double trouble

Here is a mid-month update. I know from our Thanksgiving experience that Ava's monthly post in January will be swallowed up by the regaling of Christmas festivities, so I will try to keep up with the day-to-day as well!

Ava got her third cold of the season last week and two days later got the fever and the ear-pulling and the diagnosis of a double ear infection. We started swiftly on amoxicillin, only to find out that she wasn't responding to it. She has been on this before, about two months ago, and it makes me wonder if her previous ear infection never really cleared up either! In between, if you recall, I posted about Ava's fussiness, teething, trouble sleeping, and a cough that never cleared up... the oomph with which all of those things manifested leaves the possibility that she was struggling with her ears that whole time too. Poor baby! So, we've switched to Augmentin and thankfully have already seen a great change in her mood, eating and sleeping habits of late.

One great thing that came from our second visit to the doctor was the discovery of molars! All the while we've been counting incisors, Ava's been popping out the big ones too. While the doctor had Ava upside down with the tongue depressor down her throat searching for strep (an awful and gag-inducing experience), her professional flashlight noted at least one of her two-year molars is half-way down! Many people said that our late bloomer would push them all out at once but I can't believe the mouthful that has ensued over the last two months. And man, I can't tell you how excited I am for all the sleep we will get (hopefully) when the growth spurt is finished.

To all who will read this before the holidays, Merry Christmas from the Drakes! We love sharing our lives with you and hope you have a wonderful, Christ-filled weekend.

1 year and 9 months

What a full month! We've had a wonderful time traveling, celebrating and making some big changes around here.

In the last week Ava has popped out four more teeth and there are two more (that I can spy) on the way. She has been much more prone to tantrums this month and not sleeping well (more on that later)... now we know why! I suspected she could be teething but it just kept going on and on and on. Little did I know she was pushing out a whole mouth full. Poor girl! Thankfully she seems to be doing a little better and hopefully her teethers (as we call them) will give her a break soon.

Teething is almost always accompanied by troubled sleeping patterns but for about two and a half months now Ava has been fighting her daily naps. As I mentioned in a previous post, after much hesitation, I finally decided to drop Ava's morning nap. She has adjusted very well and now wakes up asking, "Gonna go? Gonna go?" since our newfound morning freedom allows for regular outings. She is still often tired in the mornings but she will continue to adjust, especially as she gets used to sleeping for longer stretches in the afternoon. For now she is sleeping for 1 1/2 -2 hours but hopefully this will lengthen in time.

Now for the third major change, Ava has started to potty-train herself! In a previous post I wrote about her growing interest in the potty and this interest has only continued. A few days ago we even spent a few hours diaper-less (after much pleading from the babe) and though we had two accidents, she also peed twice on the potty! After the holidays I am going to get serious and consistent with the potty-training, I was planning on waiting but she definitely seems ready and I want to jump on it while excitement is high. Here is a picture of the potty-training uniform and its happy donner.

And Ava reading Better Homes and Gardens on the potty:

This also marks the first month when I stopped keeping track of all of Ava's new words--simply because she says almost all of them! She repeats almost anything you say and is in a constant state of naming and conversing. It is not unusual these days for me to wake up to her role-calling from her crib, "Piggy. Light! Mommy. Daddy. Blankie. Ducky! PJs. Diaper. Zipper...". It puts a smile on my face! She is not speaking in any long sentences but has added things like, "Miss you", and "Thank you God" to her repertoire. She is just beginning to understand (or attempt) the use of words like mine and yours, me and you, and for the first time this month pointed to herself and said triumphantly, "Ay-bah!" (Ava).

In the morning Ava has enjoyed crib-time for many months now, time where she gets to play on her own while mommy takes a shower and gets ready for the day. This month marked the transition from crib-time to room-time, in which she is still barricaded in but is allowed full access to her room. It has been a learning process, the hardest part for her is having the door open and being able to see the rest of the house, the door where mommy is, etc. But, most days she plays happily with her toys and then anxiously awaits mommy's exit from the bathroom once the shower has been turned off! The idea is to move to non-barricaded room-time eventually but that is a little while off yet.

