All About Ava

Ava sporting one raggedy pigtail, fresh from her nap

Ava had her 15 month well baby check-up this morning. This was our first appointment with our new pediatrician and so far I am happy with her. She got to see both kids and suggested I make an appointment for her to take a look at Drew and discuss his health history so she can get to know him. I liked that idea.

But, this post is about Ava. So here are her stats:

Weight: 19 pounds 9 ounces (Between the 5th and 10th percentile)
Height: 30.75 inches (50th percentile)
Teeth: four (two on the top and two on the bottom)

The doctor said that Ava is growing just fine, she is just petite. She has stayed on her growth curve so I guess she'll just be small. The Dr. also said to give her less milk and she may eat more food. So we will try that. We also talked about Ava's dry skin and ways to keep her environment hypoallergenic. I wonder if the dogs will interfere with that...

Ava is so much fun! When she's not having a tantrum. She seriously seems to have just those two extemes. Happy, funny, talking, laughing baby OR screaming, kicking, flailing, crying tantrum baby. And you just never know which one you're going to get! She loves to play with Drew and they have a lot of fun together. But sometimes she grabs his toys and runs away or touches something he wants for himself and then the battle is on!

Ava has learned a few baby signs. She knows the sign for more, down, flower, dog. She made up her own sign for "I want that." She can say mommy, daddy, Drew, doggy, no (it sounds like this: nuh nuh nuh nuh), up, uh oh, hi, bye, hug, book, ball, duck, bird. She knows where her head, hair, eyes, nose, teeth, and belly are. She knows that a cow says moo, a sheep says baa, and lions and dinosaurs roar. She also thinks that zebras roar because they are on the page next to the lion in her book.

Her favorite food is fruit, but she will only eat a banana if you give it to her in the peel. Try to give her a piece of one and she will slap it out of your hand. She seems to prefer fruits and vegetables and meat over carbs. She loves to drink water out of her sippy cup, but still drinks her milk out of a bottle. She is changing from a two nap schedule down to one. She likes to take a bath with her brother, but doesn't like getting out.

She can understand simple commands (bring me your ball, go get your shoes). She has no fear and loves to climb and bounce on anything she can get at. Her favorite activity, besides bouncing, is putting things into a container, then taking them out again. She also really enjoys looking at books. She can give hugs and kisses, clap, wave and dance. She is quite fond of her Daddy these days. She is quite a challenge and brings me to my breaking point almost every day, but I love her so much! There is nothing like a sweet hug from Ava, complete with a pat on the back, or snuggling her just before bedtime.