So, I've been so busy doing a hundred things, and I am WAY late on updating Ava's life! Sorry!
So, she has been amazing, impressive, smart, funny, loving, loud, stubborn, and
completely entertaining!! It's been a fun month, and Ava is changing and learning at a truly incredible speed! Every single day she surprises me with many new things that she knows or has picked up on. The 16 month old mind is unreal! She's added some words to her vocabulary. The only ones that I can think of right now is car ("ca") and color ("ca-ca"). Michee gave her an early Christmas present (since we're flying home and couldn't bring back any bulky things)- she got her a coloring desk that can fold up to an easel. She really loves it and uses it everyday. She's getting more and more interested in coloring....and (this is really great news!!), she favors her RIGHT HAND when she writes!!! YAY!!! She's definitely a lefty when it comes to eating, but for some reason, she'd rather write with her right hand. Hopefully, that will continue. Then she wont have to sit in that crazy looking desk at school! :) Here she is sitting at her desk...like she's all grown up or something!
So, we got a Christmas tree last weekend, and since then we've been talking about Christmas and Santa and Jesus (we talk about him at night before bed)! She can pick out a picture of Santa in a book, and if you ask her what Santa says, she says, "ho ho ho!" And whenever she says it, she points to the Santa person I have next to the TV. I'm quite impressed by her! ;) Can you tell?
She just recently learned how old she is...if you ask her, she holds up one finger! Usually I'll say "one" when she holds it up...then she proceeds to say "tewuuuu" and I finish with "three!" She tries to say three, but she can't do it quite yet! She's also been "reading" books to herself lately. She's gotten into imitating us, and she'll pick up a book now, sit on the ground, and babble to herself as if she's reading the book aloud...we think she's doing it cause that's what WE do. Smart little cookie.
After her bath at night, I always sing "Rock-a-bye-baby" to her while she's still wrapped up in the towel, and she's started to sing a long with me now and joins me very clearly when I get to the "down will come baby, cradle and all" part....she joins in with a very long, drawn out "aaaaaallllll" at the end. It's very sweet...and it also lets me see those little molars coming in way in the back of her mouth! She's just growing so fast!! Ava's had a runny nose on and off for about 2 weeks now, and her nose was getting raw from me wiping it...so, one night I layed her on her changing table just before bed and put some Aquafor on her face (good lotion stuff), and she was so calmed by it! She just laid there and let me rub her face for many minutes and eventually started to close her eyes and fall asleep. We've been doing it pretty much every night since, and now she gets so excited when I ask if she wants some Aquafor! She has a blanket that she sleeps with, and she sucks on the tag (which is totally disgusting, and even after washing it, the tag smells gross), and Aquafor is the only thing that she'll totally forget about the tag for! She loves it!
She's also found my jewlery drawer, and she always goes for the same thing....two stretchy beaded bracelets. She puts one on one arm and one on the other and walks around with them. Oh gosh, I can just see her in my heels not too long from now. (Oh, who am I kidding...I don't wear heels...I can see her in my....flipflops)! I need to get her some pretend bracelets that aren't choking hazards! She's been kinda a bugger lately with eating...she's such a picky little thing. And she doesn't care if she just doesn't eat...if she doesn't like it, she'll just want to get down. Seriously. How did WE end up with a picky eater!!?
During Thanksgiving we were able to go to the Georgia Aquarium with Michee, Ian, Booj, Keegan, and Emery. Here are a few pics!
Well, I've got two more days of work, then we're heading home for Christmas!! Can't wait to have some time away from work! I know I'll be totally crazy busy while I'm at home since we're only there for 5 days...but, I'm really looking forward to it!
Here are a few more pictures....the picture quality is pretty low because these weren't taken with my good camera since it was out being fixed. Although, I got it back, and it's still nowt fixed...so, looks like I'll be using my little one for a while....
I love this Elmo shirt on her! When she wears it, if you ask her where Elmo is, she points to her belly!!
We had a cold snap down here a few weeks ago and actually got to try out Ava's new coat...
Hanging out with Catcher...
This was during Thanksgiving...just looking like such a big girl...and a pouty little thing!! And that turtle neck it just too much!!!
Things have been so great. She just keeps me completely entertained and constantly amazed at how much she is learning. I can't wait to get home and share her with everyone!
