Jeremy's Birthday (The Big 38!)

Yesterday was Jeremy's 38th Birthday! Roy and Linda Jo came into town for a visit and took us out to dinner! We went to Red Lobster to eat and open presents. Linda Jo also made some yummy cupcakes for the occasion. We had a great time celebrating the day that Jeremy took his first breath!

 Linda Jo, Roy, and Ava. Ava loves her Nana and Poppy!

 Yummy crayon! Ha! She likes to eat these. We have to be careful!

 Yummy lemon, rind and all!

 The first present: a card from his mom and dad. Hmm...I wonder what could be inside? :)

The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gift. From Me, Ava, and Greta. I found these funny Star Wars vintage looking t-shirts at Target and purchased them about a month ago. Little did I know that Jeremy already owned one of them! In fact, he was wearing it in this picture!! I guess I need to look through his closet before I purchase clothing for him! :)

 Ava enjoyed every bite of the chocolate cupcake!

Icing Face!!

Greta's 38 Week Appointment!

Yesterday, Jeremy, Ava and I visited with Dr. Emig about Greta. We are excited to announce that we will be inducing labor tomorrow, May 31st! I will go into the hospital at about 6:30 tomorrow morning, and we should have a baby soon after!

My blood pressure was 130/80 and I had gained 6 lbs. since my last appointment. My ankles are really swollen and my lower legs are really tight. I have been drinking lots of water and propping my feet up, but I guess swelling just comes with the territory! I consider myself very lucky since I was swollen the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy with Ava. Greta's heartbeat was 126!! The nurse assured me that it was slowing down for her arrival. As usual, I measured one week ahead with Greta. I was still just 3 cm and 50% effaced.

Why are we inducing?

We decided to go ahead and induce so that my mom could be here for Greta's arrival. We had fully expected that to take place next week. Unfortunately, my mom has come down with the Shingles and cannot be here until she is completely healed up. Some luck, huh? 

The good news is that Jeremy's parents are currently in town to celebrate his birthday (yesterday) They decided to go ahead and stay long enough to hear about my doctor visit. When Dr. Emig gave us the option of inducing on Thursday, we took it. This way, Jeremy's parents will be in town for the birth (something we totally were not expecting since Roy's mom's health is declining) and Ava will be able to stay in her environment. Bant B (Aunt Berrie) will hopefully be able to come into town on Friday, to stay with Ava until we get home on Saturday. 

As it turns out, I worried myself sick over nothing. Ava will get to stay with our family and we have the comfort of knowing that Greta's arrival is timed to meet that need. God knows what he is doing and I have to learn to trust him more! :)

SO...if the Lord wills, we will be the Pate Family of 4 tomorrow!! Please pray for us in this adventure!!

A Pretty Door

This door has been an object of affection since I moved to Alabama in 2007. I have always loved it, but have not had a chance to take a picture of it. There is usually a car parked right in front of it, obstructing my view. I finally got a chance to snap a picture yesterday as I passed by!

Poppy And Ava (So Sweet!)

Ava took a 4 hour nap this afternoon. She slept 2 hours by herself in her crib and then another two hours on Poppy's chest. What a great nap!!

Two Conversations

Last Night:

Jeremy and Ava were sitting on the couch watching a movie. I was sitting at the kitchen table reading a magazine. Ava was trying to get Jeremy to open her plastic container of bubbles.

Ava: Bebahs (bubbles)

Jeremy: No, we aren't doing that right now.

Ava: Bebahs

Jeremy: Ava, I said no.

Ava: No, Bebahs!

Jeremy: Ava, do you want a spanking?

Ava (still trying to hand them over): No, Bebahs!

Jeremy (getting exasperated): I don't want the bubbles...I want your obedience!

:) I am sure that she understood that and was willing to fully comply with that logic!

Today:

I was sitting at the table with Ava while she was eating a late dinner.

Me: MeepMeep (in an alien voice)

Ava: MeepMeep (in an alien voice)

No, not a huge exchange. But a funny one!! I didn't know a 17 month old could mimic an alien voice. I threw back my head and laughed. Then she did the same thing! We both just laughed at each other for about a minute. I think I see a friendship blossoming!

