The Things She Asks

A long time ago, I started pointing out things that God made to Avery while we're driving around town. I'd ask her, "Who made the sky, the grass, the leaves, the birds....?" She would never respond, but I'd bring it up periodically. This week it's opened up conversation between us in HUGE ways. I am in awe of this age and the way her mind works and the things that are taking root. It reminds me that we should be ever diligent in implanting in our children truth, even if the fruit isn't apparent immediately.

While driving to church on Sunday, she began telling me and asking me what God made.
"Did God make the birds?"
...the grass?
...the water?
...the clouds in the sky?
...the cars?
...baby Eleanor's carseat?

which led to a "yes, but" statement on my part, explaining how God made the materials for our car and the carseats and gave people brains to think how to make them. A lesson in nature versus manufacturing that I assumed was over her head. Yesterday, she told her Aunt Shell that God made the "terials" for her carseat and Eleanor's carseat.

This then led to our conversation this morning. The logic in her brain is astounding sometimes. Since God makes things, did God make me (Mommy) sad? She had seen me crying yesterday, and I guess it was still bothering her today. And then, does she make Mommy sad? What a reminder to sit down and remind her how much I love her and how much more so God loves her and Mommy. That sometimes people get sad, but she makes me happy (insert reminder that disobedience makes Mommy sad!), and that God makes me happy. He makes me feel better.

A short, simplistic conversation, but seeds are being planted, and today I am grateful.

Happy ♥ Day

Valentine's Day is a much more enjoyable holiday when you have kids. Any little excuse to surprise my girlies with some fun treats is fine by me! Eleanor didn't really partake in the holiday this year, but she did get decked out in some pink heart duds for the day.

The day started with chocolate chip pancakes, and then at dinner I surprised Avery with a little mailbox of goodies. (Target One Spot - I ♥ you!)

so serious

oh! a good one.

the following are what I got when I asked Aves to smile

sweet sisters

love this one, and love that Aves has her arm around Eleanor

Heart Day stickers, conversation hearts, and new socks

I let her eat the whole box after dinner, and then no more! all gone! didn't have to deal with them the next day

5 Months

 Poor little Eleanor, I never get monthly photos of you. Instead, I get these:

And, I always post late. This time it's 9 days late. Poor sweet baby, you're loved a ton. Your mama is just REALLY bad at documenting it!

At 5 months, you:

• are quick to offer smiles to anyone who pays attention to you
• roll from back to tummy mostly, though you're getting better at rolling tummy to back, which will be really useful one day when I put you to bed, so I don't have to keep rescuing you. 
• sleep through the night most of the time, though occasionally you want to eat around 3 or 4 am. Most nights you're down from 6:30 to 5 or 6 am, and then back to bed for another hour or two.
• love tummy time - you can play for an hour, just rolling around, reaching for the toys and are starting to scoot towards them if they are out of reach
• always rotate 90 degrees when you're laying down, and sometimes in the morning I find you with your head at a different end of the crib entirely
• are weaned off the swaddling blanket, but naps are shorter now. Grrrr.
• nap for an hour in the morning, a catnap before lunch, and then an afternoon nap, if it's a good day. 
• love the Ergo and almost always fall asleep in it if I sway constantly
• have taken a couple bottles, but consistently fight them and prefer it from the source
• still stay with me during Bible study and church. February isn't the best month to start you in the nursery, thankyouverymuchcoldandfluseason
• are behind on your monthly vaccines - we spread them out and at this point, I might reschedule again and just wait til your 6 month well-check and simply be behind on the shots
• seem SO interested in food and track my every bite. Not yet kiddo! I'm not ready to switch to changing that kind of diaper.
• WITHOUT FAIL poop when you are wearing white, and usually when in the car, which means one week I washed the car seat 3 times. One of those was so bad that I went through half a package of wipes (no lie) and was mopping it up from the base of the car-seat (as in, the part where the car-seat clicks into the car - it seeped through the whole seat down into a puddle in the base). Our friend Ms. Katie was visiting from NYC, and I think this episode was pretty effective birth control for her and her hubby Mr. Ben.
• are still nursing well and seem satisfied after each meal, so another reason to wait on solids for a few more weeks
• have found your squealing voice, and shout out when you're in the bouncer playgym when I walk by
• are most fond of Avery. She can get you to laugh better than anyone else, and you light up when she comes into the room or pays attention to you.
• are happy happy happy

We love you so much, sweet girl!

