Avery update

Avery is two years and two months old and is a ball of energy. We often find ourselves asking how she has so much energy and isn't completely exhausted by the end of the day. I mean, the girl is non-stop all of the time!

One thing we love about Avery is watching her personality develop. She is very particular about how things are done and meticulous about certain things. She could sit and "organize" her toys for an hour and be perfectly content doing so. She may be a little OCD about how things are done. (I wonder where she gets that from??)

She loves to help clean... again, OCD?

Back in November she was almost potty trained. She wore big girl panties for two weeks (except during naps and night) and was doing great! She even wore big girl panties during our Thanksgiving holiday at Grandmommy and Poppy's house where there was so much activity and did wonderfully. Then, November 30th she began cutting a molar and had a sinus infection on top of that. We quickly digressed and haven't been back in panties since. She won't even tell us if she has to go anymore. It's like potty training never even happened..... so sad.

Has the most tender heart. There are days when she tests me and pushes me to my limit, but underneath that two year old attitude is the sweetest heart you will ever find. She is polite and always says "please" and "thank you" (some times she still has to be prompted). She shares most things with her sister and if you ask if you can have or borrow something that she is currently occupying, she almost always says yes. (This is not so when she is playing with kids her age, mind you). Always makes sure we don't leave Kinsley out- no matter what!

I love my sweet little two year more than words can express. Sure, she can irritate me to the point of tears, but I hope I never forget the way she walks up to me and says "hi mommy" with that adorable little smile.

6 months old: Kinsley

It's so hard to believe that 6.5 months ago Kinsley was not born yet! She is such a happy baby and has a smile that can light up a room. I am so blessed to be her mommy and find it bitter-sweet that she is growing up so fast.

Her 6 month appointment isn't until after the new year because of all of the holdiay events. However, she is full of life and always on the move....

- sitting up on her own!!! Of course, we have to be right by her to catch her when she topples over....
- is eating baby food! (already?!?!?) So far she has only tried squash and it took two feedings to get the hang of it, but now she will eat almost an entire container and it's only been 4 days!
- made it almost 6 months before getting sick.... and her first illness was a doozy. double ear infection. She handled it like a champ, though. She was extremely congested and I was more worried about her lungs and was surprised when the dr. said it was a double ear infection because not once did she pull on her ears or give me any reason to assume it was an ear infection!
- rolls all over the place
- can put her paci in her mouth
- met Santa Claus and really liked him
- has added a new sound to her vocabulary: with pursed lips she says "bbbbbbbbb"
- tried formula mixed with breast milk today (Dec. 27th) and didn't seem to notice a difference- she downed the entire bottle like she usually does!
- Nurses 4x a day and takes a 4-5 oz bottle immediately following the last 3 nursing sessions each day. I'm having a difficult time keeping my supply up with Kinsley and am even trying fenugreek, but it doesn't seem to be helping. So, I nurse then give her a bottle of frozen breast milk. This means that my frozen supply is quickly dwindling and will be gone within the next few weeks. :(
I introduced formula today since I will be supplementing soon, and she didn't seem to notice! She is the good eater I prayed for! :)
- naps two times a day and occassionally takes a short cat nap in the evenings, though this week she has been dropping the cat nap.
- wears 6 month clothing
- size 2 diapers
- Loves bath time... especially bath time with her big sister, Avery!

Mommy and Daddy love you, Kinsley Rae! Thank you for always bringing a smile to our face!

Kinsley: 5 months

I'm a little late on the 5 month post- two weeks late, to be exact! I guess it's better late than never....

Kinsley is learning so much these days and is such a joy. Every day she discovers something new and is interacting with us more and more. This is such a fun stage!

- rolls over from tummy to back and has to be really entertained to stay on her tummy
- rolled from her back to tummy for the first time on December 3!
- loves to suck on her toes- especially during a diaper change
- reaches for absolutely everything!
- tries rice cereal almost daily and still dislikes it.
- smiles and laughs all the time
- craves attention and company: she will cry as soon as we walk away and loves to be held while we walk around the house. Maybe she will be my "cuddly" child!
- drools non-stop
- met her cousin's the Lackey's over Thanksgiving
- sleeps from 8pm-7-8am
- naps from 9:30/10am - 11:30/12pm (usually in her carseat while we are out and about, and sometimes in her crib), 1:30/2pm- 3:30/4pm (almost always in her swing since this nap overlaps with Avery's), 6/6:30-6:30/7pm
- wears 3-6 mo. and 6 month clothes
- size 2 diapers

Kinsley- time is flying by and you are 5 months old already.... I wish I could slow time! Mommy and Daddy love you very much!!!

