One Year Old!

Miss  Ava Marie Swearingen turned one today!  It has been an incredible year and I am so happy to be celebrating the first year of our daughters life!  This morning we took her to breakfast at the Pancake Pantry and we will be celebrating the next couple of days with family and friends.

Ava still only has her two bottom front teeth but is really getting good at walking and she will be running in no time.  She has adjusted well to her new 12-16 month daycare class and is doing well with keeping up with the big kids.  She is just taking one nap now which is great for mommy and daddy because it frees up our schedule when we are trying to run errands.  She is still taking some formula but her bottle now are 20% formula and 80% whole milk   Ava is still being a picky eater but I have found if she will not eat a food one way, I will try and cut it up differently and then she may try it.  She babbles all of the time and she loves to carry on conversations with Travis and I.  We can still only make out Momma, Dadda, and Katie but I know that she is going to be very talkative.  She has also started to want to hug more and she loves reaching out to touch anyone who is around her, even strangers.  Ava loves to people watch and will give anyone the biggest smile if they pay attention to her.

For only being one year old, she has managed to do some great traveling.  She has driven in the car up to Pennsylvania, flown to Florida, driven to East Tennessee, Birmingham, and Atlanta.  She attended her first wedding and has gone to two first Birthday parties.  We have gone to the Zoo, Cheekwood, and the swimming pool a lot.  She has had many sleepovers without us at both sets of grandparents and loves to be entertained by her cousins.

Ava has had RSV, hand, foot and mouth virus, a sinus infection, and multiple colds but overall she has remained in good health this year.  She was diagnosed with Mastocytosis in December which is caused by too many mast cells in her body.  This is a disease that we knew nothing about and so far we have been really blessed that other than red areas around body, it has not seemed to both her too much.  I was very upset when first learned about this but I know that it could be much worse and for that I am thankful.

Ava is a very happy little girl and at the end of the day that is all that matters.  She loves to play, smile, and laugh and each day with her is a blessing.  James 1:17 say's it best "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above."  Thank you God for Ava Marie.