9 Months

Nine months. Wowzers. Only 3 months left until Ava is one year old. Ava goes to the doctor on Tuesday for her 9 month check up. Stay tuned for her measurements. I am curious to see how much she has grown. Ok, now on to the 9 month photo shoot with  the bear...

Do you remember me mentioning in a previous post that Ava likes to squint or close her eyes when I take pictures? Not much has changed in that department. 

Here is a list of things that have changed for Ava recently:

-She is getting much more efficient at scooting across the floor. She still moves with her belly dragging on the ground, but she is much quicker at getting around.

-Yogurt. I wasn't a fan of yogurt until about a year ago so I was convinced that Ava would want nothing to do with the stuff. I was wrong. Blueberry flavored Yo Baby Yogurt is her new breakfast of choice.

-Clapping. I'm not quite sure where this came from... Matt and I did not intentionally teach her how to clap her hands and yet, she can do it. Way to go, baby girl!

-Rump Shaking. Whether sitting or standing (with help), as soon as Ava hears a good groove, she turns into a dancing fool! 

-Pointing at certain familiar objects. When we ask, "Ava, where is the fan?" Sure enough, she will locate it. She used to stick her whole hand in the air as if to say, "Behold.... the fan!" Now, she is able to point with just her pudgy pointer finger. Other objects she is able to locate when asked: lights, Fergie, Daddy, Froggy and airplanes.

See what I mean? Right before I took the following picture, I said, "Ava, where is the bear's nose?" Without even looking, she pointed right to the bear's sniffer. Well, not really. None of that was true. But it makes for a good story, right?

Just one more pic from her 9 month photo shoot. Unfortunately, Ava was in a very chill mood on her 9 month birthday so I didn't capture many goofy shots. Her top two teeth have been giving her a fit lately. I believe now that they are both through her gums, there is a light at the end of the tunnel... At least until the next tooth decides to break through.

It Don't Mean A Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing

Lately, one of Ava's favorite things to do is go to the park, and swing! For the past several weeks, Matt and I have been able to enjoy the beautiful evening weather and take our little girl to one of the many parks located right near our house. You may not be able to tell by the next picture, but Ava really does enjoy herself while in the swing. 

When she's not sucking her lips into the depths of her mouth, she usually looks more like this while swinging...

After spending some time swinging back and forth, Ava got up close and personal with a duck parade. She was fascinated with these little guys. 

If we don't make it to the park, we most definitely spend our evenings out in our backyard. You wouldn't be able to tell from the front of our house, but believe it or not, we have a huge backyard. It's a blessing and a curse. A blessing to have so much land to run and play in. A curse to have so much land to mow, weed and maintain.

Here is Ava, enjoying the weather, and looking at the bats. Yes, I said bats. We have quite a few of these little winged creatures that fly over our yard at sunset every night. Ava zones in on the bats and laughs at them as they flit across the sky.

While Ava is looking at bats, Matt is picking scuppernong grapes from one of our two grape vines. Have you ever had a scuppernong grape? They are quite different from the green or red grapes you may find in the grocery store. When ripe, scuppernong grapes are gold in color. This particular grape has a very thick outer skin, which you do not eat. You have to squeeze the pulp of the grape into your mouth and discard the shell. Once the pulp is in your mouth, you have to separate it from the seeds that are within. You don't eat the seeds either, you spit them out. Finally, after all of that work, you can swallow what is left of the grape, which is about the equivalent of a lima bean. Oh, and did I mention that the actual pulp of the grape feels like a giant booger rolling around in your mouth? Tasty. What does all of this mean? While I enjoy the flavor of scuppernong grapes, I find that they require far too much work. I'd rather buy grapes at the store... you know, the kind you can just pop in your mouth and go. Matt, on the other hand, loves scuppernong grapes. Unfortunately, the grapes are only ripe for about a month, so Matt takes advantage of this time of year. If you're a scuppernong fan, come on over! Our two vines produce more grapes than Matt could eat in a year!

Matt wanted to let Ava in on the scuppernong action. After Matt would get the boogery pulp out of the shell, he would pour the left over juice into Ava's mouth. (I will admit scuppernongs have great flavor... They're just too darn annoying to eat.)

The verdict? Lip smackin' good. 

After several sips of grape juice, it was time to call it a night.

Hope you are enjoying the last few days of summer! Here in this household, we're ready for FALL! Halloween through New Year's is our favorite time of year. I am beyond ready to put up Halloween decorations. Call me crazy, I know I am! :)

Jail Bird & Bed Head

I love walking into Ava's room after she has woken up from her beauty sleep. Mainly, I love going into her room because it means I get to hug, kiss and play with her. I also love going into her room because as soon as she hears me open her door, she crawls over to the side of her crib, pulls down the bumper and flashes me the biggest smile her chubby cheeks can make. Yes, she looks like she is behind prison bars, but she doesn't seem to mind. We play a quick game of peek-a-boo before I take her out of the crib to play.

