Ava at 2

Ava...my baby girl...turned two last Saturday.

I still haven't recovered.  She let it sneak up on me...this little one who still wants to rock & snuggle, still needs her pappi to sleep, still takes 3 hour naps, & up to this point said very few words, all of which were classic "baby talk".

Then, she woke up two & seems determined to prove it to me...

I should have seen it coming.  She transitioned out of sippy cups with Lily and she actually plays with her siblings & her toys.  She has gradually developed an opinion about, well, most everything and has shown a sense of humor.  The most abrupt change was that like a light switch, the day she woke up two, she decided she had something to say-a lot in fact.  She now strings 3, 4, even 5 words together, not that you can understand all of it, but you can tell she is trying to get her point across!

One of the most precious traits of Ava is how appreciative she is...this sweet little girl tells me "Tank you momma" all the time.  For everything.  She remembers when all the others forget.  Thank you for buying her a treat, for getting her a cup of milk, even for changing her diaper in the middle of the night...ohhh, melt my heart, you adorable little monkey!

So, I'm going back to burying my head in the sand, pretending that she's still a baby...and I'm okay with the fact that she's still a little more clingy-my velcro baby-wanting to stay close to MY side & cherishing every single nap time that she lets me snuggle her & "wock me baby" (rock me like a baby), holding on to that fleeting time because I know it won't last much longer.