two years + two months

Good gracious, another month has passed!  Some months drag on but more often than not I find myself thinking, it's that time already?!  And it is that time - Avery is twenty-six months old.

At 26 months Avery likes flashlights, babies, Diego, her owl blanket, armadillos, chicken nuggets, chocolate chips, marshmallows, Mommy & Daddy, swimming in the bathtub, reading books, pretending, and playing outside.  She dislikes sleeping in her own room and time out. 

Avery has really taken a liking to flashlights.  We keep them in random drawers around the house and I do believe she's found every one.  We have the super bright LED lights so I've really tried to emphasize not shining in faces, however I'm pretty sure that just makes her want to shine me directly in the eyes.  One night the batteries died on a flashlight and she came in the kitchen and threw it away while I was standing there, then walked off saying, "Need other flashlight."  Even during the day when I ask her to go put something up in her room she'll tell me it's too dark.  Just give the girl a flashlight and she'll help me pick up all day!  Now I did find socks, wash cloths, and a couple of toys all in one drawer, but she's trying!

She still loves Diego but now that it's football season we've been watching actual channels on the television.  Just one really, PBS.  I mentioned football season because it means Deran cares what direction and which channels the antenna can get.  Luckily it means we catch PBS. :)  The other day Avery asked Deran if she could watch Elmo.  I never thought I'd miss Elmo, but even I was excited to watch Elmo rescue his blue blanket in Grouchland.  I do love some monster muppets!

Avery is loving playing with her stuffed animals and still loves the armadillo we got at the zoo this summer.  In fact, that's what she wants to be for Halloween.  I keep throwing other suggestions out there but it comes back to the armadillo.  I have no idea how I'm going to make this happen, but she'll be the cutest armadillo ever! 

Avery has really been loving on me lately.  It's sweet because she looks for me and asks for me or about me, and it makes my heart happy.  She still loves her daddy too and lately she likes to be wrapped up in a blanket and proclaim her tiny baby status.  She went through a similar phase several months back, though now I think she just does it to get out of doing something else.  She says she's a big girl until it's something she doesn't want to do, then all of a sudden, "I a tiny baby!"

Her chatter fills the days and she's so adorable to listen to and talk with.  She often asks, "Where are we going now?" "What are we doing?" "What's that?" It's pretty crazy how much her vocabulary is changing and also how interested she is in EVERYTHING. :)  We've really been focusing on the alphabet, the senses, days of the week, and counting.  These things work into our daily lives so I don't think she ever feels like I'm pushing something on her and she lets me know when she's ready to move on.  But the great thing about young children is that they want to learn.  I read five books over breakfast and it's never enough.  She is all over craft time and she's always asking for music.  She's gotten good at manipulating her fingers but when she points out two of something she always puts her two pointer fingers together and it makes me smile because she's so darn cute.   

She has really started eating more food and I'm glad!  When I bake chicken nuggets, she will sometimes eat almost TWO.  That's huge for us!  She really loves marshmallows and chocolate chips.  Any time I open the freezer she starts whining, "I need chocolate chips! I need my chocolate chips!" and repeat.  Sadly, she has the beginning of a cavity in one tooth so we've really been trying to avoid sticky sugary snacks.  Not that five chocolate chips a couple times a week are harmful, but if it was up to her she'd have them all day! :)

Avery really dislikes sleeping in her own bed.  This is kind of sad and since we're not cry-it-out parents, she ends up in our bed every night.  At least she doesn't just lay in her bed and cry, waiting for us to come pick her up like she used to.  Now she gets up and makes her way across the house to our room where she's scooped up and given a little love.  

Avery has the most ridiculous sad face and pouty lip.  She throws in some dramatically slow blinks and then squints her eyes like maybe she'll cry if she has to?  I don't know but it'll leave you thinking both, "Awwww!" and "Really? Seriously?! Get. Over. It."  Mostly though, it just gets her what she wants. 

Another long winded post this month.  It just seems like she's always doing something and I want to remember.  I was looking through old photos the other night and I missed that baby.  Thinking about what we were doing then, what she was doing then, mmm.  Just pulled at my heart - how quickly this life is moving around us.  I'm close to both of my parents, and pretty affectionate too, but nothing compared to hugs and kisses and cuddles with my Avery Kate.  I sometimes wonder if my parents miss it.  I know they have four grandkids to cuddle now, but do they miss their babies?  I mean, the grandkidlets are pretty adorable, but maybe I'll give them an extra hug next time we're together.

Love love love our girl.  I can't wait to see what this month has in store for us with a festival, an armadillo costume, pumpkin patches, and more fall fun!  I'm so glad I get to stay home with her!

Happy 26 month birthday sweet girl, we love you lots!