Into the Second Year II

Listening to Opa play the accordion during another visit.  As with most of the music she hears, she listened intently.

 

And Grammy read Big and Little to her...one of Ava's favorite books.

 

Outside of the Cleveland Museum of Art on a warm afternoon.

 

Getting some special attention from Aunt Leslie at the end of Thanksgiving Day.

 

On the floor with Aunt Valerie a few days later.

 

Some quiet time with Opa later that day.

 

The Golf Channel works its magic on Ava.

 

Being admired by Grampa John once again.

 

A crayon drawing by Ava done with both hands, although she seems to favor her right hand.

 

Meeting several other Avas at the mall.

 

Waiting for Mommy to finish her shopping later that day.

 

An early attempt at taking a picture for this year's Christmas card.  She was running around so much that I couldn't get a good one of her looking at me.  It was also evident that her bangs needed to be cut at this point.

 

In this attempt she's trapped in her car seat....and it worked much better.  Note that the bangs have been shortened a little, too, although there's one long stringy one that I missed!

 

Trying out her Christmas outfit in front of our tree, which had no gifts under it yet...only a Carter Bean.

 

Aunt Leslie reads Peter Rabbit to Ava on Christmas Day at Uncle Mark's, but Ava's distracted by her busy cousins.

 

Posing with four of her cousins the same day.  Cousin Valerie got to wear the Santa hat...

 

...but not for long!

 

Ready to go for a walk in the first days of 2004 when it was about 50º.  This was the time for walks, as everything was covered in ice and snow for some time after this.

 

With Daddy, and in her nice sweater...

 

Another stuck-in-the-carseat picture, taken a few days after Christmas.

 

On the way to Cousin Morgan's birthday party on a very cold January day.

 

Asleep on the way, as expected.

 

But awake and ready to go once we were there...

 

Later that day, Grampa John gives his five granddaughters a piggyback ride.  Ouch!

 

She now knows that pushing the red button on the gamepad makes the motorcycle go in Motocross Madness 2.

 

Watching the "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" video by the Flaming Lips has become an important part of each day.  She makes it clear that she wants to see this (and other things) by saying "pictures" and "uppie" to me to get me to put her on my lap at the computer.

 

Mommy holds her this time as we all watch Wallace and Gromit in A Grand Day Out on the computer, something we'd been watching long before Ava came along.

 

Ava on Valentine's Day morning...her official 18 month mark, and therefore the end of this page.

 

On to the Next Three Months