After one such game of peek-a-boo, I lifted Ava out of her crib to find a tribute to the 80's band, Flock of Seagulls, atop her precious head. What in the world? Normally, if she goes to bed with crazy hair, her slumber manages to un-kink, un-twist and un-tangle the mess. Not this particular day, my friends. Ava went down for her nap with perfectly combed hair and woke up with this funky do and bad to the bone post-nap glare.

Oh yeah, while we're on the crib topic, let me share with you Ava's new sleeping position of choice. I guess she technically still sleeps on her tummy, she just sticks her bottom in the air. This picture was actually taken mid-slumber the other night. I tip-toed into Ava's room, in the dark, aimed my camera, snapped the photo and ran out of the room before she woke up. Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?

We've been doing a lot more than just marveling over Ava's latest crib accomplishments. Since the weather has been a little less humid lately, we have started spending more and more time outdoors. Ava really enjoys swinging on the hammock in our backyard...

We are rapidly approaching Ava's 9 month birthday. We can't beleive it! I can hardly wait for Ava's 9 month check up to see how much she has grown! Here is a quick glimpse of some of the things happening for Ava right now:

-Dragging. She's not technically crawling yet, she's dragging. This consists of stretching her arms out in front of her and dragging her entire body (tummy on the floor) forward. She's getting oh so close to crawling!

-Ava's top 2 teeth broke through her gums.

-Ava would much rather eat big person food than her baby food. 

-Bottles are out the window. 

-She is doing very well at standing up while using a table or toy for balance.

Another thing Ava has started doing... either squinting or closing her eyes in anticipation of the camera's flash. See what I mean?

Our love for Ava continues to grow exponentially everyday. She is one of the greatest blessings the Lord has ever given to us!

Blessed Like Dat

Last week, Matt, Ava and I enjoyed another wonderful trip to the beach. On our way back to Greensboro, we stopped to eat dinner and get some gas. As we stepped out of the car, we noticed a Honda Accord parked next to us with the phrase "Blessed Like Dat" written across the bumper in gold, ghettotastic, adhesive lettering. We both laughed after reading the words, but I quickly came to realize that although funny, the words pretty much summed up our beach trip... Blessed (not ghettotastic)!

We returned to our favorite beach, Garden City, in South Carolina for our trip. This time, instead of vacationing with a family of 19, it was just the 3 of us. We were able to stay at Matt's aunt and uncle's beach place, which was amazing! Thank you Kincaids, for letting us stay at your 'Little Slice of Heaven!'

After a long car ride down to the beach, what did we do? Put Ava in another car and strolled up and down the shore. Ava loved the breeze blowing through her hair and watching all of the other people up and down the beach. Ahh... There's nothing quite like spending an evening stroll on the beach, during a sunset, with your family.

Ava really enjoyed the carpeted floors at the beach house we stayed in. Our house in Greensboro has hardwood floors throughout, which makes crawling somewhat painful on the knees. Ava took advantage of the soft floors and practiced her crawling skills. She's not completely mobile yet, but the girl somehow manages to get from point A to point B a lot faster than I give her credit.

Ok, enough about the indoors, it's time for the outdoors... the BEACH! Last time we were at the beach, in June, Ava was still a little wobbly when sitting on her own. This time, I was able to put her down on the sand, let the waves splash on her toes and she was good to go! She was also much more curious about the sand this time around than she was a few months ago. Mmmm... sand. Does a body good? Don't answer that.

So, one of Ava's favorite things about the trip was the carpet. One of Matt's favorite things? The outdoor shower at the beach house. Ava enjoyed some outdoor shower time too. Have no fear, Matt is wearing his bathing suit in this photo.

My favorite thing about our trip? Getting to spend an entire 5 days with my two favorite people in the entire world. 

Thankfully, Ava still enjoyed the beach just as much as she did 2 months earlier. She still managed to take both her morning and afternoon nap on the beach, under the tent. It was wonderful because Matt and I were able to spend several uninterrupted hours sunbathing and not worrying about our 8 month old stuffing her mouth full of sand.

We enjoyed an evening out to dinner at The Gulfstream. We had the best table in the entire restaurant. Ava and I were posing for a photo when Ava decided to attack my hair instead. Apparently she found it quite hilarious.

Enjoying our last evening and sunset on the beach.

Taking a family picture with my Go-Go Gadget arms. Nothing like the orange glow of a sunset to make us all look like oompa loompas.

Yet another friendly local offered to take a family picture for us. She probably saw how ridiculous I looked attempting to take the previous picture and felt sorry for me.

Ava, enjoying her last evening on the beach. 

Sunday was our last day in Garden City. Before heading to church, Matt and I took Ava out to the beach to take advantage of the early morning lighting. We put Ava in her tutu, a Christmas gift from aunt Erin, and took as many pictures as we possibly could. The following shot is one of our favorites. Beautiful beach. Beautiful tutu. Beautiful Baby.

I hope you enjoyed reading about our family beach trip and seeing a few of our favorite pictures. Our trip was nothing extravagant. Nothing particularly outrageous happened. Our trip was low key, relaxing, serene, simple, it recharged our batteries... and Matt and I would not have wanted it any other way. In summary, we are very thankful to be Blessed Like Dat.

