21 Months!

Well, we're on our way... just three more months and we'll have a two year old on our hands.

I never pictured myself with a two year old.  Maybe I thought I'd just be toting around a little baby forever?  I don't know.  But come on, what put-together, business woman (yes, I used to be that for those of you who didn't know me pre-Ava) does picture themselves with a toddler???  I mean your life is turned upside down, and then shaken. Shopping is a disaster.  I used to love the hobby; did it for fun on the weekends with regular ease.  Now... I LOOSE MY MIND in stores.  I mean, I really loose my mind.  I go in with a list.  Fully prepared.  With a list. In and out, right?  Well my list is on my phone - because aside from Ava it's the only thing I always have with me - and unfortunately so is Ariel (the YouTube version).  (Yes, I've resorted to letting Ava watch YouTube to get us through at least the tail end of errands.)  So, I have a decision to make: a) attempt to remember my 18 item list and inevitably miss at least one thing and have to come back; or, b) take Ariel away (because there is no "can I just see that for one moment, darling") and face "THE MELTDOWN."  I usually have to resort to b at some point, because even with YouTube Ava isn't all that patient to let me "browse" and try to remember things.  At this point I feel the walls closing in on me and realize I am, in fact, "that woman."  If you're a mom of a toddler, I hope this sounds at least a little familiar.

Case in point: the 'tude of an almost-two-year-old - OH MY!

But here we are... happy again.  Phew, that was fast.  Moods change faster than diapers around here. (Sorry, potty training humor.)

I poke fun, but really, REALLY this is an amazing stage.  (And everything's a stage, right?  So if it's rough, at least it will be different next week.)  Ava's talking in full sentences, and repeating EVERYTHING we say.  For example, my new favorite (*sarcasm*) phrase of hers is what she uses to say what most kids say as "no" or "don't do that" or "I don't want to" or "mine" (all lovely in their own right).  But when Ava means one of these things, she says "get! go to your bed!!" For example:

Jeff: "Ava, we are not watching another Mickey Mouse Clubhouse."
Ava: "Get!  Go to your bed, Daddy!!"

Me: "Ava, we need to go change your diaper."
Ava: "Get, Mommy!  Go to your bed!!"

Boy on playground coming up behind her and getting a little too close for comfort...
Ava: "Get, Boy! Go to your bed!!"

She's (obviously) mimicking what we say to the dogs.  Lovely, she's like a parrot: the more umph with which you say it, the more likely she is to copy it.  Moral of the story: do NOT swear around our daughter.  Please.

You may have noticed in the last example the use of the rudimentary term "boy."  Well every male under the age of 30 is a "boy" to Ava, and she has no qualms about referring to them as such.  Friday we were in Starbucks and the 18-ish year old barista/cashier rung us up, after which Ava insisted on "paying" with my credit card.  Well, she handed him the card and said in a more than audible tone "here you go, boy."  I didn't even have the guts to look him in the eye, so I have no idea what this college kid thought of being so flippantly referred to as a "boy" from a toddler wielding a Starbucks cup and a credit card.

From funny to frustrating, the world of language is booming around here, and it's making for an amazing journey with an amazing little girl.  Here she is at 21 months!

If you'll remember, we did monthly photos for her first year of life, and quarterly photos for her second; I'm starting to think this might be the last one before we move to only yearly ones next!