Avery at 24 Months Old

Yay, Avery reached her big two year milestone and with it comes along a more stubborn attitude and tantrums when she doesn't get her way.  Avery wants to do everything she can possibly do for herself and will throw a fit if you don't let her try.  This goes for anything having to deal with closing tops on cups to dressing herself to helping mom out with chores.  All I hear all the time is "I do it!".  Behavior of this sort was as to be expected having gone through it with her older sister who is still stuck in the same phase.  Although it can be frustrating to wait around patiently while Avery tries and does things on her own I know in the long run it helps to teach her independence and give her confidence.

At her 2 year wellness checkup Avery weighed in at 24 lbs. and came in at 33 in. in height.  She is small for her age, just under average, but we already knew she was petite.  Dr. Fuentes said she is doing great in her measurements and is right on track for her development.  She was quite impressed at how Avery didn't cry and let her do a thorough checkup without problems.  I was able to keep her calm all the way up until she had to get the flu vaccination.  This year we were early enough to have Avery take the vaccine nasally instead of getting a shot.

At this point in time some of Avery's favorite things include a show that she and her sister are obsessed with called "Peppa Pig", a book I read her every night called "When I Go To Sleep", and of course Dora the Explorer.  She still loves the song "Wheels on the Bus" and doesn't ever seem to tire of it, which irritates Emily to no end that she has to listen to that song again and again.  I'm trying to introduce both of them to new songs and recently I found one called "The School Bus" by Patty Shukla that the girls have really come to like.  She also has one that is called "Little Red" that the girls love as well.

Avery's speech is getting better with all the learning she is doing in school.  She still speaks in a low voice which is sometimes hard to hear, but don't let it fool you because she can get loud when she wants.  Avery loves to mimic her sister and copies a lot of the phrases she uses.  Although she is talking more, she still tends to run her words together and is a little hard for others to understand.  Emily is pretty good about knowing what sister wants and telling others.

We are currently potty training and Avery is getting better at telling us when she needs to go potty, but she still isn't consistent and sometimes doesn't want to sit on the toilet.  Other times she sits a little too long on the toilet playing with the toilet paper or the ladder attached to her seat cushion.  I don't have any complaints with her though because she is doing much better than her older sister who in my opinion should be reaching the end of potty training but is nowhere near the end.  I have hope Avery will be potty trained before she turns three.

Avery at 23 Months Old

Avery is doing so well at school in Miss Tammie's 18-24mo old class.  Since it is summer time there aren't too many children, their class is only about half the size as during the school year.  Towards the end of the day Avery is the only girl in class and she has held her own with all the boys.  The teachers have recently tried to take Avery to Tumble Bus along with the two year old class but she didn't like it very much and started to cry.  Then the other day as there weren't a lot of kids at school, they tried to take her on the bus again and she loved it.  She got to play with her sister and some of the other kids.  When the school year comes around I may sign up her up for tumble bus if she keeps liking it.  Being in Miss Tammie's class has also helped in encouraging Avery to potty train.  So far she seems interested in potty training and is also doing well in knowing when she has to potty, specifically in the poo department.

As of now Avery has become more aware of her surroundings and learns much information from following her big sisters actions and speech.  Many of the things that Emily says Avery will say also.  At the dinner table it sounds like Emily has a parrot sitting by her.  Avery's memorization of songs is coming along, although when she sings them back she doesn't sing all the correct words, she does try and really keeps along with the tune.  Her favorite song is "Wheels on the Bus" and will request to hear it over and over again to much despise from Emily.

At this point in her schooling she knows all of her colors and numbers up to ten and can count up to five in Spanish.  She knows most animals by recognition and can tell you what sounds they make.  Her curiosity is high and she asks what things are all the time, although at this time I don't have to answer the question why.  Avery has gotten into pretend play recently but mostly follows Emily in playing tea party, cooking in their Dora kitchen or packing up toys in their bags and pretending as if going to grandma's house.  On good days she and her sister get along really well and on bad days they cannot be within 5 feet of each other.  I'm sure this pattern of behavior will continue well into the future.

Bounce House Fun

The Time Big Sister Baby Powdered Little Sister

The following pictures show what happens when mommy tries to cook when daddy isn't home to keep an eye out on the girls.  Emily took it upon herself to change Avery's wet pull-up and then got a little out of control with the baby powder.  Both girls thought they were having such a good time, but mommy didn't think it was that funny.

Good Times at the Playground

Trike Riding Lessons