The Adventures of a Drama Queen and her Drama Mama

Avery goes shopping...

2009-06-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

We went over to Keystone yesterday for a few hours. Here are some Averyisms from our shopping adventure….

I tried a shirt on her in the corner of a childrens' store because there was someone else in the dressing room… after I took the new shirt off and was getting ready to put her shirt back on she took off sprinting…(at the top of her lungs) “Mommy! I’m a NAKED BABY!”

Also at the same store when I asked her to stay by the stroller while I paid for our items. “Mommy are you going to SPANK me??” (insert horrified look on the cashier’s face)

Conversation with another cashier:
Cashier: “Awww… your sister is asleep in the stroller.”
Avery: “Yep. Her had a long day. Her’s having a rest.”

Conversation with the Gap Kids worker:
Avery: “Hey look man! My mom’s buying me this hat. It’s for my boat trip. It’s a boat hat! You want to come on my boat trip?” (man just smiles and nods probably thinking she’s nuts)

When we stopped to get lunch…
Cashier: (to Avery) “What would you like?”
Avery: “My mom brought me cucumbers in my diaper bag. They are tasty and delicious.”

To a woman holding the door to the bathroom open for us:
Avery: “Thank you so much! You’re such a good helper!”

While pushing the elevator button
Avery: “When Hayden gets big I’ll have to share pushing the elevator button. I won’t like that.”

And… that was our day.

Turns Out We Are That Family

2009-05-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

The family who plays outside in their jammies :-) Here are some pictures the other day of us playing in our (truly postage sized) yard. And we let her play in the street. Because there is nowhere else to play. And there is no traffic. And even when there is traffic, it is old people traffic that drives 4 mph. :-) Oh, and Avery picked her own accesories!

My sweet little Hayder Tater Tot... she's getting way too big way too fast!!

The first two teeth... she currently has 4 total and is working on 2 more!

Lesson Learned

2009-05-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when your boss tells you to wear a hat for crazy hat day and you forget. And then one of your coworkers forwards the incriminating evidence to your wife. And then your wife posts it on the internet.

It really is fantastic, isn't it?

Hayder-Tater

2009-04-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hayden is the sweetest little girl. She rarely cries or fusses, and she's so smiley and happy. She is a great addition to our family! She's rolling over now, and working on sitting up. It won't be long! Here are some recent pictures of her.

She also has this super delightful and hilarious laugh. Avery can just get her howling. I was trying to get video of that, but of course Avery wasn't cooperating after I started the video (she was before.) But this is what I did get. I loooove this baby!

When Cowboys Come to Town

2009-04-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Papaw stopped by to visit the other day, and Avery felt it necessary to wear his cowboy boots. Then she made him act like a horse and she rode him around the living room. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of that. But Papaw is a good sport!
She does this for every.stinking.picture I try to take of her these days.

In Which We Attempt to Infect the World with Pink Eye

2009-04-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

So... turns out pink eye doesn't mean you have pink eyes. Who knew? Not me. Anyway. The girls had it the week of Easter. And we were coincidentally around every human we know (and due to church, we even attempted to infect random strangers!) that week. Again, sorry about that everyone! Here are some pictures from our festively pink Easter.

At the church's egg hunt...
At Aunt Beth's house...
Her eyes do look bad in this picture!
This is what you get when you try to take a picture of 4 toddlers.

I didn't get any pics of the girls in the Easter dresses. Maybe next year!

Is it Spring Yet???

2009-04-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

We are all getting cabin fever around here. We have colds, coughs, and more snot that we have Kleenex, and we're ready for winter to be ooooover! Avery has entered a delightful stage where every piece of clothing that touches her body is "too tight" or "too itchy" etc. She has somehow forgotten how to speak in a normal human tone, and insists on crying and whining for every blessed thing. I know this is just payback for the hideous creature I was to my own mother. But truly, if the whining doesn't stop, I might have to Ebay or Craigslist this child. She doesn't want to wear a diaper nor does she want to pee in the potty, so we seem to have hit an impasse there! The warm weather needs to come quickly so she can run around outside and quit bothering me! :-)
In Hayden news, she has 2 cute little bottom teeth. For whatever reason my children are ahead of the curve in the acquiring teeth department. So fun for a nursing mom! She's such a chunk compared to how Avery was. She's got some serious thunder thighs! So far *cross fingers* she seems to be more laid back than her sister... let's hope that continues! I adore her little laugh and how snugly she likes to be. Here are some pictures of what we've been up to...

