Half Year!

We've reached 6 months...half a year as a family.  We couldn't be happier together!  We've a lot together and are all growing more comfortable in our roles. Ava continues to show us how resilient and strong she really is.  She also continues to grow and change.

Ava's Six Month List:

1.  You are talking more and more all the time. Just in the last week "no" has been heard and understood numerous times by you!  You are also using some of your words more consistently including more, thank you, baba, mama, jack, wa wa (water), pappy, good girl or boy, lau lau, nai nai, wow, whoa.  You mimic us all the time and will also tell lots of your own stories.  I'm sure we will be understanding those stories more in the next couple months. 

2.  You know lots of animals and animal sounds.  This something I had forgotten mention in any of my last updates. But I'd guess you've known some animal sounds for at least two months.  But this month you have started to identify animals in books, magazines, and on the tv.  Some of the animals you know are cow, duck, chicken, goat, sheep, horse, lion, tiger, bear, elephant.  

3.  You are learning the alphabet and love singing and listening to the alphabet song.  You can get to about F on your own. Mama and baba will also say the alphabet slowing and have you copy what we say. You also really like that activity.  We love to observe you learning more all the time.  

4.  You are learning shapes. One of your favorite toys is the red ball that you put the shapes into. You can now do that all by yourself.  You are also able to correctly identify: square, triangle, and circle.  

5.  We have seen more emotions from you lately.  We have always noticed your joyful laugh and upset cry. But recently we have seen some signs of feelings of sadness.  The first time we noticed it was when we went leaving the lake house and you had to say goodbye to your grandparents and uncle.  You had just spent the week with them and clearly understood that these goodbye hugs were different than other hugs you'd gotten all week. 

6. You are still loving daycare and so are we!  You are learning so much and your teachers do a great job of balancing fun and learning.  You have had an issue with biting other kids occasionally. Your teachers continue to reassure us that it is just a phase and you will grow out of it.  But with your language still coming along this is a way you can express "I'm not sharing". We know you'll learn and are so thankful you have teachers who we trust to appropriately discipline in times like these. 

7.  We went on our first family summer vacation this last month. We went to Table Rock Lake and met Lau Lau, Pappy, and Uncle there.  It was a perfect first family vacation because we could be laid back at the house and head out on the lake or swim whenever we wanted.  It was so fun watching you enjoy tubing, swimming, and just being outside. The same reasons mama and baba love the lake too!

8.  You are no longer wanting to be rocked at bedtime *tears*. As soon as we get out of the bathtub you are trying to climb into your bed already. You have to have Violet to go to bed and normally play with her for about 30-45 minutes before you fall asleep.  We now go and take Violet out of your bed after you fall asleep because you have rolled over her in the middle of the night waking us all up!! LOL

9.  Your eating is hit or miss. You are always willing to eat applesauce, yogurt, veggie sticks, salmon, corn on the cob, ice cream, and mandarin oranges.  Most of the time you will eat turkey lunch meat, cheese sticks, hamburger, chicken, eggs, apples, bananas, and many other things. All depends on you mood ;). Overall you are a really good eater.

10.  We have officially retired your high chair. You have decided that you no longer need a high chair and can sit at the table with mama and baba.  You seem to eat better out of the high chair so we went for it.  Hoping your baby brother or sister can use some of this stuff you grew out of so quickly. 

Every month we can feel and sense our love for you growing stronger. Just when we think we can't love you any more our hearts grow again.  You are learning quickly and sometimes we feel like you are too smart for us. You are definitely going to give us a run for our money as you grow and we can't wait (well, we can...don't grow too quickly)!  You are going to be such a wonderful sister to your new sibling.  You have so much to teach them already!!  Love you to the moon and back baby girl!