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