18 Months Old

We officially have a 1.5 year old and she is learning how to express her almost toddler self quite well. Avery has learned the beginnings of swimming and is working on holding her breath under water.  She is running, can throw and kick a ball, use all her utensils at meal time and is starting to drink from a normal cup. She is trying to jump but more so hops on to her tip toes and back down.

She is saying so many new words, the latest and greatest is Nana and Abby - just in time for our Florida trip in February. She has started to mimic nursery ryhmes and can point to every animal in her animal book when you ask her where they are.  She still has an adorable bitza bitza bitza that she mumbles out all the time and I love.  Avery is OBSESSED with Mickey Mouse Club and Paw Patrol and she can point to all the characters - Proudly!

Our beautiful 18 mo old

At our 18 month Dr appoitmtnet, Avery weighed 24lbs 5oz (75th percentile) she is 31.75 inches long (50th percentile) and her head is 18 7/8 inches round (90th percentile).  She has all 20 baby teeth and will eat almost anything that we give her.  Some days she's into things and others she's not but she has a very healthy appetite as her tummy shows :) Avery still takes one nap a day usually two hours from around 12:30-2:30 but can vary on days.  She sleeps like a rock at night from 7:30pm till 7am.  One fun new thing is Avery has started to display some toddler tendencies and has mild temper tantrums. We do our best to try not to encourage the behavior and move on to another activity.  

pretending to work like Mommy and Daddy

On weekends we usually try to have friends over one night - that seems to just be easier than getting a baby sitter and paying someone to be here while she sleeps.  So basically paying someone to watch tv in our house.  Nick and Jenny are usual suspects, they try to come over earlier enough to play with Avery and get some hugs and snuggles in before she goes to bed.  

One of Avery's Favorites came over for dinner - Uncle Nick

And we had fun with the selfie stick after you went to bed

too much fun!

Snuggles in the morning with my angel! 

Mommy had Presidents day off from work so we had a fun day together.  After morning sunggles and Paw Patrol, surprise surprise we got ready for our day.  We did lots of coloring, ran a few errands together - Target is our favorite place to walk the isles and run around.  We took a nap, and then played in the basement for the afternoon. 

Rachel does such a great job of finding fun activities for you. Even if they are normal to us or even work. 

Avery helping out swiffer the kitchen floor

At Library story time

Another visit you guys made a lot this winter was going to PetSmart to visit all the animal.  You love being able to stare and talk to them and imitate them. 

Saying hello to the birds

saying hi to the doggies

saying hi to the kitties

Goofing around in her old tub

Riding her polar bear after waking up from a nap - killer hair!!

drawing 

Bubble time at Gymboree

Climbing like such a big girl at Gymboree

A fun activity Rachel came up with, sticking pipe cleaners through a pasta strainer

Swim Class

This winter we decided to enroll Avery in swim lessons. We signed up at Foss Swim School as we know several friends that have also gone there and really liked it.  I wasn't ready last winter when she was only six months old and i'm glad we waited.  She appreciates the activity so much every Sunday and looks forward to it.

In class Avery has become comfortable with water on her face and ears, poured over her head and going underwater.  She loves blowing bubbles and goes under water for 4 seconds.  She gets excited to jump in the pool during the Humpty Dumpty part and loves the Ring Around the Rosie mat part of class as well.  She's less into the back float but we are working on it and she will even do it on her own during bath time every night.

17 Months Old

Peanut is already 17 months old!!! How time flies... a year ago this time we were packing up all our holiday items and enjoying our sweet little girl - she was leaning how to sit up, laughing and taking so many adorable pictures.  Today Avery is on the go, girlfriend is running around nonstop, playing with her favorite friends, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Elmo.  Avery can go down her slide all by herself.  She understands what is asked of her and sometimes chooses to ignore the direction - she's becoming a true toddler.

What a different a year makes! 5 months vs. 17 months

First time sporting pig tails

snuggle day with Mommy

Loving her new toys from xmas

playing in mommies uggs

Rachel is very creative on new a different activities to take peanut to.  she recently found a story time group at the library that Avery is loving.  They read different books, nursery rymes, song and do all sorts of activites.  They also have a play room that she loves going to afterward. 

I think it's time to invest in her own play kitchen