Hats, Hats, Hats

As dada is working nights. momma is trying her best to keep the house in one piece and keep the girls occupied.  What does momma come up with to peak their interest?  Dress up time with hats!  Of course Emily is all for trying on hats but not suprisingly, Avery doesn't want anything to do with it and refuses to cooperate.  So enjoy the funny pictures of Emily and the blurry ones of Avery.

Avery at 13 Months Old

Avery is blossoming and aborbing information like a sponge.  This month brings big boosts in vocabulary due in part because Avery watches and listens closely to her big sister Emily.  For the past couple of weeks Avery has had a nasty cough that she can't get rid of so mommy had to take her to her pediatrician.  After our appointment was over and the doctor handed me the perscription to be filled, she waved goodbye and I told Avery to say "Thanks you" and loud and clear she recited, "Tank tu" to her doctor.  The pediatrician was floored and could not believe her ears, she thought Avery was so smart and I was so proud of my baby.  Avery has actually been saying thank you for about a month now.  Thank you is one of the expressions that is being taught to her in sign language and her teachers enforce the words and gesture whenever the opportunity arises.  Avery doesn't do the sign yet but she sure can say the words clear enough to decipher what she is saying.  Other words she has learned are: up, again, open, and all done.

My stubborn little girl isn't walking yet and has not officially stood by herself although I have seen her stand without support for a good 3 seconds and then she will either sit or grab something nearby.  If I try and make her stand solo she will not have it and automatically sits down.  Eventually her confidence will build and then she will learn that if she can stand by herself then she will be able to walk by herself.  Patience is key and that is why I practice all the time with her but am not pushing her to walk, walk, walk.  Plus she is still getting practice at school.  I'm just going to cherish these last days of having my little one crawl everywhere.  As much as Avery seems a little timid in walking she isn't timid in trying to do other stunts.  The other day I caught her standing on a little box of books just wide enough for her feet.  She kept getting up and down and experimenting with standing on one foot.  I had to take a snapshot of her acrobatics and then I quickly went to snatch up her before she fell.

Sisterly love is growing rapidly and no one can make Avery laugh as much as Emily.  Big sister loves to tickle her little sister and it does the trick to making Avery laugh and laugh and laugh.  Of course mommy has to watch carefully because as quick as one is to laugh the emotion can quickly change to one crying.  The girls are not aware of flying limbs and body strength quite yet.  Bodily harm aslo happens when someone doesn't get their way. Recently Avery has learned that if Emily is being too rough all she has to do is try and bite her and it gets Emily to stop.  Emily will shout to me, "Momma, sissa bite" and I'll say "Tell sister no biting".  I ove to see and hear Emily wag her finger and then shout, "Sissa, no, no, no, bite!"  Besides biting Avery has also learned about pinching, from where, I have no idea but if she is upset or doesn't get the attention she seeks she pinches my arm.  Goodness, I hope I don't have a bully on my hands.  I've gotta nip in this the bud right now, but it is really hard not to laugh sometimes, especially when the bad behavior comes from someone so small and looking harmless.  It will be done though, I promise!




Still wanting her baba!!



Careful....

Look mom..I did it!

Now look, one foot!

Holding on for dear life...

Avery loves riding with her big sister

Emily at 23 Months Old

With summer days fast going past us and fall days ahead, schools are now in session and Emily's preschool has shifted their ways from fun filled splash days to lessons to be learned.  Emily's teacher started a weekly newsletter to tell parents what their children will be learning that week.  It includes vocabulary, color of the week, number of the week, and letters of the week.   My parrot repeats everything she hears in order to learn new words and as a way of comprehending.  Her vocabulary has grown and she is now putting small sentences together.  Most of her sentences are three word sentences but are clear and precise as to what she wants or is needing.  With all of the words Emily says her little sister is also picking up new vocabulary and is now understanding that words are the way to getting what she wants, of course she still fake cries too.

Potty training is here to stay and we have now gotten rid of all of Emily's diapers and have begun to buy only pull-ups.  We are not going back to diapers no matter how hard the potty training process hits us.  Emily is getting used to sitting on her potty but she has yet to actually potty in it.  She always makes me sit on the big potty as she sits on her trainer and then after we are all done she flushes the big toilet.  Getting her familar with a potty routine is our starting point. Now if only she would let me know when she needs to go potty before she has actually gone.

Emily's transition to her toddler bed has been pretty easy and we haven't really had any problems with her coming out of her room too often.  There are times where she has come out to the living room and screamed MAMA as if we were playing a game of hide and seek.  I then have to lead her back into her room where she will usually stay all night.  Last night as daddy and I were falling asleep we heard a bang echo in our quiet home which made daddy leap out of bed.  Lo and behold he found Emily playing in her room with her baby stroller which she had banged against the wall, and suprisingly not waking up little sister.  She ran into our room and screamed MAMA with a big smile on her face.  I'm hoping that was a rare situation.

The new learned ability of the month is keeping her foot on the accelerator of her Jeep.  Emily now loves riding her Jeep around the yard although we still have problems with steering, meaning she does not know how to steer at all.  Mommy and daddy get a good workout pushing that Jeep around when it hits the fence and gets stuck.  Avery loves when Emily drives her around the yard even if her face looks as though she is scared out of her mind. 

Mine!  Mine!  Mine! is all I hear nowadays.  When listening to Emily and Avery play I can hear Emily tell her sister, "NO, sissa, NO, mine, mine!"  This whole "mine" phase has hit really hard, and I believe it was picked up from a close relative of ours (no names will be mentioned).  Emily has been through this phase before but it was short lived, this time it seems have come back wih a vengance probably because she understands what mine means now.  Oh well, lets see what next month has in store for us...Emily with be the big 2!




Playing with Nonna's reading glasses



Little Speedsters