K's first taste of rice cereal!

How is it possible that Kinsley is already old enough for rice cereal??? She will be five months old on the 21st and this past Saturday we attempted to give her rice cereal and she was NOT. A. FAN... 

We have a two year old! This is such a fun stage with Avery.... it's also extremely challenging. She is learning so much and every day she makes us laugh with something new she has discovered. There are also days that she has me close to tears because of how much she tests me and chooses to disobey. Chris and I are having a difficult time finding the best way to effectively discipline her. Sometimes I feel like she just DOES NOT LISTEN. Those days are tough; but then there are days like today, where she is a pure delight and "re-energizes" me with her laughter and her love. I am so blessed to be her mommy and she lights up my life every single day. I wish I could freeze time because though this is a challenging age it's also one of my favorites! My heart overflows with so much love for this little girl that I'm brought to tears just trying to put my feelings into words tonight. 

Avery at 2 years old:

STATS: 

Weight: 23 lbs 6.4 oz (10%)

Height: 32.5 in (10-25%)

Head Circ.: 18 1/4 (10-25%)

She is still our petite little girl, but don't let that fool you-- she is super strong for being so tiny!

The birthday girl!!! 

Excited about her birthday cupcakes at school!

- has an expanding vocabulary. Beginning at 22 months she started saying more than just "mommy" and "daddy" etc. She would put two words together and has quickly learned how to repeat most words we say (yes, we have to be careful these days!) and now she can get her point across by combining three words. 

- is close to being potty trained. We've been taking it slow since she really began showing signs around 18 months. Then, just after Kinsley was born (Avery was 20 months) she showed extreme interest in going on the big girl potty, but having a newborn at home I wasn't ready to push the subject so we just took it slow. Now, at 2, she is so close but still has some wet diapers and the occassional dirty one. I don't think it will be long before we are out of diapers for good! 

- got her first hair cut one week after her second birthday

Avery's first hair cut... the finished product!

- loves her little sister and continually showers her with kisses

- went to the zoo for the first time and LOVED it (that post will come soon) 

- really enjoys going to school and church each week

- Ellis and Jenna are her best friends

Ellis and Avery at church

- Mommy's little helper.... whether its "folding" laundry, cleaning or helping with Kinsley she is a     fantastic helper

- she is so caring and nurturing even at her young age and she never ceases to amaze me.

- Avery is extremely smart and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom. People are always telling me how smart she is. 

Avery, mommy and daddy love you very much!!! 

Pumpkin Patch 2012

I love fall--and the pumpkin patch is no exception! I look forward to it every year and it's so much more fun experiencing it through Avery. 

1 week shy of 2 years old

Our church even has a petting zoo on family Saturdays!

Avery loved holding the bunny rabbit

I love these precious little punkins! :)  

Kinsley- 1 day shy of 4 months 

Avery loved feeding the animals.... again!

Kinsley: 4 months

Kinsley is 4 months old already and I am so sad that her life is flashing before my eyes so quickly! Really though, time is flying by. We are loving our little family of four and have enjoyed getting to know Kinsley over these last few months. She is such a sweet baby girl and has a smile that can brighten anyone's day. I can already tell a difference between our girls' personalities and I love that they are so uniquely different. Kinsley Rae is quite needy and dependent and I'm thinking she will be quite the cuddler one day. :) She knows the second we walk out of a room and will immediately begin to cry.   She desires a lot more attention than her big sister did and we are learning how to balance our time between both girls while giving them the love and nurture that they need and desire. Again, I'm in disbelief that our second child is already 4 months old.... we will be starting her on solids before I know it! 

I took her to the doctor for her 4 month check up this week and she was not a fan of the oral vaccine and of course screamed when they gave her the two shots in her legs. I was able to pick her up and console her after she was given the shots, but the second I had to lay her back down to dress her she began screaming again. This cry was so terribel sounding that the nurse came back into the room to make sure everything was okay.... the girl has a healthy set of lungs, that's for sure! 

STATS: 

weight: 12lbs 9.6oz (25-50%)

height: 23 3/4 in (25%)

head circ.: 15 1/2 (10%)

4 months:

-finally tolerates tummy time

-rolls from tummy to back 

mid-roll

-smiles

-laughs -it's still very "breathy", but oh so adorable!

-wears size 1 diapers and 3 month clothing

-has the most beautiful blue eyes and eyelashes

-drools a TON

-still has hair! though she has a pretty bald spot on the back of her head that is expanding around each side of her head as well.....

