20 months and counting.

My sweet little Ava,




Life couldn't be any more fun. Everyday is a challenge, a chance for you and I both to learn something new.
You learn how to put the pieces of a puzzel back in the right spot and I learn the true meaning of patience. I want to put the pieces back for you but that isn't teaching you anything now is it?
And when I say "challenge" I mean that in the best possible way. You help me learn about myself and the virtues in life that make us good moral people.

Patience. Love. Laughter. Acceptance and forgivness.

If I scold you, you pucker your lower lip and let out the sweetest little 'coo' and then come over to give me a hug. I tell you mamma is not mad and that I love you to the moon and back. It makes me realize that I need to watch how I speak to you, watch the tone of my voice. If you are about to spill a bowl of cereal, I don't need to loudly say to you "no, no, no, no" and come running over with panic in my face. It's milk. It's not kryptonite.
You little babies take everything in the literal sense. I realized that you thought you were in trouble, that you had done something wrong. It made me stop and think about how I react.
And not just to you but to everything and everyone in life.
Some things just aren't worth getting all worked up over. Most things aren't. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Life is not here to stress us out.
I may just over react sometimes. Maybe.

You make me laugh almost every single second. I am totally that mom that thinks every single little thing you do is amazing or hysterical.

You laugh at yourself when you burp or toot.

You are constant motion. Constant.
You sleep 8 hours a night. You wake up between 5:30 and 6am. YAAAAWN!
You will take a good 3 hour nap during the day. That is a very welcome change.

Books and Puzzels are your new favorite thing.

You are amazing Ava. You are a true gift and a blessing. You make me a better person. Being a parent is the most magnificent job I have ever had the priviledge of doing.

Throw up in my eyelashes

Ava,
You threw up in my face last night.
It was awful in more ways than one. The look on your face almost broke my heart.
I'm not sure what caused the projectile vomit but you seem fine today. You seemed fine last night.
We had your 18 month checkup up appoitment today. Doctor Dudley didn't seem too concerned about your direct hit to my retina (you didn't and still don't have any other symptoms of being sick).
You weigh 22.4 lbs. and you are 33 inches tall. That puts you in the tall skinny category.
I'm happy that you are your normal active self. Laughing and into everything.
I know this is only the first of many barf-o-rama episodes but I felt I should document the very first one.

Growing up so fast

It's May, it's warm and you are 19 months. What's new with you these days Ava? You have downsized back to a size 3 diaper. I'm guessing your upward growth spurt has caused your thunder thighs to slim out. You grew up but not out! So now you swim in size 4 diapers. You still eat pretty good but your appetite has gone down a little. You are as active as ever. Running, climbing, running, climbing. You are still the loudest child around. Maybe your dad and I talk to loud so you think that being loud is just the normal thing to do. Hmmph.. Maybe I'll start paying attention to that.

You hate to have your feet covered up...you always kick the blanket off your feet and socks will stay on for about 5 minutes. Being outside is still your favorite place to be and if there is some body of water around....whether it be a bucket of water, a puddle, the beach, a pool, the hose, the sprinkler, you are in HOG HEAVEN! We went over to our good friends, The Wasmer's, for Mother's Day and after about 2 hours of being in the pool I had to take you out kicking and screaming. A few hours later you were playing in the rain and having the time of your life! My little water baby!

You said Mommy. You said Mommy on Mother's Day. You saying Mommy on Mother's Day made your Mommy cry on Mother's Day. You haven't said it since but I don't care. Speaking of talking....you still talk all day long in your own little language, however you do say: Dog, Ball, Cereal, Bubbles, Daddy, 'Mommy'!!!!!, Book, 'I got it', 'I see it', Thank you, wow, woouuw,woouuw, (meow, meow). You eat cereal and milk with a spoon ...adorable. Your daddy takes you to feed the ducks which you think is the bees knees. You go to the beach and play. He'll take you to Toy's-R- Us strictly for your entertainment. You LOVE to run around and play with everything. Your entire face lights up when you see your daddy and it warms my heart.

Each and every day I am blessed to have you in my life.

sniffles, sneezes and coughs.

You and your daddy are sick. You feel much better than your daddy....he hasn't been to work for 3 days.
And knowing your daddy....that NEVER happens so I know he is feeling really crummy. I really hope he gets better soon. He hates not being able to snuggle you and play with you.
You are in good spirits...just a little snotty.

So as you enter your 18th month of life you are as active as ever, even with your cold.

You seem to have entered a hitting stage right along with the "if-I-don't-get-what- I-want-the-instant-I-want-it-I'm-going-to-have-a-fit" stage.
Not a big fan of either of them.
What I am a fan of is now when you are sitting in my arms (the rare occasions that you do) you will look up into my face and smile at me.
Melts. My. Heart.
I LOVE THIS FACE!



You have started to say "oh dear" when you drop something.
You know where your barrettes and hair ties are. You know that the fridge is where your drinks and snacks are.