Ava's 1st Swim!!

My parent's Easter gift to Ava was cash that would go towards her little backyard pool and swimsuit. Well, Monday evening, we decided to blow up her pool and let her splash around! She had the best time going down the slide in her little pink swimsuit and landing in the water. 

Since I have no idea when I will go into labor with Greta, I am blogging like a mad woman this month! Every time I get new pictures on my camera, I immediately blog them!! I don't know how much time I will have to update my blog once our little Miss Priss arrives! So, here are the pictures of our evening with the new swimming pool...

Ava threw a tantrum when Jeremy went outside to fill up the pool and she had to stay inside and get changed into her swimsuit. As you can tell from her expression, she REALLY wants to be outside!!

 Whoops!! Face first!!

 Adorable rolls on her legs! I love those!!

 Helping daddy put the nozzle back on the water hose. Smart girl!!

Greta's 37 Week Appointment!!

I met with Dr. Emig today at about 3:00. My blood pressure was 130/80 (a little higher than it normally is, but she assured me that it is perfectly normal at my stage of pregnancy to be a little higher than usual) I actually lost 1.5 lbs this time. I figured I would since most of my weight gain last time was water retention. That brings my total to 18 lbs. I am really proud of myself for having a tad bit more self control this time around!! :) As usual, I am measuring a week ahead. So that puts Miss Greta at 38 weeks. I have progressed from 1.5 cm last time to 3 cm this time. I am still 50% effaced. Only God knows when Greta will get here and I am learning to be ok with that. :)

Although it has been my desire from the beginning of this pregnancy to go into labor on my own, I did talk to my doctor about inducing. Since my mom has a certain time frame she can be here, I told my doctor it was unrealistic to just expect that I would go into labor that week. She agreed and said that the rest of the family should be taken into consideration. So, if I have not gone into labor by my next appointment (May 29th), we will talk about inducing the following week. I am really excited about meeting our newest addition!!

Fish Fry

Every year, our congregation has a fish fry at the pavilion on the church property. I was a little too pregnant to walk around and get all the pictures that I normally get, so I stuck close by Ava and Avery and got a few of them playing :)

 Ava loves her "Uncle" Nathan :)

 Ava, Avery, and James Cole playing in the bounce house

 Trying to keep up!

 Wooo! Ava needed a little rest!

 Avery trying to climb back in!

I love this picture because Ava is at the top of the slide with no parental supervision. Jeremy is standing on the side of the slide trying to coax her down. She could have very easily defied him (and almost did, I think) but luckily she came back down. If she had fallen backwards, she would have fallen straight down about 5 feet into the jumping house. Who gets the Parents of the Year Award? :) I don't know why we thought this was a good idea! Well, we know for next time!!

Dental Hygiene...

This is one of Ava's favorite things to do at night after her bath:

Big Girl Pajamas...

I received Ava's Easter $ (from my parents) in the mail last week. To celebrate, Ava and I went to Wal-Mart and bought her very first swimsuit (cotton candy pink with a 3 tiered tutu around the waist!), a little swimming pool for the backyard, and her very first pair of big girl pajamas! Up until this point, I have been putting Ava in a onesie and pants at night. I know a lot of people complain about how annoying the snaps are on a onesie, but it has ensured that Ava does not pull off her diaper in the middle of the night. I don't think I could ever get over waking up one morning to find Ava sitting in a bed full of poop and urine because she figured out the velcro on her diaper! Yuck!! So, we are just now making the switch to shirt and shorts pajamas. I have probably just jinxed myself. I sure hope not...

Anyway, here she is in her new orange pajamas with bees and flowers. She can even point to the bees and say, "bee," and to the flowers and say, "flower." She makes me proud!

Ava's Big Girl Car Seat!

I purchased this last week at Target. Ava went with me to the store and "helped" me tote it around in the shopping cart. She was so excited about the HUGE box that hung over the side of the cart. :) I guess because a HUGE box usually means a HUGE toy! :) Our little baby girl is now facing forward in the car.

Things I Am Worried About...

