How Big is Ava?

SOOOOOO Big!!

Over the last few weeks, Travis and I have caught ourselves saying the same thing over and over about Ava...She's so big all of the sudden!  She's looking like the little girl that she is and she is truly putting those baby ways behind her.  I think because we have Carter to compare her to now, it seems so striking to us, but I suppose at almost 2 1/2 it's fitting for some of these things to be happening!

For example, we came home with our first bike the other night!

Some friends of ours passed their daughter's old bike on to Miss Ava and she was thrilled at the discovery when she woke up in the morning.

It was hot out and she couldn't wait to get to the park with Daddy.

Of course, not until she slowly sipped the contents of that cup.

Good to go!

Although her feet can reach the petals, she is definitely not ready to ride yet.  Poor Trav had to push her like this the whole way to the park and back :) I think we'll be storing the bike for next summer!

We've been waiting to get a haircut for Ava, only because we've been gone or so busy lately! 

Ponytails have been the name of the game lately and amazingly, she's pretty good about leaving them in.

Apparently I was channeling my inner "pageant Mom" with the size of that bow!

Good thing we were about to skype with Texie, we had a Texas sized bow to show her :)

One thing that hasn't changed as Ava has gotten older, the girl still loves to eat!!

This is a post-nap fashion show Ava put on for us. 

When she came out of her room, she was sporting her VBS wear and was pretty proud of herself in it!

And speaking of her room, this is the perch we find her on, three mornings a week.

And why is that?

That's because the garbage truck comes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to empty the trash in our underground parking and they pull up right outside Ava's window.  To say it is the thrill of her week is an understatement.  As soon as she hears the truck turn onto our street, she RUNS to her window shrieking, "Garbage truck Mama, I see Garbage truck!!!"

It's hilarious.

Yes, her room is a disaster, but what I really want you to see is the little hunter and gatherer in action :)

She is currently all about getting as many things as possible in that shopping cart and that little stroller and then somehow trying to push them from room to room 

See what I mean?  There are no less than 6 purses draped over the handle of that stroller!  ha ha

I'm afraid my "overpacking" genes are already being passed down!

Today we finally got a haircut in! 

My friend Ellie came over and she cut Ava's hair while she was here.

And Ava did great!

Of course I did bribe her with a sucker, but I think she might have done just as well without it.

Afterwards Ellie put two little french braids in her hair and it was so cute!!

I loved it!

Two beautiful girls!

Thanks Ellie!

I just couldn't get enough of her in those braids!

So serious about her puzzle :)

Daddy is running a soccer camp in the mornings this week and today he came home with popsicles, which was very exciting for a little 2 year old in our house.

SO cute.

One of her things she likes to ask for is to be tickled under her armpits.

Daddy is always happy to oblige!

So funny!!

These big girl days do not come without challenges, but it is fun to see our little Ava begin to blossom into herself.  I love to watch her and try to guess what she's going to look like in 5 years, what she'll be into, etc.  I don't want to wish these years away and get caught up in the guessing game of tomorrow though.  She is enough work today!  We love this little peanut and all the quirky things about her that make her unique.

Her name means "full of life" and I think so far, she's living up to that!