16 months old!

Ava is 16 months now, and it's getting harder and harder to call her a baby! I can't believe how big she is and what she has learned! She is full of personality and isn't afraid to show it! We love her so much; she is our world!

Ava's lounging on Grammy and Pawpaw's hammock! She loves it!

We have been up to so much this summer! We have mostly just hung around Northwest Arkansas but we have been swimming, to baby bookworms, to the Springdale Aquatic Center, hung out with Grammy and Pawpaw, Aunt Julie and Mollie, and Granna Pops! Ava is always into something and has so much fun wherever she is!

Ava also had her first surgery a week ago. She had to have her tongue and upper lip clipped and stitched. She did really well. The hardest part on her was waking up afterward and not knowing what was going on or anyone around her. Once I got to hold her she cried really hard on my shoulder for about 15 minutes and then started to calm down and drink some. After that it was like it never happened! Her lip was a little swollen and sore but she didn't let it stop her! I love that about her!

Here are the things I don't want to forget about Ava at this age:

-She is jabbering up a storm! We can understand a lot of it, but she still has a few regular phrases that we don't know what they mean!

-She loves playing on the couch or chair. She puts her head in the corner, rolls over, walks from one end to the other, and jumps!

-She loves Dixie and Fez and will kiss and hug on them as much as they let her.

-She has discovered her belly button and loves to show it and see yours!

-She has just started blowing kisses. It's really sweet.

-Whenever anyone is getting on to her she will immediately start waving at you and saying "hi". It's so sweet and almost makes you forget you are getting onto her.

-She loves loves loves string cheese. It is by far her favorite treat, and she would eat it and only it for every meal if she could.

-She says hi to anyone and everyone even her "kitty"! I love this too!

-She is still sleeping really really well; we have been really blessed with a good sleeper!

-She loves being in her pink car and plays with it everyday.

-She loves books still, and has certain pages in them that she wants you to go right to and leave it there.

-She loves the cow page in one of her books and will moo with us.

-She goes to the refrigerator when she wants her drink or cheese.

-She still loves to play peek-a-boo.

-The itsy bitsy spider is her favorite song, and she will try to put her hands together like you do in the song and say "spider" when she wants to sing it.

-She is quite the little dancer! She moves her shoulders and hips and is really coordinated at it! We all love to dance with her!

-She loves being around other kids, especially Mollie! She gets so excited to see her Mollie, and wants to hug and kiss on her.

-She can recognize Mollie in a picture and wants to carry it around for awhile. (Mollie is 5 months younger than Ava, and I just know they are going to be so close. I LOVE this!)

I'm sure there is so much more, but I can't think of anything right now. I'll add more later.

In about a week we are going with the Greers to Gulf Shores for a week and are so excited! Hopefully, I'll feel post pictures really soon after we get back. HA!

14 months!

Ava is 14 months old now; she is growing up so fast! We are constantly talking about how much she is changing all the time. She is definitely one of the happiest, funniest, smartest, and sweetest babies I have ever known! (Yes, I'm a little bit partial.) We just can't get enough of her!
Some things I want to remember:
-She loves reading books all day and will bring one to me and get in my lap to "read" it when I ask her to.
-She will "moo" and "cheep" with us at the cow and chick in one book.
-She is sitting and playing with her toys now. Her favorites are books, the jack-in-the-box, the ball popper and sillytown.
-She loves taking baths still. She will lay on her tummy and play with all her toys and will stay in it as long as I let her.
-She loves to go outside and will go to the back door and say "ow" when she wants to go out.
-She is the happiest baby to put to bed! I ask her if she wants to go night-night and she will either start walking down the hall or come to me to pick her up and take her. (She isn't so easy at other places.)
-She loves to eat. The other day she came and got me (She had her hand out and I knew she wanted me to go with her.) and took me to the pantry door. She started patting it and when I opened it she pointed and said "that". She wanted her Nilla wafers.
-She claps and says "yay" when you give her what she wants.
-She is constantly pointing at different things and saying "that!" I just tell her what things are and either give it to her or tell her she can't have it.
-She says "no" now when she doesn't like what you are doing and still listens really well when we tell her no.
-If she needs help with something she says "Ma, Mama" over and over until I come help her. I love it and think it's so funny.
-She still gives the sweetest kisses, but now we have to watch out or she'll bite down and it really hurts!
Everyday she is doing something new! She is growing and learning constantly, and I can tell now that she is really understanding what we are saying to her. We just can't get enough of her! I love you, Ava!

