Avery goes shopping...

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

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

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

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

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

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???

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??

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

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...

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

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

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

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...

Come on everyone, and get your robot on!

Dissapointed...

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!

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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!