Conversations with Avery

The other day, she bolted from the car and ran straight to the front door. She likes to "hide" on the front porch, waiting for me to come around the corner. She turned to look at me and told me, "I want to poop inside." Okaaaaayyyyy, I think we can handle that. Did she want to poop on the potty inside? Nope. Just didn't want to do it in the great outdoors.

Later that day, she shut her bedroom door in Luke's face and told him, "I'm going to poop in here." 

I think we might be moving past the booger stage. 

Speaking of boogers, most of her conversations have been about boogers this past week. They're usually in the realm of "I have a booger. Wanna help me clean it?" Sometimes she doesn't ask, and she just wipes it on my jeans, to which I reply "Ew, go get a tissue." Instead of blowing her nose and wiping her fingers, she wipes my jeans and leaves tissue fuzz stuck to the booger that is STILL there. 

When tucking her into bed one night, she asked if I wanted to cuddle. I said sure, I'd love to, for two minutes. She looked at me with her negotiation stare: "How about 3 minutes?" Ha, ok. Then, "How about 20 minutes?" Ha, no.

Yesterday, she was jumping on my bed and telling me that she was climbing the tallest "hell." What?! In what episode does Dora go to hell? Turns out, it was a hill. Of course. Everything is hills and mountains around here.

"Mommy, Eleanor has a scratch on her belly. She has two scratches on her belly." No, Avery, those are Eleanor's nipples. You have nipples too. "I don't want you to show me my nipples!"

One night, right after putting Eleanor to bed, Avery asked to go to Target. I told her we couldn't go tonight, and she had a literal meltdown. Sobbing, "I want to go to Target! I want to go to Target!" And, this wasn't a tantrum, but just utter, extreme, sadness over not being able to go shopping at Target. I think she might be my child.

Leaving Bible study today, she ran up to me out of the nursery and told me, "I missed you so much." while she held my hand. Make my heart melt!

Hiding Out

We've been keeping it home-bound for awhile, trying to stay afloat among the waves that keep crashing, but we're here and finding joy in the small things each day. Grief is a strange process.

Thankful for:
Eleanor, who grew 3 inches and 3 lbs in a month! She's now weighing in at 15-2 and is 26". Chunky little thighs are adorable! She is in 6 month clothes mostly, though I've gotten her in a few 9 months shirts. Long torso, short legs. Sorry kid. She is also in the bouncer playgym now, rolls all over the place, is being weaned from swaddling as I type, was sleeping better til I had to break the swaddle, took a bottle willingly for the first time last night, grabs for objects, can replace her paci, and loves Sophie the giraffe.

Avery, who narrates life. My life, her life, everybody's life. She's really into boogers right now. She also loves Dora and speaks in a mix of Spanish and English, plays pretend according to what she sees on Dora, and counts everything. She also reads all the letters on magazines, books, t-shirts, labels...if it has words on it, she's telling you what letters are there. And yes, she knows all 26 letters, plus some sounds. Smart girl. She hates the potty and won't potty train, though it's been stressful around here, so I'm not forcing it for fear of trauma and later regression. I might be potty-training both girls at the same time one day. Sigh.

Friends, who bring meals and plan playdates and listen and cry and pray. Especially thankful for friends or family who bring fro-yo.

Family, who simply surrounds and loves. And provides cute babies to cuddle.

Church, for the body of Christ who acts as the body of Christ should. You all are simply amazing.

Christ, for grace and acceptance and strength and hope and peace.

I read One Thousand Gifts last year, and instantly fell in love with it. I re-read it recently, and still love it, and this time I started my own gratitude journal. I'm not as faithful as I'd like to be in recording gifts, but my list is growing and I love to go back and see them all written down. They are a reminder that God cares for me in all things. Beauty is everywhere. An attitude of gratitude helps put us in a right relation with Him. "Us laid low. Before God on High." via