Ava: 8 Months!

These monthly updates are starting to creep up on me so fast, and the photos are getting harder to take! She turned 8 months on November 26th.  Ava's motor skills have developed so much this past month. While she's still my little cuddle bug, she's really enjoying her new skills and shouts with glee every time she stands up! 

• Pulling up to stand and cruising a tiny bit
• Now doing the normal crawling rather than army crawl
• 2 more teeth coming in - making a total of 6
• Continues to love to eat anything I give her! She also enjoys feeding herself
• Still attached to my hip

Little Ava: I got to spend much of the day today with you and Leah. It was so fun to have you to myself for some daddy bonding time, because when mommy is around I am definitely still chopped liver!  I have loved watching you grow and develop over the past 8 months.  What has changed is your ability to crawl around and investigate the world around you, bring yourself up to a stand, and vocalize your emotions (frequent bursts of excitement as you practice and master your new skills). What hasn't changed is your ever-present smile, which you seem to have been born with, and your warm and gentle nature.  Wherever we go, your smiling face literally stops traffic. It has also been so fun to watch you and Leah grow together as sisters.  At first you didn't seem to know quite what to make of her: who is this little dictator telling me what NOT to do all the time, and deciding which toys I can play with and which I can't?  But as time has gone on you two have certainly became big parts of each others lives.  You look at each other and smile and laugh and scream excitedly when we come in to wake you up every morning, and give each other lots of hugs and kisses as the day goes on.  You have been a joy and blessing, and I can't wait for everything the future will bring for you and our family.  Love, Daddy