Here are a few other pictures if you'd like to see more of Ava's 16th month! I'll try not to take so long for my next post.....Enjoy!
This weekend, Bobbi is visiting, and she decided to try to blow-dry her hair to help decrease the craziness tomorrow! So, we'll see how it works. At first, Ava didn't like it, but after Bobbi gave her many make-up items to hold, she was very distracted! It was pretty freakin cute! Here's a little clip!
Man, I feel like it's been AGES since I've posted on here. I do have to admit, though, that keeping up with the blog is much less stressful when I only do it a few times a month! Anyway, things are going great, and Ava is just SO MUCH FUN right now! She's totally a little person with her great big personality shining through in everything she does! She knows just what she wants pretty much all the time now. And she's pretty good at communicating what that is! She'll say "yeah" or "no, no, no" when you ask her if she wants something or wants to do something. She follows basically every direction we give her....she'll even go to the back door and let Salsa inside when we ask her too! She actually goes to the back door, slides it open, lets Salsa in, then closes it! I mean, COME ON! Does it get cuter? I don't think so! (Well, I say that every month, yet she always continues to get cuter and cuter)! ;) Last night, she was getting out of the bathtub, and she turned around like she always does to I can put the towel on her head and wrap her up...but she was too far away. I told her to "back up" and she DID IT! I really didn't think she would know what that was...but, she surprised me once again!
At night, when we go in to get the bath started, she runs into the bathroom and opens the drawer with her toothbrushes and toothpaste and brings them to me! She doesn't normally have access to the bathroom, but when she hears the bath running, she knows she can get in there! She's letting me brush again...she went through a stage for a few weeks when she didn't want to brush...then I had to lay her on the changing table and make it happen! But, now she helps me and it's atraumatic! ;)
She got a baby stroller for (I think around Thanksgiving) from Bobbi (who I think got it at a place like CVS for $12)...well, let me tell you! This is the perfect gift for this age girl. She spends ALL DAY pushing that thing around! She puts her sippy cup in there, her babies, her stuffed animals, and she even tries to sit in it herself (which is pretty funny watching her try to do that without it rolling away)! So, thanks Bobbi....who knew it would be such a hit!
So, things are really great. We had a cold snap for a week or two, but we're back to our beautiful weather again...so, we're enjoying our time outside again. I could live in this weather forever!
I know I always say this, but I'm just loving my time with her right now. She makes me laugh and surprises me everyday. 
So, here we are! 17 months old!! It's been a fun and very busy month, and Ava is learning more and more new things everyDAY! She's getting so much better at feeding herself these days. At first, she was painfully slow, but she's much faster now. In fact, she doesn't want you to help at all! If you try to help, she'll do her "nah nah nah nah" and wave her hand back and forth (that means, "no, no, no"). She's learning to say new words everyday. Patrick and I counted up her words (or animal sounds) and we got about 25 or so. She seems to be adding a new word to her vocabulary every few days. It's insane...she's totally a sponge and immitates us very willingly. She sure does love to talk, too. She babbles and points and talks all day...and very loudly, I might add! She's still being a little sinker about eating...but we're working on it! Hopefully, it's a phase! We've been spending a lot of time outside these last few weeks since Christmas...the weather has been unbelievable. I don't remember it being this nice last year...but I'll take it!! Here's Ava pushing her car at the park.
And on the swing!
We've got a field right next to the playground, and she loves to walk around or run through it. She'll just walk and walk and walk. She loves to feel the wind blow. She gets so excited when she feels it and then she points to the trees to watch them move! Here she is exploring...
A little static electricity after going down the slide!
She loves anything we love...here she is trying to drink what's left of my iced Starbucks. She hasn't learned yet that you don't need to tip a cup with a straw!
A little bed head. After her nap...the other side looked just as bad! :)
Playing in her apron from Michee.
Here she is feeding herself yogurt. She opens so big when she does it herself! You'll have to forgive the bluriness...my camera is still giving me troubles...it wont focus up close at all. (Don't know if you've noticed, but I haven't had any really great up-close shots at all in the past few months). :( I sent it in (they had it for a month!), but they sent it back and said they couldn't reproduce the problem. Soooo, I'm sending it back tomorrow...so, I'll be without it for probably another month....don't expect good pictures next month!
