Adventure Aquarium

Saturday was still super cold and snowy, so we decided to head across the Delaware River to Camden, NJ and the Adventure Aquarium. Ava had so much fun. I'm not sure if she had more fun looking at fish or simply being able to run free.

"Look...sharks!"

"Why is this fish staring at me?"

"Can I get in the water, Mommy?"

"I match the jellyfish."

The view that Ken and I had for most of the day.

"Whew, I'm tired!"

Dancing Machine

Ava LOVES music and she LOVES to dance!

Snow Day

While I was on a business trip in Tucson, a huge snow storm hit the east coast...leaving me unable to get home until Sunday night. Nevertheless, Ava had an amazing time playing in the snow and sledding for the first time.

She stood just like this until someone picked her up and moved her. (Note the cheese stick in her right hand-she was NOT going to give that up.)

"The snow is up to my belly button!"

Her favorite activity--walking!

Daddy and me...but not our Jeep (which is my latest word, by the way)

Christmas Update

OK--so I am a little tardy in getting the blog updated with Christmas photos, but the way I see it, most of you who visit the blog were actually AT Christmas. So, just close your eyes and picture Ava mugging for the camera. And in the meantime, to hold you over, here is one of my absolute favorites.

(For those of you who were not at the Davis family Christmas party, the framed photo that our Grandma is holding is of Uncle Dave, Aunt Bonnie, Lindsay, and Mike in their best vests from Sears. I promise that their framed photo is a joke--I'm not actually related to people who would dress like this on purpose...Honestly...Dave and Bonnie are VERY well respected in their community...they volunteer...and Mike and Lindsay have real jobs...very good people....)

Our Sign Language Testimonial

Ken and I have been using signs with Ava since she was about 6 months. She didn't really start signing back until about 8 months and her signs have been relatively limited. Her first sign was "more" and that was followed with signs for "all done", "milk", and "eat". She is up to about 8 signs and this weekend she actually used two signs in succession without being prompted. We were eating lunch and she signed "more please". It was pretty exciting to see a child at an age where they can't speak to actually communicate a sentence. (Or at least that's what we like to believe it was.)

Tonight at 5:30 as we were eating dinner she was very fidgety. She didn't really seem interested in eating and was making the sign for "milk" over and over. I was reading her daily activity sheet from school and noticed that she only napped for an hour today so I asked her "Ava you sleepy?" She instantly started making the sign for "sleep". So, I thought "maybe she's confused and that's not really the sign she means to make." (It was an hour and a half before her normal bedtime; she couldn't ACTUALLY want to go to bed.) I took her out of her chair and she immediately made a beeline for the stairs making the sign for "sleep" the entire way. I took her up, changed her into her pj's and put her in bed...where she is still happily sleeping. The moral to this story: a child who can communicate is generally not the one who is confused...it's the crazy parents.

Gingerbread Man

Hey, this cookie is just my size.

Yummy! I love my gingerbread man. Thanks Great Grandma for sending me some cookies!!!

Ava's First Birthday

Ava is ONE! Can you even believe it? We had a great little celebration for her with her Grandparents, Great Grandpa, and Avery. Of course we served Ava's favorite--PIZZA (she loves mushrooms and black olives on hers) and then had cupcakes. Avery was our little chef for the day. She helped make the cupcakes, the fruit kabobs, and the pizzas.

You'll see from the pics that Ava had no interest in getting messy. She very gingerly picked apart and ate her cupcake. Here are some of our favorite photos from the day. (Thanks to Aunt E for sending Ava a beautiful party dress!!)

My Cousin Avery

My cousin Avery came to visit me all the way from Michigan. We have been having so much fun. We have slumber parties every night and the weather has been so nice that we have gone to the park TWICE! Here are some of our pictures.

Hide and Seek

Ava loves to play in the kitchen while I am making dinner each night. She especially loves to empty out "her" cupboard (the one where I keep all the unbreakables.)

You can see all of the breakable things on the counter that need a new home.

Hmmm...this is just my size!

Where's Ava?

Boo! Here I am!!!!

(messy hair and all--can you tell it's almost bath time?)

My First Birthday Present

This afternoon my mommy took me to the doctor to get my 2nd flu shot. (I tell you this for the sympathy.) When we got home there was a package on the doorstep. My Grandma and Grandpa Barker sent me an early birthday present!!! (My mommy says that they NEVER let her open her birthday presents early--they must love me more.)

Since I am transitioning to a new classroom at school I don't have to take naps in a crib anymore. Now I get to sleep on a nap mat with all of my new First Step friends. Grandma and Grandpa knew that I didn't have a nap mat so they sent me one! I love it because it has giraffe print all along the borders. My mommy loves it because it isn't pastel pink or purple. :-)

I am such a big girl now!

I LOVE THIS!!!

Do you want to see what this says?

It says "Ava". That's MY name!!! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!!