Baby, baby~

Baby Ava, where have you gone? That's what goes through my head when I look back at photos of her just 2 short years ago. My little Ava arrived weighing 5 lbs. 14 oz. and she had a head of dark, soft silky hair. Her skin was smooth and blemish-free, her nose and mouth wrinkled in all the right spots. I stared at her over and over the first several weeks she was home... I couldn't believe how perfect she was- I called her my "Miss America Baby" because she was just so flawless. She had a quiet, sweet diposition to match her looks. I soaked up every minute of that newborn baby-phase that flies by all too quickly- for a seasoned mom like myself. Having had 4 babies before her made me keenly aware of all that I would miss about her in mere days and months. I made sure I held her often, nuzzled her extra close and reveled in the innocence that surrounded her.
Today she is a full-blown two year old. She can sing songs, laugh {loudly}, count to 7- skipping 5 and 6; she can climb on top of the dining room table, turn the videos off and on, she can get her own snack from the cupboard. Ava still loves to snuggle when she wakes up and she voices her opinion about going down at night. She knows what she wants, and will stamp her foot down in front of you to get her point across (it's so hard not to let her see me smile when she does that!), she hugs tight, dances in circles, runs with abandon and holds no emotions back. Ava has learned from the best (her other siblings) how to do so many things- and will always be one step ahead of herself- wishing she were older and able to do everything the "big kids" do.
I love her with all my heart. I wish for her a charmed life. I hope to give her direction and support and love and kindness and faith and hope- a solid framework in which to hang the canvas of her life and the art that she creates along her journey.
I would have posted a picture of her as she looks today- but she hates the camera. And no amount of coaxing or bribery has done the trick to catch the glint she has in her eyes and the smile she has to match them. That's okay with me. I'm happy to look back at the picture of her tiny baby face and fondly remember those days that passed all too quickly. And soon enough she's likely to change her mind and I'll have my camera poised and waiting.
Happy Birthday, my Baby Ava. You have made the past two years of my life better and better! Love, Mom