Ava loves "fire" (candles), drinking water from a cup and playing in her bin of rice with scoops and bowls. Her color of choice is purple, favorite person to pretend-talk to on the phone is Mimi, and has two new wintry breakfast favorites: meal meal (oatmeal) and toast. She has a surprising love for citrus fruits, pop songs and snow flakes (as long as she doesn't have to touch them) and a surprising hatred of the cold.

Our baby is big. Old. Independent! She spends much more of her time on her own now but still comes up to me mid-play, holding her ducky, and asks for snuggle breaks! I will never turn one down.

and now we're down to one.

Today marks a big day in the life of Ava and mommy. Today is the first day I've made the intentional switch down to one nap for my baby! It was a hard decision, Ava has always slept well and more than the average child, but for the past few weeks naps have been a real struggle. I chalked it up to her being sick (which I'm sure was the instigator back in October), teething, traveling, you name it. But, after trying every other method to get her back on track with her two naps, I've decided it's time!

This transition has been a hard one for me to give in to, for reasons of a changing schedule and having to make more sacrifices with my time, but also because big girls take one nap. If my baby is taking one nap... that means she's a pretty big girl. It's a hard change for me to swallow for some reason but I'm adjusting. Granted, this is only day one (and she's done very well with it), but it's been a gradual mental transition for me as I've had to accept what was coming.

As we enter this new stage, I have to remember the overwhelming transitions of the past--starting solid food, weening, dropping other naps and shifting schedules to accommodate her expanding awake times--and how comfortable I am now with those changes. It's amazing how far we've come! Though this is, once again, another change, I am also excited about what this will open up for us. For the first time since birth Ava will be awake for a long enough stretch of time that we might actually be able to DO something! Swimming lessons, art classes, longer play dates... the opportunities are endless. Moms you are probably laughing but with a good sleeper and a mom who won't sacrifice naps comes a LOT of time at home! So I say, bring on the activity!

Tee!

"Tee!" is what we hear these days, every time Ava walks into the living room. As if she's forgotten all about it, she runs up to the Christmas tree that takes up half our walking space and squeals with delight. Then we proceed to check and make sure all her favorite ornaments are there, the balls, snowmen, the bottle, the house, the clock, the choo choo and so on. This is a wonderful time of year but what a joy to share it with my baby girl!

Now we prepared her for the upcoming Christmas tree venture, the sawing and mounting, lighting and of course the presence of a big outside-tree, inside. However, on the chosen day Ava decided to skip and/or scream through both of her naps and then promptly fall asleep on the way to the tree farm. Not quite the memorable family outing we'd hoped for! So, being the wonderful dad he is, Blair set out and chopped down a tree for us while I stayed with Ava, snoozing in the car. Ava awoke during the tree-to-car attachment process and though she fussed all the way home, thankfully enjoys the finished product.

Last Christmas I bought Ava an ornament and had planned to pick one for her each year. However, I quickly realized it would be even more fun to have her pick it out herself. So today during a trip to Target, we perused the selection. Of course what ensued was the needing of every ornament that she laid eyes on, but with mom's help we narrowed it down to this special gem, a snuggly, mini-version of Ava's seasonal favorite friend, "Bosdy!"

Here are a few other pictures of our house, decorated with hand-spun crafts by mother and daughter. Ok mostly mother. But daughter cheered me on!

Pearly Smiles

Ava received her first "too-tut" (toothbrush) from Granny and has put it to good use. She loves helping me brush my teeth and couldn't be more thrilled at the opportunity to brush her own! I decided to document her first real toothbrushing attempt and of course share the cuteness with all of you.

As seen in the above pictures and further documented in those below, Ava has figured out how to smile on cue. It is adorable and the progression is even cuter. Now we are able to get some not-so-natural but still oh-so-sweet smiles on camera.

Here is the progression of her trying to smile for the camera for the first time!

Thanks

Our Thanksgiving could effectively be described as a whirlwind. But, it was a whirlwind saturated with loving family and delicious tradition that we are so thankful for.