I know what the Bible says about being anxious. I remind myself of it every day, several times a day. I try really hard to not be anxious...but I am. I pray numerous times a day. Sometimes I even stop in the middle of a meal just to talk to God about my worries. I know that whatever happens will be fine, but I have what some people might call "control issues." I just really need for things to work out a certain way so that I feel better. I have a hard time letting go and letting God (not all the time, just when I am pregnant) Here are some things I am worried about right now:

1. Going into labor in the middle of the night. We have a family that will take care of Ava if that happens, but I don't want to drop her off in the middle of the night. I don't think my heart could take seeing her cry and telling us "bye-bye"while we pull out of the driveway. I am crying right now thinking about it.
2. I am worried about someone else putting Ava to sleep at night. I have always done this (there are a few exceptions) and I consider it one of the most precious moments that I spend with our daughter each day. I love the way she whispers, "I yaya," (I love you) after I whisper it first to her. Even if I am only gone to the hospital for two or three nights, I will miss that.
3. I worry about seeing Ava for the first time when I am in the hospital. I am afraid that she may not want to come to me. If that is the case, my heart will be broken. I am going to try really hard to not make a big deal about it, but internally I am struggling with that scenario. I am not going to force her to come to me, but I would like 1 really giant hug with her head on my shoulder. I hope I can get that from her.

I am not worried at all about loving one child more than the other. I know without a doubt that my heart holds the capacity for any children we have. I can't wait to meet Greta and get to know her the way that we have had the chance to get to know Ava. I look forward to bonding with her. I know a lot of people would tell me to "man up" or "cowboy up," but I am neither a man nor a cowboy :) I am just a sappy mom who wants what is best for her children.

So, if you are reading this, please pray for me. The ideal scenario would be me going into labor after June 4th. June 4th is the day that my mom arrives from Texas. I would love for her to stay at our house with Ava so that Ava is not taken out of her routine and environment. It would probably just seem like Mom and Dad have gone on a long date. Please pray that this happens for us. But also pray for my emotional state if this does not happen and I go into labor a little earlier than planned (my due date is June 7th) I would very much appreciate it! I know that God is working in my life and will continue to work as long as I let him. I guess I need to pray that I will have some peace and acceptance if my "plan" doesn't go the way I want it to go! 

To Ava and Greta: If you choose to get married and have children, you will understand why Mommy is such a mess right now! I love you both so much and cannot wait to see your relationship grow!

The 7 Year "Itch" To Get Out Of The House!

Yesterday marked 7 years of marriage for Jeremy and Me. It was a pretty typical day. We woke up to the sound of Ava. Jeremy leaned over and kissed me good morning and told me, "Happy Anniversary." He went to work while I started breakfast for Ava and myself. I had planned on cleaning our filthy house yesterday, but Jeremy told me not to. He told me to just enjoy my day. So I did :) Ava and I sat outside for about an hour and a half. Then, I blogged a little bit while she took a nap.

Jeremy got home in time for me to get ready for our big date. Last year, I put on diamonds, sparkly black and silver shoes, and my new magenta colored silk dress. We went to Birmingham for a $400 dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. This year, however, was very different!! I put on my stretchy jeans and a tank top with matching cardigan. I blow dried my hair, but put on no make-up. We were both all about comfort this year!! I switched out my purse so that I could put Jeremy's anniversary gifts in it without his knowledge.

Our good friend from church, Gayla Marlowe, came over to our house to watch Ava for us. After briefly telling her about Ava's evening schedule, we pulled out of the driveway. We had no idea where we were heading. We decided after a few minutes that we would eat at TOKYO Japanese Steakhouse in Taylorville. I was really excited because the Japanese Steakhouse went right along with the theme of Jeremy's anniversary gifts :)

My plan was to wait until after dinner to let Jeremy open his gifts, but I was too excited. When he learned that I came bearing gifts, he was excited too!! He started opening his presents right after our order was taken :) We are both not good at waiting!!

I had Jeremy open the smallest gift first. He was impressed that I had wrapped the gifts in black. It was very masculine!

