All About Avery - Age 2

Height:  35.5 inches (93%)

Weight: 29.2 lbs (80%)

Diaper size: None!  Just pull-ups at night

Clothes size: 2T but I have been buying 3T for the summer
Avery likes to change her clothes several times a day.  She picks out what she wears each day and generally wants none of my input (already?!).  She can change her own underpants and pants, so she goes through those a lot.  For awhile, she thought she had to change them every time she used the bathroom.  Luckily, she's over that! (sort of) 
Shoe size: 7

Eats:  Avery is a great little eater.  Not so much on the quantity, but definitely on the variety.  She generally will try just about anything and likes most things.  The problem lies with her obsession with Rudy and doing/saying/eating exactly as he does.  As soon as Rudy declares he doesn't like it, she typically follows.  And when I ask what Avery wants to eat, she always changes to whatever Rudy wants.  She fluctatuates on quantity.  One day she will seem to eat nonstop, the next she barely takes a few bites.  All is normal so I don't force it too much. 

The other end:  No problems there!  She is regular and has no issues.  (Odd to be able to finish that topic with two sentences!)

Sleeps: Avery wakes up for the day any time between 6:30 and 8:00, but generally right around 7:00 am.  It usually depends who else is waking up and starting to wake up everyone else first.  Avery still naps almost every day.  The time sort of varies based on Ben.  I typically can't get her to fall asleep if Ben is awake because he (or caring for him) is too distracting.  So whenever Ben falls asleep, it's usually all hands on deck getting Avery asleep.  She naps on the couch or in bed with me (if someone else is here to hang with Rudy).  She falls asleep pretty easily.  Some days she will skip a nap if too much is going on, and it doesn't seem to rock her world that evening all too much... a couple days of missed naps and that's a different story.  Avery usually falls asleep on the couch in the evenings and then I take her back to her room for the night.  Depending on how good of a nap she's had, she is usually asleep around 9 (the last of the three asleep on most nights).  If she is too distracted and overly tired, I will lay with her in her bed for her to fall asleep (as long as someone else is here or the boys are already asleep).  She typically sleeps in her room all night, but sometimes wakes up and stumbles into our room - and we don't mind because we like our time snuggling Avery!   

Talks:  Nonstop.  Seriously.  This girl does not stop talking.  Jabber, jabber, jabber.  She'll repeat herself over and over and over until someone responds.  It is such a difference from Rudy at this age, who was barely talking.  She learns a lot from Rudy being the age he is.  She knows the alphabet, can count to at least twelve, sings songs she hears, knows colors, shapes, etc, recites her favorite books when she "reads" them (Brown Bear comes to mind).  Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that she's just 2, as we tend to group her and Rudy together.  I think Rudy does too and thats when he gets frustrated by her (like when he wants to play Candy Land and she doesn't quite grasp the rules just yet).

Teeth: Still working on those 2-year molars.  We've seen no signs of them coming, either.  Then again, she never made much of a fuss about any of her teeth so we'll see.  Maybe they'll just appear some day.

Interests: Rudy and Ben.  She is infatuated with Rudy and loves on Ben constantly.  The way she says, "Hi Bubbers" melts my heart.  She likes playing sports with Rudy, but is also a fan of her doll house and babies.  She would prefer to read a book than watch a movie but I also think that has to do with Rudy always taking control of what we watch.  When he isn't around or when he falls asleep, she asks for "her show" - right now it's Doc McStuffins.  She loves doing projects - painting and playing with glue are her favorites.  She loves to play outside - swing, take walks, climb on anything.  She's a big help around the house (laundry, unloading the dishwasher, fetching diapers/paceys/wipes for Ben) and is always by my side when I am getting ready playing in my make-up (dis for eyes, mom? dis for my wips, mom?)  Rudy is her best friend.  She is his shadow.  I've said it 100 times, then people will say, "She really does do or say everything he does!"  I'm not exaggerating.  She looks up to Rudy and follows his every move all. the. time.  She looks after Ben.  If he is fussing or when he wakes up, she'll say to me, "Mom, you better go get Ben."  Or she'll make sure he has a pacey throughout the day.  Or she works to make him laugh and play.   

Personality: Sweet and sassy.  So sweet.  And so sassy (that's a polite word).  She's silly - makes us laugh all the time!  She's timid in a crowd, but not scared.  She is independent in the sense that she doesn't mind if she is left to play at the gym, but she is reserved when she's there.  Or when we have her friends over, she doesn't jump right into the activity.. she hangs back until she warms up.  She is a dare-devil.  There isn't much she won't try to do and not much intimidates her (all of that comes directly from her dad).  She doesn't shy away from snakes, climbing the fire engine, crazy stunts Rudy puts her up to/riding rides/dumping cold water on her head (makes us nervous for when she's a teen!!).  And to top that off, she's tough.  A very tough cookie.  Bumps, scrapes, bruises.. doesn't slow her down!

 

Mom-attached:  My girl is very attached to her mama.  Some days it can be so exhausting.  It has caused a lot of internal struggle for me.  My instinct is to "tough love" her - i.e. push her away when she's being unnecessarily attached (like she doesn't need to sit on my lap during meals, or Dad can make her juice or give her a bath or open her car door).  But then I think... some day she is going to hate me and want nothing to do with me.  Hopefully she'll come back to me, as "they" say they do, but I'll be lucky if she likes me then.  Sure, she'll love me, but really like me.  Who knows what our relationship will be like?  So why not just enjoy these years of her loving me without fail?  And on the other hand (how many hands am I up to now?), with Avery demanding so much of my attention and Ben requiring so much of me, I feel like I miss Rudy somedays.  I try to get quality time with him when I can each day, but I have to make a serious effort.  Of course not everything has to be equal and the kids have and will have different needs throughout their lives, but it hurts me to think I'm letting any of them down or not there for them as much as I should be.  Having kids is hard!

 

Terrible Two's: what I wrote for Rudy at this time, "Uh, yes! I won't rant, but he can be a challenge lately. Lots of fits, lots of mischief, lots of defiance... some days it takes so much to not lose my mind! :) But I honestly think that has a lot to do with my mood that day or what all I'm trying to accomplish. If I focus on Rudy and just being with him, he's fine. But I can't always do that and he has to learn to entertain himself for a few minutes a day! Oh and the fits where he refuses to walk.. those happen all too frequently and they are getting soooo old. I can't carry around 2 babies all day. One is hard enough!"  Ditto.  Some times Avery gets so grumpy and irrational.  She makes no sense in her fits.  None at all.  I offer what she wants, she doesn't want it (for example, she cries to be held so I try to pick her up, but she goes limp and won't let me pick her up.. all while she's still crying to be held.  Or she cries for me to snuggle her, as I'm laying next to her snuggling.  She gets mad at Rudy for taking a toy and when he gives it back to her, she throws it down).

All in all, I think it's safe to say that Avery isn't our middle child, she's our center.