Avonlea Jane's first bed

In the past couple weeks, Avonlea Jane has kept busy with her usual schedule of playgroups and playdates. We're looking forward to storytime at the library starting this week, especially now that Avonlea Jane has graduated to the one-year-old group. She has recently mastered climbing our staircase and while not walking yet, she can stand unsupported.

The Saturday before last, David and I were able to enjoy our first actual date night just the two of us. Our friends Ian and Brittany were nice enough to come over to the house with their baby Oliver to spend the evening with Avonlea Jane, while we went to Gulu-Gulu in Salem to see one of our favorite musical groups, Dagmar. Even though we couldn't help but periodically text to check in on her and wound up coming home an hour early, we were thrilled to keep up with our New Year's resolution to go out more alone.

The big news for Avonlea Jane in the last week is that she now has her very own bed! She helped to pick it out while David was away in Oregon. She is enamored with it, as are the cats. She hardly gets a chance to lie on it, because Mabel and Maxwell seem to have taken up permanent residence. It is a low, slatted twin bed, and Avonlea Jane is quite tickled that it is just her height. She's been taking half of her naps in the new bed, and last night she slept in it for six hours before we brought her in with us for her remaining five hours of sleep. She's been adjusting to sleeping alone better than we have. At some point this week both of us have patted the middle of the bed and awoken with a start because Avonlea Jane was missing.

A rare moment, free of cats

Having fun on her bed before we had to leave to go to a birthday party

Briefly wearing a hat at her friend Preston's first birthday party today

Lining up all of the little guests is never an easy feat

Avonlea Jane helping the birthday boy to open his presents

Preston wound up having quite a few helpers

Avonlea Jane kissing Maxwell in the study fireplace

Avonlea Jane doesn't care for the big tub yet. In fact, unless one of us is bathing with her it terrifies her. However, she is perfectly content in her little tub with her toys inside of the big tub.

(For those who are on the North Shore, we highly recommend checking out Dagmar; they are about as bad-ass as folk music can get. We also make an effort to go see our friend Judy C as well as Janine Graham, The Julie Dougherty Band, and Qwill.)