What do an almost 29 year old and an almost 5 year old have in common? The love of ice cream, American Ninja Warrior, and a shared birthday month! Meet Ava, the almost 5 year old with the piercing blue eyes, a smile that can brighten anyone’s day, and a big heart! Ava started off a little shy but by the end of the session I don’t think she was ready to quit. She opened up so much  that she eventually started striking her own poses and I hardly had to tell her what to do. She even insisted on moving the few props we used all on her own.

Ava turns 5 in just a few days on April 13, only 2 days before my birthday! Anyone who really knows me knows that I have a slight obsession with my birthday month, and even joke that the month was “named after me,” and Ava seemed to be just as excited for her upcoming birthday. Throughout the session she told me all about her dogs and cats at home, and insisted on knowing where my animals were? Unfortunately I had to disappoint her and let her know that I currently don’t have any pets, to which she replied “you should get one!” lol

After the session Ava made herself to home and started exploring my house (with permission of course) while I was finishing up with her mom. On her trip she managed to find a few stuffed animals from when I was a kid and wanted to know if I still played with them. 🙂 Ava loves her stuffed animals and refers to them as her “stuffies.” She brought just a few of them for a fun picture at the end that I almost forgot about but she thankfully wasn’t going to let that happen.

A few more things that Ava loves are gymnastics, dance and swim class. She is acquiring an interest for writing and can often be found singing the Pledge of Allegiance any time she passes a flag. Ava was so much fun to work with and I am grateful that her mom asked me to do this session.

Ava and her mom even had coordinating shirts that were so cute!