31 Days of Gratitude {Day 8} Happy 3rd Birthday, Ava!

{I'm only a week late in writing Ava's birthday post, which is pretty darn good for me.}

 Happy 3rd birthday to the sweetest, most silly little Ava bean out there!  You are a ball of energy and most often you have a huge grin on your face and are running a few steps behind one of your older sisters.  You are currently going through a phase where you want me (or Daddy) to "lay wif me" when you go to bed, and you are so sweet and so earnest that it's hard to say no.  When I give in and lay with you for a little while, you like to cozy up to me and rub my arm for awhile.  Then you usually give me a little kiss and often tell me you love me.  I have to remind you that it's sleeping time and you need to roll over and close your eyes, but I like to sneak in a kiss of my own and hold your hand while you try to get your eyes to close and stay closed.  

 

You're a total goober and you know it.  You make silly faces and laugh a lot.  You love to tag along with your sisters and when you guys are playing nicely, I hear a steady stream of giggles, belly laughs, squeals, and high pitched "make believe voices".  You also have a temper, and you can be playing nicely one minute and be hitting or tackling one of your sisters the next minute.  But you forgive easily and the fights never last long.  

 

You often wake up about half hour or so before your other sisters and like to come have some cuddle time with mommy.  Some mornings, you read books quietly and mommy gets a little extra shut eye, but sometimes we have silly fun together.  

Aves-B, you took forever potty-training (and by forever, I mean you asked to try many, many times in the course of the last year, and kept faking us out), but you finally decided you were really ready and you were.  Usually our rule is no undies at night until you keep a diaper dry overnight for at least a month, but you begged and pleaded and I gave in.  And you haven't had an accident at night yet.  You do, sometimes, get up (even 2 or 3 times!) at night to use the restroom, but no potty on the bedsheets!  

this pink dress is your favorite. It has a little hole in the back somewhere, but you won't let me get rid of it because you love it.  You would wear it everyday if I would let you.  

I love ALL your MANY silly, goofy, sweet faces

You are really too cute for words

You are short and stocky, built much like Kayla was at your age.  And you are a total bruiser.  You fall down often and almost always have a bruise or a cut or a lump on your forehead.  Sometimes you cry a little and want a quick cuddle when you fall, but mostly you just get up and keep going like it never happened.  

In the last 3 months especially, your vocabulary has expanded a whole lot.  You have so much to say now and you say it with a sweet, melodious voice and use all kinds of big words and inflections which makes listening to you a fun (and sometimes silly) experience.  

 

You love to swing and prefer the big swings now, though you will settle for the baby swing if the big ones are full.   You could literally swing for hours and hours, and you love to push Sophie in the swing too and giggle and squeal at her.  

 

•  You are learning some of your letters and numbers
• You love to do puzzles 
• You love heading to the library and picking out fun new books to pore over
• You enjoy playing barbies and "house" with your sisters (or on your own)
• Magnet dolls are a big hit with you these days
• Your favorite foods are mac and cheese, applesauce, and any meat that Daddy grills

You have a serious side too.  You don't jump right into everything especially if there are other people involved outside of the family.  You like to get to know people slowly and then you love hard.  

 

Happy 3rd Birthday to our sweet, silly, Aves-B!  You are our princess, our mexican jumping bean, our silly pants, our cutie pie, our munchkin, and as you would say, "No, no!  I not that.  I Ava!"

We love you, big 3 year old and we are so thankful that God gave us you!!!!!!!!!!