10 Months - A Perfect 10

Dear Ava Sophia,

You turned 10 months on July 29, 2012.

This month has been a busy, busy month! You have learned a lot and quite literally started the month a baby and ended it a toddler!

Yep that's right, you're walking! At 9 months and 3 weeks, you just magically started walking. Your dad and I weren't even watching or paying attention and when we looked up, there you went - cruising right across the room like it was nothing. Since then, you've been getting more and more steady. You've even learned how to bend down while you are standing up, pick something up and then stand back up all on your own without holding onto anything.

At the beginning of the month, you flew with me on an airplane across the entire country, all the way to Virginia. I was nervous to fly all by myself with my very, very mobile and wiggly 9 month old (that's you), and although it definitely wasn't smooth sailing flying, you were great and never cried once. In fact, all you wanted to do was stand up on my legs, look at all the seats behind us as wave like a waving maniac. :) After our 5.5-hour flight, several people commented on good you were and I agreed and assured them that you, in fact, cried fewer times than I did. :)

We spent 2 weeks in Virginia and loved every minute of it. It was sad being away from Daddy of course, but you (being the thoughtful, sweet daughter that you are) saved your big milestone achievement (walking) for after we got home so Daddy could see your first steps. While in Virginia, we spent time with Granny, Papa, Auntie Kait, Uncle Jayson, Auntie and Uncle Kent, Karley, Kameron, and the Bunn family (and more family, too!). You ADORED your cousins, Leah and Amy. You somehow thought you were one of the big kids and tried very hard to keep up with them. They were very sweet and loving to you. Granny and Papa watched you several times and you were very good for them. We went to the beach, Busch Gardens, Water Country, museums and the aquarium. We had a great time and were very sad to leave when it came time. You are a very loved (and very spoiled) little girl!

While in Virginia, Granny taught you how to play Patty Cake! As soon as we start singing the song, you instantly start clapping your hands and "rolling it." You still have yet to learn how to "throw it in the pan," but we are working on it. You also learned how to play Peek A Boo. You pull the blanket up over your face and pull it down quickly and smile really big as if to say, "Peek A Boo!"

Other things you do:

• You LOVE to give hugs and kisses and have become very cuddly this month. You will be playing, playing, playing and then stop to walk over to me, squeeze your arms around my neck and plant a big one on my cheek.  
• You love to snuggle with your Daddy. You will just sit on his lap and relax, something you will NOT do with me. :)
• You are the happiest when you are given free roam of the house. I have to watch you very closely because you get into everything. 
• You eat pretty much anything I am eating these days. You have learned how to take bites out of things. So if I hand you a piece of cheese, I don't even have to cut it into little pieces, you just take little bites. 
• You are a beggar when it comes to food. No matter what we are eating, you will stand beside us and try your hardest to grab our food and say, "Ah! Ah! AH!" until you get a little taste of whatever is that you want. 
• You love music and dance the second you hear any music. 
• You love books and will sit in your little corner quietly, thumbing through your books, pointing to the pictures and giggling. 

Things you can't do: baby sign language. I've been working on teaching you "more," "all done," "milk" and "eat," but you have yet to do any of them. You just look at me and smile as if to say, "Silly Mom. You actually think I'm going to do that?"

Phew. You've been up to so much, I almost can't keep up. This has been the biggest month yet! Your little baby brain was working hard to learn so much stuff, and we knew you could do it! Yay!

Ava, I can't believe there will only be ONE more monthly post until you are officially a one year old! Last year at this time, I was pregnant with you and had no idea who you were, what you would look like, what your personality would be like or what I was getting myself into. And now I love and adore this little person so much it hurts. For your Daddy and me, you are our entire world! We love you so much and feel so blessed to call you our baby.

Can't wait to see what you come up with next!

Love,

Momma :)