Hmm...Canvas coffee filters. He was intrigued! For anyone who does not know Jeremy, he is a coffee connoisseur. Last year, he was introduced to the french press coffee maker and has not looked back! In fact, he gave away our traditional coffee maker because he was so sure that he would never go back. And he hasn't!

The second of three gifts. By this time, he knew it had something to do with coffee, but he did not know what to expect. His guess was that there must be a product that is better than French Press, although he was unaware of what it might be. He is a great guesser!

I skipped taking a picture of opening the third gift and instead got a shot of him with both gifts. A new Hario Drip Pot and a Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton. Basically, this is a Japanese coffee maker and grinder with additional canvas coffee filters. It is supposed to be every coffee lover's dream. I ordered it from Williams-Sonoma three weeks ago when I saw it in a magazine. I knew that Jeremy would love it! He was really excited to come home and try it!

After our insanely particular meal (Jeremy and I both ordered a really complicated menu with tons of substitutions and deletions; the server and chef just decided to go ahead and cook our order with us being the only two at the table. Yes, it was that complicated!) we decided to go see The Avengers in 3D. This was Jeremy's 3rd time to see it and my first time. It was a really good movie that I will see again on DVD. I tried to take pictures of Jeremy next to the posters, but the lighting was way off. This was the best I could do!

When the movie was over, Jeremy and I leaned in to kiss each other. When I pulled back, I said, "I know this isn't romantic, but I have a fever blister in my nose and it really hurt when we kissed because your nose squashed mine." He started laughing and said, "that's funny because I also have a fever blister in my nose and it hurt when your nose squashed mine." :) Isn't that true love? Being able to discuss fever blisters and noses on your 7 year anniversary? :) I thought it was sweet. I think this must be the point when we realize that we are no longer newlyweds!!

Anyway, after our movie, we went to TCBY for a frozen yogurt and made our way home. I walked into our house that suspiciously smelled of Pine-Sol. The more I looked around, the more I noticed things that were cleaner than I left them. I asked Gayla if she cleaned our house and she just smiled. Jeremy then told me that two friends from church, Alisha Jaynes and Caitlin Middleton had come over to clean our house while we were on our date. They cleaned our filthy, smelly, dirty dishes, along with our bathrooms. They mopped our floors and dusted EVERYTHING! They also polished our dining room table. I was so shocked because I was not expecting anything extra than a nice dinner date!

It was so nice to go to sleep on clean sheets with the smell of Pine-Sol in the air. I thoroughly enjoyed our night on the town and hope that we can do it again some time soon!

To Ava and Greta:

1. When choosing a spouse, he has to measure up to your dad. Not only will your father be sitting on the porch with a shotgun, but your momma will refuse to pay for a wedding unless he measures up. I love you both, but if he isn't going to treat you well, you're not going to marry him with our blessing! :)
2. Marry someone who puts your interests above his own. Please realize that you also have to put his interests above your own. The Bible says to outdo one another in showing love. Make that your motto.
3. Don't forget to "date" your spouse...even when you have children. This does not mean that you have to spend $400 on a dinner. It means that you set aside time to spend with one another. It may be when the kids are asleep. You may take a quilt to your backyard and stare at the stars for a half hour before going back inside. Take the time to stay in love.
4. Marriage is not about getting everything that YOU want. If you go into a marriage thinking that your spouse needs to give in to your every whim, then your father and I have not taught you well. We will do our best to instill these values in you. Please trust us. It does not mean that we have everything figured out (because we don't) but we are trying to help you become a person who will one day help your spouse and children get to Heaven.
5. Don't get married to someone unless you KNOW that they will help you get to Heaven. True success is living your life and going to Heaven. That's it.

Yes, this is our anniversary post, but there are always lessons for you to learn. Please know that Mommy and Daddy love you so much and are trying to help you to be Godly wives. We love you both!!

