Happy 2nd Birthday Ava!

Dear Ava,
You are 2!!!!! It is hard to believe...

I want to capture every.single.moment with you right now as you are blossoming into your own little person so I'm writing you this letter. You are hilarious, expressive, shy, smart, dramatic at times, a good eater, and sweet. Right now you are into giving *hugs* and *kisses* especially when we leave in the morning. You have so many little expressions and are talking a mile a minute. There is really no way to keep track of what you say and you are talking in little sentences.

It is hard to figure you out sometimes. You are so social and love to say "HI" to everyone while we are out and about, for example, yet you get very shy around certain people and even CRY hysterically around some men. ?? You say "oooooowwwwwwww" a lot (especially when you get your hair combed) and will say "Kiss It" when you get hurt - no matter where/what it is that hurts. You love to be outside!! Your eyes are very sensitive to bright lights and the sun so we have little sunglasses for you that you actually keep on pretty well!


You can be a bit dramatic at times (LOL) and definitely test mommy and daddy often. You have to sit in "time-out" for hitting, throwing toys, saying "NO!!!!!!!" and crying for no reason but you are a really good girl. You don't have a mean bone in your body and are so sweet but You. Are. 2! :)

You are a happy little thing. You wake up in the morning as cheerful as can be and will play in your crib for quite a while. Usually we hear you in there giggling at yourself, saying "Mommmmmmmmyyyyyy, where are you??" or "Commmmeeeerrrre (come here)."

You are still a great sleeper but you often cry when mommy or daddy walk out of the room. It usually only lasts a few minutes or LESS. You have been waking up earlier than you used to (7am!!!!!!!! used to be more like 8 or 8:30) but it is still a little random.


One of my favorite times of the day is our "snuggle time." Our nighttime routine is dinner, play, bath, jammies, books, prayers and then snuggling. We usually rock for about 5 minutes or so. At this time, you looooove to be tickled and always say "more more." I just started giving you butterfly kisses and you just GIGGLE AND GIGGLE! We also sing. Your favorite right now is "Crinkle, Crinkle." (Twinkle, twinkle). We also sing "Jesus Loves Me, Hush Little Baby, and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." We always ask who you want to snuggle with and lately it's been all mommy. You love your daddy for sure but you are definitely a momma's girl.


You love Kindermusik. You always request the CD to be on in the car. Soooooo, mommy and daddy know ALL the lyrics to every K musik song. :) We even listen to them in them in the car when you are not in the car before we realize we CAN change the channel.


You love to be outside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You love the slide, going to the park and going for stroller rides. I am so excited I just got you a little slide at a garage sale for $5. :)


Funny things you've been saying/doing lately...

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  Stop it, or Stop that!







• Last night you put your bath toys (penguin, ducks) in time out on the edge of the tub. I was playing along and got in their faces and said, "Oh, why did you do that? You need to listen." You then said, "Why...do dat!?" Oh so cute!







• I do it!






• Where are you?






• What's that??? What's that??? What's that??? (x a million, LOL)






• Who's that?






• I eat it all






• awwww. Sweet. (about babies, birds, etc.)






• I hear it






• Luz you (love you)






• You mix up a few letters and I LOVE it. You say "sunny" for funny and "crinkle crinkle" for Twinkle, Twinkle. You also say "grink" for drink. WE LOVE IT!






• OH MY GOODNESS!






• Nothin' in there

Favorite foods:

• You still love cottage cheese. I swear, you could eat the whole container






• Regular cheese







• Yogurt







• Craisins







• Spaghetti







• Cereal







• Cookies!!!!!!!!







• Hamburgers with ketchup (lots...just like daddy).







• You will try just about anything. You don't like lettuce. :)

Favorite Books:

• Ten Little Babies. You call it "Sticky Babies" because on one page there are "8 sticky babies, in marmalade heaven."













• Pooh book from Aunt Bridgett. It was cousin Isabelle's favorite too!!! Pooh gets stuck in the door from eating too much honey. On the page where you see Pooh's "behind," you say "butt!" OOPS!












• Prayer Book

Your Friends:

• Kids at Tammy's, the sitter: Emersyn, Ethan, Lucas, Zachary, Annah and Seth (Sitter's kids)







• Holden and Hunter







• Izzy and Tyler







• Lauren and Luke
  






• Caroline who we see at Kindermusik, too







• Colin, Cade and Chase







• Your cousins, Belle and Livy and Jackson (we miss them tons!)







• Cousin Ella in MN
  

I am excited for a summer of fun. We already have play dates and pool dates set up weekly. WHOHOO!





ps. I apologize for all of the SPPPPPPAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS in my blog text. It automatically enters it anytime I upload a photo, save a draft and then go back to edit it. ANNOYING!