8 months!

Dear Ava Sophia,

You turned 8 months today! (May 29, 2012) It’s getting harder to take your monthly pictures as you want to wiggle, move, and squirm all over the place. You get distracted so easily these days by anything and everything that isn't a toy, and of course it all goes straight into your mouth - especially grass (see picture below). Since bribing you with money or new shoes is lost on you, we have to just snap away and let your silliness shine through (see picture below).

This month, you took a plane ride with Mom to Colorado for Uncle Jayson's high school graduation. You saw Granny, Papa, Auntie, Karley, Kameron, Aunt Kaitlyn, Uncle Jayson, Nam, Nampa, Grandma and Grandpa Schooff, Grandma and Grandpa Webster, Aunt Maddie, Uncle Blake and the Dulgarian family. Your Daddy was worried that you would learn to crawl while we were gone, but I assured him that with so much family around, you wouldn't be on the floor long enough to even think about crawling. You definitely charmed the family with your constant smiles and cute laughs. You are one VERY loved little girl. You were excellent on the plane and captivated all the people sitting around us. Everyone kept saying how good natured and beautiful you are and that they couldn't believe how well behaved you are. Makes a momma proud. :)

This month we also moved to a new apartment. We didn't move very far, but because we are now on the first floor, you are free to kick your feet and jump in your jumper without fear of anyone banging on their ceiling to tell you to stop. :)

You are still not crawling, but somehow magically you get from point A to point B. You can slowly walk around the apartment pushing your little sit-to-stand walker and you can walk along furniture. Just recently, you started pulling yourself up to standing...but you are still perfecting that skill. :)

This month you learned that if Mom or Dad take away your toy (or the remote control or our cell phones, heaven forbid), you can and most definitely will get it back one way or another. Usually this means screaming bloody murder for a few seconds until we quickly find something else to distract you. This is a skill I am not looking forward to you perfecting. In fact, I would appreciate if you would forget that you learned it in the first place. :)

Here's what else you have been up to this month:

• You have learned how to forcefully spit out your food if you don't like it. It's cute and funny, but also very, very messy. 
• You can wave "bye bye," clap, and give kisses.
• You love to jump. Every chance you get, you jump, jump, jump. You also dance whenever music comes on.
• This month, you mastered the skills of using a walker and holding your own bottle. 
• When we put you in your crib you roll directly onto your tummy and sleep like that all night.
• You love baths and swimming.
• You have perfected the art of finger foods: bread, tortillas, corn, puffs, popcorn, goldfish, cheerios, noodles, ice cubes, crackers, bananas, black beans. 
• Your favorite food is most definitely bananas and you also really enjoy black beans.

You are definitely on a schedule. You wake up at 9am, nap at 11am for 1.5 hours, nap again at 3pm for 2 hours and then go to bed for the night at 9pm. You have been sleeping 12 hours straight for about a month now (knocking on wood, knocking on wood). You drink a 6-7oz bottle at 9am, 1pm, 5pm and 9pm. I feed you baby food twice a day and lots and lots of snacks here and there throughout the day. :)

You are wearing size 9-12 month or 12 month clothes, and size 3 diapers. This literally sends your mom into a state of panic, realizing how fast you are growing. On the other hand, I am excited because all the cutest baby clothes start at size 12 months. :)

Ava, you are an incredibly social baby: you LOVE people! You especially love other babies, children and women. You immediately smile and start up a full-blown conversation in "Ava-ese" as soon as someone looks your way. Unless, of course, that someone is a man. If it's a man...you give him the stare down as if to say, "You are definitely not my dad." Apparently you have already learned the art of playing "hard to get" when it comes to boys. Hmmm, I wonder where she gets that? ;)

Well, my sweet baby daughter, your Mommy and Daddy love you OH so much! Keep being the sweet, wonderful, smiley baby you are.

Love,
Momma :)