Aunt Manuel!

So, Aunt Manuel (aka, Mariel) was here for a whole FIVE DAYS to spend some time with us. It was fantastic! We didn't want her to leave and Ava's been looking for her ever since we got home from the airport. It's so sweet and sad at the same time! Ava is convinced she's either (a) in the guest room or (b) out by the baby pool that Mariel bought for her while she was visiting. Only a few weeks until we're back in PA so Ava will get her Aunt Manual fix in no time!

Mariel was kind enough to watch Ava for Curt and I so we could venture out to Asheville over night for a wedding of a close friend to Curt from waaaay back in pilot training. It was great for them to see each other after a couple years! So much to catch up on! I hate complaining about a wedding because in honesty, it was great. Beautiful and lots of fun. However. Having an outdoor ceremony in North Carolina, in the summer, in the mountains...is...umm...well... Let's just say that Curt perspired from his under arm all the way to his belt before the ceremony was even over and I woke up the next morning with 8 mosquito bites. Bummer... But, congrats to the happy couple! ;)

Ava's lookin' like a big girl these days and, naturally, acting like one too. She's becoming more adventurous with her food choices, although we do have a ways to go, but she did try a cherry...or 8!...the other night. Big deal, friends. Big deal!

Here's a few Ava moments I can share before I attempt to get some sleep!

-Grandma is now "MiMi". We have a "MiMi" and a "Poppy". CUTE.

-Ava always says, "Thank You!" every time you give her something and she even says "Bless You" when you sneeze. Manners. Such a sweet pea.

-She sings outloud and does the motions to "Head, Shoulders.......Toes!" about a million times a day. It's fantastic. And, no, we don't include the knees. ;) She has many other favorite songs that she can't quite sing from start to finish, but she loves yelling out the words that she knows while they're playing. I may have a musician on my hands. That would be pretty awesome...


-Ava loves looking at herself in the mirror. LOVES. She also loves watching herself on video and when she sees herself on camera or in a picture, she says, "A-ba!" Girl knows her name!

-We love to examine our "owie's" over and over again... She's had a scratch on her foot for three days and makes she we all see her "owie" a few times a day. It very exciting, that scratch of hers.

-We're working on lots of three word sentences. Her favorites start with "Mommy" or "Daddy"...followed by, "come here" and "let's go"!

-Sometimes she likes to call her Daddy...."Curt!" Ha! She usually only does it right after I say it, but still. So funny!

-She can now successfully take my iphone out of idle mode by pushing the button and gracefully sliding her finger over the scroll button. Lovely.

I'm sure I'm forgetting things but my mind is mush. These past few nights have been late ones so I could hang with Mariel in the evenings but you know Ava's an early riser! I'll try to do a life/house/family update tomorrow! Lots more to say, I promise! Be sure to see the fun videos I have on FB!!!! More of those from Mariel's visit to come!