Greta's 36 Week Appointment

This morning was my 36 week check-up on Greta! Yay! I start going every week now. I am in shock! I think I may need to kick my nesting into overdrive because there are still several things undone. I need to replace all the batteries in the infant swing and the infant bouncer. I need to finish my Thank You notes and put away all the gifts. And I need to replace all the burned out light bulbs in our house. We have about 6 that are burned out. It would probably be a good idea to review some chapters on newborn care and wellness. It has only been a year and a half, but review is always a good thing :)

As usual, my blood pressure was 120/70, but this time the scale said I gained 7 lbs!! Yikes!! I know a lot of it is swelling and water retention because my legs are larger than usual and my ankles are swollen. It also hurts my feet to wear shoes. Most of it will come right off when Greta gets here, so I am not worried. Greta's heart beat was 136 bpm. Today was the start of my cervical examinations. As of today, I am 1.5 cm dilated and 50% effaced!!! I am so excited!! I know that plenty of women walk around for weeks at 3 cm, but I never dilated with Ava, so this is great news!! In fact, the morning of my induction with Ava, I was dilated to 1.5 cm. :) Greta may come on her own after all!! She is measuring 37 weeks, so she is still right on track with her growth. Dr. Emig said that she could feel that Greta had dropped quite a bit and was in a head down position. I asked if she could feel her head and she said, "oh, yeah!" This makes me so ready for her to get here!!

Dr. Emig also put her hands on my belly to feel Greta's position and movement. She asked me how much my first baby weighed, and I told her, "6 lbs. and 15 oz." She asked me if I had any predictions about Greta's weight and I said, " a little over 7 lbs. I don't think she will be a huge baby." Dr. Emig seemed to agree with that. She said that she thought Greta would be very average in her weight and height.

That is all the news I have for today! I know that Greta will get here when she is ready, but I do hope she will hold out until June 4th! My mom arrives on that day, so I would really like for Greta to wait until then. I wish there was some way to relay the message to her in a way that she will understand!! :)

Our Wedding Day

May 14th will always be a special day. Seven years ago, I married my best friend and soul mate. On that day seven years ago, I could not have guessed the memories that we would eventually make together. I could not have guessed the decisions that we would have to make together. And I could not have guessed the hurdles that we would have to jump together.  Life has had some tough moments, but with Jeremy at my side, those moments have been made memorable and even laughable.

Seven years ago, I woke up in hotel room that I shared with one of my bridesmaids. I stretched out and thought, "I'm getting married today." I think that is probably what all brides think on the day of their wedding! :) I wasn't nervous. In fact, I had actually slept in until 10 a.m. Don't ask me how I remember that! The wedding wasn't until 3 that afternoon, so I was safe. I had no hair appointments or make-up appointments. I wanted to do it all myself. Plus, Jeremy wanted me to wear my hair down in an everyday style.

The first thing I did was drive to the church building to see the progress. My parents had hired a florist and wedding planner to do everything for me. I am not lying when I say that I really didn't care how the reception or auditorium looked. I just wanted to be married to Jeremy. I was just curious as to how it was decorated. Everything looked really good, so I drove home.

I got a nice hot shower and was able to relax for a few hours while I waited for picture time. My Aunt Teresa had stayed at my parents house for the weekend so she could attend the wedding. She had recently lost her husband, Elden, so I felt like she might have a different perspective on marriage. Loss almost always makes you look back and analyze the things that matter. I talked with my Aunt Teresa for so long that I did not realize that I was running late! I do not regret any moment that I spent with her, though, because my wedding day was the last day that I saw her. Three years later, she had a massive heart attack in Indiana, and passed away. I am so glad that I had that time with her to talk and reminisce.

I headed up to the church building to get dressed and put on my make-up. All my bridesmaids were waiting for me. It only took me about 20 minutes to get ready. I am not high maintenance when it comes to looks, so a little make-up, a curling iron, and some hair spray is all I needed. I literally shoved the tiara on my head and clipped my veil in before walking down the hallway to the auditorium. I don't believe I have any sentimental pictures of my mom or sister lovingly placing the veil in my hair. I was ready to get married!!

