Dedication, Part 4

Ava~

Or otherwise affectionately known as "patty-baby".

Ava is my fourth baby... my homebirthed baby. She was born at home on a relatively cool July evening. That morning I was woken early with pressure waves that continued on well into the evening before finally producing my 9 lb 13 oz ball of sweetness 18 hours later. Born just 13 minutes shy of my grandmother's 75th birthday, patty-baby was welcomed into this world straight into her Daddy's hands. The room was filled only with people who loved her.



Ava was named a good two years before she was born. Though I seriously doubted that I would have another baby, let alone another girl, one day K and I were discussing baby girl names. "Ava" somehow came up, though K liked "Ava Rose" whereas I said if I had another girl I would like her to have my middle name. Where did "Patty" come from? Well, being my biggest baby I started calling her fatty patty. (I mean, seriously, she could fit into her newborn clothes for about 5 minutes and I couldn't even use the newborn cloth diapers I had bought her!). Fatty Patty eventually changed and now she is called anything from patty-baby to pattycakes to pretty patty or some days just plain patty.

Nowadays we have a very active 9 month old. She is constantly into anything and everything. She crawls like a maniac, pulls herself up on almost anything she can... even the wall! She has discovered her shadow on the wall and we laugh as it looks like she is trying to kiss it. She can say "Mama" to my utter delight. Best of all, she has a smile that will melt any heart. Her smile is amazing... she looks so happy and innocent and when she laughs it comes from deep down in her belly.

Our pretty, pretty Patty... the last chapter in our family, now complete.