I never posted her 1 year pictures, so here are some of them:
Ava may be the most difficult baby take pictures of, and they turned out so good. She will not sit still or smile, and she wants to be held most of the time! Maybe she'll be ready to really smile for her next pictures. I say that everytime, though.

kissing the baby

This was an accident. I think she was checking the lighting, but it turned out so sweet!

Ava is 1!

It's so hard for me to believe it still, but Ava is 1! Everyone keeps telling me she's not a baby anymore but a toddler, but I'm not sure. I still think of her as a baby, but I might always. She has grown and learned so much this year, and truly made this the best year of my life!



Her birthday and party were Saturday, March 27. We had the party at Grammy and Pawpaw's house. It was orange and pink "themed" and was so much fun. Ava was a little wary at first with all the people there, but by the end of it she was walking around and playing.

Happy 1st birthday, baby girl!


The outfit were gifts. The shirt was from Uncle Jake, Aunt Tasha, and Josh. The skirt was from Hope and Neil. She was so cute!

I really thought she would go for it with her smash cake, but she didn't like it. She didn't like how it tasted or having it on her. She is trying to wipe it off in this picture. I'm guessing she'll grow out of this in the next year. After all, who doesn't love cake?

She is so much fun!

I don't like this one of me, but you have to take what you can get with Ava.

Mollie, on the other hand, is a pro at having pictures taken. She always smiles for the camera! Take notes, Ava. This is how it's done.

The not-so-eaten smash cake. I thought she would love it, but I was wrong.

Shelby Lynn's Cake Shop in Springdale made this cake, and it was delicious!

Some things I don't want to forget:


- She loves to be chased, and squeals when you get her.

- She is 22 lbs. 10 oz. She is in the 75 percent but seems so skinny to me.

-She is getting better and better at eating by herself, and loves grilled cheese, french fries, green beans, pizza, pasta, and puffs.

-She is completely off the bottle and on the sippy. She drinks soy milk, though. Whole milk is too hard on her belly still, and she will not drink it.

-She loves taking baths, and plays the whole time. She always messes with the drain and lets water out.

-If everyone is laughing, she laughs. If everyone is clapping, she claps. I love it when she does this!

-She is really starting to dance and sing to music. Her "singing" voice is so sweet!

-She still has 4 teeth but has 4 more coming in now.

- She does not like shots, and starting squirming and fussing before the needle was poking her. She knew it was going to hurt!

-She likes to play "rough" and be tossed around.

-She loves it when I lay on the floor and pretend to fall asleep. She always comes to wake me up and roll around on me.

-She loves being outside.

-She is repeating things we say more and more. It makes us excited everytime!

I know we are going to have so much fun on the way to 2!

It's been too long since I've updated, and Ava has changed so much. She is talking more and more and now says Mama, Dada, dog, and Pawpaw on a regular basis. She can say hi and bye-bye but doesn't say those very often. She waves, gives fives, gives big hugs and kisses, and WALKS!! She started walking a couple of weeks ago right before she was 11 months old. It is so much fun to watch her walk around! She is walking all day and is usually carrying something in her hand. Clothes are her favorite thing to carry around, especially socks. She loves to play games with us and is such a fun baby. She loves peek-a-boo, getting under a laundry basket with Mama, banging on pots and pans, and letting Daddy and Pawpaw "get" her.

Ava will be 1 on March 27th, and I just can't believe it! This year has been the best of my life and has flown by too fast. Ava has changed, grown, and learned so much over this year! She is my greatest joy, and I know I couldn't love her anymore if I tried!

This is how I always find her when she gets up in the morning (usually at 9 or 10). We used this picture for Ava's birthday party invitations.

Here she is with her new "horsey" from Grammy and Pawpaw. She is such a loving baby and loves to cuddle it.

She is eating more and more "real" food and loves to feed herself! This is her first time to feed herself, so of course we had spaghetti! She had so much fun!

Granna and Pops came to visit and babysit Ava for a while one weekend. This is a picture Granna got.

