It's unbelievable that our newborn is now three months old. Here are some of the main happenings from the past month:
-We traveled by plane to Manchester, England and we traveled by high speed train to Hamburg, Germany. Ava has taken the journeys in stride and for the most part been a joy to travel with. She enjoys seeing new places from the viewpoint of her stroller and often sleeps better in the hotel pack n' play than here at home!
-Ava is getting to be so strong! She loves "standing" and will pull herself up holding on to Daddy's hands with only a little help. We introduced the jumper recently and she likes to sit and bounce in the doorway with someone sitting close by. She has just started to hold on to toys given a little guidance and is a pro at the activity gym, batting a toys and grabbing on to rings. Her eye contact is improving as she stares at the toys and will look from one to the other.
-When playing with Mommy and Daddy, Ava is usually all smiles. She is now starting to laugh and continues to coo and gurgle, especially in the morning and after eating.
-Ava is still napping 3 times a day and occasionally taking a catnap between dinner and bedtime. She still prefers to nap in the Mamaroo swing and on walks in the stroller more than sleep in her crib. She is still swaddled at nap time and has now caught on to the routine of swaddle/goodnight song/nap; she occasionally shares her disapproval with a few tears. At night time Ava is going to bed between 8:30-9pm and wakes up like clockwork very close to 7am. She sleeps in her crib at night time and Mommy and Daddy are still working hard to increase those night time hours and cut back on feedings!
-Ava is an absolute pleasure to be around and is looking forward to her Nana and Papa making their second trip to Berlin this month. She can't wait for her first trip home to the US in October when she will see Grammie and Pop Pop again, as well as meet the extended Aylesworth and Matzke families. We look forward to spending time in NYC, MD, and VA in late October seeing both friends and family.