Saturday, January 19, 2013

Dear Avery. 8 months oldI

Hi Sunshine!

Guess what? You are MOBILE!! No, you aren't crawling yet, though I am very surprised you aren't because you are soo close to crawling. You are a bum scooter. And you are very quick on that little bum of yours! You figured out how to scoot around on your bum and have lost a lot of interest in trying to crawl when we put you on your belly, even though you can almost do it.

Christmas was so much fun this year. You didn't really know what was going on of course, but it was really cute to see you and Addison opening your presents (and by opening, I mean chew on for you) together. Avery, you are an eater. And thank goodness for that, because we STILL can't get your sister to eat much. Daddy and I wonder if you are going to start a new tradition on Christmas morning or if this year was an exception. Daddy and I usually get our coffee and then we all open presents and have breakfast after. But this year, we had to take a break about 20 minutes into the present opening to feed you. Addie we couldn't feed at all, she was too excited, but you, you started falling apart and needed that food. It was really funny. Santa brought you lots of baby food and rice puff snacks in your stocking, and you were very quick to figure out how to feed yourself.
You girls are so loved. You have so many people that buy you gifts. You girls got so many presents that it was almost embarrassing when people came over and saw our tree. Aside from your snacks, your favourite present was the little tikes garden activity center that Santa brought you. It is really cute. You like to open the door and play with the little chimes, and sit inside and play with the phone on the wall. You also like to sit outside while Addie pops in and out of the slide and plays peek a boo with you. You are still a peek a boo fanatic! I am looking forward to having many more Christmas mornings with my girls. I just love watching you two together.

This was a busy month for you. You learned how to bum scoot and started pulling yourself up to stand when we grab your hands! My favourite thing you did recently though, was to say "mama". It was the sweetest sound I have ever heard, and I think you know what you are saying because you call "mama" from your crib when you want out! You also learned how to clap and to sign "more" and "food".

A little about you at this age: you are wearing your cloth diapers during the day, and you wear a size 3 disposable diaper to bed at night. You started waking up every two hours again this month, so a couple weeks into that, I decided you needed a 4th meal, so we give you a bedtime bowl of cereal now and you sleep from 8pm to 3 then nurse and go right back to bed until about 7am. You always have huge smiles when Addie comes in when you wake up. She is always the first one there and yelling at us "come get Aralee, Aralee's awake". When you go sleep for a nap or bedtime, you like to have your sleepsheep on "ocean sounds" and to be rocked. If we just put you in your crib, you will just lie there playing, you need to be rocked. You love to run the satin of your birdie blanket through your fingers while we rock you, and you like to pull your left ear. I try not to let you pull your ear though, because your nails are always sharp, even though I cut them all the time, and you have little scratches on the backs of your ears from the pulling. My favourite new thing, that you just started is reaching out to us. You reach one little hand out and spread your fingers wide open. I just love it when you reach for me. You are a real eater. I feed you cereal and fruit for breakfast, veggies and fruit for lunch and dinner, and a bowl of cereal for bedtime snack. But you also still nurse 3-6 times a day and are enjoying your rice puffs and rice crackers too. You love feeding yourself, but Addison loves to feed you too, so we have to watch you when there is food around. So far we've caught you with cookies and chicken finger pieces and french fries. All given to you by your big sister. She also likes to give you stickers, which we have to watch because you eat those too.

My boss emailed me this week about returning to work. I have to tell you, it is a really difficult decision for me to make. I am not ready to go back to work yet. I just love spending my days at home with you girls, and making our little trips to the library, or the early years center, shopping, or visiting friends. The problem is, I don't think I am ever going to be ready to go back to work and leave you girls in daycare all day. We can't afford for me to stay home right now, but I just can't stand the thought of not being with you all day. I love you so much, and I just don't want to miss a thing. I would miss you more than you could ever know.

I really do just love you to pieces. I have already started planning your birthday party, and can't wait to see what you learn and how you grow next month.

Love forever and always,
your adoring mama


Dear Avery, 7 Months

Oh my dear Avery Leigh, the little sunshine in my day. You are already 7 months old little one, and getting so big! You haven't gone through any major growth spurts yet, and our scale is broken, so I really don't know what you weigh, but you are growing so much intellectually, it is amazing.

You discovered how to shake your head "no" and "yes" and you don't really have any reason to do it, you just think it's fun so it has become a new game. You really like to shake your head "no" when we are rocking you to sleep. It is pretty funny, I swear you know what you're doing and it's your way of asking to stay up later.

You started screaming this month. It is hilarious, you get quite a bit of attention from it, and you love it. You especially like to scream at your sister, and you copy her now when she is screaming or singing. It is really cute in the car, because we can't really see you, but we can hear you and Addie screaming back and forth at each other, like it's your own special game.

You have started skipping a nap a day this month. You can either skip your morning nap when we are out, and I don't blame you. I wouldn't want to nap either if I were you and we were out at the early years center or the library. There is far too much to look at and play with there! Or you skip your afternoon nap on the days we are home and play with your sister all afternoon. You want so badly to go where she goes and play with what she is playing with. She is really good about bringing you toys and playing with you though. Your sister just adores you.

You finally started sleeping through the night again. I wasn't sure if you were going to start again, but you have. Not consistently, but most nights you do. I really don't mind the nights you wake up a lot though, every time I go into your room, you flash me that beautiful smile and I feel blessed to have some extra time with you. Even if it is in the middle of the night.

You had a really bad cold this month. It is only the second time you have been sick since you were born, but it was awful. You were so congested and stuffed up that you could barely breathe, and I had to sit with you in the bathroom with the shower steam going to give you some relief. You are such a little trooper though. You hardly complained at all.

You are really enjoying your swimming lessons these days. You get in that pool and your little arms and legs start going like a little fish. Daddy and I just love watching you swim, and Addison couldn't be prouder to show you how to jump in and encourage you when you do it.

I know I keep saying it my love, but you are the happiest baby ever. You are so easy to take care of and just such a happy little spirit to have around. I miss you soo much when you aren't with me.

I am so excited to spend your first Christmas with you. We have almost finished our shopping, and Addison even wrote a special part in her letter to Santa about something you would like too. I can't wait to see you and your sister together in your Christmas jammies unwrapping all those pretty presents under the tree. I am so blessed to have you sweetheart.

I love you so much!
Love Mama