Avery Turns 11 Months!

Avery turned 11 months old on March 10th. What a big girl. As you may have noticed, I'm trying to catch up on some blogs, so I'm going to just write up the new improvements in Miss Avery's life and save a bigger post for when she turns one...really soon. :(

She is still eating really well and we're starting to give her whole milk to drink as we start weaning her from breast milk. She still nurses twice a day, but I plan to stop soon after she's a year old. I think it will go Ok, because she's not drinking all that much now. Luckily, she eats so much regular food, we're not worried.

Her sleep schedule is still the same, although it seems like her morning nap is shortening and she's taking a longer afternoon nap. She may be able to drop that morning nap all together, which would be kind of convenient.

She is finally starting to talk a little. We think she knows "Da da", "Ma Ma", and something to indicate "doggy." It's something like "diggie".

The biggest news of course is she is WALKING. Yes, she starting walking right around her 11 month old birthday and she hasn't stopped. She now walks across the room, while holding things, with no trouble at all. She plops down and stands right back up. She's a champ. When I think that Connor didn't walk until he was right at 14 months, I'm amazed. She seems so tiny to be walking, but I guess they do that.

She is also starting to mimic more and more. If you open your mouth wide, so will she for example. Also, the other day I was putting hand sanitizer on my hands and sort of wringing my hands together and I looked over and Avery was doing the same thing with her hands. Very cool. 

She has also started dancing, which is of course adorable. She does that shoulder shimmy that all babies do. See the video below.

She has been sick a few times this month but for the most part, she is still just the sweetest, smilieyest thing. Boy do we love her.

Silly girl.

I want to walk Daddy. Look how tall I am.

Standing all on my own.

Ah ha, the sign I can destroy.

Ok, I'll take one sweet one.

Now can I be silly again?

Yes, Ok good.

I'm so funny.

Ahhh, I see you up there Daddy.

Hi!

Oh look at these. I could do some damage with these.

Look I see the "diggie".

Anyone up for a game of peak a boo?

Peak a Boo!

Here I am.

I'm hiding. Can you see me?

Avery walking. She is now sooo steady and walks all over the place on her own.
http://youtu.be/sinp9IAT0IU

Avery loved this musical card that Connor got for Valentine's Day. Here she is dancing to the music.
http://youtu.be/ASECvNBMccg

Avery is much more of a dare devil than Connor ever was. Here she is sliding down the little slide in the playroom by herself.
http://youtu.be/rEfepMhryiY

Little girls that have big brothers apparently only like their brother's toys. Ha!
http://youtu.be/lv6DKnU_FIc

Connor's Music Class

A few weeks ago, parents were invited to attend the school music class. It was of course adorable. I took a few pictures, but really the videos show all the fun. The videos are at the bottom. Enjoy!

Connor and his class ready to sing.

Listening to Ms. Frey.

Playing with Jack and Jill.

He kept making super silly faces at me and smiling. He told me later that he had a great day at school because Mommy came to visit. He said, "I loved that." I loved it too buddy.

Connor and his classmates singing about Spring. 
http://youtu.be/TDDSSRJhL7g

Connor and his classmates singing about Jack and Jill the birds.
http://youtu.be/zzlIi092fx4

Connor and his classmates singing a frog song. It was adorable, you'll see him leave the group at one point. Although I don't have it on video, what he did was leave the group and come over and give me a big hug. I melted. He can be sooo sweet sometimes. I love it.
http://youtu.be/iI4rJNUcSfs

Rodeo Time

Sadly, we didn't get to the rodeo as much this year as we have in the past. I guess we got busy, but we did head out there with Pagger Don and Gigi one afternoon. Also, Connor dressed up in his best cowboy clothes for Rodeo day at school. Enjoy!

The Treadway family looking like real, official cowboys. Thanks for the tutelage Pagger Don.

Checking out versatility competition.

Cowboy Connor.

Avery was mesmerized and sat staring for the longest time holding Pagger Don's hand.

Showing off Avery's new cowgirl hat.

Look Avery it's a horsey.

We met a woman who let Avery sit with her. Avery wasn't so sure.

Howdy Ma'am.

My sweet cowboy.

