Alana's "switch" has turned on, and Ava is becoming more and more of a "Big girl"

So it has been a millennium since the last time I posted, but one day fades into the next and it all seems the same as the day before until you look back over a chunk of time and think, "WHOA, what happened?"

We just got back from a trip to see all of the family and the girls did great with everyone and had a blast.  Ava even got her first haircut from her Aunt Tina.

Alana has changed SO much in the last 2 weeks.  It is like a switch turned on and she went from a crawling smiler that only said "mama" on occasion to a super fun, engaging, climber that talks!  She now says "mommy" and "daddy!!!"  She can now climb stairs (thanks to my parents house and stairs in the living room).  She lifts her arms over her head if you say, "So big!," and she also lifts her hands over her head when she is done eating (her way of signing "all done" I guess).  She walks around while holding your hands and is standing alone for longer and longer periods, but still no steps.  She now waves and SAYS "bye-bye."  She will "shhh" back at you if you tell her to "shhh.," she will blow back in your face if you blow in hers, and she loves to blow raspberries.  Just today she started saying "uh-oh" if she drops something.  She has said what sounds like "ball" and "gog" for dog when asked, but I am not as sure about those.

Ava is becoming more and more of a big girl.  We have cut back paci use to just bedtime and naptime.  She is completely daytime potty trained now, and is doing really well and bedtime and nighttime at being dry when she wakes.  She didn't do as well with that while we were on vacation, but now that we are back home she is back in the swing of things and doing great.  Much to my sorrow she is starting to lose a lot of her baby talk and sound more like a big girl.  She no longer says "meek-du" for music, and instead says "muskicks."  One super cute thing she does say though, is "magic sticks" for gymnastics.  She does say "pih-nan-o" for piano, but that is about it.  She will be 3 at the end of March and our plan is to take the paci and the diapers away then.

Ava comes up with the most adorable and elaborate excuses.  Just tonight, she came out and said she wanted to "sleep in mommy's bed because in her bed her feet keep getting smaller, but in mommy's bed they would get bigger and she doesn't want them to get smaller."  WHAT?!  At my mom's house she came out to the top of the steps (she was supposed to be sleeping) and when I told her to go back to bed she said, "I need you because I just love you so much mommy."  She is too cute for her own good, or mine.

The girls get along really well for the most part, although now that Alana is mobile enough to get into Ava's business Ava gets upset and says, "no, no, Lana"...often.  They are so much fun and we are enjoying them immensely.