Happy (Second) 1st Birthday Ava!

We went to MN for Leo and Tracy's baby shower (for my new niece that's due in March!) over MLK Jr. Day weekend, and while we were there we got to celebrate Ava's birthday, and a late Christmas, with my family.  We ended up driving there in one day (Friday), instead of two like we originally planned thanks to some snow here, but we did still get to see a college friend and his family on Friday night.  They have a little girl that's Fiona's age and a little boy that's just younger than Ava.  We spent Saturday getting ready for the shower, celebrating Ava's birthday, and celebrating Christmas, while Sean was sick all day (poor guy).  Sunday was the shower and then supper with my HS friends, and Monday we drove all the way back in one day.  The girls once again earned their 'Road Warrior' status.  They are great travelers!

Excited to see the windmills. 

Self-entertaining.  :) 

Hi, Ava!  Looks like I forgot to take off your hat.

She would play with a toy for awhile, then when she tired of it drop it over the side of her carseat.  Good thing I brought a lot of smaller toys!

Playing with a new birthday or Christmas gift.  Again, she had little interest in opening them so Fiona helped her with most of them.

Ava loves her new Minnie Mouse airplane.

Opening and closing the seat, and putting in and taking out blocks is especially fun.

Fiona likes this one as much, or more than, Ava.

And since I don't feel like making a separate post, I'm adding Ava's one year stats to this one.  We saw the doctor on 1/31 and she's doing great.  Good stranger anxiety (haha), babbling tons and saying a few words (mama, dada, ni ni for night night), claps and waves, will let us know when she wants something (like mmm for more), and is SOCLOSE to walking.

Height: Between 29.5 and 30 inches (their measurement technique isn't the most exact), ~75th percentile
Weight: 22 lb, 6 oz, ~80-85th percentile
Head: 44.5 cm