Ava turned one on August 24. I can't believe my baby has been here for a whole year! For the last few months she has enjoyed the show Blue's Clues, so we gave her a Blue birthday. She had a paw print cake, and got one of the toe cupcakes to herself. I was looking forward to several minutes of delightful sugary mess. However, after just a couple of bites she started choking on her cake and that was the end of that. She did, however, very much enjoy her presents and running around with cousins for a while after the cake fiasco.
Here are some of the cute things that Ava currently does:
NEW TODAY: She made her first sign! Blue's Clues has a sign (flash both hands from fist to open fingers) and she made it today while I was putting the show on for her. And she did it a few times later in the day, so I really think that's what she was doing.
She loves to play patty-cake. I will do it a couple of times with her and then put my hands down. She isn't finished, though, so she will pick up my hands and make me clap them together. She can play this game at least 10 times in a row.
She plays "I'm gonna get you" with Noelle. Noelle gets on her hands and knees and starts crawling toward Ava, saying "I'm gonna get you!" Ava has determined that I am a safe spot, as well as any couch or chair. So she runs. Yes, runs, away from Noelle, shrieking in delight, towards the closest safe spot. Again, and and again, and again.
She likes to play peek-a-boo. She will use a book, a scarf, a piece of paper or anything else handy and pull it up high in front of her face (sometimes above her head so she can still see) while I say "Where's the baby?" And then she pulls it down and waits for me to say "There she is!" She can do this also again and again.
She claps when we say "Yay!" She puts both arms straight up when we say "Gooooooal!" She puts her head on my shoulder when I say "sleep".
She likes to rip things magazines to shreds, empty cupboards, empty boxes of toys, anything she can destroy and move on to the next.
She likes to watch Blue's Clues, Signing Time (both DVD and You Tube), anything disney princess singing on Melissa's I-Pod, sometimes Winnie the Pooh and Backyardigans.
She does not like church.
Her favorite foods are bananas for breakfast, frozen peas for lunch, and pretty much anything we are having for dinner. She also knows when you are eating a dessert. She pants when she wants something really bad. She recently discovered how to suck on a sippy cup that has a straw in it. She likes water. But what she really likes is letting half of every mouthful spit down her front.
She likes books. She will read them to herself and say "laddle-laddle-laddle".
She loves bath time. She doesn't care how much water she gets in her face. Never had a kid like that before!
She is a good sleeper. She used to only sleep while attached to me. But now I can give her some love, sing her a song and put her in her bed. Sometimes she might cry for a few minutes, but often not. She will pull her stuffed bunny or Pooh Bear close to her, sometimes under her, and get herself to sleep. Ahh, blessed sleep.
She no longer hates the car. For many months every time she was in her car seat she would scream and screech so loudly we couldn't talk to each other. Now she likes to play peekaboo with Noelle in the back seat, play with toys, eat crackers and look out the window. If she is really tired or hungry she still gives us a bit of noise, but usually it doesn't last the whole ride home like it used to.
She likes to play on my bed. Noelle will crouch down and hide, then pop out and flop on the bed in front of her. She goes crazy for this, and does a bunch of flopping around herself.
She loves her family. She's still pretty much a Mama's girl, but she has fun playing with everyone. I love my girl!
Ava turned one on August 24. I can't believe my baby has been here for a whole year! For the last few months she has enjoyed the show Blue's Clues, so we gave her a Blue birthday. She had a paw print cake, and got one of the toe cupcakes to herself. I was looking forward to several minutes of delightful sugary mess. However, after just a couple of bites she started choking on her cake and that was the end of that. She did, however, very much enjoy her presents and running around with cousins for a while after the cake fiasco.
So this isn't actually Ava's first haircut. The first time I cut her hair I just snipped off a couple of long straggly pieces. Then I held them for a few minutes and was sad. I thought about keeping them, but to be honest I think that's kind of gross. So I tossed them.