We went to the zoo a few weeks ago when the weather was so nice (for one day.)
Grandma and Avery at the Children's MuseumAvery the Fisher Price pianist

This is guaranteed to keep her busy for at least 30 minutes.
My feeble attempts at potty training. It weeeeaaaars me out.
And that's about it.. .spring, come quickly!

Seriously??

2009-03-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

I just had this conversation with Avery.

A: I'm going to take my milk and go watch my show. I'm also going to poop.

M: If you know you have to go, let's go on the potty! Like a big girl! Come on!!!

A: No. Maybe another day. I'll be big soon Mommy. Don't you worry.

This is ridiculous. I give up.

Because Sometimes Life is Hard

2009-03-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

I know most of my posts are about child related funnies/fiascoes, but this one will be a little different. Over the last few weeks I've been so thankful for the wonderful girl friends God has placed in my life. My dear, dear friend Abby recently lost her mom to an unexpected and brief illness. I grieve with and for her, and I'm so thankful that we were able to be here for her during this time. There really are few people in your life that you know would drop anything if you needed them. I'm glad I was able to do that for her, and I'm thankful for all the times she has done it for me, and will in the future. I'm thankful for these "forever" friends. It was a great privilege to be by her side. And being side, by side, by side, by side is a pretty nice way to spend your years. I am a better person because of these women. And for that I thank them.

Hanging on to the sweet bliss of naps...

2009-03-02T11:01:00.001-08:00

Avery has been fighting going down for a nap on some days. She still sleeps in her crib (she can't climb out, and she sleeps from 10 p.m. to 9-10 a.m., and that is sooooo not a boat I'm rocking!), and sometimes she just messes around in there for a while before she falls asleep. Or she just messes around in there for an hour until she starts yelling for me. At any rate, the other day I heard her banging around in there and I went in to check on her.

M: What are you doing in here?
A: I'm building a tower out of my animals.
M: What are you supposed to be doing?
A: Having a nap. But Mommy, I just CAN'T settle down!

It's hard to argue with that logic.

A Little Song for a Dreary Day

2009-02-26T10:28:00.000-08:00

She sings... and then she acts 2 for a minute. I promise she does wear clothes sometimes... but at home we do mostly jammies if we aren't going anywhere. Oh, and sometimes I do brush her hair... just not today :-)

Second Kid Shaft

2009-02-05T20:25:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to make a conscious effort to take more pictures of Hayden. She's super cute and all... I just don't have time like I did when Avery was little to take a billion pictures of her. I'm sure she'll need therapy later in life when she sees her measly little scrap book in comparison to Avery's. Anyway, here's a couple of pictures of sweet baby Hayden.

And here is a Baby Avery pic from the same age... for comparison sake...

Self Confidence Abounds

2009-02-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

I picked Avery up from her crib after she was done with her nap today.

M: Avery, you're a cute girl. I like you.

A: I am a cute girl. I like me too.

Strike a Pose...

2009-02-05T13:08:00.000-08:00

Come on everyone, and get your robot on!

Dissapointed...

2009-01-30T07:01:00.000-08:00

Last night Wade went to play basketball with some of his buddies from work. Avery was going to be in bed by the time he got home, so he was saying goodnight to her. After he left, she came crying to me...

A: (with much drama and many tears) Daddy left and he didn't invite me! That is NOT nice!

M: Daddy went to play basketball. You'll see him tomorrow after he gets home from work.

A: But I need him NOW!

And then I wouldn't let her have any more fruit snacks. It's hard to be two.

Danger, Danger!

2009-01-29T17:49:00.001-08:00

Avery brought me one of her pretend baby doll sippy cups...