We spent Thursday at our home with Mimi and Pappy. Mom and I donned aprons and flour for most of the day while the men watched TV and played with Ava. Though Ava ate dinner with us and enjoyed all the activity, by far her favorite Thanksgiving treat was this:

Ava spent much of the day in Mimi's cooler, emptied of feast ingredients and filled with all her favorite stuffed friends. Pappy gave cooler-rides, but she was also happy to snuggle in there and watch TV with the boys!

Friday we traveled down to the Philly area and over the next three days Ava got to see almost everyone she knows! We visited with Blair's immediate and extended family and much of my dad's side of the family as well. Ava was a trooper, sleeping in a different room every night but still adjusting pretty well to all the changing surroundings. Both sides of the family got to see what we lovingly call the "crazy lady" (the one who comes out in the evening after stimulation overload and insufficient napping have occurred) but she really did do surprisingly well during the trip.

Unfortunately Blair had to work on Saturday so he drove back to State College on Friday night, and then back again to Philly on Sunday, only to return home with family in toe on Monday. We wish we could have had him for the whole holiday weekend but we're grateful for all he does to support our little family!

All in all, this year we have no short list of things we are thankful for and a list of One who we're giving the credit to! We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives, so many who love us and our daughter well, to have all our needs (and more) provided for and a wonderful Savior who protects, nourishes, saves and spoils us.

Potty? Yes!

Last night, for the very first time, Ava pee peed on the potty! All by herself!

I was changing her diaper and she asked to go sit on the potty. I was in the zone, wanting to get her ready for bed, diaper changed, PJs on, so of course I said, 'You just went in your diaper honey, you don't need to go on the potty'. She insisted, 'Potty? Potty?' so I gave in. She was already half-naked, why not let her go sit her cute little bottom on the seat for a minute.

She ran over to her potty and sat down while I retrieved her favorite Elmo potty book, and then I joined her and began reading. Not five words in, I realized she was sitting on the back of her onesie, I thought, 'Eh, may as well move this just in case'. I reached down to pull out the dangling cotton and snaps only to feel it soaking wet... I looked in the potty and there sat a puddle of beautiful pee! Now for all you non-parents out there, it is amazing and shocking how normal words like pee pee and poo poo become in your everyday language, and even more surprising the level of excitement and pride that bursts forth when your child goes to the potty for the first time by themselves. In my highest and most shrill, excited voice I said, "Ava?! Did you go pee pee on the potty?!" to which she of course answered, "Yeah!" I clapped and cheered and she got soooo excited for herself. If mommy is getting this excited, I must have done something really great! We cleaned up, de-clothed and triumphantly flushed the specimen down the toilet (to which Ava always screams, "Rolling!" as the water whooshes down).

Ava continued to sit on the potty for about twenty minutes, insisting that she would poo poo in it (though I knew she wouldn't), and drool on herself the sticky sugary goodness that was her first potty treat--a yellow skittle. My my, I remember the pride I felt the first time she smiled at me, rolled over, crawled forward, stepped forward, mastered using her little fingers... this is right up there!

Now I've heard the stories of moms whose kids pee on the potty around this age but later refuse to have anything to do with it, or whose journey toward diaper independence is a long one. But, nevertheless, I am still so proud of my little girl and can't wait to see how she continues in this process!

Shutterfly Promo

This season Shutterfly is promoting their brand by offering 50 free Christmas cards to all bloggers! The budget-minded mom that I am, I jumped at this freebie. They have a huge selection of great, modern cards to choose from, perfect for our little family (and yours). Shutterfly also is a great destination for Christmas gifts including personalized wall calendars, photo ornaments, photo mugs and more.

Here is where you can find their Christmas card selection. Some of my favorite designs are the Merry Blossom, Family Wall Red and Noel Lace. I can't wait to design our family's card this Christmas! It's such a great way, especially now that we have Ava, to share our family with, well... family!