This is another one that Granna got. Matt is one proud and happy Daddy!

Christmas with the Greers

As I said in my last post, we went to White Hall December 22nd to have Christmas with Matt's side of the family. Both our camera batteries were dead so we didn't get any pictures. These are some that Suzie, my mother-in-law, took and was nice enough to send me and let me post! We always have a great time when we are with the Greers, and it was so nice to be back in White Hall for awhile. We don't get to go there often enough!

one happy little family!

This is the life!

Ava and her Pops!

Josh and Ava- He specifically asked to sit by her whenever we were at the table.

playing with her new activity table from Granna and Pops

Ava getting kisses from Granna

wearing her new outfit from Uncle Jake, Aunt Tasha, and Josh
so cute!

Jake, Tasha, and Josh

me and the kiddos

Ava's first Christmas

Ava's first Christmas was so much fun! We headed to White Hall first for time with the Greers. We really enjoyed our time there, but unfortunately both our camera batteries were dead so there are no pictures.

We went to Jonesboro after a few days there and spent Christmas day with my family. Ava was too young to be interested in presents, but we sure did have fun opening them for her. She didn't care for the wrapping paper too much but did get excited when she saw a colorful toy underneath. She hasn't gotten one thing she hasn't played with.

Ava and I stayed in Jonesboror for about a week and a half while Matt had to come back and work. We had a good time, but it would have been better if Ava hadn't gotten sick. We made a trip to the emergency room with Ava having a 104.6 temperature that we just couldn't get to come down and stay down. She ended up having double ear infections, but she was such a trooper and still smiled and played while she was really sick. She's feeling much better now and is finally back to her normal self.

She is really growing up fast on us and has now taken two steps all by herself! She hasn't tried to walk since but can stand up. She hasn't fallen either, but she deliberately sits down. She is getting so close! She can also now wave, raise her arms for the hog call, and guide you all over the house holding your finger. She also gives big hugs and kisses; she is so cuddly! She got her second tooth yesterday and has two more that are really close to coming in. She's the happiest baby and is so much fun! We are so in love with our little girl!Ava in her Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve.

Opening her first present from Mommy and Daddy.

She likes it!

Mollie on her cute new lamb rocker


Grammy loves her new grandkids ring from all of us. (It has all four of her grandkids' birthstones in it.)

Julie and Karen getting ready to open presents


Jackson playing football
He loves football and always wants to play. He's really good too!

Ava in her cute new outfit from Uncle Chad and Aunt Karen


Grammy and Landon having fun

Fall (so far)

It's been too long since I've updated this blog! This fall we have seen family, been to Jonesboro, been to Silver Dollar City, trick-or-treated at Daddy's work, grown, and enjoyed being a family!

Ava is getting so big, but she's not the only one! Her cousins are growing up with her. Here are some of my favorite pictures from this fall so far:

Ava decided to try out her new winter hat, and she likes it!

Mollie is wide awake and ready to play!

Of course these two have to have a matching outfit or two!

This is one of the only pictures I was able to get of Landon. This is one busy boy!

Here's Ava on one of her favorite seats...Pawpaw!

It was really hard to get a picture of Ava looking at the camera with Jackson; she loves to watch him and thinks he is so funny!

Ava's getting some Grammy lovins' in Jonesboro.

Here's our little flower at Halloween! (Thanks, Grammy, for making her costume! It really was perfect.)


Ava and her proud Daddy at his work!

Some of Ava's new tricks:

- She started crawling at 6 months and has really mastered it! She goes everywhere and is in to everything.

-She just started pulling up and is so excited about it! She loves to stand and even stands in her crib now.

-She will try and mimic any sound you are making.

-She can "click" now.

-She babbles all day, and it's so sweet!

-She isn't very smiley at night usually, but is very happy until then.

-She doesn't get fussy very much at all. In fact, she really doesn't cry very much or very long.

-She loves to play with feet, shoes, or shoe laces.

-She chews on everything!

-She still loves to eat her baby food and doesn't really like anything else too much.

-She gets really excited to see babies and children, especially her cousins. She laughs and laughs at whatever Mollie is doing even if she's crying.

Ava is growing up so fast, we have enjoyed every second, and look forward to the future with her!