-sleeps 12 hours each night

-takes 2 long naps and 1 cat nap during the day

-is not a hard core babywise baby--- I'm finding it nearly impossible to be home for most of her naptimes which means she rarely naps in her crib (Gasp!) We are on the go A LOT and I'm lucky if she gets one good nap in her crib a day. This also means that her naps are a bit more sporadic than I would like, but we seem to be on a decent schedule none the less. As long as she sleeps well at night I really can't complain too much about our daytime issues!

-still nursing! Kinsley is such a great eater and has had a great latch from the beginning. Right now she will nurse for about 10 minutes and sometimes will even take a bottle after nursing. She is a hungry little thing! 

-talks so much and I love it!

-sleeps in a sleep sack and will occasionally still be swaddled for naptime, but it's rare. 

-love bath time. I've found it's a great way to calm her down if she is fussy.

-if the TV is on, she will find a way to watch it.

-enjoys being on the changing table 

-is beginning to reach for her toys

-her fingers are constantly in her mouth-- she loves to suck on her index and middle fingers- both at the same time.

-plays with her paci and will pass it back and forth between her hands

-loves her bumbo seat

-is just starting to bear weight on her legs

Kinsley Rae is 3 months old!

These past three months have been such a blur, but I have enjoyed every second. Kinsley is growing like a weed and I find myself already having a difficult time remembering what she was like as a newborn. I know it's because I'm busy chasing a toddler around all day as well as feeding Kinsley, changing all her diapers, and several outfits throughout the day because of all the spit-up. Plus, once fall arrived it seems like our lives picked up speed and we are busy almost every day of the week, which also makes it hard to just sit and absorb my sweet little girl. Life is busy, but it's absolutely a blast!

Kinsley was three months old last week and didn't have to go to the dr. this month; so, no stats this post.
(Be on the look out next month because I will take Kinsley for her 4 month check up and Avery for her 2 year check up on the same day- should be a fun time with lots to blog about!!!)

Kinsley at three months:

-Laughs
-Sucks her fingers and hands constantly
-spits up more than her sister, if that's possible!
-has the most beautiful gummy grin
-has big, dark blue eyes
-is still holding on to most of her hair!!!
-speaking of hair, it's lightening up a lot and is almost an auburn color in the sun.
-Nurses 5 times a day, but takes a bottle of breast milk really well, too!
-has always disliked tummy time, but as of 3 months she seems to tolerate it more. We can usually get about 3 minutes out of her before the screaming begins....
-enjoys sitting in her bumbo seat




















-sleeps in a sleep sack as of two nights ago.... we made the switch from swaddle to sleep sack cold-turkey. Every morning we were finding her almost completely out of the swaddle, so we decided to give the ol' sleep sack a try and SUCCESS!!!
-knows who mommy and daddy are and smiles when she sees us
-loves to watch her big sister play
-loves bath time
-sleeps about 11 hours at night. We put her down around 9pm and she usually wakes up between 7:15-8am.
-moves herself to the bottom right of her crib every night
-wears three month clothing and is squeezing into her size 1 diapers

We love you Kinsley and have loved every second of these last three months with you. You are such a blessing!!!

Dizzy Avery video

Avery's new thing to do is to twirl around in circles and then stare at the floor while everything spins around her. It's hilarious!

Avery's first day of "school"

Last week our baby girl started "school". We decided to put her in a childcare program at our church one day a week so that she can have more socialization with children her age. I know I've told some of you this story, but I'm going to write it all down here so I won't forget it. I was really looking forward to   her being around other kids on a more frequent basis, but the night I signed her up I cried the entire way home. Which is so silly because this is completely optional and I CHOSE to sign her up! Chris encouraged me that night and reminded me how great it will be for Kinsley and me to have some time just the two of us, since she will not have that opportunity like Avery and I did. As the first day of school grew closer I became more and more excited for Avery. She loves going to church nursery or to the childcare at the gym and I know she will enjoy school, too. We had open house two nights before school began and she clung so tight to my neck and wouldn't let me put her down at all. I guess being in a different room with different teachers than the nursery kind of scared her. Following the open house we went to Walmart to buy her a lunch box-- this was when I began to lose it! I mean, how is my  baby old enough for a lunch box already!?!? Anyway, Walmart had a Disney princess lunch box and a Minnie Mouse lunch box. Avery, of course, liked them both and carried them all around the store. I finally took her back to the lunch box section and told her she had to pick one to take home and put the other back on the shelf. She carefully examined each lunch box and eventually picked the Minnie Mouse one to bring home. It was quite emotional for mommy. 