I hope you all enjoy picking out your cards this season and a few special gifts for friends and family. I don't know about you but even though it's barely Thanksgiving, I'm already feeling the holiday spirit brewing in our home!

20 Months

Unfortunately this month has been marked by illness. Welcome winter and winter bugs! Ava has had an ear infection, two colds, a virus, a stomach bug and a horrible vomit-inducing cough that won't let up. However, amidst the tissues, motrin and carpet cleaner, Ava has managed still to grow and do new things.

One of the benchmarks of Ava's month will be her new interest in the potty! Just this last week she has asked to sit on the potty a number of times and loves to place all her stuffed animals and dolls on it as well. They go pee pee, we clap for them and make a big to-do. Just a few weeks ago I would have said she was not even close to being ready but then one day, the light when on and the first phase of potty-training had begun. This is not a process I am going to push until she is very ready but consider this stage of education, practice and pretend an important one!

This month once again Ava has made a giant leap in her independence and conversational and emotional skills. Blair and I regularly sit and marvel at the little human that does circles around us, amazed at her ability to interact and her desire to learn. Her new sweet bend is toward asking us often, "Ya OK?" if ever we seem slightly surprised, scared, hurt or if she labels a loud noise or action as potentially causing us harm. It is so precious and exciting to watch her become increasingly aware of our emotions and respond to them!

In past months Ava started labeling things around the house as "mommy's" and "daddy's" (this by the way is a very telling way to see how you spend your time). For instance, the car, iced tea, anything with a power cord and all tools are "daddy's", whereas mommy's things include coffee, dishes, laundry baskets, lotion and the like! Anyway, so this was a new trend in the recent months but in the last couple of weeks Ava has started wanting to know who gave her different articles of clothing, blankets and other baby items. Every time we put on her pink sweatpants from Nana she squeals, "Nanny's!" though you can all rest assured that your names are mentioned daily, whether you gave her something or not. The other day she saw an old pillow I'd stuffed under her mattress to raise it up a bit and she said, "Papa's!" I replied, "Papa's? Did Papa give you that pillow?" Her reply: an enthusiastic, "Yeah! Thank you Papa!"

Ava's vocabulary list continues to lengthen, faster than I can remember to write them all down. With that, here is non-exhaustive record of Ava's words this month: Coat, grass, broccoli, juggle, cracker, Morgan, OK, "apple" bar, nose, eyes, ears, teeth, purse, bag, house, bacon, kix, towel, snap, barney, wheel, applesauce, pasta sauce, rice, bow, zipper, church, dipe dipe (diaper), mess, star, bug, spot, bright, buckle, laundry, all gone, blankie, rolling, hole, ipod, ice, case, monster, oatmeal, football, coffee, frosty and painting!

This month also marked Ava's 1st Halloween... that she actually took part in! We dressed her as the cute teddy bear you see above, went to Emily and Brian's apartment (Blair's sister and her fiance) as well as some of our neighbors homes. Ava had a cold but enjoyed the outing, loved her "hat" and couldn't have been cuter. She didn't quite understand the giving of candy as evidenced by her prompt returning of the treat to the giver with a "Thank you!", but still she had fun. And of course she is benefiting from the holiday with the occasional, "Teet? Teet? (Treat)" shared with mommy from the bowl of leftovers.

A little history and how I survived the tummy bug

I have a stomach virus phobia. Many people do but I really REALLY do. Most of you know, shortly after Blair and I got married in 2006, I started getting sick with one thing after another, and after suffering two stomach viruses within a couple weeks of each other, I was hospitalized and never got better. Fatigue, pain, nausea, migraines, blurred vision, muscle weakness, brain fog... I had every vague but insufferable symptom in the book. I saw maybe ten different specialists with as many diagnoses and no end in sight. Needless to say, there began my hatred of stomach viruses and how they, without warning or permission, catapulted me and my life in a frightening and grim direction.

When Blair and I began talking to my many doctor's about starting a family, they basically told us not to wait for me to get better--I might never recover. So we decided to step out in faith and get pregnant. Every doctor said that I would probably feel better while I was pregnant and get a lot worse after the birth. I was terrified of this scenario, having to care for a baby when I could barely care for myself some days, but we decided to go forward anyway and not let this keep us from having kids.

Turns out, I felt horrible pregnant. But, from the moment I went into labor, my body did what it was supposed to do, I was able to muster the energy to push Ava out (my obstetrician was afraid I wouldn't be able to do even that), and have been healthy every day since. No doctor could see it coming or explain it. We call it a miracle.

With this newfound health, I still haven't let go of my intense fear of getting a stomach virus and the anxiety of whether or not I could get really sick again. It has gotten easier to handle over time but I still have to fight off panic at the mere mention of a friend with an upset stomach. With that, the idea of Ava getting her first tummy bug terrified me quite a bit.

But, this week we did it. Right on the heels of an ear infection and that horrible fever, Ava had her first stomach virus. Blair wasn't home and so I bore it alone, the cleanup, the crying, the fever, the first few hours of sleeplessness until Blair got home from work. It was awful but at the same time, it feels so good to have it over with. To have faced my fear, kept my spirits up for my baby's sake, dealt with the anxiety and pushed through it.

Thankfully, I have yet to catch this awful bug and give all the glory to God for that. I still am afraid of the first time I have to go through that again, but to have this behind me and to know that I survived is a great victory for me. As for Ava, she unfortunately had a horrible cold at the same time so is dealing with the effects of that but the traumatic night of the tummy bug is no doubt far behind her. I am so grateful for the resilience of children! And thankful for my baby girl for not only curing me with her entrance into the world but continuing to be a source for my own growth and refinement, my dependence on the Lord, and the realization of my own strength.

Homebody, Home Maker

A phenomena of the modern stay-at-home-mom, blogging is a prominent part of many of our days. Sharing our thoughts and families, as well as reading others stories, both of people we know and those we don't. It might seem strange to some, to "follow" the blog of a mom whom you've never met, but to me and many it is fun, comforting, and a great resource.

Lately as I've been thinking of the many moms I know or read about who seem to constantly be taking their children out on adventures and excursions, I've become aware of my tendency to feel inadequate. Not as a nurturing mother but as a provider of experience, education and excitement into my baby's life. Blair and I have only one car, and his job keeps him out of the house (and the car goes with him) during many of Ava's waking hours. Therefore, her times 'out', especially to do anything exceptionally interesting, are few. I read about other families going pumpkin picking (Ava and I did manage this one with friends but without Blair), to the zoo or the farmers market or to friends houses or wherever, and I find myself wondering if Ava is missing out. Or am I missing out?

In the last couple of days though, I have realized two things. One, though experience outside the home is very important, it is not everything. And two, I have much to be thankful for in the way God has made me suitable for this "line of work". I have had my share of bad days and bad weeks, when Ava nor I have gotten out of the house for four days straight and I haven't had a break in months. But, I've realized recently that God's also given me an incredible ability to be able to live in and enjoy these circumstances more than the average mom. I have always thought it a lesser quality that I am a homebody and don't mind being at home. I have many friends who really need and want to get out of the house every day and thankfully have the ability to do so. But, I am beginning to see that my contentment to be at home as much as I am has become a necessary quality for the sustainability of our family, and I am so thankful at this stage in our lives that God made me the way he did. If he had made me any different, I assure you there would have been many more breakdowns in our household than have actually taken place, and probably it would not allow Blair to do the work that he loves.

Someday I hope that I have the option to take Ava out of the house everyday, not just for a walk but to places exciting and stimulating and new. But for now, I have to acknowledge that she is still growing, learning, socializing and doing amazingly well finding new things to do around the house every day. I have to remember that I am a good mom, that it is ok and even an asset that I enjoy being at home, and that I am blessed to be able to stay home with my daughter at all. I have to believe that all those moms out in blog land that post pictures of their seemingly perfect, exciting and adventure-filled lives have no more perfect homes, children or marriages than I do. I have to remember that memories are memories, and especially at Ava's young age, she is building just as firm a foundation playing, cooking and exploring with me at home as she would anywhere else.

I can't say I'm not praying for change, but I'm learning to be grateful that I have the capacity to stay within these walls for such long stretches as I do and to allow my husband to work at what he loves. I am beyond blessed to get to spend my days with a sweet and content girl who also loves snuggling and staying in. Though our circumstances are not ideal, we were built for them as much as anybody could be, and I'm glad.

Fall

This afternoon I found out two things I wouldn't have guessed to be so. One, Ava still fits pretty well in her winter coat from last year even though it's a size 12mos and she is in size 24mos (though, I suppose this isn't a total shock if you look at how big it was on her last year). This is a huge deal as I've been oscillating between whether to spend the money on a snow suit, or just a warm jacket, or a one-piece snow-playing contraption that would be very convenient but not double as a coat. So many decisions for a thrifty family. At least now I know I can put off that decision until the first snow and see if Ava even likes making Frosty-the-snowmans before I spend $30 on snow pants.

(Ava in her coat today)

(Ava in the same coat last winter)

The second thing I found out today is that my little toddler can play in the leaves! It never occurred to me that she'd be old enough to do such an old kid thing but she is. And she loved it. I raked a small pile and she swung her arms up in reckless abandon and flopped right on in.

Double successes today!

TEETH!

Ava got her first two teeth at 16 1/2 months after a solid 8 months of teething (I'm not joking). Thankfully it didn't take another 8 months for the next ones to pop through, but it sure felt like it. Ava's top two teeth have finally made their debut, at 19 mos! I have yet to get a picture of them--knowing her it will be about 2 months until they are down far enough to be captured on film, but believe me, they are there! I am SO excited and can't wait to see my baby girl with a toothy grin!

The best part about new teeth? Yesterday Ava took two good naps for the first time in weeks and this morning slept in until 9:15! Praise the Lord for catching up on sleep!

Nostalgia

Two years ago today I was almost 20 weeks pregnant and just a few days shy of finding out Ava's gender.

One year ago today, Ava at 7 months old.

Today.

A Visit From Grammy and Pappy

We are ever so blessed that two of Ava's favorite people live just an hour and a half away. On Friday we had a fun-filled visit from Grammy (who Ava is now calling "Mimi") and Pappy. Here are the pictures to prove it!

Note to my Mom: If you click on any of these pictures, you can open them in a new window, right click and save to your computer.

My lovely mama

Ava loves to imitate Pappy!

Pappy making Ava laugh

Pappy is a great juggler, or as Ava would say, "Guggle Pappy? Guggle?"

First Fever

Ava has had mild fevers before but this week we've had our first experience with a very high one. On Saturday afternoon Ava woke up from her nap with a temp of 102 and last night she achieved her all-time high, 104.4. Needless to say, this virus had us a little scared and very sad for our little, miserable munchkin. We've seen the doctor twice though and they've ruled out any other causes, we just need to wait it out. In the meantime, Ava is drinking lots of milk (the only fluid she will rarely refuse), snuggling with us and spending most of her days watching cartoons on the couch. Being sick isn't ALL bad. :)

19 Months

As previously stated, this month has been overwhelmingly marked by Ava's growing vocabulary. She astounds me daily with the new words that will pop out of her mouth and the semi-sentences that come adorably trailing off her tongue. Here are the words of the month:

Hat, cheerios (chuice-ohs), apple, butterfly (buh-by), mop, (re)mote, wipe, wait, help, peas, book, puffs (bups), moon, milk, up, watch, cheese, jump, pumpkin, wall, ouch, home, peekaboo, music, stool, wet, towel, cup, bowl, house, paper, dirt, ew, rock, step, peeking, boots, stop, vacuum, juice, flower, pool and piggy. Also, "right back", "was is sat?" (what is that), "where'dt go?" and labeling items as "mommy's" or "daddy's". Just since starting this post this morning, Ava has said, purple, blue and heart. Add em' to the list!

