15 Months old

Ava had her 15 month well visit. She is 29.5 inches long (25th percentile US growth chart) and 18 pounds (under the US growth chart range). Ava is small but don't let her size fool you. She can bite very well if you push her around our ignore her and if that does not work she can give you a good pop with her hand... Most of the time she does not share those skills but when she does look out. She is becoming more vocal, loves to eat what ever is put in front of her (especially your food), uses sign language like a champ, and climbs on anything that presents itself as a challenge. It makes us nervous when she climbs, but the sense of accomplishment she exhibits when she gets to the top almost makes watching her unsteadily get there worth it. She is getting very good at taking things in and out of cupboards and other boxes. We found our t.v. remote control yesterday in the Tupperware drawer and her favorite shoe (we looked high and low for it, for days) in her bedding drawer (which we open once a week to change her sheets). Thank goodness we change her sheets - mom was beginning to think she was crazy. We went for our first professional portrait sitting - asking a curious 15 month old to sit and smile for the camera - what were we thinking... I think the Christmas card is going to have a home photo on it :). All is well here - parenthood is amazing and we could not be more in love with Ava and each other! Ava has another new 2nd cousin - congrats K & M. The Nowak family is not quite as big as the 100 plus Osmonds that were on Oprah last week but we are getting closer. Also happy 1st birthday to cousin E.

I had a chance to serve on a panel at an International adoption conference last weekend. It was great to meet other people involved in International adoption and to hear the questions people were asking about adoption - I remember being in their shoes not-so-long-ago and still find it hard to believe how much has happened in our lives over the past year or so. Also, our prayers go out to the soldiers, veterans, and their families as we celebrate Veteran's Day this week.