So much fun!!

We're having such a fun time with Ava these days. She's so animated and is very easily entertained! Patrick and I play 'hide-and-seek' and 'chase' around the living room, and she will laugh, and laugh, and laugh! She's started to do this funny laugh. I'll try to catch it on video. She doesn't really do it in this one, but she comes close. Here she is playing chase with Patrick....



Lately, she has really liked going to the neighborhood park. There is a swing set there and a little playground with a slide. She goes at least once a day to play....with her babysitter or with me after work...or both!! She has come, in the last 2 weeks, to completely LOVE the park! She gets so excited when we ask her if she wants to go! Here's a quick video of her on the slide!

Ava's One Year Pictures!

We finally (two months late!) got Ava's professional one year pictures done! This time, the photographer came to our place instead of us going to the studio. It went really well, and Ava was very cooperative. I think she liked it so much more since she could run all around and be outside! Here's the link to the site. The password is: ava1year

You can actually look at all the pictures we've taken so far, from newborn to now! But, I just really love her one year shots! These will be up until October 27th!

Click here for the photos at Capturing Real Life!



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Fun at the Park and Face Forward!

So, I weighed Ava again the other day....well, she was 18lbs, 12oz! I'm not sure, but I think she may have lost weight since 13 months!! So, I called her pediatrician and asked about when we could turn her car seat around since her legs are almost at a 90 degree angle and all smooched. They asked me lots of questions about head control, 5-point harnesses, and other stuff. Basically, she said that it would be alright if I went ahead and turned around her seat.....so, here she is! All happy and facing forward! It's so nice to see her in my rear view mirror!
We had such a fun day yesterday! We went to the park in our neighborhood twice and Ava was so excited. She pretty much ran the whole way there while talking and babbling and pointing and squealing! When we got there, she really liked the swing (especially sitting on my lap), and she also discovered the wonders of the slide! Every time she slid down, she got right back on and tried to climb back up! It was super cute. Here's a little video of her walking to the park!

14 months!

I am definitely loving this 14 months stage! She is so lovey and cuddly and wants her mommy to hold her, kiss her, hug her, and love on her all the time. And I, gladly, oblige. :) (By the way, she puckers for kisses and hugs on demand)! Just in the past few days, she's started to tug at my pants when she wants to get my attention. She says "me-me-me-me" for "mommy" and I am LOVING it! Every night we get ready for bed...take a bath, PJ's, tooth brush, then we always go out to the living room to say good night to Patrick. He usually takes her from me to try and give her a hug and steal a kiss....but the whole time, Ava just reaches for me saying, "me-me-me-me." I have to admit that I secretly REALLY love this....well, maybe not so secretly! I'm her favorite. ;) Which is good....cause she's mine! :)

Ava is starting to say lots of words (at least she's trying really hard). She has added many animal sounds to her repertoire.... horse, dog, cow, and "baaaa" for a sheep! Also, she's getting pretty good at "all done," "Salsa," "Pop," and "nah-nah" (banana). Ava absolutely LOVES to go outside, and she gets really excited anytime we talk about going out. Sometimes she'll sit down on the floor (waiting for her shoes to be put on) as soon as we say, "Do you want to go outside?" She's goes to the mailbox almost everyday....if you mention the mailbox, Ava walks to the front door! She carries the mail out and the new mail in! Lately, Ava has been really liking birds! Her babysitter, April, takes her outside almost everyday to watch the birds. If you ask her what a birdie does, she flaps her hand up and down and says "ffffffie" (fly). Very cute. :) She opens ALL cabnets, thows and kicks balls, puts shapes into her shape sorter, stacks her cups and building blocks, puts her puzzle pieces together, and LOVES looking at her Elmo balloon that Patrick got her her 2 weeks ago (it's still floating stong)! She's got a pink sequenced purse that she has her little animals in....she likes to carry that around!

She's really changing so much and becoming so grown up! (Although, she's still my little baby....not ready for her to be a little girl yet). Patrick tried to weigh her today and she was 19lbs 3oz (but she was very wiggly, so who knows how accurate that is! I'll try again this weekend)! She still faces backward in the car (she's supposed to be 20lbs AND 12 months....we've only met one of those requirements)! But, she's getting longer, and it's getting harder and harder for her to sit comfortably cause her legs have to be so squished aganist the back of the seat. I'm going to weigh her again this weekend....maybe we can get a better weight and finally turn her seat around! I know I probably say this everytime, but I just love her so much it is un-REAL. I enjoy her tremendously, and she keeps me smiling, laughing, and feeling full of love. I still get so excited when I pull in the driveway and know I get to see that smiling face RUNNING to me to say hi! It just can't possibly get better than this. She is my life, and what a wonderful life it is!

Here we are on one of these Georgia Bulldog weekends!
Oh, our little bunny is just so freaking cute!
Hanging out with Daddy.
Every now and then, she gets a treat for dessert! She gets mad when she eats it so much that she can't reach it anymore. We have to push it up for her again, then she's happy again!
Look at that little hiney in thos boot cut jeans!!
This is what she does when I ask for a hug..... awe.
Mommy and baby.
This is something Ava does all the time when she's in her high chair. She either does this and we immitate her, or we do it and she immitates us.
The eyes.
Here are more pictures of Ava's 14th month!