Ava - 6 Months Old

Happy Half Birthday Baby Girl!!

Ava turned 6 months old on November 12th, 2012. I can NOT believe Ava has been in our lives for half a year! She has changed our lives so much. Less sleep, less money, more smiles, more dreams. To see the transitions and growth she has already gone through...simply amazing! I look at Ava and how she now fills her time and I am blown away at what babies learn to do and how they grow in just six short months. We are so blessed.

Weight: 15.15 pounds (50th percentile)
Length: 27.14 inches (90th percentile)

Diet:
Ava still takes 4 oz bottles but can now go usually 2.5 to 3 hours between feedings. She is also becoming a pro at solids. She has had rice cereal, oatmeal, banana, apples, pears, sweet potato, green beans, avocado and peaches. Her favorite appears to be apples and bananas, and her least favorite were green beans and avocado. Little Miss appears to have a sweet tooth like her daddy. I use my Baby Brezza to make her food and it is so great. Easy to use, easy to clean. The other day Grandpa Randy popped a twizzler into those little hands and she was gnawing away at it like a mad woman. Yep, that happened. :)

Sleep:
Ava continues to sleep through the night, though I do continue to hear her stir and sometimes chat a bit between 4 and 5 am. Bedtime is now closer to 8, where it used to be 8:15-8:30. She takes 3 naps a day - morning, midday and afternoon. Naps are generally between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

What's Going On:
Ava is now a full time sitter. She can do it all on her own, but we still stay close by for the occasional battle with her balance. A couple bumped heads have caused me to always stay in arms length or pad LOTS of pillows all around. Ava has always had a strong back and neck and she took to sitting VERY well.
She is starting to discover the joy that is some of the bigger toys we've armed the house with...specifically her Jumperoo and Johnny Jump Up. She loves running all around in that Johnny Jump Up and then picking up her legs and letting it twist and swing her all around.
She also loves playing the "pant leg game" with daddy...Ava lays on the floor, Wynston hangs his leg over her, she grabs on tight and they roll from one side to the other...quite the leg workout. She also loves when mommy holds her sideways and "curls" her up and down. Wynston also thoroughly enjoys walking Ava all around the house, usually chasing our dog Lily in circles. He's so determined to get that girl walking. I, on the other hand, am in no rush.
Her favorite toys still tend to be anything that crinkles...especially a now well loved bag of potato chips. I can only imagine the mess we'll have the day that bag bursts open.
Ava has mastered the word "Dada", and when in the right mood, she'll let you know it over and over and over. She has also come to the conclusion that places with noise are the perfect places to test out her volume. She continues to be a very vocal baby.
Comfort with rolling over has really added to Ava's mobility and taken away from my sanity (ha, just kidding). She has definitely gotten over her fear of rolling over and can spend much longer on her tummy now. She has even been known to make some attempts at "scooting" if there's enough traction underfoot or a leg to push off of.
Ava can hold her own bottle and is learning how to angle it to avoid air bubbles.
Her personality continues to shine through...she is gracious with smiles, has the cutest cackle you've ever heard, and squeals in protest if you take something she wants away. She hates having her face wiped after eating. She stays busy, checking out her surroundings and grabbing anything in reach. I love watching her fascination over what she can grab; she'll twist her hand this way and that, observing all angles. Sometimes I'll hold her close to my face and she's so preoccupied with what's all around, then she'll remember I'm there, stare into my eyes and slowing come in to give a "kiss" -- really just a slobbery mouth on your face. Sweet all the same.