Avery: Mommy I put my bug in the baby's cup. Don't open it. It is VERY dangerous. It might hurt you. Put it on the table. Don't eat him. He's not a snack.

Mommy: Huh?

What on earth? So I looked in the sippy cup, and there is a little plastic bug that she got in some kid's meal. Don't worry. I didn't eat him. I'm not the dangerous type.

Summersaul!

2009-01-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

Avery could not be less interested in being potty trained. She does.not.care. She doesn't care if she has a dirty diaper. Right now she is smelling to the high heavens in the living room. And we had this conversation.

Mommy: Would you like a clean diaper?
Avery: (throwing herself around on the couch... her version of a somersault... which she calls a "summersaul") No. I'm a little busy. I'm doing summersauls. (throws herself back on the couch) SUMMERSAUL!
Mommy: But wouldn't you be more comfortable in a clean diaper?
Avery: Nope. I'm good. Maybe before bed time. SUMMERSAUL!
Mommy: But you stink.
Avery: I don't stink Mommy! SUMMERSAUL!

And this is why I'm not even looking at preschools that require she be potty trained. Off to wrestle her down and change her diaper. SUMMERSAUL!

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

2009-01-22T07:29:00.000-08:00

She was running around like a mad woman. Spinning in circles, yelling, etc. Just being silly. I was sitting on the couch with Hayden, and I was just staring at her with a bit of a frown on my face, trying to figure out from where all this energy was coming. She stopped, looked at me, and said, "Mommy! Be happy! I'm cute and I'm yours!"

Interview with Avery

2009-01-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Katie sent me this interview, so I thought I'd see what Avery said. Some of her answers surprised me... and some did not :-)

What is your favorite....
book- "My potty book." (Now if only she's love the actual potty and not just the book!)
show- "Lady in Pink" (A Backyardigans episode.)
food- "green beans" (You'd think a person could choke down more than a few if it was truly her favorite food!)
drink- "milk"
color- "green" (which is funny, since she's always said pink before)
place to go- "to see Daddy" (And who can blame her... the people at his work treat her like she's a rock star.)
thing to play with- "my toys"
thing about mommy- "you're cute" (Aww... jammies and messy hair and all.)
thing about daddy- "he's funny" (I guess "funny" is a loose term at 2.)
thing about Hayden- "she's my sissy!"
favorite friend- "Pablo and Tyrone" (Poor kid... her favorite friends are cartoon characters. )

Anyway, that was fun!

Strange Bedfellows

2009-01-20T10:40:00.000-08:00

This is how I found Avery sleeping this morning. It was 10 AM, and she was still asleep, so I thought I probably should assess the situation and make sure all was well. Every night she insists on sleeping with a crib full of her "friends." Each friend is special, and apparently necessary to ensure a restful night's sleep. And she also appears to be willing to sacrifice for her "friends," giving them nearly all of the pillow and sleeping room. Perhaps she's practicing for her days of mothering self sacrifice :-)

And here is another shot from the other day... just because it's funny. She was being "Chef Avery" and inviting me to her tea party. Yummy, indeed.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-01-07T08:55:00.002-08:00

Today is our Daddy’s 30^th birthday. He’s the best daddy in the whole world, and we’re so glad he’s ours!

Mommy Makes a Bad Choice

2009-01-07T08:55:00.001-08:00

We’ve been talking a lot about making good choices. Last night Avery and I were reading books before bed. We were sitting in her Pottery Barn Anywhere Chair. This is certainly not designed for adults, so the fact that we both crammed ourselves on is no small miracle. We read our last book, and not wanting to have to resituate myself before moving on to the singing portion of the bed time routine, I gave the book a toss to the book basket nearby. Avery got a very serious look on her face and said, “Mommy! That was NOT a good choice. We do not throw books. You need time out.” Hmmm… maybe she is listening after all!

