1 year old!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ava,

You are finally a...1 year old!!!!! And also a toddler! How am I a mom of a One year old when I feel like we have known each other for YEARS?? You are my best friend, my personal comedian, my life coach, and an amazing daughter. I am so blessed to call you my daughter and I know we will have a lifetime of fun ahead of us!

Ava - what have you been up to this past month??

Well...your personality shines so much more every day! You love walking with your push walker and I know you will be taking your first steps very soon. You have the brightest smile and most infectious laugh ever. I found new tickle spots on you the other day! I loooove tickling you!

You love playing peek-a-boo still, knock over the blocks, crawl chase, you love to "dance", and also chase  your furry friends. You have discovered Barney (Eek!), and love Elmo, Super Why, Martha Speaks, Sid the Science Kid, Clifford, The Backyardigans, and Yo Gabba Gabba, I try not to let you watch too much TV, but reward you or if mommy needs to get something done!

You wear size 4 diapers still and are now in 18 month clothes! You have a TON of bows now that Nana made and few others that were made by cousin Charlie's wife Nina. You haven't learned how to remove them yet thank goodness!

You still aren't eating table food like you should. Dr. Johnson (Dr. Hunt is on maternity leave) asks that we contact an Occupational Therapist to help us with your eating. You gag on anything with texture to it and sometimes throws it back up if you can even get it down. You are on stage 2 baby food because you gag on stage 3. Since we are at this detour, we have you on Toddler formula to get all of your nutrients and vitamins until we can get you on table food. The OT should be contacting me very soon to set up a date!

Ava, you still sleep in mommy's arms at night and I know you need to sleep in your bed. It is just the most amazing feeling to have you snuggled up to me cheek to cheek snoozing together. I know it is a bad habit, but I must say, I believe we both enjoy it as much as each other.

Ava, your first word was mama, but now you say dada (as of right after your 1st birthday!!), babababa, and blah (hehehe). You are very shy of strangers and won't let anyone hold you! Not even your relatives.

You had 2 birthday parties. The first one was on Monday 4/4/2011. Daddy woke me up at 2:10am to have a cup of hot tea and honey to toast to you at 2:15am! Little did we know your Great Great Aunt Ruth died that very same time and day up in TN. Her name was Ruth Craig Grooms and she was your Grandpa Williams Aunt on his mother's side. She was the last kid of 13 siblings to pass!

On your birthday you had a few visitors come. At first, we went to Papa and Nana's work to say hi and eat lunch. We all went to Jason's Deli and Uncle Ryan also came! You enjoyed  seeing everyone!!! That evening we had a small party for you since you are VERY shy of people. We cooked hot dogs on the grill, opened presents, and had a cake that I made! It was a strawberry cake! Yum. You didn't care for the cake but took a few licks of the icing off of my finger!

You weren't impressed of all these people in your living room, but you got over it when presents were presented to you!! You enjoyed the bags most of all. You received a Pillow Pet, Clothes, a fisher price phone, tea and teacup set, and little purse that talks and plays music. You also had Happy Birthday sung to you while it was played on the guitar by Uncle Terry and you danced throughout the whole song!!

Grandpa Williams came a little later as he was trying to prepare for leaving to TN to attend the funeral. He came with his guitar and sang a song to you that he sung to me and Uncle Ryan when we turned 1 years old. It is called "Never Be One". I think most everyone was crying in the room (especially me and Daddy!!!!).
People who came: mommy, daddy, Gpa and Gma Dash, Cousin Dan, Amy and George (with Zoe, Chloe, and Dylan) Marschall, Barb Hepler with Alisi, Uncle Terry and Aunt Beth.

The 2nd party was the following Saturday on 4/9. The Tays family was going to come, but Oliver and Miles had the Whooping Cough and could not make it. This party was at Nana and Papa's house!
We got there around lunchtime so Nana and mommy could take pictures of you! Then Karen Denney came and so did Papa Bob and Linda!

We opened gifts and you had so much fun playing with the paper again! We ate hot dogs, sang Happy Birthday which you danced to again, and ate some cake! Nana then took you for a wagon ride in your new wagon around their yard! You looooved it and kept rocking back and forth wanting them to keep going!

You received clothes, shoes, bows that Nana made, an Elmo book, a Tiny Bears Bible, a Zany Zoo play center, a fisher price phone, and more! You made out well as you always have at Nana's!
People who came: Nana, Papa, mommy, Bob, Linda, Karen.

After you turned 1 and are over a week into being a toddler, I feel that you are just changing so much every day! You talk non-stop, and are the most happiest little girl. Your bath-time has become interesting! You love talking to your bath time friends (toys) and hitting them making them go under!

Also you saw your very first set of horses!! You weren't sure at first about them, but I'm sure next time you will like them even more!

Ava, I love you so so so so much and mommy and daddy would do anything for you. You are so special to us.

I love you sweet girl.

Love,

Mommy :) xoxo