1 year old!!!!!

Well it has happened. What a difference a year makes. 

We now have a big girl! No more infant or baby in our house. And she rang in her first birthday by showing us all how big she really is. She is WALKING and took more then 2 steps (she had done that a couple times before) on her first birthday!
Ava's first birthday party turned out AMAZING! It was a little warm but we had a nice breeze and she had almost (missed you aunt Mandy) all of the people who love her celebrating together. I had a cupcake theme. Since it was outside at the city park, we had limited decorations. I went over to a girlfriend from works house on Friday night with some flowers and cute ice cream bowls I found in the wal-mart dollar isle and gave her the mission of putting them together to resemble a cupcake, here is how one came out! Too adorable, I put these on her cake/gift table

We also worked together to put 10 jars of cookie mix together to hand out to Ava's friends. Here is a pic of those

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We added the phrase: Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of.

Natalie then put together a birthday onsie for Ava, and I made a tutu. I didn't get a lot of good pictures of them together on Ava as she wasn't fond of the tulle and I took it off when she was eating. Here is a pic of the onsie

And here is one of Ava with her ball...which she loves... you can kinda see the tutu...

And opening presents with Mommy (guard your eyes from me and my paleness!)

Finally a picture of her cake. It was a cake made in the shape of a cupcake out of cupcakes. Lois, my favorite cake lady made it. She has made all my cakes from my baptism, birthdays, wedding, baby shower, and Ava's baptism. She has had fun celebrating all the occasions with us, and this is the first cupcake cake she made! I should have taken it out of the box to photograph, but had too much on my mind. The cupcake in the corner was Ava's smash cake!

Boy is she loved! You would have thought it was Christmas on her birthday. Spoiled girl! She got lots of fun toys, a pool, a sandbox, a bike, beautiful clothes, and books. Her room is now jam packed and we are going to start converting the basement into her play area since she would take over the upstairs if not!


She is still very interested in reading, and is starting to mimic more and more of the words we are saying. She makes her attempts at saying them but they sound nothing like they should :) I am working with her on manners and saying please. It sounds like "pa" but it's a start.


Ava you have been such a joy for Mommy and Daddy and you make us excited to wake up each morning...even at 5am to see your smiling face. I look forward to all the memories in our future.

To my husband Cole, we made it through our first year of parenthood!! High five. There were ups and downs and winding roads along the way but we did it together and with the same goal in mind, being the best Mommy and Daddy as possible for Ava Nicole. I love you!