Ava is talking up a storm!  Last night (at 1:30am ), she sat on my lap and tried to name the following body parts: back (gak), belly (ee-ee), nose (na-deh), teeth (geek), and mouth (ma).  Today was her best session ever with speech therapist Jen.  Ava was so funny and playful and she tried to repeat many of the words that Jen said.  We also have a new device that allows us to place objects in 4 different slots and to record their names.  Jen does this every 2 weeks (Ava likes hearing her voice) and then we work on mastering those 4 words.  Today, Ava went nuts trying to say "block" and it kept coming out "glock."  She can do the "b" sound,  but not all of the time.  She also tried "bead" and "ball" - we're getting there!  She ate a cotton-candy flavored sucker and chirped like a little bird.  And finally, she mastered the straw yesterday at my mom and dad's house.  Yes!  She sucked down almost 3/4 of her "milk box" today and loved it!  It's strange the things that many parents take for granted.  The idea of drinking through a straw may seem like nothing for the average child, but without sight, there is no modeling.  Talk about scaffolding!  Teaching Ava some things takes so much thinking and planning - I am always saying, "ok, how would I approach this if I could not see?"  and it is sometimes a very different experience.  Not bad or good, just different.

Today was Ava's annual meeting with all of her therapists and case worker.  In attendance were: Julie (OT), Lynn(TVI), Jen (Speech), Diane (PT), and Kelly, Ava's case worker from the Alliance.  We used the Oregon Project for blind and visually impaired children to assess where Ava stands in such areas of development such as cognitive and social.  She scored 80-100% in most categories, with the one exception of speech.  She does, however, have a vocabulary of about 17-20 words.    She's been so vocal lately, shouting out, "Dog!" or "Cow!" when she hears those sounds.  She also shrieks, "Hiiiiii," to our cat, Zoe, whenever she hears her meow.  Is Zoe her first friend?  He he.

We did decide since Ava will transition to preschool a year from now, she needs more socialization opportunities with kids her own age.  I need to take her to story time or a play group.  I can't help but feel apprehensive about it; I hate explaining why Ava does or doesn't do this or that to new people, but it's the only way that we both will get over our fears.  She had a very successful playdate a few weeks ago with little Nicholas, who is about 16 months old.  Maybe we could keep that up every other week.  Between my full-time cyber school job, teaching at Pitt and raising Ava - who has time for play dates?!  I guess the answer is: make time.

Ava was cute during the meeting - a little shy and surprised at first, probably that all of her "friends" were in one room together.  But, eventually she warmed up and started talking, walking, and even at a blue raspberry sucker.  We have such an amazing team of women working to prepare Ava for preschool - I do feel for families who don't have all of this available to them.  I can see Ava truly developing the skills necessary for her transition, all with the guidance of her "team."  I am thankful for each one of them.

I took a picture of Ava today ("100% Ava") that I think is the most honest picture of her ever.  We were outside walking up and down the walkway, the driveway, the street, and she didn't want to hold onto her shopping cart - she only wanted to hold my hand.  I continue to be amazed at the way Ava walks so naturally, sometimes quickly, and how she anticipates steps and bumps in the road.  She wanted to wander away from me at times, into the grass and leftover snow, and that picture was taken during one of those moments.  When I saw the shot, I took a breath in and saw everything that she is, captured in one image.  I could hear her and feel her in that picture.

Yesterday, on our way to Dr. Ogle's office, I said to Bob, "I can't forget to pack the G-A-G-A" (spelling the word gaga, which Ava uses for baba, or bottle), as he walked down our basement steps with Ava in arms.  As soon as I said it, Ava yelled from the stairs, "GAGA!"  It was hilarious - she can spell! 

Another great moment occured today while Ava's speech therapist, Jen, was here.  Ava was talking and doing all of her animal sounds, so we decided to try a sucker to really get her mouth going. Jen suggested Sour Apple flavor, and of course I'm thinking, "yeah, right!  She'll never go for it."  But, Ava surprised us all and went for it, big time.  She got one taste of that sour apple and was hooked - she put the whole sucker in her mouth and was drooling and everything.  Soon, like Jen anticipated, she started making sounds with the sucker in her mouth, using her tongue and lips in very new ways. 

Today, Ava had her 2-year visit to the pediatrician, Dr. Ogle.  She is 32 1/4 inches and weighs 26 lbs. and is in the 25% for both.  Dr. Ogle said she "looks great" and was glad to hear that Ava is walking and talking more.  Ava had to get 1 shot (Hepatitis A) and a finger prick for an iron test (11.4 - better than her score of 10 last time).

Ava's latest foods - she tried some tortelloni in a tomato sauce at Morgan's.  Success!  She is eating soft veggies and fruits cut up into small pieces, loves the fruit, nilla and yogurt parfaits that I make for her, and was very into mommy's homemade corn/chicken chowder.  I have several recipes in mind for her this week, including star pasta with butternut squash and parmesan cheese.  Thanks, Nonnie, for the awesome cookbook!

Cute Ava story of the day: She loves this song called "Los Pollitos" (The Baby Chicks) that is on her Elizabeth Mitchell CD, and she will sing right along with it.  She loves the line, "When they are hungry, when they are cold," and will wait for the end of the line and then sing, "goooooold" in her raspy, munchkin voice.  IT IS THE CUTEST THING EVER!

Ava sleeps for 14 hours a night - is this normal?  She will go to bed at 8:00pm and sleep until 9 or 10 the next morning, and then totally skip her nap.  This is great for us in the evening (we always get to watch the shows we like!), but boy, are our days long. I could use a nap.

Today, Ava actually let me squeeze organic strawberry milk into her mouth through a straw.  My tactic was to hurry up and squirt a little bit in, let her get a taste of this delicious toddler cocktail, and then hopefully, she would want more.  It worked!  I don't think she actually knows that she should suck on the straw, but she let me squeeze the milk into her mouth about 10 times, and actually asked for "more."  A great accomplishment!

We also spent some time outside today just walking up and down our walkway.  Ava is getting so steady on her feet; she held onto one of my fingers and took off.  She is cautious, but also a little daring.  We even walked up the street a little, and she was perplexed by the steepness of the climb. She was trying to imitate me saying, "flat," but it came out as "gaa." 

Ava has been singing and humming non-stop - she must know at least 15 songs. She will hum right along with London Bridge, Twinkle-Twinkle, or even her favorite, Elephant.  She belts out her little off-key high notes - so cute! She is playing the piano every day now, sometimes wanting to walk while playing every single key from high to low and back.  She wants the organ setting and will push every button until she finds it.

What a joy my little bird is; so sweet and funny, so smart.  These are cherished days.