Not Pictured

I have 2 stories to share. Both are funny. Both are recent. Both happened without photographic evidence. If you are the type of person who prefers reading books with pictures, this post may not be for you. If you are the type of person who enjoys reading hilarious stories about Ava's adventures, read on...

Ava's First Kiss
I did not experience my first kiss until I was a Freshman in high school. Matt was in 1st grade. Ava was 13.5 months old.

Last week, I had the pleasure or watching my friend's son, Matt Pearman. Matt is 2 years old. He is sweet as can be and he has the best laugh. Ever. For the first 30 minutes of Matt's time at our house, he and Ava did not interact much. They both played happily, by themselves. Then, out of no where, it happened. Ava was sitting in the middle of the floor playing with her toy cell phone. Matt crawled over to her, took his pacifier out of his mouth, touched his lips to hers, backed away, put the pacifier back in his mouth, and continued playing by himself. For about 2 seconds, Ava looked confused, and then she too went back to playing by herself.

Lips were not puckered. There was no audible smooch sound. Ava (or Matt P.) will not remember this experience and years from now, both of them will probably deny this as their 'first kiss.' All I know is, it was precious. Precious and frightening all at the same time. In that instant, I saw Ava growing up way too fast. I appreciate Matt's tender heart, but next time you want to give a smoocheroo to Ava, do you mind waiting about 20 years? ;)

Shrek
Ava and I have been involved with a research study at UNC-G for about a year. The students at UNC-G are studying parental behaviors and attitudes toward their children in various situations. I initially met with the students before Ava was born, once more when Ava was 6 months old, and the final time this past week. Without boring you with any more of the details, let me get straight to the most hilarious portion of the day. This story may best be summarized by bullet points:

• Ava and I went into a room and played with toys.
• A stranger came into the room, sat in a chair and read a magazine (they wanted to see Ava's reaction to the stranger).
• I had to exit the room and leave Ava alone in the room with the stranger. Have no fear, I was able to go into the room next door and watch the whole thing through a double-sided mirror. I felt like a cop, you know on Criminal Minds or The Mentalist or something. It was cool.
• I came back in the room and the stranger left.
• Then I had to leave the room once again, this time leaving Ava by herself. Part of me wished she would sob uncontrollably, letting me know she wanted me to come back. Instead, she let out a little whimper and then continued playing with the toys.
• I again entered the room with Ava. While in the room, one of the students told me that a person wearing a mask would soon enter the room. I was also told that I was not allowed to interact with Ava for the first minute after the masked person entered the room (unless Ava was extremely upset). After one minute, I would then be able to interact with Ava however I saw fit.
• So, I sat in a chair and began to read a magazine. Ava continued to play with the toys on the floor. The door opened, and in walked... Shrek. Well, kind of. It was a woman wearing a giant Shrek mask, two enormous Shrek hands and a long, flowing smock that doctors wear for surgery. Honestly, I think seeing Shrek himself walk through the door would have been much less frightening.
• Ava slowly turned her head, looked at Shrek for about 1.2 seconds and then like lightening, threw herself on the floor, face down. Her arms and legs were spread out as if she had just jumped out of an airplane.
• She did not move. Not an inch. Not a muscle. Not a hair on her head.
• While Shrek walked around the room and talked to her, Ava played dead. Like a possum. For one whole minute, Ava lay in the middle of the floor, face smashed into the carpet. If I could have read her mind, I bet she was thinking, "Maybe if I don't move... this creepy thing won't see me."
• What was I doing? Being the world's worst parent. I had to cover my face with the magazine I was reading so that Ava couldn't tell how hard I was 'silently' laughing.
• After one minute, I joined Ava on the floor. As soon as she realized I was near her, she booked it over to me, and locked her arms around my neck.
• At this point, she still wasn't a fan of Shrek, but she would at least look at him. She continued to hold on to me until Shrek left the room. Then, as if nothing had happened, she returned to playing with the toys.

Hopefully, after reading all of this, you have at least let out a chuckle. You may not think that either of these stories are particularly funny and if that's the case, then you have no sense of humor. :) Trust me when I say that I plan on burning these events in my mind forever, and I will pull them out whenever I need a good laugh. Maybe next time something like this happens, I'll be able to prove it with pictures!

Before That

Today, our little family of three chose to spend the afternoon at a local park... in the BEAUTIFUL weather! Ava and I took some time to look at the ducks and geese.

Before that, Ava enjoyed some quality time with her favorite park playmate. The swing. You know the saying, "It's like riding a bike. You never forget how." Well, in Ava's case, the saying is, "It's like swinging in a swing. You never forget how much fun it is." We were still a good distance away from the swings when she spotted them. She could barely contain herself. **On a side note... Notice the outfit Ava is wearing in the picture below? One of my wonderful friends recently bought the adorable get-up for Ava. It is a size 2T. Ava will be 14 months on Thursday. It fits.  Amazon baby.**

Before that, we enjoyed a picnic in the park.

Before that, Matt threw Ava in the air over and over. Thank goodness for high ceilings. All Matt has to do is say, "Ava, do you want to fly" and she goes nuts.

