Ava Bava

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When I was little I walked around in my own little world, singing, writing stories, oblivious to most things around me. When I wasn't being called a worry wart for my "worst case scenarios" my granny called me her sweet little songbird.

When I was pregnant with my middlest daughter, the midwife told me that her estimated date of arrival was 10/5. That was my granny's birthdate, and therefore we chose to name her Avalie Charlotte. Our sweet little songbird.

My ex-husband and I had decided that we weren't going to tell anyone the name that we picked out for our daughter. We were going to reveal it at her birth - hopefully on October 5th.

But then my granny was put on a breathing machine and her flame was extinguishing.

She ended up passing in August before Ava was born. At her funeral one of the nurses got up and talked about how when my granny was dying, she had asked her to sing to her - she sang "His Eye is on the Sparrow" and my granny told her that "for tonight she would be her sweet little songbird" October 5th came and went.

If you are lucky enough to know this child of mine, she is so sweet, loves to sing, is kind, funny and incredibly brilliant.

I had the absolute honor of homeschooling her until third grade and when I put her into third grade she tested at 7th grade level for math and everything else she tested at high school level. She. Is. Brilliant.

She is now in 7th grade and in all advanced classes and this past week made honor roll.

She also started baking and has taken on a whole new level to that, not only following recipes, but putting her own twist on things.

She is so unique and genuinely making her own path in life and I absolutely cannot be more proud of the woman that she is and is becoming.

She has been an absolutely pillar in this family and I pray she never feels like she has slipped through the cracks when it comes to her place in the sibling line up.

To raise a glass to my incredibly sweet songbird! You are loved beyond compare.