She uses this purse to carry her little animals in...she hardly ever carries it like an actual purse...so freakin' cute!
Playing in the backyard...
She likes to try to dump out whatever is in her sippy cup....little stinker. Good thing it's "no spill."
She loves to "talk" on anyones cell phone. She just babbles to herself....
Bobbi came for a visit for a few days after Christmas...they were checking out the birds here. Ava loves bird watching!
I feel like there are a million more things going on, but I can never remember when I'm trying to update here! I hope y'all had a great Christmas and New Year....here are more pictures of Ava at 17 months if you're interested! The first half of them are from Christmas (some of which have already been posted), but the second half is from the rest of the month.
We had a great Christmas this year! Patrick and I are about to head out to Orlando for New Years (and then to watch the Dawgs play on New Years Day), but I wanted to put up a few quick pictures! This Christmas Eve dress was from Michee. Isn't everything SO FREAKING CUTE!!!?? I had to trick her to get the bow in...and as soon as she discovered it, out it came! But, I was able to get a few pics with it still in! She looks so girly with it in!!
Bobbi's house had The Grinch, and she carried it around with her a lot!
She fell in love with Grandpa Mike and just couldn't stop giving him hugs and kisses!
Loves those stacking cups...
Little stinker....
The Christmas Bo. (Catcher)
Christmas morning...Ava stocked up on more books...she loved them!
She got this warm fuzzy thing...not really lovin' it...but it's REALLY cute!
Her big present from Grandpa Mike and Bobbi....this pink car! Aunt Sarah brought it out with a sheet on it, and when she uncovered it, Ava had the best reaction! I wish I had it on video! She had a HUGE smile on her face, walked slowly toward it and looked around smiling at all of us....as if to say, "Is it really mine? Is it okay if I touch it?" Then she got in and out and in and out for the next several hours and completely loves it! She loves to push the horn too....it plays songs. Aunt Sarah said she was going to take the battery out.... 
She just smiled like this for at least an hour!
Christmas day dress. She had cute little red shoes on, but she took them off!
A Christmas kiss from Daddy!
Aunt Sarah gave her her headband, and Ava wore it for a whopping 20 seconds!!
Quick family photo!!
I'll post for Ava's 17th month soon. (Holy Cow! That sounds old)! We're off to Orlando for a fun night with Tim, Nicole, Keinan, Unlce Ian, and Aunt Booj. Bobbi came down to watch Ava for the night!
So, we got a Christmas tree last weekend, and since then we've been talking about Christmas and Santa and Jesus (we talk about him at night before bed)! She can pick out a picture of Santa in a book, and if you ask her what Santa says, she says, "ho ho ho!" And whenever she says it, she points to the Santa person I have next to the TV. I'm quite impressed by her! ;) Can you tell?
After her bath at night, I always sing "Rock-a-bye-baby" to her while she's still wrapped up in the towel, and she's started to sing a long with me now and joins me very clearly when I get to the "down will come baby, cradle and all" part....she joins in with a very long, drawn out "aaaaaallllll" at the end. It's very sweet...and it also lets me see those little molars coming in way in the back of her mouth! She's just growing so fast!! Ava's had a runny nose on and off for about 2 weeks now, and her nose was getting raw from me wiping it...so, one night I layed her on her changing table just before bed and put some Aquafor on her face (good lotion stuff), and she was so calmed by it! She just laid there and let me rub her face for many minutes and eventually started to close her eyes and fall asleep. We've been doing it pretty much every night since, and now she gets so excited when I ask if she wants some Aquafor! She has a blanket that she sleeps with, and she sucks on the tag (which is totally disgusting, and even after washing it, the tag smells gross), and Aquafor is the only thing that she'll totally forget about the tag for! She loves it!
Well, I've got two more days of work, then we're heading home for Christmas!! Can't wait to have some time away from work! I know I'll be totally crazy busy while I'm at home since we're only there for 5 days...but, I'm really looking forward to it!
We had a cold snap down here a few weeks ago and actually got to try out Ava's new coat...
Hanging out with Catcher...
This was during Thanksgiving...just looking like such a big girl...and a pouty little thing!! And that turtle neck it just too much!!! 
Things have been so great. She just keeps me completely entertained and constantly amazed at how much she is learning. I can't wait to get home and share her with everyone!
