All About Avery

Avery in a word is fun. She is so much fun to be around. She makes me laugh every day and she has so much personality that it's hard not to smile every time she talks.

Avery loves baby dolls. She can play with them for very long periods of time. She feeds them, burps them, puts them down for a nap, changes them, dresses them (in her clothes) and holds them. She is such a nurturing little mama! Playing with dolls is her favorite thing to do. Everything is a "baby" to her. When she sees a bird in the sky she says, "Look Mama, bird! Baby bird!" She saw an ostrich on a carousel the other day and said, "Chick! Baby chick!"

Avery loves all things pink. She is already very opinionated about the things she wears. If it's not Elmo or pink, she is going to fight me getting dressed. She has a favorite pair of pajamas that have bunnies on the feet and are pink, of course. She wore them 2 days in a row and the third night (last night) she asked to wear them again. We told her they were dirty, so she went and dug them out of the dirty clothes and brought them to us. She pointed at the bunny and said, "Bunny so cute!"

Daddy is Avery's favorite person. She loves him soo much. When he is around no one else in the world matters. She frequently wants daddy to "Hold you" (hold her). She is asking less and less for me to hold her and this sort of makes me sad. She used to ask when I was holding Reagan (inspired by a bit of jealousy) and I would pick her up. I would have him on one hip and her on the other. Then I started saying, "I can't hold both of you because you are too heavy." I usually have him in my arms when I go get her in the mornings. When I lift her out of her crib now she says, "Too heaby, Mama". Consistent with becoming a big girl, she is asking to be held less and less.

Avery is very smart and I can tell she processes things. She says things every day that amaze me. I frequently think to myself where did she learn that? She knows her ABCs and how to count to 13, 14, 15... (it depends on the day). We are working on colors. She is getting them slowly but surely. Everything used to be pink. But every once in a while she will surprise me and get blue, red, orange and purple correct. She may never know yellow and green. :-) Her favorite songs are Elmo's World, Rain Rain Go Away, If You're Happy And You Know It, and Head Shoulders Knees and Toes. (Hmmm...I feel sort of bad that Jesus Loves Me didn't make the cut.) She doesn't really understand choices. If you ask her "Do you want milk or water?" She'll respond "Milk or water". But she can tell you what is going to happen next. If you ask her what happens after gymnastics she'll tell you she "get a shake-shake". (Dad takes her to McDonald's every week after gymnastics and gets her a strawberry milkshake as part of their date. So sweet.)

Avery is FIERCELY independent. She wants to do EVERYTHING these days "By self!" She wants to take pictures by self, she wants to get dressed by self, she wants to push Reagan in his stroller by self... And she won't be fooled. You can't even as much lay a finger on the stroller in any other place because she knows you are doing it and will slap your hand away and say, "No Mama, soppit!" She actually looked at me the other day when I was trying to help her do something and said, "I said NO!" She is strong willed to say the least. I've got my work cut out for me, but it is my prayer that God uses this strong-willed little girl in strong and mighty ways. My life is so rich and meaningful because she is part of it.

I love you big girl! You bring me more joy than you will ever know. Happy Birthday, Love!