The Line Up

Take a look. Memorize their faces. Acquaint yourself with their specific descriptions and characteristics. For if you ever happen to be babysitting our little Ava and she won't stop crying, one of the toys from this line up may be your only hope.

Baby Puppy

He's not just any ordinary puppy. He is so tiny, that he has been named Baby Puppy. Don't let his petite size fool you. His soft fur and plastic nose pack a powerful punch. A smile is almost always Ava's reaction when Baby Puppy is brought into sight. Baby Puppy was kindly given to Ava by our vet when we took Fergie in for her latest check up.

Monkey Friend

Monkey friend is a toy that came with Ava's rainforest play mat. Every time Ava plays on the mat, Monkey Friend is the first toy she grabs. Monkey friend is cute, soft, has a curly tail and ears that fit perfectly into Ava's mouth. 

Ducky

I can't quite remember where Ducky came from, but Matt and I are glad that he is a part of our lives. Ducky always brings a smile to Ava's face. Ducky pulls double duty also... Not only is he a stuffed animal, he is a rattle as well. Bonus! Matt and I noticed that although cute, Ducky well, just looked different. Anyone able to figure out what makes him extraordinary? It took us a few days, but we realized that instead of 2 webbed feet, this Ducky has 2 arms and 2 legs. Who needs to teach their kids about anatomically correct animals anyway?

Froggy

On one side he is fuzzy. On the other side he is silky. He rattles, he cuddles and Ava will not go to sleep without him, hands down. When Ava gets a hold of Froggy in her crib, her immediate reaction is to pull him in close, wrap her arms around him and smash him into her face. Froggy is #1 on our "Things We Must Have for Ava" list. Maybe I should buy a body double in case anything happens to this one!

Ya-Ya

Pronounced with the short 'a' sound, Ya-Ya is one of the newest animals in Ava's collection. Ya-Ya came attached with a boquet of flowers my parents sent for our 5th wedding anniversary. It was love at first sight for Ya-Ya and Ava. Matt and I decided that we would let Ava name this particular bear with the first audible and repeatable sound that came out of Ava's mouth... So Ya-Ya it was.

Pink Bear

Most of the names on this list are self-explanitory, but I think this one takes the cake. Ava loves hugging and cuddling with the soft fur and ribbon of Pink Bear. Pink Bear is very special because she was the very first pink thing that Ava ever owned. We did not know if Ava was going to be a boy or a girl while I was pregnant with her. After she arrived, Mema and Deda (Ava's great grandparents), rushed to the hospital gift shop and purchased the first pink thing they could find! Nicely done Mema and Deda. Ava loves her Pink Bear!

Clifford

Last, but certainly not least. Clifford. He's big, he's sturdy, he's fun to flip around by the tail. He even has his own voice. Well, he has a voice that Matt created for him. If you know Matt at all, you know that he is quite talented at impersonating people and doing their voices. Matt can be across the house, and as soon as he makes the Clifford voice, Ava's head will whip around to try and find the source of the noise. 

Sure, Ava has plenty, probably too many other stuffed animals. The ones mentioned above however, are her all time favorites. 

8 Months!

Eight months old. Wow. Matt and I can't believe that Ava has already been with us for 2/3 of a year. She continues to amaze, surprise and bless us each and every day.

Here is her latest shot with the bear. Although this photo doesn't show Ava's typical goofy grin, it does show how long she is. I can't believe that in her one month photo with the bear, the bear was longer than her!

Here are a couple more pictures from her 8 month photo shoot. As usual, with her mouth...

wide...

open.

A couple of weeks ago, Ava and I had the privilege of watching our friend, Finn, while his mom escaped for an afternoon haircut. Finn made our afternoon quite easy by sleeping almost the entire time. What a cutie.

When Finn woke up, I quickly discovered that he was a fan of Ava's bouncy chair. Ava didn't seem to notice that someone other than her was sitting in the chair, mesmerized by the lights and sounds.

Ava was happy to share her toys with Finny-Finnster. Even though her face in the following picture tells a different story.

**Funny Finn/Fergie story... After Lauren dropped Finn off at our house, Fergie of course wanted to meet the new little visitor. Fergie sniffed Finn, sniffed Finn's car seat and immediately booked it out the dog door and into the back yard. I think that was her way of saying, "Are you kidding me? Another one of these things? My life is over!"**

Water Works

This morning, we attended a birthday party for one of Ava's friends, Ethan. Ethan turned 2 and had an awesome water party in his back yard. Sprinklers, pools, mud, wet grass... it was every kid's dream! 

As per usual, Ava enjoyed splashing in the pool. She also loved watching all of the big kids play and splash around her.

After the pool, she was on to the sprinkler. At the end of the party, I think I was just as wet as Ava was. One problem, she was the only one with a bathing suit. 

And finally, the swing. Ava was a big fan of this crowd pleaser!

She even got a special push from the birthday boy himself.

Hope you and your family are enjoying the summer and finding ways to keep cool!