I had absolutely no contact with Jeremy that day. I was really excited to see him! As I walked down the aisle, I caught my first glimpse of him. The auditorium was glowing with a golden light and he was in black in the middle of it all. I was so happy and could not stop smiling. He was happy too, but he was crying. I had only seen Jeremy cry one time before our wedding day, but not like this. Tears were streaming down his face and he had to pull the Kleenex (that was meant for me) out of his pocket and blow his nose. I was moved by his display of emotion, but I didn't cry. I actually laughed a little! Ferman Carpenter performed the ceremony for us. He made it really special by turning his back to the audience so that we could face our family and friends. We said our vows and then turned to the back of the auditorium so that 4 of the teenagers in our youth group could perform a song that Jeremy had written:

1st Stanza

Here we are

Standing here together

This is who we are

The start of our forever

Whether near or far

Holding your hand

I will shelter you

No matter what the weather is

I'm here for you

For worse or for better

I will care for you

You are my best friend...

Chorus

Let's run

Through this life

Let's hold each other through the nights

And let's go on

When others throw it in

And when we're old together

Let's be friends

Who would do it all again

2nd Stanza

You are dear to me

I'll always treat you like you were a part of me

Two hearts that beat together

It's not hard to see,

You are my miracle

Talk to me

You'll see it in my eyes,

You are the world to me;

The light that never  dies

I'll love you endlessly

And when you marry me...

Chorus

We'll run 

Through this life

We'll hold each other through the nights

And we'll go on

When others throw it in

And when we're old together

We'll be friends

Who would do it all again

We were pronounced husband and wife shortly after that. We shared our first kiss and walked down the aisle to the back foyer. We truly had a great time on our wedding day! Besides the day that I became a Christian, it was the best day of my life.

36 Weeks Photo

Well, in addition to it being Ava's 17 month birthday and Mother's Day, I am also officially 36 weeks pregnant today! Greta will be here before we know it!! I still need to buy Ava a new carseat so that Greta can have the Chicco seat that goes with the stroller system. I need to also make sure that Greta can be added to our pediatrician. In fact, I should probably call tomorrow! All of the newborn clothes need to be pulled from the storage closet so that Greta has something to wear in the hospital. And I need to pack my bags (just in case!) We have a plan for Ava in case I go into labor before my due date, but I am really hoping that Greta can hold out until June 4th, which is the day my mom will be able to be here. I really am praying at this point that my mom will be here for Greta's arrival. Whatever happens, though, is just what happens. We will go with the flow! Here are some things going on with her this week:

• Greta probably weighs about 6 lbs. and is about 18.5 inches long.
• She is probably in a head down position, ready to make her debut!
• Her gums have ridges that resemble teeth.
• She is probably starting to shed lanugo (the downy hair that covers a baby)
• She is probably also settling on waketime/sleeptime

Jeremy and I are really excited about meeting Greta. I know without a doubt that Ava will be a GREAT big sister. She is a very loving child and has shown us repeatedly how to treat a baby. I know we still have to keep a close eye on her because she is still a baby herself, but overall she knows how delicate a baby is. I am really not worried about sleep. I know it will be tough to try and make their sleep schedules line up right away, so I am just preparing myself for very little sleep :) Luckily, I will have my mom to help me the first week or so. As long as I can get some sleep in that first week we are home, I should be okay. I really cannot wait to see this little Love!

Ava At 17 Months!!

When I woke up this morning, Jeremy was bringing Ava into the bedroom to say, "Good Morning." It has always been our agreement that I get up with Ava every morning so that Jeremy can get to work. But Sundays, well Sundays are different! Our Sunday morning ritual is that Jeremy gets up with Ava and gets her ready for church while I sleep in an extra hour. The only exceptions to this rule are when we are sick. This seems to work really well for our family. We will have to wait and see what happens after Greta is born. Lots of things will probably change!

Back to what I was talking about...

Jeremy brought Ava into our bedroom so that she could say, "Happy Mother's Day!" Before she could even say anything, I said, "Happy 17 Month Birthday!" I think it is neat that her 17 month birthday fell on Mother's Day. I looked at Jeremy and got kind of teary eyed. I had a mommy moment. 17 months ago, I had just given birth to one of the most amazing gifts that God has ever bestowed upon me. She was born at 7:52 pm and my clock currently reads 9:38 pm. I think she was having her first bath at this point, which also means she would have been having her first meltdown :) Jeremy and I were both giddy! It was truly love at first sight!