Ava has become quite the little climber and adventurer this month and for the first time climbed the back of the couch on her own! No, not the usual front of the couch, mom looks over and finds baby sitting triumphantly. I'm talking about up onto the couch and then climbing up the back until precariously teetering on the tippy top, holding onto the window sill for support. It doesn't help her curiosity that she LOVES looking out the window pretty much more than any other activity. Our poor neighbors have a very committed stalker who knows every time they go to the mailbox, take their dogs for a walk, come, go, wash their car or mow their lawn! Ava's other victory of the month was learning to walk backwards and she loves to show this skill off for company.

In the last couple of weeks, Ava has started bringing me pieces of paper and wanting me to draw pictures for her. Her objects of choice are usually babies, but also include hair dryers, planes, clocks and moons. Speaking of... this month Ava has discovered the moon and every night we go out looking for it (and every morning. and afternoon.). Of course about two days after she fell in love with its celestial magnificence, the moon went into hiding and did not rise or set during her times awake. What a let down. But, a couple of days ago we were outside playing in the evening when I hear her running running running and then, "Moon! Mommy! Moon!". Excitement does not explain the emotion bursting from that little girl.

Ava's top teeth have been threatening to pop for a couple months now and just these last two weeks the teething has been hard. This morning Ava slept in (until 9:15!) for the first time in weeks which is usually a sign that the teeth will finally come through the gums in the next couple days. Thank you Lord! I am so excited to see my baby with top teeth and to relieve her of the pain that must be unbearable considering the length of time her little pearlies take to show themselves!

I caved and gave Ava juice for the first time this month! Doctor's don't recommend it anymore and we don't keep it in the house so it has never been an issue for us. I have tried to be very mindful of what I give Ava and though she gets treats every now and then, it is not something she expects or even knows the words for. A little while ago though, we got the ingredients for smoothies and therefore had apple juice in the fridge. After a boo boo Ava got one day, I decided to soothe her with a little juice treat and man was it a hit! We did half juice, half water and I will say, though I'm not a proponent of lots of juice drinking, it was still a great way to hydrate her a little bit and make her feel better!

Finally, another great story to illustrate Ava's developmental progress. For a long time Ava has mimicked adult behavior--stirring in her bowl, using a phone or cleaning with mommy. But this morning Ava actually set up her first make believe scenario and it was such a sweet moment! She was on her little car driving away saying "Bye mommy, bye bye" and blowing kisses, until she started repeating the word "work" over and over. I didn't quite get what she was trying to say but finally answered, "Ava, are you going to work like daddy?" and she says, "Yeah!" and gets on her car and drives away saying, "Bye bye mommy. Work!". I suggested she get her bag and put some things in it for work and she loved the idea. She gathered the essentials: a small bucket and a phone, slung her bag over her shoulder and off to work she went. Yesterday she visited daddy's office for the first time and it obviously made a big impression!

The Stats

Ava just had her 18-month doctors visit, to poke and prod and make sure everything is as it should be. She does have an ear infection in her right ear (we went to the doc on monday and got antibiotics) but that is clearing up nicely. Otherwise, she's perfect!

They asked how many words she says and I said... "Oh gosh, I don't know, 50?" and they marveled! Apparently that is a lot. Even though she was a slow starter, her vocabulary has exploded in the last few weeks and she really is talking so much. I already have 22 new words written down to put in her 19 month post, one of which came out today at the doc's office. Ava stood up on the table and announced, "wall!", placing her hand up against the wall behind her. Why yes, you smart little cookie! She did amazingly well with the doctor too, of course she cried for her two shots but did a fantastic job letting the doctor inspect her and even answered some of his questions herself!

We got Ava's flu shot today (so thankful to get it out of the way instead of waiting for the rush like last year) as well as her final Hep A vaccine. That means we are DONE with her vaccines until she goes to Kindergarten! A great milestone to have reached, I know Ava would be excited if she only knew.

And finally, the stats: She weighs 26 lbs 10oz (76%) and they measured her at 33 inches (78%).

