11 Months!

Avery, my Avery.
Only four more weeks until you are a whole year old. It is unbelievable. Where has the time gone? In the last four weeks so much has changed. You have some awesome new tricks. 

- You love to babble to inanimate objects. It's so fun to hear you use the ebb and flow of conversation with just random sounds. It' pretty hilarious.
- You've learned to point and smile at things you want like a specific toy or the dog. It's much easier having some form of communication to help decipher what you want/need.
- You are a little dancing queen. You have this frog that sings the song Shake It by Metro Station. It's so cute to see your little diapered booty shake.
- You are now a copy cat. Any time we sneeze or cough you like to make the coughing sounds back to us. It's pretty funny. I just hope you grow out of it by kindergarden or your classmates will think you are makeing fun of them!
- One not so fun trick is biting. With each new tooth the bites get harder and more frequent. It's getting more and more difficult not to react, but according to "the books" this is the best way to help this phase pass quickly. Tell that to teeth marks on my shoulder.
- My absolute favorite new trick is the hugs and kisses. You have become so affectionate. My favorite part of the day is when I am sitting on the floor and you come running up just to lay your head on my shoulder, wrap your arms around me, pat my back and make the "ahhh" sound. It seriously melts my heart every.single.time.

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY BE ABLE TO:

• cry when scolded, as she matures emotionally: You are definitely a sensitive girl. It's so sad (and funny at the same time) to see that little quiver lip whenever I take something away that you shouldn't have -- like the dog food you so love to play in.
  
• begin to stand without assistance You have been standing since around 9 months!
• repeat actions to get attention You definitely try to make a scene to get a reaction and if we can't seem to keep a reaction under wraps you love to repeat it until we move to a different location. We are trying very hard not to react.
• manipulate an object to get it out of a tight space I love watching you try to get the wood blocks from out of the wood box with a lid. It seems much easier to get them in than it does to get them out.
• place objects into a container, as her understanding of spatial relationships continues to develop You are especially proficient at taking laundry out of the basket, but have also learned to put it back. I just wish you would do it when I ask instead of when the mood strikes.