Oh, Avery. Our sweet Avery. She has played her cards just right. Her true colors are starting to show through and this one is going to keep us on our toes! She is onry and so much work lately, totally exhausting… I see this girl getting away with too much and knowing how to use her sweetness to her advantage.
"What, me??"
Little Miss found her hat and insisted on wearing it. She kept it on for over an hour that morning and now regularly throws it on here and there.
So besides our activities, what's been up with Avery lately? So much! Where to start?
15-Month Wellness Check Stats:
Weight: 24 lbs, 6 ounces (86%)
Height: 31 ¾ inches (85%)
Head: 46.9 cm (80%)
Not bad :)
Peach is talking way more than I anticipated at this age! Rudy was on the low end of normal and Avery must be on the high end. She can say so much already… Mom, Dad, Nan, Papa, ball, oh no, all done, alright, yea, dog, bow, hat, bubble, all aboard, ni-night, hi, and noises for monkey, duck, dog, elephant, monster, bugs, and her blanket. And there have got to be more that I am missing. Her pediatrician said they like to see them speaking 5 words at 15 months… well she's ahead of the curve on this one!
She is so busy and has no fear whatsoever. We have to keep a close eye on this one. She is dangerous! Rudy was the same way, except Rudy didn't have a 2-year old to try and keep up with and follow every move. They are curious and wonder, but don't quite know how to take direction so it's constantly a chasing game. At least this time I am confident there is light at the end of the tunnel because Rudy can be trusted to play or do projects or behave so that we can go out to eat or even walk outside of the cart at the store. Avery... not a chance.
She is very attached to her mama. To the extreme. She is warming up to people in general, but she is still a shy girl. She will play and roam and do her thing, but if she senses at all that I am not within sight, she comes looking. Or if she feels threatened that I will leave, she is clinging on. And if she's tired, I might as well strap her to me. The girl will not go to anyone else, nor will she settle for being sat down. One night at dinner I couldn't even stand up to get a drink without her freaking out. I hear she does fine once I'm gone on the days I have to leave, but if I'm around, she rarely gives me breathing room. I think I'm making it sound worse than it is. In a good mood or on a good day, which is pretty regular, she is content to play or be entertained by someone else as long as I am still visible. But if I am available, she will insist on me. She's at that age and its likely just a phase, but its looking like having a new baby around is going to rock her world. I remember having this same concern with Rudy (although he was never this attached), and it all worked out. It took some adjusting and was heartbreaking when I couldn't always hold him, but no harm done. So I'm trying not to worry about it too much because everything seems to have a way of working itself out. It will probably be the best thing for her to have to share and good for me because I won't have an option otherwise.
She still sleeps peacefully all night, usually from about 8:00 pm - 7:00 am. The last couple weeks have been rough when it comes to naps. For whatever reason, she cries and cries at nap time. She falls asleep being rocked, sound asleep even, but when I go to put her in her crib she freaks out. I spent a couple days picking her back up, rocking her back to sleep easily, then she does the same thing. Since she is normally a great sleeper, I took her to the doctor to make sure everything was ok and she looked great. Rudy went through this too and we had to have him "cry it out" and it was horrible, but it only lasted a few days. We have been attempting this with Avery but she is persistent! She has yet to fall asleep during this time and it's been about a week. Rudy had problems at nighttime initially which worked out because he would cry for what seemed like forever, but would eventually be tired enough to give in and sleep the rest of the night. Unfortunately with nap time, there are only so many hours. SO after a couple hours of crying (granted the last few days she has shown some hope and at least taken 5-10 minute breaks -- just enough time for me to start getting hopeful that she fell asleep before she starts crying again), I have to get her out of her crib because it's time to get on with the afternoon/night. It's frustrating because it seems like she isn't learning the lesson that she has to fall asleep and instead keeps crying and we will eventually come and get her. John has been home about a week due to his latest injury (never a dull moment around here) and we decided that we are going to start waking her up in the morning when Rudy wakes up, which is usually around 6:00 and get her down for her nap by around 1:00 (now we are pushing 2:00 most days)… we are hoping this gets her a little more tired for nap time and also gives her time to actually take a nap once she gives in (she has to give in, right?!?).
