Elmo, Elmo and more Elmo

Like most other toddlers her age, Ava is absolutely in love with Elmo! We finally found a way to keep her calm in the car and that was put on an Elmo DVD. Last week I tivo'd Elmo's Christmas Countdown and we cuddled up in bed and watched it together. Now she is even more crazy for Elmo than she was before. She runs up to the TV shouting Elmo, Elmo! So naturally we have to turn Elmo on. She doesn't usually really watch it all, but likes to have it on in the background. I think she loves all of the music so she can dance around. At night time she has to have Elmo in bed with her so she can cuddle with him. Sometimes she likes to throw in a block or a toothbrush just to keep me on my toes.

Ava's teacher sure made us feel like proud parents a couple of weeks ago! She said Ava says a lot of words for her age and that she's the first talker in the class! I couldn't believe it! I have noticed that since she's started school I have had to remind her to use her signs and her words when she needs to communicate. She had started to slap her hand down and scream and point when she wanted something instead of just telling us like she used to. She's also just stopped saying words she used to say all the time like puppy, kitty and shoe. I guess she is just so over those words now that she has new words like Jacket, uh-oh and No. Some words she'll say all the time and then some you'll hear a few times and then never hear them again.

The teacher was amused because the first week of school Ava had already picked up the term "back-back" which is what they tell the kids before they open a door. They say "back-back Tyler" so that the kid doesn't get slammed in the face with the door. The teacher said every time they line up to go outside Ava says "back-back" and they always get a chuckle out of it.

Words Ava can say at 16 months:

No (of course)

Elmo

jacket (we were in gymboree the other day and she saw a coat and ran up to it and said Jack-et!)

uh-oh

mama

dada

biscuit

Magnum

yogurt

bananas (baba)

blueberries (bebe)

buggy juice

apple

cracker

cheese

chicken

back

bad

bye bye (all cars are bye byes)

shoe (new)

diaper

meme

gigi

papi

stinky