Cheese!

It seems my girl has fallen head over heels in love--with the camera. She knows just what to do. OK, I admit to a little bias, but is she not the cutest little tyke when she crinkles up her face in a great big smile? She positively glows! Wouldn't it be nice if we all could hold on to that innocence and lack of affectation?

Ava's language skills are improving. She has progressed from "Bah!" to a chorus of gong-gong-gong la-la-la oon-dah. Oon-dah, obviously, means Grandma. We have learned, undeniably, that Ava does NOT have hyperacusis. She is so loud! Her voice is loud and, shall we say, her other bodily sounds are just as powerful. And she expects applause for all of it! She loves those positive affirmations. Hey, Nancy--what was it Jack Handey said? I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and darn it, people like me! Or something to that effect.

Speaking of Nancy: She told me a while back to be patient, that Ava would "wake up" soon. Amen to that. Ava is wide awake and ready to rumble. Since I began writing this post last week Ava has begun CRAWLING(!) and also pulled herself to a standing position while holding onto a chair. Can you believe it? Thirteen months of therapy and then one day she just decides that it's time to make a move. Wow.

I included the picture of Ava's feet for two reasons. First, I wanted to show off her new shoes. She absolutely hates them. They make her cry just looking at them, probably because she is not willing to sacrifice comfort for beauty. *smart girl* Second, check out those toes. I hope that they don't cause problems when she starts walking. Through the list serve I have learned that this problem is quite common and that whether or not it causes problems is unique to each individual. So I guess we just wait and see.

The group picture is Laura's family, the Turner's. Clockwise from the top left they are Great-grandpa Paul Turner, Grandma Geri Turner (holding Ava), Grandpa Bruce Turner, Great-grandma Arline Turner, Aunt Lizzy Turner, and of course, Laura. Isn't Ava lucky to have so many people who love her?

The smiling girls are Laura and her best friend in the whole world, Tiffany. Tiffany and her husband and baby are living in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky because her husband is in the Army. It's been very hard for these girls to be separated. Tiffany's husband will be deployed to Afghanistan in September. At that point Tiffany will come home to be with her mom until he comes back to the states. Say a prayer for him, OK?