She's a good eater. She loves to eat and she likes just about everything. I don't have to worry about getting this one to eat fruits and vegetables, she takes them down easily. And she isn't hesitant to taste new things. She will pretty much give anything a try… even Rufus' food and treats. She makes a mess of meals. Wow. She thinks everything is a hat, including her plate. If we don't catch her quick enough, she puts her plate on her head when she is done eating (and looks proudly at us and says, "Hat!"). Rudy says, "Sissy hot mess!"
Hot mess. Peach is such a hot mess, all the time. She has a way of making everything she comes into contact with a gigantic mess. It's unreal. Food, playing outside, our projects… she finds a way to make a mess all the time!
Her and her brother are the best of friends. Rudy can be a bully to her at times, but they always want each other around. If one sleeps longer than the other, they want to wake each other up. I catch glimpses of why I am happy to have them so close in age… like the day they sat in my bathroom while I was getting ready and put on a full tea party (with no interaction or pushing from me! I heard a lot of, "Here, Sissy. Yea! Yumm!" And looked back to see them pretending to drink from cups and eat cakes.) Or when they sit and build blocks together and laugh when they knock them over. Or when they set up their tees and play ball and clap for each other. Or when they make funny faces at each other, just to get the other's reaction. Or when Avery falls down and Rudy is the first to run to her, pat her on her back and say, "Ohhh Sissy" and give her a kiss (He also loves to be the first to tell her "No, Sissy!" when she is doing something she shouldn't).
"Sis, hold still while I give you a kiss."
And Rudy?
Rudy wants to do everything on his own. Everything. It can wear us out! Watching him put socks on is the most brutal 2-3 minutes. We went through a period where getting dressed in the morning was torture for everyone. Rudy hadn't quite got the hang of it, but wanted no help. It took forever, and usually ended in someone getting upset!… either Rudy for not being able to get something on or us for getting frustrated that getting out of the house took 45 minutes! But he has gotten better and we made a conscious effort to get him dressed right away in the morning so we weren't as rushed trying to get somewhere. Now he wants to get in the car by himself. He is something else.
He is so damn bossy and he knows just how he likes things. Period. How he wants his blanket, how he wants his food, where we sit, etc. etc. etc.
John has been collecting coins in a glass jug for over 10 years, probably close to 15. Whenever John has coins for the jar, he gives it to Rudy to put in. It's sort of turned into a little thing they have together, and Rudy thinks its his own money. Unfortunately, the jug broke one evening… doesn't everything with kids around?! Instead of letting him take it to the bank, I quickly ordered a replacement. They aren't cashing that in until it is completely full, even though its close!
Here they are spending some time one morning refilling their jug…
I was so happy to catch this on film. The boss tells us, "Wait!" with one finger up. John was putting coins in too fast and Rudy wanted him to take turns equally… "Wait, Dad!"
Another example: When we were working on building the shelf for Ben, Rudy needed to go find his tools. As he ran off, he stopped quick and told me, "Mom, wait!" - as in, don't you dare start without me. Or at night when I am getting ready to cover him up with his blanket, if he isn't quite comfortable or situated yet, I get told to wait.
And speaking of blankets, Rudy has become attached to one particular blanket. I've always wondered if he would have a "thing" - it wasn't looking like it until out of nowhere one day he decided to wanted this one particular blanket. There are probably 4-6 small blankets of his in his bed or around the house, and several stuffed animals here or there, so it's not like this has always been the blanket we have used with him or anything. But now he has to have "Bl" (not sure if he is trying to say blue or blanket!) for everything nap, nighttime, or just whenever throughout the day.
Rudy has been so good lately (I hate to put that in writing and jinx us). He is fun to be around, cracks us up with his toddler talk and expressions, and listens well enough that he's able to do more, too. We must be getting close to those Terrific Three's!
Potty training progress: Well unfortunately, not much to report. He is still a champ at #1's. But we have yet to have consistent #2 activity. The small amounts of successful #2's are basically just accidents that they end up in the toilet. Of course we make a HUGE deal about them, hoping it will encourage repeat performances, but no such luck, We have been good about giving him fiber and Miralax everyday, and he seems to be in no pain or discomfort, but he still hasn't shown interest in going on the potty. In fact, his accidents don't seem to bother him too much. He lets us know right away, we get him cleaned up, and on his way he goes.
I could go on and on, but I'll leave you with that for now…
I could go on and on, but I'll leave you with that for now…
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