So much has happened in 17 months. It is amazing that our little gift continues to grow and mature and learn. When I was in college, I learned about all the synapses that connect in the brain during a child's first year of life. It is interesting to learn about, but it is priceless to experience.

Sigh...where has the time gone?

Well, before I get too emotional and take another walk down memory lane, I will post some things about her milestones at 17 months.

• I would call this month a Vocabulary Explosion!!! She repeats everything that we say. It may not stay in her immediate vocabulary, but she is not afraid of exploring her speech!
• Some new words are: eye, mouth, nose, ear, shoes, beans, meat, Greta (detta), Avery (abie), bellybutton (beyabuhuhn), trash, five (fy), and door. Yes, she has learned ALL these words in 1 month!
• Some phrases: "let me see" (lemeesee), "byebye", "No Ma'am!" (while shaking her finger with a pretty stern look on her face)
• I always rock Ava for about 3 minutes before bedtime. I will press my lips to her forehead and whisper, "I love you." She always takes Grossy out of her mouth and whispers, "I yaya." It melts my heart so much that I will often take advantage and whisper, "I love you," over and over again. Her little eyes crinkle at the corners when I say this. This is one of my favorite moments of every day. When I finally do lay her in her crib, I brush her hair out of her face and whisper, "bye-bye." She will say, "bye-bye," and then roll over to sleep.
• Ava is in size 5 diapers and size 4-5 shoes.
• She knows how to "color." :)
• Ava will sing songs to me. I don't know what they are, but I recognize her attempt at a melody. I love singing her church class songs and listening to her try to sing along. There are several hand motions that she knows and practices at home. She LOVES the "David" song. She will grab hold of my finger when I talk about the stone going into the sling. She knows how to make it go round-n-round and up,up,up. She also likes when the giant comes tumbling down. She knows to move her hands in a downward spiral. It is the cutest thing to watch!
• I have started letting her watch some things on http://www.starfall.com Her favorite sound right now is the "B" sound. That is usually the video that we watch. She loves the backpack bear at the end!
• Ava is a climber! She continues to amaze me in this area!
• She loves to be outside! We go outside for at least 30 minutes every day. Yesterday, we were outside for and hour and a half! She cannot get enough of her slide and swing!
• She loves green beans and sweet peas. She has them every day for either lunch or dinner. When I put her in her high chair, she will say, "beans, beans, beans" until I put them on her tray. She cannot say, "peas," just yet. "Beans" is a generic term for any green veggie.
• She is still a very good sleeper. It is almost always 12 hours at night and a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon.
• I am almost positive that her incisors are coming through. I can't tell how many or how close she is to cutting them, but they are close.
• Every time I change her diaper, she says, "trash." I reinforce this term every time and let her take the diaper to the trash can. She opens the lid on the trash can and throws the diaper in. I always say, "Give Momma five!" I lay my hand down and she will hit it. :)
• When she is trying to manipulate me, she will point to my nose and say, "nose." I hate to say it, but I usually allow her to manipulate me! Sometimes it is easier to allow her to surrender with a little dignity. I try to continue playing the game to redirect her attention. We reserve the pop on the leg for true defiance.
• She knows how to love on a baby doll!! She will often carry around her baby dolls on her shoulder. If I tell her to "love the baby," she will lay her head on the baby doll and murmur a little hum. I am beginning to feel a little more confident about Greta's arrival and how Ava will deal with it. I try to be very positive without forcing it on her.
• She LOVES to play dress-up! Every morning, she will say, "shoes," and hold out the pair that she wants on. Lately, she has been preferring her pink sparkly ballet flats. But yesterday she requested her Christmas house shoes! They are way too small, but she was adamant! It was so funny to see her walk around the house in red shoes with Santa Claus on the toes! She also loves to wear my necklaces. When she cannot find one of my necklaces, she will make due with a mini fan on a cord. I love when she does this because she looks so silly wearing a mini fan around her neck! She really thinks she looks good, though, because she wears it with pride! And get this...she actually wants a hair bow in her hair!

As usual, I know I have forgotten some things. If I think of them, I will either add them to this post, or make a new post! Just for fun, here are some pictures of Ava this month: