Amy Schilling Photography Blog

July 3, 2012

two years + eleven months

Goodness, where does the time go?!  This has been a whirlwind month of travel and visits with family and friends.  Avery loves to remind us that she's a big girl now, she's not a baby anymore.  And it's true, at one month shy of three she's well into toddlerhood - but in my heart of hearts, she'll always be my baby girl.

At 35 months, Avery loves her stuffed animals, being outside, PBS, Momma & Daddy (always!), pretzels, avoiding sleep, her schoolwork, being independent, being held, and the new baby.  She dislikes going to sleep and big bugs.  The last month has been really great!!

Avery has been mostly well the last several weeks, perhaps I should go out and find a tree to bang my head against for saying it, but it's so fantastic not to go to the doctor every week!!  And she is officially potty trained!  Though technically that was early in her 34th month, as she began using the toilet on June 11th and we've never looked back.  We are so proud of her and I'm amazed at how easy it has been, even with my disdain for public toilets we venture on and she's never had an accident!

Avery is still a light eater though I've thought she felt heavier lately.  The scales haven't moved so maybe it's just my pregnant brain.  I've learned not to stress as much and we'll re-evaluate at her yearly check-up.  My friend Rachael (also the mom of a little little) once told me that her doctor said as long as the child is getting the calories weekly, not to worry so much with the day to day.  I tucked that away and recall it as needed.  It's a little crazy the nutritional information I have running through my mind when it comes to snacks and meals.  I'm mostly concerned with calories, calcium, protein, and iron.  Avery still doesn't drink milk and I'm convinced if she did there wouldn't be any weighty issues.  But such is not our life and if our girl doesn't like milk, she doesn't like it and that's okay!

It's summer and I think Avery would spend most of the day outside if only I'd let her.  Though when she's had enough she lets me know that she's getting hot and it's time to go inside. :)  We've spent countless hours out playing over the month and I love it too!  I only wish we had our big backyard.  The last time we were visiting family, I had Deran drive by our old house on the way back to Austin.  Deran told us we were living in the past and I told him that Avery and I loved the past, that I missed our old house.  Avery piped up from the backseat with, "Yeah, I miss our backyard." Now truly, I think she's heard me say it one or fifty times, but it still produced an awww from this momma's heart.  Ah, but back to the present!  We have had a lot of fun in Austin this month too and while it's been hard to let go of the old, we are indeed embracing the new...or new-ish, we've already been here for 7 months!!

We've tried out two new parks, got a family pass to the local bowling alley, visited Chuck E. Cheese for the first time, and befriended some neighborhood deer.  Avery LOVES to feed the deer and I do too, we've been doing it since we moved in.  I have a favorite, she's a different shade than the rest and quite fearless.  She's even eaten out of my hand twice!  Anyway, 'tis the season for babies and all that and we recently discovered she has twins!  The babies hang back in the woods a bit but they've started to venture a little closer to the patio and it's so sweet to hear Avery fawn (pun intended) over them.  She is really cute!  Then she starts to drive her bike around the patio off to rescue an animal in trouble and all the clanging about sends the deer in all directions. 

Avery's imagination is amazing!  I know I've mentioned before about how fun it is to parent her, but really every day is just the best.  Lulu and Brother are always lurking about, waiting to cause trouble.  I sent her to timeout one day last week for markering on the floor.  Afterward she came to show me what Lulu and Brother had done, the ink still on the floor, and she said they needed a time out.  Of course they did it.  But you know, guilty by association so she's in trouble too!  She often jumps into character and I'm whoever she tells me to be from whatever show or book.  Now that I think about it, she's always the older sibling.  I'm Max to her Ruby, Baby Bop to her B.J., Diego to her Alicia.  I think she just likes to boss me!  This role play can last seconds or hours and can be very amusing for me. :)

Her love of My Little Ponies is still there but I'd say most T.V. time has been taken up by PBS of late.  If she is watching MLP, she requests one episode, Bridle Gossip.  And while she may not be watching it as much, she does still love to play with her ponies.  We recently went through her toys and set aside a bag for donation.  In doing so, we found FOUR Pinkie Pies!  Different, but still ridiculous.

She watches movies occasionally and Madagascar has always been a hit.  We took her to see the latest installment at the theater on Father's Day.  We all enjoyed it!  Later that evening when Deran had gone to bowl, I asked Avery what her favorite thing is about her daddy and she said, "He watches cartoons all day."  It's true, those two could pass most of a Saturday with some 'toons.  

For whatever reason her favorite movie at my mom's house is The Incredibles.  I think it's the influence of an older cousin but whatevs. :)  One weekend my aunt came to stay the night with us in Austin and I was putting Avery to bed as Aunt Wanda and Deran settled in to watch Sherlock Holmes.  Avery asked me what they were watching and asked if she could watch it.  I told her it was for grown-ups, that it wasn't a bad movie but it did have some violence.  She said, "Well, there's violence in the credibles."  Indeed, good point.  

We've been working through various workbooks and activities and Avery really loves her schoolwork.  On days when she isn't that interested, we just don't do the worksheets.  I don't necessarily believe that she needs a structured preschool program at this age (and in summer!) but she loves to learn and enjoys doing activities so it works for us.  Because I stay home with her, our days have always been relaxed and most of it is spent playing.  She just has a fantastic memory and eagerness to do more, we just want to keep her happy. :)  

She has memorized the first three presidents as well as our current president.  George Washington was first and we linked him to the dollar bill.  It's funny because if for whatever reason she has her hands on a larger bill, I'll be like, "Hey!  Let me trade you one with George Washington's picture on it!"  We're still learning numbers and money so you know, it works. ;)  She's also learned her left from her right over the last month.  Really helpful because she often puts her shoes on the wrong feet so if she asks before she puts them on it gets done right.  However, she rarely asks and sometimes when we tell her she has them on the wrong feet she says, "Yeah, but that's okay." :)  

Speaking of putting her shoes on, she has become so independent.  She really wants to do everything on her own.  One morning I was clipping her nails and she started crying and telling me that she wanted to be a grown up so she could do it.  Clipping your nails...really?  I wouldn't rush childhood for that.  She is still a little small and does require our assistance in the bathroom but once she's settled she often tells us to get out.  One day she came in the living room and told us there was tee tee all over the floor.  Sure enough, she had gone on her own and sat on the toilet but not over the toilet. 

And yet, despite all the sass and the "let me do it" and "no no no, I can do it" - she wants to be held a lot.  She still loves to cuddle and we're totally fine with that because there's nothing sweeter than a snuggle from our favorite girl! 

Our only struggle is at bedtime.  Some nights it is so easy and others end in tears.  I wish I knew the secret!  It's the same routine but rarely the same ending.  We've never been "cry it out" parents but we've had to start so that she is in bed at a decent hour.  She's most definitely a night owl like her parents.

I am no doubt leaving so much out this month even though I've rambled on for several paragraphs!  There have been so many times that I've wanted to write down something she's said or done and didn't.  She recently wrote me a letter and when I asked her to read it to me she said, "Dear Momma, Thanks for the presents. And don't forget to have a safe trip and be careful and thanks for all of our family and presents. Signed, Avery."  I'm not even sure what imaginary presents she was referring to, but she's always most welcome.  She is looking forward to the new baby and I can't wait for the day she can feel the kicks too.  She still bounces around a bit too much on the belly but she's also started offering to share her toys with the baby.  A few more weeks until we find out if she's getting her sister or a sweet brother...hopefully one not befriended by Lulu. 

We love our girl and are so happy to spend each passing month with her!  I can't wait to live out THREE and celebrate her next month.  She's decided on Minnie Mouse as a party theme so it should be fun!

And the iPhone tribute and explanation, left to right/top to bottom: thinking inside the box, all bandaged up, getting her hairs cut, a super cute superhero, waiting to leave on a jet plane, finding peace at Build-A-Bear, living the cowgirl life at Grandpa's house, splashing in some much needed rain puddles, and having a snack with a couple of little ponies.     

ak35months

Happy 35 month birthday sweet girl, we love you lots!

1 comment:

  1. Oh my goodness with the band-aids all over the face! Hilarious!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...