A Year in Review

2009-01-02T12:14:00.001-08:00

Shamelessly copying Megan and Shannon... :-)

January

Avery’s first Reichart Family Vacation to San Antonio, Texas. Everyone gets horribly ill. Spend lots of time in the hotel room puking. Never so happy to be home in all my life.
Avery’s first trip to the ER for dehydration from aforementioned puke fest. IV fluids and Zofran, and she feels like a new girl.
Wade turns 29.
Spend the rest of the month hiding in our house, hoping to avoid more sickness

February

Avery takes Gymboree classes she received as a gift from Grandma Spiehler. Lots of fun.
We also start doing story time at the library. She is sadly more interested in the giant fish tank than the books. She is her father’s child.
My negligence in getting my permanent retainer put back on after six months results in the gap returning to my front teeth. I have to wear another retainer full time for several months. I am not happy, even though I know it’s my own fault.

March

Find out we are pregnant. So excited! Begin taking Zofran and praying that the vomiting won’t be like it was when I was pregnant with Avery.
Wade immerses himself in Bracketology and March Madness. We hear from him again sometime in April.
Easter with the fam. It is, of course, freezing.

April

See the baby's heartbeat for the first time (yeah!)
Bridal showers for my dear cousin, Shannon.
Throw up (but it’s not as bad this time!)

May

Shannon and Jeff get married. I am privileged to be a bridesmaid. It’s freezing again. Seriously, Indiana… what the heck?
Avery sees her first show, Backyardigans LIVE! The obsession continues.

June

I take a week long class to renew my teaching license. Crazy hectic. How do working moms do this??
I turn 26.
NewKid will not reveal the goods at the 20-week ultrasound. We learn not to plan a party to reveal your child’s gender until you know if you actually have something to reveal.

July

Pool party with the fam for the 4^th. It is (again) unseasonably cold. Only the brave enter the water. Avery was not a fan.
We celebrate our 5^th wedding anniversary by going to the Children’s Museum with Avery. We then ditch her with the grandparents for a dinner date

August

Through the graciousness of a friend, we have another ultrasound and find out Avery is getting a sister. Wade is not disappointed. Even though everyone seems to think he ought to be. We are confused by this.
We leave Avery for the first time for a whole weekend to attend the wedding of some family friends in northern Indiana.
We go to the Indiana State Fair. Avery loves the animals. I love the food.

September

Avery and I start going to MOPS. Man, it’s hard for us to be out the door by 8:40!
Football season begins. Wade rejoices.
Avery turns 2. We have a Backyardigans party at Mimi and Poppy’s house.
Avery has her 2 year well baby doctor visit. She’s 31 ½ inches and 22 ½ pounds. A real munchkin. She’s doing great developmentally.

October

We miss Kendra and Jerremy’s wedding in Chicago because Wade is sick. I am super bummed.
Avery goes to the pumpkin patch and chooses her own pumpkin.
I go to the OB constantly (or so it seems.)
Avery is a flower for Halloween. (“A very cute flower!”) She goes trick-or-treating with Cole and Chloe. The candy flows freely.

November

Baby’s due date comes and goes. I wonder if it is possible for a person to be pregnant forever.
Hayden Caroline finally arrives on November 13^th. Her labor and delivery are much easier than Avery’s. I forgive her for over-wearing her welcome in my uterus.
We adjust to having two kids. My, this is a lot of work. (But so worth it!)
Avery settles into being a big sister. She’s a big fan. (“Hi Sissy-Boo! I LOVE you! You’re my best friend!”
Three Thanksgivings with all the family. Excited and surprised to see Shannon and Jeff.

December

Too many gatherings to mention. Avery tried to see Santa twice. She decides she likes him from a distance. 16 days straight of activity every day or night. Lots of driving. Lots of days with no naps. But lots of time spent with family. And we do like that.
Spent New Years Eve rocking it out with Aaron, Katie, Cole, and Chloe. Avery made it to midnight. Chloe didn’t even make it to dinner J Looking forward to 2009 and what God has in store for our family this year!

What a big helper :-)

2008-12-30T09:44:00.000-08:00

I was sitting at the computer eating a bag of chocolate chips. For some reason this seems more healthy to me than eating "regular" candy, as this is a baking ingredient... I'm sure my logic is flawed, but whatever helps me sleep, right? Avery asked me for a "chocklit." Then she said, with a big smile, "Hayden wants one! I'll take it to her!" Nice try, kid. I'm hip to your game.

Perhaps a career foreshadowed?

2008-12-16T09:48:00.000-08:00

Avery loves getting into the dirty laundry and adorning herself with various articles, then proclaiming herself to be certain things. Last night she came out with one of Wade's white t-shirts wrapped around her head. "I'm an astronaut!" I asked her what an astronaut was, and she said, "They fly in a space ship. Avery is an astronaut." If this is a life goal, I sure hope she's better at physics than I was!

She talks in code

2008-12-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

Avery and I were sharing a pop-tart for breakfast, which I was eating over a bowl to avoid crumbs on the couch. After it was all gone, she told me, "I want the baby bites!" I repeated to her several times that the pop-tart was all gone, and we could eat something else, etc. She kept saying she wanted the "baby bites." Finally she took the bowl from me and licked the crumbs out. "See Mommy, I ate the baby bites!" At least she's not wasteful!

Sister Photos (or, Group Torture)

2008-12-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday a lovely woman from our church came to our house to take pictures of the girls. I chose this option for several reasons. It was cheap. I didn't have to leave our house. I get a cd and copyright to do with the pictures what I please. And did I mention I didn't have to leave our house? I thought "How hard can it be to get a some pictures of your kids?" Turns out... it's hard. A two year old and a one month old (for various, different reasons) are not really great photo subjects. The two year old said (repeatedly) "NO! I don't want my picture!" and the one month old (when we tried to get cute naked baby shots) screamed until she turned beet red and had real tears streaming down her face. Thankfully, this lady was very patient, and she did manage to get some good shots. For your perusal...
www.kimwhitephotography.com
Go to "online images" and click on "Avery and Hayden." The password is our last name. Enjoy! (Oh, and I was not planning on being in any pics... hence the tank top. We'll not be printing those!)

I do love him.... BUT...

2008-12-11T09:59:00.000-08:00

You know how most people have pictures of their children, or pets, or perhaps warm, tropical vacation locales on their desktop? Not us. Nope. We have the Purdue men's basketball team... in all their glory. What can I say, folks? It's deep and it's real.

My Kid is Weird, Part II

2008-12-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

Last night I was in the bathtub, happily reading my magazine, and enjoying my 20-30 minutes of kid free time. Avery strolls in, holding a piece of bread. (She likes to eat plain bread. And don't even suggest she eat something on it. "JUST bread!" will be the reply. I feel like I should lock her in a dark basement or something while she consumes her lonely little piece of bread.) She looked at me, tore off a piece of bread and threw it in the water with me, and said, "You're a duck! QUACK, QUACK!" Ummm.... right. To my knowledge, she has never fed ducks by throwing bread in the water, so I'm not sure where that came from. Again... she is weird.

Christmas is not ruined! :-)

2008-12-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

It wouldn't have been ruined, but I would have been disappointed. I ordered this play kitchen for Avery in September. http://www.furniturebuzz.com/products/KidKraft/53160.htm
I was very excited about it, because she's super into pretend play right now, so I know she will love it. Furniturebuzz so kindly charged my credit card back in September when I ordered it, so I was stressing that if it didn't arrive, too much time would have lapsed for me to file a dispute with my credit card company. This would have left me with no Christmas present (and it's basically all she's getting) and no money to replace said present. Happily, it arrived on my doorstep on Friday. I can now stop stressing about it. Oh, and Furniturebuzz sent me an email today telling me it had been shipped. Thanks for the update, Furniturebuzz! Way to be on top of your business! Now Wade just has to put it together. Mommy does the shopping... I don't build the toys :-)

Let the negotiations begin...

2008-11-24T20:16:00.000-08:00

Avery has started to test the limits of what is/is not acceptable. She likes to see just how far she can get to "the line" before she gets in trouble. Makes for good times. I was in the bathtub with Hayden, and Avery (who had already had a bath), was putting her hands in the water and splashing, resulting in wet pajamas. I told her (several times) to stop putting her hands in the water. Finally she looked up at me and said, "How 'bout just my fingers?" Sadly no, friend.