Sometimes you say "i got it" or "i see it" In your version of course.
You will 'meow' when you see a picture of a kitty and say "Da!" when you see a dog.

You know what a lion, elephant, tiger, monkey, alligator, dog, cat, bumble bee, bird, crab, pig, octopus, cow and horse look like....you will point to them in your books.

You are a champ at drinking out of a straw now....and prefer it most of the time. Not to mention that it is the cutest thing I've ever seen.



You and daddy will play in the sprinkler....and you LOVE it.



I hope you feel better soon.
xoxo

How do I do this and should I really worry about it?

How do I get you to stop using your pacifier? How do I learn to deal with your fits of hysterics that would usually be quelled by a pacifier?
Hmmm? How?
How do I get you to want to go to bed and stay asleep in your crib?
What about potty training? How does that start?
How do I get you prepared for school? (mentally prepared) Are you going to be at the skill level needed when that time comes?

I worry.
I shouldn't. I know I shouldn't but I do.
The learning capabilities of children are astounding. You have learned things that I haven't specifically shown you, you just learned them by watching us.
So, I know I shouldn't worry because you will learn to do these things and you will do them when you are ready to.
Just like you will talk when you are ready to talk.

You are a curious and independent soul who charges fearlessly into life. I hope you always live your life that way.

You're simply the best

One thing you LOVE to do is hang out on the boats that your daddy works on.





You make my days better. You make every one's day better. Last night your sister had a belly dance recital and you were up on the stage before the show started dancing your heart out. Everyone there watching....you made their day better.

Today you went to the Zoo with Aunt Katie, Hazel, mommy and Grampa. All you wanted to do was hold Grampa's hand. You and Hazel were so happy to be with him. It warmed my heart to the core.



It's an amazing thing...being a mom. It's scary and exciting. Rewarding and frustrating. Comical. Heartwarming. Educational.
It has made me a stronger person....physically and emotionally.
It's the best thing I've ever done. You, Ava, are the most amazing thing I have ever had the privilege of being a part of.

Clearly it's been one of those days. The kind where EVERYTHING that you do is the cutest, most endearing and amazing thing I've ever seen. (yea, I'm one of those mom's)

You are simply the best!
I love you Ava.

17 months Baby Girl

I'm not sure how it happened but you are 17 months old. You have changed soooo much Ava. You are not a "baby" anymore. At least not in my eyes.
Babies don't drink out of straws or climb mini rock walls at the park.


They don't sit in cozy chairs with their name on it and watch full length movies or run down boardwalks at the Botanical gardens. Babies can't run, they can't even sit up on their own.




They don't eat waffles with forks or drink from water bottles. Only toddlers do. Toddlers run their fingers through their hair when they are tired or shake their head no when they don't want something. They use a toothbrush and love to run through the sprinklers.
They play "peek-a-boo" with you on their own accord and say a cute little "boo" when they pop their head from around the couch. Toddlers climb EVERYTHING, give treats to the dog, tell the dog to "sit" then throw a ball.
Or they hug each and every one of their animals. They give kisses (when they want) and hugs (when they want)
Toddlers are little people with big personalities.




But wait, you CAN'T be a toddler.
Not yet.
Oh my. (sigh) How did this happen?

At least when they are sleeping....they all still look like our little babies.

Sick Day

It hasn't been too fun at the Dolwick household these last couple of days.
I was sick yesterday and now it seems you are too Ava.

You have a fever and you are very lethargic. Not like you AT ALL. As much as I'm loving all the snuggle time I hate to see you like this.
And your whimpers just break my heart.

I look foward to you getting back to good health and back to your normal self.
Back to this....

Just another day

Typical day....
You woke up at 6am.
Got into bed with us and crawled all around, as usual.

We all got up about 6:30.
Daddy did some side work on a boat outside in the rain (that isn't typical but him doing some kind of work is)
Mommy made you toast and milk, put on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and you sat in your chair to watch your morning cartoons.
While you ate your toast I vacuumed, washed dishes and made your real breakfast of whole wheat waffles, strawberries and blackberries.

We said bye-bye to daddy, watched cartoons together and had breakfast together.
After that we ready some books, stacked some blocks....you are getting really good at it... looked at our color chart and practiced our body parts...

Head: Check...



Toes: Check....



Tummy: Check...



Now, we will get ready to go run a few errands...just to get you out of the house.
Then home for lunch to see daddy and then time for your nap at around 1:00pm.

It's not very exciting but I love every single second. Every. Single. One.

It's been a rough one.

Today you pulled your highchair down onto you. You bonked the back of your head on the stove and the tray of the highchair landed on your mouth.

Tonight while spending time at the hotel where Grandma works you fell on the tile and hit your head. I guess you were spinning around a chair and slipped on the tile and hit your head pretty hard. And to top it all off, when Grandma was trying to console you she poked you in the eye with her finger.
I'm sure that by the time you went to sleep you felt a little something like this:




My poor baby girl, you had a rough one today. Sleep well my beauty.

Funny Tummy

In 5 days you will be 16 months.
How did that happen?

