Mains Memories: Ava

December 26, 2014

Ava Girl,

I'm not sure why I started your "month" posts as letters to you, since all our other posts are truly blog posts, but I did since your first month and I'm sticking to it! I kind of love that one day, when you're much older, you'll get to look back and read all our thoughts to you.

So, you are SEVEN MONTHS old now...I know we say it every month, but seriously...where does the time go?! It just goes faster and faster.

You're seventh month was definitely the best yet, as you are a serious mover now. And, with that comes lots of exploring and learning, which has been just so much fun to watch and experience with you.

You just barely started to formally crawl, but you've been scooting at lightening speed everywhere. You know, too, where you're not supposed to crawl/scoot, and you'll look back at daddy and me as if to say "want to come try to stop me...good luck!" then smile you're adorable smile and scoot off towards a cord you want to pull on, or the tile you'll roll over and hit your head on, or some other dangerous territory/object. Needless to say, Daddy and I have been getting lots of exercise chasing after you.

Your personality is so lovely - you are such a happy girl. You love to give crinkle-nose smiles and squint your eyes when you do so. It's the cutest thing ever. And you continue to be a huge talker..and singer. This house is NEVER quiet, but we love that it's filled with your sounds! You still rarely cry...we know if you cry it's because you're in pain or WAY overtired. And you love love love your puppy, Paisley. We're trying to teach you not to pull her hair so hard....but, thankfully, Paisley is so patient with you. Speaking of Paisley, she loves you even more now that you get a teething biscuit every day...as soon as she hears the wrapper she'll run to your high chair and sit patiently by it until you're done with the biscuit and then loves that you'll throw it to her :)

You also LOVE solids. Well, the ones that taste good to you at least. Your absolute favorite is avocado...what daddy has aptly named AVA-cados. You would honestly eat a whole one everyday if we let you. You're not crazy about fruits, but you love avacados, butternut squash and pumpkin.

Your silent acid reflux continues to ever-so-slowly improve. Despite our lack of patience in wanting it to be entirely gone for good, we are so thankful that your days of nearly non-stop pain and suffering are gone. You now have only some bad days, few and far between, and those bad days aren't nearly as bad as they used to be. Praise God!

Your 7th month is also the month I went back to work. It was excruciating for me to leave you, and the only way I could do so without sobbing my eyes out was because I was able to go back and work for the same amazing boss I worked for when I went out on maternity leave, at part time, and leave you in the care of an incredible nanny in your own home environment. So, I work 7-1 Mondays-Thursdays. We still get our afternoons and all day Fridays together....it's not enough, and I miss you terribly, but we're making it work for now.

And, we finally reached the milestone of the dreaded first cold in your 7th month...and, it wasn't too bad. You couldn't breathe very well and had lots of congestion, but that was it. No fever, no cough...just had to give you lots of extra love, use a vaporizer every day, and the nose Frida (greatest invention ever) about 500 times a day. It lasted 10 days.

We love you little miss Ava Joy! May God continue to bless you and keep you safe and healthy! Here are some pictures from your 7th month of this crazy, beautiful life...

Some of your goofy outtakes from our formal 7th month picture...

On your fourth plane ride (going to see Grandmommy and Grandpa in AZ)...

At Grandmommy and Grandpa's cabin in Prescott...

Cooking breakfast with Grandmommy (one of my all-time favorite pics!)...

Thanksgiving...

In AZ in your adorable dress and matching headband from Janie and Jack that Grandmommy got for you...

And, one with Grandmommy...

You were SO happy to get this super soft and snuggly bear from Uncle Kev!

Being silly as we boarded the plane back to Sacramento after Thanksgiving...

On your FIFTH plane flight...

After my first day back at work, I couldn't bear to put you in your crib for your afternoon nap, so I just held you and stared at you the whole time, and loved every second of it. So glad I thought to take a picture of it!...

Your nanny, Kristen, sends me pics all day of you, and I loved this one...

Paisley also loves Kristen too...not just because she's a human (Paisley gets SO excited for people period), but because she takes her on walks with you...

I feel bad, but I had to capture a picture of you with your first cold. You look so sad...

Looking SO cute in your BumGenius cloth diaper :)...

So happy at your 6th month well-baby check-up (which happened two weeks late, hence the picture in this post)...

Teething biscuit aftermath....

Despite buying nearly every teether on the market, you insist on chewing on your socks! And, the red mark on your forehead is from you trying to crawl into the side of your playpen face first...poor baby...