A New Little Someone to Love...

2008-11-24T20:11:00.001-08:00

She's finally here...

Hayden Caroline
November 13, 2008
8 lbs, 4 oz.
20 inches
And she's perfect... we think we'll let her stay a while :-)

Eviction Date

2008-11-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

Baby Hayden has an official eviction. We're scheduled for an induction on Thursday at 6 a.m. At this point I would rather just have her wait and come then. Much easier with the scheduling and having someone to take care of Avery. Of course, now that we have this plan, she will probably come tomorrow when Wade is down town at a trade show for the entire day. In other news, I let Avery have Fruit Loops for breakfast... mostly because I just didn't want to fight about it! "I want Mommy's cereal!" At this point... whatever works!

3 cm dilated and 50% effaced

2008-11-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

Seriously child... GET OUT! If I have to go to my appointment on Monday, Hayden is grounded. That is all I have to say about that. :-)

In Which She Looks Like Her Mother...

2008-10-29T10:03:00.001-07:00

We all know that Avery looks *just* like Wade. If you compare their baby pictures, they are almost identical. Apparently I'm just a oven for incubating little Wade clones. BUT... there is a look that she gives, that my Mom calls her "What the hell?" look... It does look *slightly* like me :-) I'll let you be the judge...

At "ZooBoo" 2008

And just so no one thinks we are horribly mean parents, she picked this costume out, and she really does like it. She's been wearing the hat part around the house for weeks! She was just not having it at this particular moment... she's a woman of many moods! :-)

Pumpkin Patch 2008

2008-10-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

We went to the Pumpkin Patch last weekend. The weather was gorgeous, and we really had a fun time. We went with Mimi and Poppy (Wade's mom and step-dad) and Uncle Jordan. Avery rode a pony named Ginger, the wagon out to the pumpkin patch, and the "pumpkin train." She also picked out a pumpkin for Hayden. It was super cute. She walked around the pumpkin patch saying, "Nope! Too big! No... not that one! Hmmm... no! THAT ONE!" And she picked out a cute little pumpkin for Baby Hayden, because "She's little, Mommy!" Then Poppy helped her carve her pumpkin later that night. It was quite the eventful day! Oh, and may I just take a moment to say how happy the pumpkin sweater and shirt made me :-)

Pretending to be a pumpkin

I don't even want to know how long this took someone to accomplish!

Ridin' the pumpkin train!

All aboard!

Avery and her pal Ginger

In the wagon with Mimi and Poppy

You don't want to know the effort it took for Wade to pull me up from the ground after this picture :-)

"Help! It's too heavy for Avery! HELP ME!"

The chosen one

The finished product... and Baby Hayden's pumpkin :-)

Happy Birthday, Avery!

2008-10-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Avery wanted french fries for her birthday, so we went to dinner at Red Robbin. She was extra excited because they gave her several balloons, sang "Happy Birthday" to her, and gave her ice cream. What more could a two-year-old want??

The diva in her car seat on the way to the restaurant.

Enjoying her balloons and coloring.
Shot of the fam.

The birthday girl in all her glory.

My Kid is Weird

2008-10-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

I was doing laundry this morning, and Avery always manages to rummage through the piles and escape with things. I found her in the kitchen with this shirt on her head. I said, "What are you doing??" And she said, "Mommy, I'm a flower! A very cute flower!" What-ev-uh kid!

It's Raining, But I'm Happy Because...

2008-10-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

There is a new episode of "Ni Hao Kai-Lan" on television. For those not familiar with the current offerings of Nick Jr. , Kai-Lan is basically the Chinese version of Dora. So she teaches counting and whatnot in Chinese, as well as how to get along with your friends, etc. And Avery looooooves her. In each episode Kai-Lan says "You make me SUPER HAPPY!" about 38205 times. So now Avery says, "Mommy, I'm SUPER HAPPY!" At any rate, there were about 4 episodes played in rotation, and I'm sick to death of them all. Variety is the spice of life... so now we're watching Kai-Lan and her friends figure out how to compromise and share when when everyone can't agree about what they want to play. Really, it's the little things in life that make me happy. Oh, make that SUPER HAPPY :-)

T Minus One Month And Counting...

