23 months!!

So it's been a crazy, busy month! We're finally all moved in and getting settled down here in Gainesville, GEORGIA!! Kinda weird- moving from one Gainesville to another! :) But things are going well. I've had a few weeks off, and we went to the beach for a week, so I feel like I've had a good break! I start my very first day of work tomorrow....Eeeek!! I'm really excited...not too nervous yet, but I'm sure I'll wake up tomorrow with a stomach ache...and I'll now exactly why that is! :) But, I'm sure the day will go fine! I'll keep you posted!!

So, Ava's developing like a freakin' weed. She must say 10 new words everyday...she basically repeats, very willing(!), everything we say. It's a little scary! The other day, I cut up some cantaloupe for her, and all of a sudden, as if she'd been saying it for years, she said, "more cantelope." In perfect diction!!! She also repeated Patrick when he said, "Holy Crap" while watching the Home Run Derby! She walked about for five minutes after that.."holy cwap, holy cwap!" We've got to be SOOO careful!

She's totally turning into a little girl- she likes bows in her hair- kinda like the gigantic pink bow in the first pic! (We thank Aunt Sarah for that purchase)! Bobbi came with new bows, and she wanted ALL of them in at the same time! Ha! She looked completely ridiculous! She's also finally gotten the hang of blowing bubbles without getting it all over her lips!

She's been loving to put on our shoes (mine OR Patrick's) and walk around in them. She brings us the shoes and says, "Ava put on" then immediately follows that with "too big!" I've got a pretty good video of her walking around in my heels! I'll try to post it soon! Ava's gotten into songs now. For a while- she would ask for songs by name, her favorite being "boom boom!" No joke, she actually WANTED to hear the Boom Boom Pow song by the Black Eyed Peas! So Patrick bought her some toddler songs off iTunes, and she LOVES them. She wants to listen to them in the car, in the house, outside...wherever! Her favorite is "baby bus" (which is "The Wheels on the Bus"- she calls it "baby bus" because it talks about the babies on the bus crying)! She'll sing a long and do the motions too! The second we put the music on, she gets this big, giddy smile on her face. Very cute! :)

When we were coming back from the Kiawah (posting pics soon!), she finally learned how to say her name correctly! She used to say "Atha" and do a weird tongue thing, but now she's learned to say it perfectly! We're working on spelling it now! Although, she is getting a little confused, she'll say, "A-V-C-D..."! She gets the first two letters right, but then she thinks it's the alphabet after that! :) I know, we're being a little ridiculous...it was Patrick's idea! :) Just for fun, though! I've got some good videos of her lately, I'll post them when I get a chance!

Below is a rare moment for Ava- stillness! I'm pretty sure she was probably mesmerized by Dora here!

Ava sees. Ava does! Wanting to be just like Aunt Sarah....

Here's a picture of Ava sitting on the window sill with her 2 princesses ("Cindawella" and "Sleeping Booty") and her mermaid. She misplaced the Cinderella one the other day, and came to me holding the Sleeping Beauty one and held up her empty hand and said, "Cindawella in other hand, Cindawella in other hand!" We eventually found her under the couch, and I told her she was hiding under the couch. For the rest of the week, she kept saying, "Cindawella play hide seek, hide under couch!" So freakin' cute. :)

Sorry for the half a**ed post this month...I had to make it quick, or it would be forever before I got to a long lengthy one! I feel like I didn't really portray how cute she's being or any good stories! Maybe I'll try to remember some.... :) Here are just a few :) pictures of Ava during this past month! I've got a ton from the beach, and I'll get to those ASAP! The next time I do a monthly update- Ava will be TWO!!!! Totally, totally crazy to me. I'm trying to hold onto my little baby for a while longer, but she just keeps growing and growing. :( It's fun...but it's going WAY too fast! Now that I'm done with school...I wish time could stand still for a while!

Well, I'm off to get a good night sleep before my first official day of work EVER!! I'm so glad school is over...and I'm so glad to be home. It feels better than I thought it would! I hope you are all doing well!!