22 months

Another day, another trip to the doctor

The new year brought another illness into Ava's body, this time a consistent fever and runny nose for about a week. Then, on the 8th, coincidentally the last day of her fever, we ended up in the ER with Ava after she tripped into a large glass candle holder and got a noteworthy gash on her forehead. Ava did remarkably well at the hospital, she didn't cry through the checking of her wound by the doctor and even through the lying down and disinfecting of it (an intense process). She looked at us with a cute little frown but didn't cry until the nurse had to hold her chin and forehead down while they glued her cut closed (a quicker alternative to stitches). She did so well and hasn't skipped a beat since we got home, thankfully!

Word of the month: self

Ava has learned the word "self" and it can be heard multiple times a day as either a question or a demand! She loves to do things by herself and now has the words to dictate when she needs help and when she most certainly does not.

A hair update: it's growing!

A sleep update

Ava has entered a new phase which includes waking multiple times during the night and much earlier in the morning than we're used to. Most of the time I don't have to go in to soothe her but regardless, she wakes at least once and usually more like 3-4 times throughout the night and cries out for snuggles. Sometimes she wakes for longer stretches, either to cry or just to talk and play in her crib. She has been waking up much earlier too, going to sleep at 7pm and waking around 6am. I'm hoping this phase retreats quickly as it's leaving mommy exhausted and Ava much more fussy during the day. As Ava has gotten older she is also having much more trouble with daddy's unpredictable schedule and minimal time at home some days. All of these things have made Ava a little more anxious and very clingy to mommy.

That said, now that Ava is healthy and not teething (for the moment), she has transitioned well into her one-nap routine and is sleeping for around 2 hours, sometimes more. I am thrilled and it's been really fun to do more things with her in the morning.

A narrative

A story from yesterday will illustrate well where Ava is and what she's doing these days. I was cleaning up after lunch and witnessed some very sweet and advanced pretend play from my little 22-monther. Over the span of a few quiet minutes, Ava went over to her kitchen area, scooped cookies from their tray into her oven, closed it and turned it on, and waited a few seconds before saying, "Beep! It's ready!" She then took the cookies out, put them on the cooling rack, set her little table with a plate, fork and cup, transfered the cookies to the plate and sat down. Before eating, she folded her hands and bowed her head and whispered, "Jesus sus sus sus sisuss sus. Amen." I literally had my hand over my mouth while watching her, trying to hold in the smile that was threatening to turn to loud laughter. We have a sweet girl, no doubt about it, and she LOVES to pretend and mimic mommy. Even at this young age, her attention to detail is really remarkable and it is becoming such a highlight to watch her play.