For some reason, I don't know why, Ava sticks her fingers/hand/wrist in her mouth when she is excited. If her face in this next picture doesn't let you know she loves being thrown in the air, then her entire hand in her mouth certainly should. 

Before that, Ava scooted around the house with her walker.

Before that, Ava rocked the scarf that my mom made for her. She loves it. Every time I wrap the scarf around her neck, Ava enthusiastically says, "Oh boy" (which at this point, sounds more like the musical instrument, 'oboe').

Before that, Ava got to touch her all time favorite animal at the NSC, a goat. Why a goat? I am not sure. Why is my mom letting her pat the goat's rear end. I am not sure about that either.

Before that, Ava watched Axel the Tiger walk around. She got very excited each time he walked in front of the glass.

Before that, my parents came to spend the day with us. Thanks Oma and Opa for driving all the way out here! Can't wait for you to come back soon.

Book Worm

Mom, Dad, Grandparents, food, milk, Fergie, Froggy, toys, bath time... These are a few of Ava's favorite things. Not to be forgotten or left of the list: BOOKS! Some days, most days, if I ranked her favorite things in order, books would trump Mom and Dad. Sigh. Although sad that at times, Ava would rather cuddle up with a book than with me or Matt, I hope that her love or books continues throughout her lifetime.

On any given day, at any given time, Ava can be found in her room, pulling books off of her bookshelf.

Today, she was determined to get a book on top of her bookshelf.

Thanks to her long legs and arms, she was able to reach it.  

What book was she so desperate to get her hands on? Her personalized New Testament & Psalms, presented to her at the baby dedication at our church. Warms a Mama's heart.

When Ava is finished looking at a book, she reaches over to the shelf and grabs another one.

She flips through the pages, laughs at the pictures, points at objects she knows....

And then reaches for another book. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Until there are no books left on the shelf. 

Uh oh, Ava spent far too much time looking at the "Goodnight Tigers" book today (for LSU fans). Daddy better hurry up and illustrate the "Goodnight Tarheels" book so that Ava's heart can stay true to Carolina Blue!

The above picture shows Ava's 'serious' reading face.

The picture below shows her more playful side.

Her most popular facial expression: Biting her upper lip.

Whatever she is reading, whatever her facial expression, I love looking at her in this chair. Seeing her sitting in a full-sized chair makes Ava look itsy bitsy. There aren't many things that make Ava appear to be smaller than she really is... So thank you, chair, for tricking my brain into thinking that Ava is still only 8 lbs. 2 oz. 

Adios Siesta!

Well, it's official. Ava now only takes one nap per day. She has recently cut out the morning nap from her routine. I'll admit, dropping her morning nap has been bittersweet for me. Bitter, because I no longer have a morning break to get things done around the house. Sweet, because we can spend more time out and about during the day. Plus, I get to spend more time with my favorite girl throughout the day. And who wouldn't want to spend more time with this little cutie?

Come mid to late afternoon, Ava clearly lets me know that she is ready for a snooze. Typically, Ava does one of three things: 1) She will grab the nearest stuffed animal and lay down on top of it on the floor. 2) She will crawl into her room, point to her crib and say, "bud" (bed). 3) She will crawl into her room, pull up on the slats of the crib, and shake them violently... letting me know she wants IN!

Today, she was so tired, instead of laying down on the floor with a stuffed animal, she just cuddled up with Elmo on the couch.

Bb is for Biskies

I realize that Ava is not ready to sing the ABC song, or tell me what the word "cat" starts with. However, the teacher in me cannot help but immerse her little brain in letters and numbers. Well, immerse her brain, and her biskies... 

And speaking of biskies... Just watch!

Picture ID

Several months ago, my sister-in-law gave us a set of 'Baby Enstein' picture cards. Ava loved looking at the pictures at first, and then, for some reason, she loved eating the corners of each and every card. So... the cards were taken away for a while and I reintroduced them just the other day. I was amazed to see how many of the cards Ava was able to correctly identify! Here are a few of her favorites...

Do your best not to pay attention to the lady with the crazy voice in the background!

Today We...

...spent all morning in our pajamas and Ava looked for hidden treasures under the couch.

...played basketball. Swish!

...played with toys.

 ...found some of Mom's scarves and played dress-up.

...went out and ate lunch as a family.

...busted out our membership to The Natural Science Center and saw Axel, the tiger.

...watched Axel walk back and forth, back and forth in front of the much appreciated glass.

...got eye to eye with the 'eye of the tiger'.

...caught a wolf sunbathing. Is it still considered sunbathing when the temperature is below 40 degrees and there is snow on the ground?

...got up close and personal with a sheep...

...and a goat...

...and an alpaca...

...and Dominick the Donkey. Jiggity Jig. Hee-Haw, Hee-Haw. (If you have the mixed CD from Ava's Birthday Party, you know what I'm talking about. And you probably hate me now because this will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Sorry!)

...had so much fun that Ava barely made it home without falling asleep.