The morning of her first day of school I was pretty emotional. I got her up and made her a yummy breakfast- english muffins with peanut butter and a side of grapes. We talked about school all morning and she even let me take her outside for a little "first day of school photo shoot". She smiled so proudly and I realized that my baby girl is really growing up. 

Excited about her first day of school

Proud of her Minnie Mouse lunch box 

My sweet, big girl! 

We arrived at the church about 15 minutes early and waited in the lobby. A friend of ours has a little girl a few months younger than Avery and they, too, were waiting for the doors to open. Miller, the other little girl, came up to Avery and gave her the biggest bear hug and pulled Avery right down on top of her. Avery's eyes were HUGE! Neither girl cried and we helped brush them off only for Miller to go straight for Avery two more times! Each time Avery was quick to stiff arm her! It was pretty hilarious... They are in the same class and I know that they will be great friends.

Avery, Kinsley and I made our way to her classroom and Avery was in good spirits. She allowed me to take her picture outside of her classroom- I couldn't believe it! Then, the second I walked into her room she dug her feet into the ground at the door and began crying. I had to pick her up and carry her into her room (while carrying Kinsley in the bjorn, also). We went and put her bags in her cubby and then I tried to distract her with some toys. It worked for a minute and the crying stopped, so I motioned to the teacher that I was going to sneak out. I wasn't even to the next room down the hall when I heard her screaming for me. I peeked around the corner (she couldn't see me) to find the teacher holding her. I knew I couldn't stand there and listen to her cry so I decided to go on and leave, knowing that she was in good hands.

It was a very strange feeling to leave the church campus without her. I'm so used to taking her to the church nursery or to the gym's child care, but I'm always in the same building. To actually drive off and leave her behind was very strange. I managed not to cry, though, and have my dear friend, Katie, to thank for keeping me occupied that day with a long 4 mile walk with our newborns.

Avery did great at school. They said she didn't cry too long and that she was quiet but happy to play. She ate all of her lunch but didn't sleep at all during nap time. I surely didn't expect her to! I know that it will take a few times of me leaving her in tears before she adjusts to this new room and all of the new faces, but I also know that she is going to really enjoy her time and learn a lot.

My baby girl is growing up.....

Kinsley: Two Months!

Our sweet, precious Kinsley is two months old! It's like I blinked and the last two months flashed before my eyes. Kinsley has brought so much joy into our family over these two months and it never gets old just sitting and staring at her! :)

She is such a great baby and has a personality all her own. I find it so hard not to compare Kinsley to Avery at each stage. For example: Avery slept for her first 3 months of life- no joke.... it was rare to see her eyes! Kinsley, on the other hand, has plenty of "awake" times throughout the day and always has. I guess she just doesn't need as much sleep as big sister! There are other differences, too, and I love it! Both of my girls are unique in their own ways and I love each of them for who they are!

Kinsley is growing like a weed!!  I knew she was getting bigger, but it's so hard to tell since I see her every day. Plus, next to Avery she always looks so small. Well, I don't have to be concerned about whether or not she is eating enough....

STATS-- 
Weight: 10 lbs 9.6 oz (50%)
Height: 23 in (75%)
Head Circ.: 14.5 in (10%)

Kinsley at 2 months:

- has great head control (she must have strong neck muscles under all those rolls!)

- can roll from tummy to her back (as of 6 weeks old)

- is starting to "coo"

- smiles a lot!

- loves bath time

- hates tummy time

- content when being held and walked around the house.

- enjoys her swing

- loves to stare at the turtle on the play mat

- might have an "outie" belly button-- we still can't tell what it's going to do!

- has finally started sleeping "through the night"! We put her down between 8:45pm-9:15pm and she doesn't wake up to eat until 5-5:30am! It took about 8-8.5 weeks to reach this point, but we are finally there!

- She doesn't cry when we put her in her crib at night any more!

- Afternoons and evenings are her fussy times.

- Still cries most of her 1pm nap time, but her morning nap is smooth sailing and doesn't cry when I lay her down for her morning nap anymore.

 - can grasp a rattle

- still breastfeeding.... 6-7 times a day. She's a quick nurser- maybe 5-8 min total. She also gets at least one bottle a day and will take 5 oz no problem!
-Wears size 1 diapers and is mostly in 3 month clothes already. Only a few of her NB outfits still fit.