Avery is 18 months!

Our little baby girl is 18 months old today.... not so much of a baby anymore. It truly is bitter-sweet. Every day I look at her and am completely amazed at how big she is getting. In many ways I'm sad that she is a year and a half already and that the baby stage flew by so fast. On the other hand, I am LOVING this stage of new developments. Avery is the smartest little girl and so loving and compassionate. She is my best friend and makes me laugh every day. :)

Avery at 18 months:

-practically running every where (she's always on the move)
-has entered the climbing phase... thankfully she hasn't attempted to climb out of her crib (yet), but everything else is fair game!
-is becoming very independent. She climbs into the car and into her carseat all by herself.
-signs "please", "thank you", "more" and "all done" (of course she thinks that just because she says please she will get whatever it is she wants! haha!)
-is getting excited about potty training and loves to sit on the big potty even though she doesn't actually do anything yet. (Getting excited about it is the first step, though!!) She also points to her diaper when she is going and or needs a new diaper. I'm getting my hopes up that she is going to be an early and easy potty trainer....
-has 12 teeth!
-still doesn't say much, but understands everything! (just one example; If we ask her to put something into the trash, she will)  She is great at communicating, even without using words.
- says "mama", "dada", "dog", "uh-oh!"
-loves to dance and will bust a move as soon as she hears music.
-a helper
-loves to read books
-enjoys watching videos, only if someone sits and watches it with her.... if I put a video in while cooking dinner, she will not watch it.
-she likes to be in the same room as her mommy- even when all of her toys are in the playroom, she would rather be in the next room with me.
-Loves to be chased and when her daddy tickles her.
-HATES having her teeth brushed. She used to love it, but over the past 2 months she has really started hating it. We literally have to trap her down and pry her mouth open to brush those pearly whites, now.... if only she knew how much easier this daily task could be....

Avery is growing up way too fast.... Again, I still cannot believe she is 18 months old already. This past year and a half have been filled with so much joy and we are blessed beyond measure with our sweet little girl. I wish I could freeze time for a just a little while and enjoy this sweet stage of life with our precious little girl. I'm afraid to blink because I know that if I do she will no longer be a little toddler running around our house anymore.....

Happy 18 months, precious Avery! We love you and are enjoying this time with you more than you will ever know.