Ava is Four Months Old

Hello, everyone!

We are experiencing technical difficulties... Our computer's hard drive might've crashed last night. Hopefully the data is salvageable!

Ava, July 2006




















































IT GIVES ME FEVER...
Just as Ava was getting over a cold, she got her 4-month "shots" on Friday. The immunizations seemed to give her a bit of a fever. We did the lukewarm bath, baby Tylenol, few layers of clothing and kept the ceiling fan running, which all seemed to do the trick. She was extra snuggly and wanted to be held yesterday, so we read a few books. She reaches for the pages and tries to turn them now. She's normally a very active baby, so her sitting still through two consecutive books was another indicator she was sick. It wasn't any fun seeing her lose her "spunk", but she bounced back and woke up as her same, sweet little smiley-self again this morning.

THE NUMBERS
At her 4-month doctor's appointment we learned:
-Ava is exactly 15 lbs, which puts her in the 75th percentile for weight
-She is 24 3/4 inches, which puts her in the 75th percentile for height
-Her head circumference is 16 1/2 inches, which is also the 75th percentile.
...A good place to be, I guess! We're blessed she is so healthy and got over her cold (and then fever) so quickly. Doug and I have both battled the cold this week, too.

AVA'S ARIA
And does she have some lungs! When the nurse went to weigh her, I think Ava got startled when the scale shifted (she might've thought she was falling?), so she started wailing. She didn't stop crying for quite a while. The air-conditioning was out of commission in the doctor's office, so they didn't close the door to the room, which meant other little ones heard Ava's extreme unhappiness with the scale... When the nurse came in, she said she expected to see a one year-old baby, based on how loud the cries were...I am amazed at how strong Ava's little lungs are... I joke that one day she may be an opera singer.

WALL ART
The doctor said Ava can start eating cereal or fruits now (liquid-form, of course), to get the hang of the "spoon" thing. My what fun we'll soon be having with food! Hmm, this color "banana" would look great on the wall, don't you think? ;-)

THIS LITTLE PIGGY...
She has found her toes, too. When she wakes up in the morning these days, she likes to play with her mobile or touch her toes (a few morning Calisthentics, I guess).

We love to see our little girl grin! She is our sweetie-pie!

With love,
Shelly, Doug and Ava