Correction. Ava didn't make it home without falling asleep.

Rock The Mullet

Mullet: A hairstyle that is business in the front, and a party in the back. Also, a hairstyle that is currently atop sweet Ava's head.

To be fair to Ava, I have to explain that the mullet only comes out with a vengeance when the weather is cold and the air is dry. Normally, Ava has locks of beautiful curly hair sprouting from her head... especially if there is a hint of humidity in the air. Well, with the weather we've been having lately, I bet you can guess which hairstyle she has been rockin' lately.... Hello mullet.

Sure, you can clearly see the mullet throughout the day, weather permitting. There is no better time to catch a glimpse of the full mullet magnitude than during bath time though.

Scared Stiff Update: I am happy to announce that Ava is making great progress when up on her feet. She is no longer 'scared stiff' when holding on to furniture. Now, she moves from the chair to the table independently. Cautiously, but independently. She also enjoys pulling up on the TV cabinet and getting her eyes as close as possible to the screen. Great. (Don't worry, we moved her away from the TV as soon as we asked her to point to the Low Pressure System coming our way.)

Along with pulling up on everything in sight, Ava is getting more proficient at standing up, without holding on to anything! Her favorite time to show off that latest trick is while helping me fold throw laundry on the floor.

Waiting Patiently...

Every evening, at about the same time, Ava can be found sitting on a door mat, looking out the front door and waiting for Daddy to come home. I'm actually quite impressed at Ava's attention span during this waiting game. She will sit perfectly still and watch for Dad's car with such attentiveness until he arrives.

Finally, Dad's car comes to a stop in front of our house. I am able to tell by Ava's immediate reaction that Matt is home. Ava's arms flap through the air like a bird. She starts laughing hysterically. She begins making noises that let me know she wants nothing more than to yell, "HI DADDY!" She makes her way up to her knees and presses her nose and mouth on to the glass door... All while Matt is walking through the front yard.

It makes my heart smile to know that Ava gets so excited to see her Dad at the end of the day!

Daddy's Little All Star

Daddy and Ava making use of her Christmas present... Already, she has more skill than I do!

***It has come to our attention that some clarification is in order... Please note, Matt is saying "Jam It" about mid-way through this clip.***

Ding-Dee

Matt and I are having way too much fun with one of Ava's latest discoveries... Repeating words! We can say any one or two syllable word, and Ava will attempt to repeat it. Currently, she has the most success with words that start with a B, D or P. Even if Matt and I ask Ava to say a word that doesn't start with a hard consonant sound, she will still at least give it a try.

Ladies and gentleman, let me introduce you to our newly named dog, Ding-Dee. After waking up from a nap yesterday, Ava saw Fergie, pointed at her, and clearly said, "Ding-Dee." Ava has continued to refer to our furry friend as Ding-Dee for 2 days now. I don't know about you, but I think the name is quite fitting!

Ava's current vocabulary list:

Mama

Dada

Buh-Bye

Balloon (Ba-ooon)

Moon (Boon)

Book

Bow

Pom-Pom

Hello (Hewo)

Paint (Pai... She leaves off the 'nt')

Baby (Bee-Bee)

Cookie

Fergie (Ding-Dee)

Uh-Oh

Ball

Bear (Brrr)

When asked, "What does Santa say?" Ava says, "Ho, Ho, Ho!"

She calls her Fisher Price Corn Popper, "Pop, pop, pop."

Shoe (Ooooo)

Elmo (Mo)

Banana (Nana)

Bird (Bd)

Scared Stiff

Crawling, check. Eating like a champ, check. Babbling up a storm, check. Pulling up to her feet, check. Getting down... Not so much. Ava can pull up on any and everything in the house, but getting down is a whole other issue. For some reason, Ava is so terrified to get down by herself that she is literally left, scared stiff.

About a week ago, Ava wouldn't even attempt to pull up... on anything! She knew that if she got up, she would have to face getting down, and that was not going to happen. Matt and I tried propping her up on furniture, reassuring her that we were right behind her in case she fell. No luck. Instead of feeling comforted and secure, she would stiffen up her body, start trembling and then let out shrieks of pure panic until one of us helped her down.

Fortunately, after a couple weeks of work, Ava is making progress. Her fear of getting down is not conquered, but it is getting better. Now, instead of forcefully being propped up on furniture, she is pulling up by herself. Also, instead of clinging to the chair for dear life, Ava feels comfortable enough to turn around and hold the chair with only one hand. Is she getting down independently yet? Well, that depends. If she realizes that she has padding to fall on, she will get down without even thinking about it. Case and point, the picture below. Ava pulled every piece of laundry off of the chair and threw it to the ground. As soon as she had a nice, soft landing zone, she got down and moved on to another adventure. She will also bounce around from couch cushion to couch cushion as if she were a ball in a pinball machine. Go figure.

I have a feeling someday in the not so distant future, Ava will discover there is nothing scary about getting down from the standing position. When it happens, if you are listening carefully, you may be able to hear Matt and I sing a line or two from 'The Hallelujah Chorus!'