Conversations with Avery

In the car, on the way to a play date
Avery: Mommy, when we get home can you wipe my booger?!
Me: We can wipe it when we get to Mrs. Crystal's house.
Avery: I don't want you to wipe it!
Me: Well, we'll get rid of it in a tissue when we get there.
Avery: There, I got rid of it.
Me: Where did you put it?
Avery: Right here, safe and sound. Safe and sound.


This morning, after a time out. I'm trying to explain that what comes out of our mouths shows what's in our hearts. We had just had an incident over cupcake sprinkles. Just when I think she might be understanding what I'm trying to teach her, she ends with this:
Avery: Sprinkles come out of my mouth! God doesn't need my cupcake or sprinkles. (Or something to that effect, I was trying not to laugh - she might have said He can have them.)

Matching Jammies

Meet Avery's Babies

Avery has been accumulating baby dolls over the past 3 years, given as gifts or passed down from me from when I was a little girl. The current total is up to 5, glad it's not more than that. She's never named any of her dolls or stuffed animals - they are all called baby or bear or bunny - so creative, right? Today I had her sit down and pick names for them, mostly for my own curiosity to see what she would come up with.

I'd like to introduce you to:

Flannery

Selah

Analise

Skyler

Molly

Each of these babies are down for naps. Molly was the lucky one who got to nurse before her nap.

8 Months

"Which way outta here?!"

"Maybe right over the side?"

Last week we celebrated having a sweet 8 month old baby girl. I'm glad I can still call her a baby, because it won't be long until she's off into the toddler stage at the rate she's growing and hitting milestones.

This past month, Eleanor:
- pulls up on everything (including the flesh on the backs of my arms or legs, which leaves nice bruises from where she digs in), and often looks like she's just going to stand up and walk from wherever she is sitting. No lie. This girl crouches without holding onto anything. She is also easing herself back down, instead of falling back to the floor.
-has become a tentative cruiser. She takes a few steps down the length of the couch, usually to reach the remotes or the forbidden paper-page books.
-was rarely in the room that I left her in. It's good we have a small home, or else I'd never find her.
-is really loving solids, and is doing well at grasping with her thumb and forefinger, practicing with Puffs and Cheerios, and she liked tiny pieces of peas and carrots shared from Mommy's mexican rice.
-is fearless and bowls over everything. Luke calls her an All-Terrain Baby.
-has one mission in life: to get it in her mouth, no matter what it is
-rarely talks
-loved to sit and watch what is going on around her and plays quietly by herself sometimes, though she prefers to be in the middle of whatever Avery is doing
-scavenged for any food that Avery drops on the ground. She's helped herself to foods that she isn't ready for yet and has survived, which has helped me loosen up on what I feed her and when.
-is fully into taking big-girl baths, sometimes with Avery. I really have to watch her because she'll dive after the toys and sometimes comes up sputtering.
-still woke up once in the night, usually between 3 and 5 am.
-still doesn't have any teeth
-has continued to be a big mama's girl - I'm the only one who can calm her down consistently, and she prefers to cuddle with me over anyone else
-does well in the nursery at church or Bible study (until she gets hungry). She'll sometimes cry for a couple minutes when I leave, but then she's fine. I hope this continues, because this is such a nice change from Avery who had the worst separation anxiety.
-nursed 4-5 times a day
-had a really bad cold with a cough that lingered for over 2 weeks, but she's all cleared up now
-has withstood much of Avery's bullying. Avery thinks it's fun to wrestle with Eleanor, which is fine until it looks like Eleanor is a little too squished, or until Avery hits and kicks her. True story.
-discovered electrical sockets. I need to find my extra outlet covers.
-had her first nighttime giggling session with her sister. Melt.My.Heart.
-sucks on her bottom lip and just stares up at us with her big puppy dog eyes

I am enjoying her baby stage so much more than Avery's baby stage...not sure if it's because I was so new at this motherhood gig with Avery, or if Eleanor's personality is more fun as a baby. Avery is so much fun as a 3 year old - it's hard to compare them, because they are just so different. Eleanor definitely keeps us on our toes; we never know what we might find her getting into or eating. I can't believe that we're almost to the summer...last time this year I was enormously pregnant and still had an entire trimester to go. Can't wait to enjoy the pool with our sweet baby girl (and a less hefty body of my own). :)

Snippets of Life

post-party letdown. she zoned out on the couch before naptime. you'll notice that she's wearing, holding, and is surrounded by presents from her friends.

Avery said, "Look! I drew a cross!" [proud Mama here]

and then she drew some sunglasses. Can you see them?

Avery helped me put dishes away. She's in charge of silverware. She went above and beyond, don't you think?

Hey hey! Life is fun!

sassy

she thought Dora needed accessories too

big girl, drinking from a straw at 7 months!

this is how she went to her 3 year check up at the doctor...walked into the office just like this

Avery dotes on cousin Grayson

Eleanor wanted to pet him. He doesn't look too thrilled.

but now he's smiling at something Eleanor is doing

so pretty for church

Avery put the shorts on all by herself, can you tell?

what a mess - sweet potatoes on the face, drool dripping down, crawling over the bag of chips she was just trying to eat. she's been biting her lower lip lately, and it's so cute