the ground as we are reading, she will stop me mid-book and want to switch to another one. 
• A few of her favorite toys (some of which are new and some have been favs for a while) are her Fisher-Price Musical Table, the Green Toys Stacking Cups, any of the Melissa & Doug Fill and Spill toys, PlanToys Shape and Sort, VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker, and the LeapFrog Picnic Basket she got for Christmas. She also LOVES dancing to the music that most of these play...the apple definitely didn't fall too far from the tree. 

• Ava loves trying to sneak past the baby gate we have in the family room. And she gives us the most mischievous little grin as she is doing it...stinker!
• She also loves to crawl over and onto anything she can, including stairs. 
• Ava waves hello and goodbye a lot more now. When Josh walks with her to the garage in the morning to take her to daycare, she waves like crazy to me with a huge smile on her face. It is one of the best parts of my morning :). 
• She loves to psych the dogs out by tempting them with food or toys and then quickly pulling it away (I would feel worse for them if they didn't get a LOT of scraps while she is eating). As you can see in this video, Ava thinks it is hilarious!

Dislikes:

• Sitting still for too long in the bath. She is becoming quite the wiggle worm, and it is tough to keep her from trying to climb out sometimes. 
• Getting in the carseat. Thankfully, Ava is fine once she is all strapped in. She was wonderful during our trips to and from Austin for Christmas. 

Funny/Random Tidbits:

• She has taken to saying "mama" when there is something she wants...most often her Wubbas. Lovely. 
• Ava likes to try to crawl into the baby bouncer seat that we still have tucked away in the corner of the dining room. It is hilarious to see her in there. 
• She will randomly pat the side of her head...sometimes with her hand and sometimes with her toys. So strange!

I don't have a lot of additional photos from last month since there were so many holiday posts, but below are my favorites (even though most are repeats)...

Watching a little basketball with Daddy :). 

Discovering that food goes into the pocket of her bib for the first time (All I could think was: "Napoleon, give me some of your tots!")  

We were accidentally matching one day (minus the hilarious side pony/bun Ava's daycare teacher designed). I didn't even realize it until I picked her up after work. 

Morning lounge time in Mommy and Daddy's bed...

Let the countdown to the first birthday begin! Eek!!