Ava {21 months}

Words she knows as of today (PINK ones are new words this month):

yellow, bee (what she calls all flying bugs), there she is/there is!, okay, choo choo, bug (she says bub), bless you (ba-choo), Bubba (what she calls Gavin), three, excuse me (she says skuze you), mine, bus, you okay? (when she or someone else gets hurt), hurt,  Jesus, uncle, airplane, egg, tractor, what's that (waz dat), two, car, orange, blue, purple, bird, bus, Misty (the horse), Oma (what she calls Becky), knee, amen, byebye, octopus, fishies, keys, sit, achoo, look, hat, kick, stick, Auntie, puppy, elbow, banana (nana), walk, eyes, hot, yeah, play (pay), swing (wee), cup, buckle up (buka uh), bubble gum (bubba guh), apple juice, happy birthday (appie day), cupcake, goodnight (nye nye), oh cute (ohhh toote), moon, bow, ouch, cookie, all done, water, happy, moo, baa, thank you, truck, duck/quack (same thing right now) car, balloon (boon), cake, please (meese), flower (wow-wee), belly (buh-bee), clicker, cup, oh no, ball, bubble, up, apple, cool, Elmo, baby, no, grandpa (says poppy), grandma (says mama), ow/owie, milk (muk), paci (she actually calls it mammy), cracker, shoes, dada, mama, hi, more, uh oh, wow, cheese, book

Just a few fun things about Ava:

• Songs she loves: 5 Little Monkeys, Head Shoulders Knees & Toes, Daddy Comes Home, Baby Bumble Bee, Bubble Gum, Mr. Alligator, Wheels on the Bus, If You're Happy & You Know It, Ring Around the Rosy
• Foods she loves: Milk, bananas, popsicles, cheese, all fruit (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, apples), apple sauce, pretzels, peanut butter
• She loves to "talk" on the phone. She picks up our ipods or iphones and puts it to her ear and says "Hewo?" And then has long, one-sided conversations with whoever she thinks is on the other end. Every time I ask her who is on the phone, she replies proudly, "Poppy!" (Which is what she calls her grandpas). Whenever I pick up my phone to make a call, she asks "Poppy?" thinking I am calling her grandpa. 
• She is very outgoing and social and loves to play with her friends. She asks for her friends on an hourly basis, if not more. She asks for Teddy, Lexi, Avery, and Anna. 
• She is ridiculously fearless, which I love, but it also scares me sometimes. She is fiercely independent and never cares to look back to see if I am around. She will ride any ride, play with any animal, go anywhere, play with anyone. Fearless I tell you.
• She loves the garbage truck - whenever it comes on Fridays she runs to the door shouting "Tuck, tuck, tuck!" Then she says "yum yum yum" each time as it "eats" the garbage, waves bye bye as it drives away and even blows it kisses. She also loves to point out every single tiny speck in the sky as an "Aye-pane!" and any and every truck or bus that we drive by.
• She has learned to turn on the camera on my phone and when she does, she walks around the house saying "CHeeeeeeese!" taking lots and lots of pictures as she goes.
• She is getting her top right 2-year old molar. So she is chewing on everything - especially her pacifiers. This, in turn, causes her pacifiers to get holes, which means they lose their "suck" - if you know what I mean. When she pops one of these chewed-upon pacifiers into her mouth, she immediately shouts, "Ucky!" and throws it on the ground.  
• She knows and recognizes the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G and O. 
• She is starting to "count," but she only says two, two, two, two. If I say one, she holds up one finger and then says "two." And THEN she says "three...go!" (one, two, three....go!).
• She says "Tah-Dah!" when she does something she is proud of, like a summersault or riding a ride. When she is feeling especially proud, she even goes up to random strangers, holds her arms over her head and proclaims, "Tah Dah!" 
• She LOVES to dance and "twirl" with her arms over her head like a ballerina. 

Ava singing the ABCs  (kinda haha)

Listen to her say "There she is!" at the end.

Saying yellow about her yellow straw.

Dizzy :)

There is so much more I could say about our sweet girl, but these are just some fun highlights. 

We love you SO much Ava Sophia. 

You are the light of my life, I love you more than you know. 

Love, 

Momma :)

Videos {of Ava}

Here are two videos for your viewing pleasure. pshhh

Really though...

This one is Ava showing me her letters. She is slowly learning her letters - we work on them constantly.  She loves to learn the letters and colors (I should take a video of that, too - she says "yeh-woah, yeh-woah, yeh-woah!" always three times, and "puh-puh" for yellow and purple).

And here is one to make you laugh. 

For some reason the way Ava says popsicle makes everyone laugh. 

You will hear it at the very end of this video.

Yes, she says it like that every single time - so funny.

And that is all I have time for. 

Thank you and goodnight. 

Happy Father's Day {From, Ava}

Ava loves to sing the song "I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home..."

Or I should say, she loves to dance and do the motions to the song while I sing it haha. :)

On Sunday, when the Primary kids got up to sing the song, she motioned along with a huge smile on her face and even applauded herself at the end.

This is her way of saying "Happy Father's Day" to all the dads out there 

(as if she even knows what that means...) :)

and now for the blooper reel (even though there's just one blooper). 

Happy Father's Day to my Dad who always teaches me to get back up whenever you fall. 

And if it's in the middle of a song, just pick back up where you left off.

Love,

Ava

Here is Ava on Father's Day last year. Holy cow, where has the time gone?

Gavin {3 months}

Dear Gavin,

Today you turned 3 months old. I feel like I blinked and you suddenly you were no longer a "newborn." You are such a happy, smiley, friendly little guy - you bring nothing but absolute joy into our lives. You flash the sweetest baby smile every time someone smiles at you - which means you have many adoring fans everywhere we go. I have been asked more than once, "Where do I get one of those?" I'm lucky that you are mine, mine, mine. :)

This month, you found your new favorite "snack"- your hands. I love to watch you working so hard to get those chubby little hands all the way up into your mouth. Your hands have proved to be a great source of entertainment. Your hands are almost as good as your pacifier.

You took your very first airplane ride this month. You were absolutely perfect and slept almost the entire time. I had many people comment on how well-behaved you were. We flew to Colorado to celebrate Aunt Maddie's high school graduation. It was the perfect excuse to visit all of our family in Colorado and to let everyone meet you, finally! Now you have met Grandma and Grandpa Webster, Grandma and Grandpa Schooff, Auntie Kait, Auntie Maddie, and Uncle Blake.


Just a few night ago, you drank your very first bottle. This means that I can leave you with Daddy if I need to and I don't have to worry that you will get hungry. Of course, I can't imagine being away from you for very long - I know I would miss my little man.

That same night, your Daddy made you laugh for the very first time. Hearing your sweet, squeaky laugh was the most beautiful sound your emotional mom could ever hear, it brought tears to my eyes. Of course, you will only laugh for your dad for now - but I know some day you will think I am funny too. :) You are also very ticklish - you squirm and grunt and almost laugh anytime we tickle your belly or under your arms.

Some other random things about you:

• You are wearing size 2 diapers and 3-6 or 6 month clothes. 
• You usually eat every 3 hours.
• You take 3-4 naps a day (usually 3). Your morning and early evening naps are about an hour, but your afternoon nap is typically around 3 hours (which always lines up perfectly with Ava's).
• You love taking baths. 
• You have blue eyes and brown hair. You have one dimple on your right cheek.

And here you are at one, two and now three months.

Well, my sweet little man, I love you so much. I LOVE being your momma. I always say that if all babies were as good as you, I would have 100 kids (okay not really, but you know what I mean).

Love always,
Momma :)