When I poke your tummy like the Pillsbury Dough Boy you giggle just like the commercial and then throw you head back with a huge grin.
You will point out the eyes on all your animals and dolls and you LOVE to give them big hugs.

Blackberries are your new favorite. And you love to get a sample at the deli when I buy ham, or turkey, or whatever it is. You just want to try it.

At 15 months you are still speaking in your own language. You have quite a bit to say to the world.
You know your head, toes, eyes, nose and tummy.


You like to help me put the groceries away....everything goes in the cheese drawer.
Throwing trash away in the garbage can is now the fun thing to do...Although I have found a few of your toys in there too. (I guess you didn't like those)

You like to climb EVERYTHING!

The slide is your new favorite activity at the park.



I think we are at the stage where sitting in a shopping cart is nothing short of torture. Your daddy has vowed to never take you shopping alone again.

I know you like a book if you let me actually let me read it all the way to the end. Otherwise it's a race to the finish...let's see just how fast we can turn the pages.

Your new favorite thing to do is pick up clumps of dirt, grass, mulch, rocks...whatever and offer it up to the sky then throw it down on the ground.
You are also on a tree hugging kick.
You go right ahead and be one with Mother Nature Ava, you always have been my little nature girl. Hug a way baby girl.....Hug away!



When ever you hear an airplane you point at the sky and search until you find it. The same with birds.
You are not afraid of ANYTHING. Only once have I seen you unsure about something and that was the Black Bear at the Zoo. You didn't cry but you weren't exactly excited about being that close to it.

Grampa has started a game called "head butt" which you just think is a riot. Mommy however, does not....especially when you head butt me in the mouth or the wall.

Daddy was trying to teach you not to bite but it backfired one day when you came up and bit my hand and started laughing.

You love Toy Story. L.O.V.E.



Your cousin Hazel is your best friend.



Flash-forward 20 years....sigh.
Forever friends...complete opposites, but best friends!

Ava and Hazel

You love your cousin.

And your cousin loves you.

You may not always share but in the end.....

She takes your hand and says "Aba, Come on!"

And you happily follow.

I love you both Ava and Hazel.
I hope you always have fun together.

Sunshine and Sweaters.

I love days like this.
Days where the skies are a clear blue, the sun is shining brightly and I can still wear a sweater.
It makes me happy. Very happy.
Ava, today you took it upon yourself to climb up the stairs to the kiddy slide and then slide down all by yourself. You were SO very proud of yourself.
You jibber-jabber all day long. You love to point to the birds. WHen you hear an airplane you immediately look in the sky searching for it.
Yesterday you stuck your finger in my eye and said "eye".
Today, you looked at a tree and said "treeeee".
The words are coming and gone will be the days of your adorable jibber-jabber. So I am going to soak it all in because it is the sweetest thing to listen to you "talk". I have to say that I will miss this part of your life. Everything is new and it is such a joy and honor to watch you discover all the new things you are capable of doing. I do however hope that the days of you screaming are coming to an end. You can be so very loud.
So. Very. Loud.
We are learning together Ava and I hope that I am being the kind of mother that is helping you prepare to become a strong, intelligent and independant woman. I love you to the moon and back and will do anything to help you acheive your wildest dreams.

I did not keep up

It's almost New Year's Eve.
It is safe to say that I did not do a very good job at writing down daily what I am thankful for. There are so many things that go by each day that make me grateful for my life. I don't take them for granted, or at least I try not to. Little things like Ava's toothy grin. Her giggle that comes from the belly. The moments when I'm driving around town and there isn't a cloud in the sky and the colors are so vibrant. Snuggle time with Andy, snuggle time in the morning with Ava. My mom's hugs. My dad's laugh. My sister's compassion. Hazel's sweet voice when she says "OOOOh my Gosh". Dave's jokes. My health. My job. My family. My friends. Fuzzy socks. Super crazy soft blankets. Coffee with whip cream. Ava's smile when she sees Andy come home for lunch. Watching Drew play with Ava and hearing them both laugh. My King size bed ...that is sitting in storage calling my name.
My wedding day and how PERFECT it was. And the feeling of being loved by my family.

30 Day Bandwagon

Ok. So for 30 days I am to write what I am thankful for. To truly appreciate the meaning of Thanksgiving and why we celebrate Thanksgiving. I'm stealing the idea from a few people. It's a good way to get me to write each day as well as learn to be aware of all that is good that surrounds me.
Today is Thursday November 3.

We'll start with Tuesday November 1:
Today (as well as everyday) I am thankful for the whole faced grin my daughter gets when she sees her daddy. It is a sight that never gets old to me. Her eyes crinkle up and and she develops a dimple by her nose on the left side. I am so thankful for the happiness it brings me.

Wednesday November 2:
Today I am thankful for those of you who dine out and understand what it means when the servers are vacuuming around you.

Thursday November 3:
Today I am thankful for my mom. I am so thankful for her desire to always want to help us. She helps me understand what it means to be a mom. The friendship I have with her as an adult is something I cherish.