2008-10-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

I had my 35 week appointment yesterday for Hayden. All is well. Only one month to go! Cool and terrifying all at the same time. On the one hand I am soooo over being pregnant. I think this child may have a future in some kind of martial arts or perhaps she will be a professional kicker. At any rate, my internal organs could really use a break. On the other hand... taking care of a newborn and a toddler scares the snot out of me. I know it will all be fine... and millions of other people have taken care of two small children and they (and the children) have lived to tell the tale... but still. I think it being so close to the holidays and all the cold winter weather is also making me think everything will be a little more busy/difficult. It's kind of ridiculous, but one of the things I'm looking forward to is dressing the girls alike. Yes, I'm going to be *that* mom. I can't help it... I think it's so cute. And Wade thought having another girl was going to save us a ton of money in clothes... HA!

Two Year Well Baby Check Up and General Update

2008-10-03T08:00:00.001-07:00

We have the official stats... Avery weighs in at a monstrous 22 1/2 pounds and is 31 1/2 inches tall. Her doctor came in and said, "She's finally back on the charts! She's in the 5th percentile, but she's on there!" For those that don't know what "the charts" are... they tell you how your kid stacks up against kids of the same age with their height/weight. Avery hasn't been on them since she was 6 months old. So as of now, 95% of the kids Avery's age are taller and weigh more than she does. Of course, looking at her parentage no one expects her to be very big. But people are always surprised when they find out she's 2. Most think she's between 15-18 months. And then the talking in sentences really throws them off! At any rate, she's doing great developmentally. She's ahead in verbal skills and slightly behind in gross motor skills, but nothing to be concerned about. She got her MMR vaccine (which I delayed from her 1 year appointment), and when we were leaving the doctor's examining room, she pointed to the nurse in the hall (with an look of outrage and disgust) and said, "SHE HURT MY LEG!" (And then started wailing again even though she had just been fine!) She still refuses to eat meat/veggies, and survives on bread, crackers, fruit, yogurt, cheese, and milk. She "says" she wants to go potty on the potty... and then sits there and does nothing. She knows she gets a sticker if she goes, but so far, no dice. She's incredibly strong willed, dramatic, and opinionated (I have no idea from where these character traits come!), but she's also sweet and compassionate towards others. (That would be Wade's personality coming out!) She loves to color and do art type projects. She's also really into her baby dolls, and feeding them, taking them for walks, putting them to bed, etc. She's a lot of fun these days!

You heard it here first, folks!

2008-10-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to talk up the merits of being a "big girl" to Avery before Hayden gets here.
"Big girls use the big girl potty!"

"Big girls pick up their toys!"

"Big girls ask for things nicely!"

"Big girls share and help Mommy!"

Etc. It's been a big deal recently to do things like a "big girl." So yesterday we had the following conversation... (and for those not familiar, Avery calls her pacifier a "sucky." And it is her favorite thing ever in the history of the world.)

Mommy: Are you going to share your suckies with Baby Hayden when she gets here?

Avery: Yes, Mommy! I share like a big girl!

Mommy: Are you going to give all your suckies to Baby Hayden?

Avery: No, Mommy.

Mommy: But are suckies for babies, or are they for big girls?

Avery: Mommy, suckies are for babies AND big girls! (Using exasperated tone to imply that this clearly need not be explained.)

Of course. What was I thinking?

Hey, you should really start a blog

2008-10-03T07:48:00.001-07:00

Ok, family. I've started a blog. Please don't expect too much :-) While creative writing may have been a strength and forte at some point in my life, I'm pretty sure my brain cells in this particular area have begun to diminish. Somewhere between cleaning up spilled milk, changing diapers, and peeling Dora stickers off the television. Enjoy!