Rub-a-dub-dub

fun in the tub!

Ever since Avery was little she has loved the bath. It is so fun to play and laugh as a way to wind down from the day.

The tale of two pigs

or more commonly referred to as a pigtails. Avery's hair is finally long enough all over to be tied up into these cute little pigtails. They sort of look like horns which I find quite fitting for my bully of a kid. I can't wait for her first french braid.

Her father's daughter

I think Avery has been watching Justin for too long. This morning as soon as she woke up she ran into the living room, grabbed the remote and climbed into Daddy's recliner. She was so proud of herself.

What goes around comes around

For Christmas Grandma and Grandpa Nunley bought Avery this Jumperoo. Since she started crawling and subsequently walking shortly after she got very little use out of it. It had been stored away in her closet until recently when it caught her eye once again.

I pulled it out and put it together and put her in it. She was less than thrilled to be confined to one place after having such freedom for so long, so I took it apart again and while putting away the legs she took a fancy to playing with the seat part on the ground.

Ever since then the seat has been in our living room and floor and she loves to climb all over it and play with the toys on it or play with other toys while sitting in it.

Patio Party

Recently I made a few improvements to our tiny apartment patio so that we would have an outdoor area to play. Last week I put down the new rug so we could get started and as soon as Avery woke up from her nap I took her out there. She absolutely loves it and now that the patio is pretty close to being done she loves it even more. 

Baby no more.

Since turning 1 somehow Avery has turned into a full-fledged toddler. She even looks like a big kid. The day after her birthday I took her to the park.

My fair lady

On Thursday we took Avery to the Napa Town & Country Fair. We had gone to the state fair a couple of weeks ago, but this time we got to see all the farm animals up close and she had a blast. She even got to touch a pig!

Then today the fair wrapped up with a traditional, small town parade. Avery and Daddy waited for the parade to start each looking their own way. Then all the way through the parade she would drop her bottle and clap for all the passing floats.

Happy Birthday, Avery!

On Saturday we had Avery's birthday party. We were joined by so many family and friends and had a blast. She received so many wonderful gifts including a kitchen stool hand made by my dad so that she can stand up to counter height and cook with me and the doll that Justin and I gave to her. She loves that she can see what is going on up there on the stool and she loves to fling to doll around and run it over with the play stroller she also received.

These are some of the party photos

"DA DA DA DA DA!"

"What are these?!"

Loving playtime with Uncle Trevor

Don't mess with the birthday girl!

12 Months!

52 weeks. 12 months. 1 year.

Holy moly. Where did the time go? I can't believe she is 12 months old. Avery has accomplished some awesome things this month.

- Hi fives: Avery can now high five and low five. We're working on the simultaneous hi ten next.
- Mama: She says Mama. To me, about me and for me. It's the best noise I've heard since I heard that first cry the day she was born.
- Pony ride: Avery had her very first pony ride this month when we went to the state fair.
- Shhh: Avery loves to tell you shhh. I really like that she understands what shhh means and actually does it!
- Sippy: Avery mastered the sippy early in the month and has been using it like a champ ever since.

THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

• develop an attachment to a comfort object, like a teddy bear or a blankie, as she continues to find new ways to soothe herself Avery has had an attachment for a while to a particular type of fabric. Luckily we have three blankets that have this fabric and so far they are interchangeable to her.
• explore away from parents in a safe environment, as her confidence grows She loves to play independently, but frequently looks for one of us to make sure we are watching and especially loves when we talk to her as she is playing about what she is doing.
• begin to walk more steadily on her own She's been walking for two months now! A lot of people are shocked to know that she is only 1 because of how well she walks (and how big she is compared to other kids her age).
• begin to grab up small crumbs or pieces of food with two fingers She has been doing this since the start, but has recently become more picky by wanting to be fed with a fork or spoon. She's quite the diva.
• learn how to stack two blocks and scribble on paper Avery can stack her blocks and loves to knock them back over. I've never offered her a paper and crayon or marker to scribble, so I am not sure she could.
• begin to expand beyond her one-syllable vocabulary She says what sounds like hot and dog. I am not sure it's a coincidence or her obsession with the "Hot Dog Song" on the Mickey Mouse Club House.
• begin to imitate animal sounds She makes noises back at the dog, but it doesn't really sound like a bark.
• continue to search for hidden objects as her understanding of permanence grows There is no hiding things from this girl. If you take something away and try to put it behind your back or in your pocket she knows where to find it and usually isn't happy until she does. We are becoming very adept at distraction techniques.
  
• begin to point to things and look at pictures as her curiosity about her world increasesing Avery is definitely a girl. She loves to stare at herself in the mirror and look at pictures of herself.

52 Weeks!

MONTH: 12
WEEK: 52
WEIGHT: 24 lbs +
LENGTH: 31-ish inches
HEAD: 18 Inches +
MILESTONES: She says mama!!!!!!! Like for reals. To me. mama. Ahhh!
OBLIGATORY ADORABLE PICTURE: Avery loves to clap and will do it on cue when you say, "yaaaaaaay!"

EATING: My foodie baby has turned into a picky toddler. We are still trying to figure out why she won't eat foods she once loved. I've found that if I eat some first she will eat a little. And forget trying to get her to eat something I'm not eating.
SLEEPING: We are back to one full waking a night and a couple of paci replacements. It's a vast improvement from the 3-4 full wakings we had so I'll take it for now.
VISITS/OUTINGS: Avery has been loving the park so we try to go a couple times per week.
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: She loves to pull ALL the tupperware and sippys out of the one cabinet we left un-childproofed.
MOMMY FEELS: So shocked that it's been 52 weeks. It's so surreal.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO: Tomorrow is her actual 1st birthday and Avery's party is on Saturday.