We have a ONE YEAR OLD!!

OH MY GOODNESS--WE HAVE A ONE YEAR OLD!!!!

I can hardly believe that this is even possible!  The time has just flown by!!!  Miss Ava has grown and developed right before our eyes.  She has quite the personality!  Ava is called the 'social director' at daycare. She smiles and waves at everyone.  When we are out and about in public, Ava will wave at people passing us on the sidewalk or in the store.  Overall, she is a pretty easy going girl....except when it is after 7pm. Then, she starts to get pretty fussy and will let you know it's about her bedtime. Although I know I won't be able to update you on everything, I will try to highlight some of the major developments.  If only I would have been blogging the past 7 months....oops!

- FINALLY, in the past month, has been sleeping through the night.  On occasion she will wake up for a bottle between 5-6:30 but she has slept many nights from about 8:30ish-6:30ish.  As soon as she started rolling she immediately became a tummy sleeper. We will lay her down in the crib and she immediately rotates to her side or tummy.
- At 6 months we started her on baby food.  I made her food for the first month/month and a half, but then transitioned to store-bought as a time saver.  She only spent a few months eating baby food. One she started on puffs and learned she could pick up her own food, she wanted nothing to do with baby food.  Now, she eats all table food. Our day care is AMAZING. They serve all sorts of yummy food and more times then not, we wait until daycare has tried the food with Ava first because sometimes we feel like we have no clue what we are doing... :-)  Ava's favorite food--PASTA!!!  She loves mac-n-cheese, just like her Uncle Matt!
- Ava is MOBILE!  Within the last few weeks, Ava started taking steps.  At first it was one or two, a couple days later it was 4 or 5.  Last weekend we got FIFTEEN!  Last night she walked all the way around the livingroom and even changed directions.  She is so grown up!!!
- Ava can say a few words, which is really cute.  Although she doesn't say it too often now, on Father's Day she started Dada.  A few weeks later she started Mama.  Just yesterday at daycare we learned she can say two names of our daycare providers.  Daddy taught her to finish his sentence "Ready...Set..." Ava says "GO."  It's so cute!!!  They also go back and forth with "goo-ga."
- Ava and Oreo are best buddies.  Every morning while we are getting ready for the day, Oreo goes into Ava's room and either sits on the rug in front of her bed or in the rocker/glider chair.  It's like he's her protector.  It's adorable.
- Within the last few days Ava transitioned to the big girl bathtub.  No more infant tub and no more laundry basket (idea shared online)...and she LOVES to splash around....speaking of splashing, Ava is enrolled in swimming lessons.  We've had two sessions now and she likes being in the water.
- Ava is transitioning out of 9 month clothes (bottoms still fit, but onesies and sleepers do not) and into 12.  We have been trying to get her to wear shoes over the last few weeks, but she isn't necessarily a fan...
- Ava has four teeth--two on bottom came in first--followed by two on top.  We can see the outlines of several more on top, so we are just waiting for more to come.

Phew....quite the update.  I have realized I need to keep the blog updated since I don't have a baby book or anything, so I am going to try to update more often.

Enjoy some pictures from the last several months!

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Has it REALLY been a month since I posted last?!?!

I cannot believe it's been one month already since I last blogged--wow!!  Sorry!!!

We really could use a few extra hours in the day.  We are just go-go-go all the time.  Today has been an extra special day.  Ava Bear is FIVE MONTHS old, which is CRAZY!!!  She has been all smiles and giggles today.  Seriously--probably the best day at home that we've had with her. She hasn't been fussy at all!!  Daddy and Mommy got to spend a lot of time with her today. Ava took her first shopping trip with her BFF Lexy today.  Laura (Lexy's mom) and I took the girls to the mall and stopped by a few stores.  It was quite fun to have our first "girls shopping trip"!  Everyone was well-behaved. The girls even got matching coasts on clearance for next winter.

Highlights now that Ava is 5 months:
- Ava rolled over for the first time on Saturday, February 16th and Mommy ACTUALLY got it on the video camera
- Ava rolled for the second time on Saturday, February 23rd
- She ate her first bowl of rice cereal on Friday, February 15th and LOVED IT!  We mixed 1 T of rice cereal with 5 T of milk and she ate the whole bowl. She ate from a spoon like a pro!  We've been giving it to her every night before bed.
- She wakes up once during the night--usually between 4-6am (last night she went from 10pm-6am and we didn't have to give her a paci once during the night)
- She loves flying through the air like Super Girl as well as look at "Baby in the Mirror"
- Ava found her toes within the last few weeks. A few nights ago she actually had her big toe in her mouth while on the changing table. Silly girl!!
- She likes touching faces and pinching them
- She smiles alot!
- Giggles while playing, but still can't wait for her to do it more often!
- She is wearing 6 month clothes (we put away her 3 months this past weekend...a little sad)
- Just transitioning to size 2 diapers

So....what have we been up to the past month:

- Ava had her 4th month check up on 1-28-2013 and she was had the following measurements:
     - 12.2 for weight
     - 24.5 inches for height
She did NOT like the doctor this time.  Our visit was definitely one to remember. Ava was in a great mood...smiling and happy...then the second the doctor walked in the door, she started screaming.  This screaming continued a good 10 minutes after the visit ended.  But, her check-up was good!

- Ava finally got to meet all of her new friends who were born in December (there were 4 babies). Hannah, Nic, and Baby Alivia came to stay with us last Saturday.  That was a very fun evening/day!!!  The girls were so much fun!  Then, the next day there were four babies all under 5 months--there was Ava, Alivia, Aliya, and Emma. All the girls looked so cute together!!
- February 4 we got to meet baby Rayna and see her mommy Hope.  We didn't get to meet Baby Rayna in the hospital due to a snow storm so we have been waiting quite a while to meet her!
- We spent the weekend of February 9th in Omaha watching out niece and nephew perform their dance competition routines--they were amazing!! We left Oreo for the first time for the a weekend. He was supposed to stay with Grandma, but Uncle Matt requested him. They had a great time!!  

Enjoy some pictures from the past month! (they are a little out of order...)

 Photoshoot with Lexy and Ava - January 31

 Getting better with tummy time...she is starting to tolerate it for a few more minutes now

 Spending more time in the jumper

 I love this rice cereal, Mommy!!

 She cleaned her bowl

 I think this picture is HILARIOUS!!

 Ava and Alivia

 I believe this is night #2 of cereal...but first night in the high chair.  We are trying to feed her in the high chair so she can associate the chair with eating.

 All giggles on the changing table!

 5 months old TODAY!!!

 Rayna and Ava