March 2012 - 26 months

I think we should name this update vocabulary.  Avery has become quite the little talker in a matter of days.  She has always been pretty good at communicating what she wants with her words but she pretty much says everything these days!  Hearing her say her name as well as her dogs name and every other dog that she knows is so cute.

Avery's schedule has not changed in quite some time.  She still goes to bed around 830 and wakes up around 7 and then naps for about 3 hours around 130.  We are so blessed that we have such a good sleeper as it makes everyone just a little happier! She still loves her crib and will literally play in there for 30 minutes or so once she wakes up.  If you get her up before she is ready to get up, she is not a happy camper.  Listening to her talk to herself and play with her toys and read her books is pretty cute.

We spent some time in San Diego this month and went to Disneyland for a few days again.  I think that must be her favorite place.  She sure is spoiled to have been to Disney so many times at such a young age.  It was a little crowded this time around so we were glad that we had passes so we could stay just a few hours each day and not feel like we wasted money. Thank God she doesn't need to go on rides to be happy.  She can just explore the park, see the characters, dance with the bands and be just as content.  We also got to go have dinner with my Grandpa so that is Avery's Great-Grandpa.  He recently moved to Orange County from Oregon so we are all happy to have him a lot closer.

This truly is such a fun age and we are enjoying every moment of it.  Avery is such a happy toddler, most of the time.  She still has her moments:)  She is beginning to know feelings and will say things like, me cookie, now happy.  When you pretend to be sad, she will say mama needs a tissue, now happy.  She has a sad face that she can turn on and a happy face that comes just as fast.  She is a snuggler and gives the best loves.  She will tell you thank you and I love you without being prompted and that will just about melt your heart.  This transition from baby to toddler happened before my eyes and I still look at her little legs and remember how rolly polly they were and now they are so skinny.   When she is doing something that she shouldn't be or is doing something to test the limits, she gives you a mischievous look testing you to see what you are going to say or do.  She likes to test her boundaries that's for sure.

Reading is still one of her favorite things to do. She will sit mesmerized while you are reading to her and it's always one more.  She likes to do everything on her own and everything is me try, me try... She is pretty much miss independent! Her latest thing is that she hates things over her head so you have to go "really fast" so she doesn't get a boo boo on her head... Oh Aves.

Here are some more pics from the last few weeks.
Praying with Aunt Boo

 Practicing dance moves with Papa

26 months

A local photographer was running a special so we had a few pics taken at a local park on St Patrick's Day.  Avery was pretty good during the mini shoot but would have rather been playing the whole time!

Mine...

This seems to be Avery's favorite word now.  Anything that she sees or wants is "mine".  I got this in an email and thought it was fitting to our little 2 year old right now....

February 2012

What a month.  Avery has changed so much in the past month.  Overnight she went from having her 40-50 words that she says to speaking in 4-5 word sentences.  She will literally repeat whatever you say.  Some of the things that she repeats are really funny! She will say "wow, hooray, yah, allright", little things that we don't realize that we actually saw around her.  She has turned into a full fledged communicator!  I love it.  Her newest thing is to tell secrets.  She will whisper in your ear and say “ice ice baby”.  She thinks it is pretty funny and so do we!

She has become quite the procrastinator and manipulator when it is time to go to bed.  She always tries to do "one more" of something.  This can range from a tv show to playing with her legos, or reading books.  When it is time to go to bed, she has to be the one to turn off the light and shut the door.  Then she plays with her star machine for a minute or so.  After we sing songs and say our prayers, she has to lay her head on the Elmo pillow in her bed and has to tucked in with a blanket and it has to be wrapped under her feet.  She is quite particular about this.  She is still taking her nap at the same time and going to bed around 830 or so.

Currently Avery is taking an Art class at Kidville on Fridays and does her music class on Tuesday afternoons.   She truly loves both classes.  When she goes to art class, Ben usually takes her and then after they have their own routine of going to play in the outdoor area and getting ice cream.  It has to be the peanut butter chocolate.  The people that work at the ice cream shop actually know her!

One thing that amazes me is how well she can maneuver on the Ipad.  She plays all kinds of matching games and puzzles and other color and counting games.  She is really good!  It just amazes me how well she can go back and forth between the games that she likes.  She knows how to do it all.  She actually rarely watches movies on this anymore!  She has also started to enjoy a few more shows.  She loves Little Einsteins and calls it "pat pat" and still loves her Mickey Mouse show.  In fact Mickey and Minnie are still her absolute favorite.  Any time she sees them she lights up!  She also really likes Monsters Inc and calls it her Boo show for the little girl in the movie.

Unfortunately she was sick twice this month.  Through it all she was such a trooper.  There was only one night that she woke up in the middle of the night crying.  She had a cough and running nose and sore throat and had to do her nebulizer but was really good about it.  Luckily she is better now.  Thank God she hasn’t been sick too often, I feel so bad when she is!

Aunt Boo came out to visit twice this month, one for her second birthday and then again later in the month.  As always we have a good time when she comes and Aves loves to spend time with her.

Nana and Papa also came to visit.  She sure loves to spend time with them and having them here is a HUGE help!

Here are some pics from this month.