A Picture Post

Just incase any of you are still on the fence about whether we have the most beautiful and adorable girl in the whole wide world, I will post a few new pictures to prove this. A few days ago we went to the playground that is right up the street, it had been a few weeks since our last visit and was Ava's first time REALLY loving it! She could do a lot more playing and climbing on her own and we got some great shots of her in action.

Even though this isn't the best picture I've ever taken,

I am in love with her face in this one! She looks so old in it... I don't know.

My beautiful girl and that sweet face just melt me!

There are many more new pictures in the album to the left, September 2010.

One and a half!

It is jaw-droppingly shocking to me that I can now answer the question, "Oh, how old is she?" with "One-and-a-half"! My baby is truly, in age, stage and manner, a toddler.

I worked at a daycare in the one-year-old room for a number of months before Blair and I got married. There was a stark difference between the 12-18 month crowd and the 18-24 month kids. I am seeing firsthand that change taking place in my little Ava! This month she has started talking much much more, her ten word vocabulary exploding into short sentences and more confident attempts at new sounds. Without my prompting she has started saying please and thank you at all the right times (not just signing), is now speaking the word "more" and has added "baby" to most sentences: "Hi baby", "Bye baby", "Thank you baby".

Other new words and phrases include but are not limited to: water (wawa), bubble, turtle, yellow, Ruthie, Erin, Breanne (Bree), noodle (noonle), puppy, one more, excuse me (usually just "eck-use"), off, in and out. She also says "uh oh" all the time followed by whatever word makes the most sense, like "uh oh wawa" when she drops her water cup or "uh oh mommy" when I undoubtedly do something "wrong" like drop food or leave a cabinet door open. She can also say about half the letters in the alphabet and recognizes a few of them by sight. She is starting to say consecutively, "ABC" (though it is usually ABD) and "123"! It's been so fun to watch her interest in the alphabet boom all of the sudden. She loves to hear the alphabet song and will try to sing it with me but often stops with a shy smile due to performance anxiety.

As mentioned in a previous post, Ava is a big mommy-lover (I don't often complain) and likes to be wherever I am. She is also the epitome of a snuggle-bunny! Here is another picture to prove it:

One night while making dinner I looked down to find Ava lying with her head on ducky and pulling the dishtowel down for a blanket. Mommy was busy so why not snuggle as close as she could get?

Another great story of the month that shows a lot about Ava's patient, careful, obedient and tidy personality happened just yesterday. I gave her her milk cup in the afternoon and she took it into the living room. I was in the kitchen and heard, "Uuuh..." a few times as if to say, "Um, mom? Something isn't right". She makes this noise a lot so I didn't go in until she continued to do it without coming to usher me toward her problem (no doubt a lost toy, I thought). After a minute, I went looking for her only to find her holding onto the side of my desk with milk spilled all over the floor, her feet mid-puddle! I said, "Oh dear, ok, hang on", went to get some paper towels and then began wiping. I started near the kitchen and as I got closer to her feet realized I was out of paper towels. So again, I said, "Hang on sweetheart, mommy needs to get more towels". Ava replied, "yeah" and continued to hold on to the desk leg, unwavering from her milky spot. I came back and tackled the largest puddle surrounding her feet. She patiently lifted one foot, let me dry it and the floor beneath her, then the other foot and floor. Once she was in the clear she stepped back and quietly watched me clean the rest of the spatter from walls and chair legs. All of this took a solid three or four minutes and where another kid might be stomping in the milk, rainy-puddle style, or come running into the kitchen with milky feet, angry that their precious milk was no longer drinkable, my darling girl just waited patiently TWICE while I went to get towels and clean her up. It amazes me the awareness she has at such a young age, the care and again, the patience! What a sweet little heart she has!

In other news: Ava has graduated to size 5 diapers (I was so glad to use the last of those size 4's!) and is getting at least one more tooth soon. I can see it just behind the gums in the top, left-center spot. There also may be one on the bottom right but we'll have to wait and see. "Any day now" for Ava means at least two weeks from now so who knows! Her bottom two teeth which poked through two months ago are STILL not all the way up. She is a super slow tooth grower, that is for sure!