Ava @ 26 Months

Twenty-six months. That seems like an awfully big number, doesn't it? But, it's been two months since Ava's second birthday and she's grown and changed so much since then. We're truly on our way to little girl-hood and it seems that we're racing to leave toddlerhood behind. Before we blink and miss another few months, here's a glimpse at Ava just as she is now.

*She's potty-trained! Such a big life lesson and she accomplished it with so much confidence and independence. She's so good at it that it's not uncommon for her to tell us now, "Go away! Ava do it!" Granted, that only lasts until she needs help pulling her pants up, so she's maybe not ready for college quite yet.

*Ava has a new best friend and she conveniently lives in any reflective surface on the planet! Our girl loves her reflection and evidently spends hours (really, hours) twirling and laughing with herself in the mirror at school. Windows at night are equally interesting. Don't get me started on pictures and videos of the beauty. She's obsessed.

*Favorite songs: Honey, Honey, from the MammaMia! Soundtrack; Taylor Swift's Fearlessalbum; and The Monkey Dance, by the Wiggles. Any of the above will result in dress-up skirt wearing and twirling on the tile. Also, they will be played on repeat indefinitely.

*We still haven't managed to help Ava master her colors, although we're certain she can tell them apart since she can sort according to color. Everything is blue on the first inquiry. She may, in fact, be her mother's daughter.

*Ava can count to ten and sing her ABCs. Her favorite letter, inexplicably, is J. It's the only letter she can pick out of a line-up. Weird, right?

*We've got a very creative girl on our hands. She loves to paint and do other types of art. We've got a lot of it hanging up around the house and she's pretty proud of her creations. The easel Daddy made for her birthday has been getting quite a workout.

*Ava loves to Skype with our families. Every time I bring out the laptop or we close media center on the TV, she says, "Hello? Papa?"

*In response to "Who are you?" the response is, "Ava Pappers." She also knows our names and we play this game often because we think it's hilarious how she says them. Here's a little video so that you can have a chuckle too...

*Our girl is fiercely independent which sometimes challenges our sense of order, but she's got a great sense of humor and a kind, compassionate heart that makes us proud. We're so pleased that she's a part of our family and so excited to see how much she'll grow in the next few months. Here's hoping, though, that she slows down...just a tiny bit. We don't want to miss a thing.