Today Ava Was A Social Butterfly

Your little personality is really coming out now that you've got your feet under you. In the three weeks or so that you've been walking you've come out of your shell. 

Get your shine on.

Whenever we're near other children your age, you want to be around them, play with them, or in many cases, just stare at them. 

Tonight there were two such instances. One, you even scared a little boy so much that he ran away from you.

We started out at Target to pick up some more food for you - it's on sale. $1.29 for small Gerber meals that you've taken a liking to. 

I need some new work shoes so it was off to Kohl's. They didn't have what I was looking for in the shoe department so mom went to the baby section to scope out some deals. I let you down to walk a bit and eventually you caught sight of two little girls shopping with their mom and grandma. You;re hand slipped from my grip and walked over to them to say hello. 

Mom and I chatted with the grandmother for a few minutes while you made new friends then it was next door to DSW. 

As we walked in and were making our way to the back of the store to the clearance racks, I picked you up and put you on my shoulders. All was well until you spotted a little boy walking with his dad in the opposite direction. 

As soon as your eye caught him you pointed and became excited. We said hi to him and his father and as I was bringing you down or a closer look the dad said "He will probably run away. He either runs from new people or runs to them and give them hugs." 

It was the former in this instance. The moment your feet touched the ground the little boy picked up steam and further down the aisle he went. Mom jokingly told the dad "It's okay, he's too young to be chasing girls anyway." 

It was one of those scenes that makes me laugh as I look back on it. We hear a lot about how cute you are but this was the first time someone ran from you. Was it the black eye, or the fat lip?  

A fat lip to compliment your shiner? Yeah ...

Today Ava Took Her 11 Month Photos

Mom and I have enjoyed taking these monthly pictures throughout your first year, yet today was bittersweet as we know it is drawing to a close. Only one more left. 

Oh don't fret, it won't be the last time you'll have a camera in your face.

Hard to believe it's been nearly a year has passed. It's been fun reflecting on how you've grown and how we've grown as parents.

When we first began tracking your growth through these monthly photos I was naive in thinking that as you get older they would get easier. I thought you would understand what we were doing and cooperate. My, how wrong I was. 

On your half-birthday I mentioned the same thing. It hasn't gotten any better.

We coax you to remain still any way we can, with toys, singing, dancing - whatever it takes.I'm sure it looks like a circus to an outside observer.

We work well as a team, mom places you and distracts you while I am on the step stool firing away and hoping for the best before you roll over or get bored. 

We get good shots, but you make us work for them. 

And not to mention, your shiner really darkened up today, adding some character to the images. 

Mom tried to ind some boxing gloves for some fun photos but no one seemed to have any in stock.

Here are a few unedited shots from this evening: 

 

Outtakes:
 

 

 

 

Today Ava Had a Shiner

Well, my fear came true ... 

This is my "show me sympathy" face.

When you woke up I went in to get you and the first thing I looked at was your left eye. Son of a gun, black. 

Your first shiner. 

Your going to take bumps and bruises and Heaven forbid maybe even a broken bone or two while you're growing up. I can tell myself that until I'm blue in the face but it doesn't make me feel too much better since I caused your black eye.

I had kept my finger crossed that it would remain red and puffy through the night and not progress. After all, we had Church to go to this morning (which you weren't on your best behavior) and you're 11-month photos to take tomorrow. 

How awesome will those images be years down then line and I have to explain the darkness under your eye? This one might follow me for a while ... 

Other than the visible, there didn't seem to be any other effects of the pup hitting you or your head hitting the ground. You continued the day as your normal self, wearing your shiner as a badge of honor. Daring people to ask so you can show them how tough you are!

We played outside while the pork chops grilled and after dinner took you to the park. Just another day (thankfully).

Today Ava Got Up Close With A Dog

All's well that ends well, right? We'll see. 

This thing's almost as big as McGee!

Things got off to a good start at my cousin Alexis' annual Fourth of July Weekend cookout. You were having fun seeing family, eating pork straight from the hog, walking around and just generally being outside. 

A few times we had to take you in to change your diaper where you were excited to see Alexis' three dogs - Jester (which belonged to your Great Grandfather before his passing, Duke (her 7 or 8 year-old shepherd mix, and Willy (a dog she recently acquired from her neighbor). 

It was Willy you got to know really well later in the evening. More on that to come. 

Alexis lives on 7.5 acres and along with her three hounds she has two horses. Alexis rescued Shadow, so named for her dark coat, and little did she know, Shadow was pregnant. 

Soon, Kalumi was on the scene. Now full-grown she relishes attention whereas her mother is more of a loner. 

We set you on her back. Leery at first you soon opened up to her and enjoyed being on top of the world. 

You went back to see Kalumi two more times before we went home and each time you couldn't get enough of her. 

Now, back to Willy and my upcoming Father of the Year Award. We took you in the house for a diaper change and when we came out, Willy was out back wanting to fetch a tennis ball. I began to throw it and he would excitedly chase it and bring it back. Nothing was getting in his way. 

Giddy up!

That is, until the final toss. You were standing off to the side happily watching him go back You had taken a seat in the grass for a better view when I threw the ball. It accidentally went slightly over you and Willy came to the right, around my back and straight towards you. My heart sank. 

It played out like a movie in slow motion. I saw the impact coming and there was nothing I could do to stop it. It wasn't Willy's fault, he was dong what he knew to do, get the ball by any means necessary. 

He tried to leap you, but his hind legs caught your face. Smack! Instantly back to reality and game speed to the ground you went. 

It took a second for the water works to proceed, but when they did, the crying was harder than we've ever experienced. We know it hurt and it's indescribable how we as parents felt for you. 

Mom was on the scene immediately with baby Tylenol to help ease the pain.Your left eye was red and puffy within seconds.

You eventually came around and all was well. You even saw another pup and wanted to go pet it. So all is in fact well that ends well. 

I fear a nice little shiner over your left eye tomorrow. Only time will tell.