What a true blue Texan. Yeehaw!

Blast from the Past - Random Cell Phone Pics

I realized I had a bunch of old cell phone pictures that I didn't upload to my computer. Here are some of them now.

This was the first time Connor and Avery rode in a cart together. In all honesty, it was pretty terrible. Avery just kept grabbing Connor and he hated it. I wasn't prepared. :)

Poor Avery was sick and I had the hardest time getting her to nap. Somehow I finally got her to sleep on our bed. I thought it was cute how she nuzzled up to the covers. She loves snuggling while she sleeps.

Connor and some of his friends at a birthday party.

Connor all bundled up a few months ago...when it was cold.

Avery not loving the crazy warm look. She's crying because her outfit doesn't match. Just kidding.

Mommy and Connor being silly playing dress up with Batman and the Lizard Man.

It was a rainy day but we needed to get some air, so we biked in the rain. Connor had a blast.

He also liked that after biking in the rain, you get to have hot chocolate.

Just Daddy snuggling with his two little ones.

Connor took this photo.

Can you see her getting on her tip toes. Yeah, she's trouble.

Who me? Trouble? Never!

Just a day playing at the park. He's still a sports fanatic.

That's Connor on the left, sliding down the big slide at a birthday party.

Here you get to climb up and then jump into a foam pit.

Avery wasn't so sure about the foam.

Connor football and Avery in one spot so I had to take a picture.

Trying to get a cute picture of the kiddos on Valentine's Day. It didn't work so well, but it was a beautiful day nonetheless.

Avery Turns 10 Months

Avery turned 10 months on February 10th. Yes, a long time ago. :) Yes, she's almost 11 months, but better late than never, right?

She is still eating like a champ when it comes to table food. We're pretty sure she's out eating Connor at most meals. She also nurses, but just twice a day (first thing in the morning and before her second nap) but I don't think she's getting much there. She also drinks from a sippy cup and loves our straw based camelback sippy cups. That's her favorite way to drink, for sure.

She is still napping twice a day. Once around 9 am and once around 3pm. She goes to bed around 8pm and gets up around 6:30am. The length of her naps is still inconsistent too. On a good day, it's about two hours for each nap, but that seems to be only when the stars are perfectly alined. Ugh. Silly Avery. It makes it hard, because I can't count on her naps at all. Oh well. At least she still naps sometimes. I'm worried Connor is trying to drop his nap altogether.

She is starting to develop a little separation anxiety I think, which is totally normal at this stage. We've heard from both grandparents that she cried much more with them than she usually does with me. Plus, sometimes if Jeff is holding her and she sees me, she'll whimper and reach her arms out for me. It's sweet, but I'd honestly prefer if she had no preference between us. I can't hold her all the time...she's heavy. Hee hee.

Overall though, she is still really sweet and has a good temperament. She's mellow and pretty independent, even though she still has that naughty streak. Man, she wants nothing more than to explore and put non-baby items in her mouth, like shoes, cords, phones, pens, iPads, nail files, remotes, book ends...the list goes on and on. The one thing you'll notice is that none of these things are baby toys. Yeah, I swear she could care less about every baby toy in the house. She crawls past them like they don't exist and goes straight for a picture frame that she can knock down. Boy are we in for trouble with this one.

Speaking of crawling, she is still not walking, but continues to cruise and crawl with confidence. She'll also stand alone without holding onto anything if she's distracted and not even know it. She has taken a few steps, but it's with coaxing from me and Jeff. I think if we give it until she's around 1 we'll have a walker.  She also has begun climbing stairs and pretty much anything else. She has climbed on top of Connor's wobbly, plastic car ramp already and lifts her leg next to anything she thinks she can climb. That won't lead to any falls now will it? :(

She also continues her crazy desire to want to play in the toilet bowl and with Connor's night light. She is still completely obsessed and has a one track mind when it comes to these things. As often as I distract her or redirect her or straight up firmly tell her, "no" she still wants these things. Hard headed doesn't even begin to describe her. It's cute now, but later, not so much. Wish us luck.

Even though she's a bit stubborn, I seriously don't think I could love her any more. I pick her up and snuggle her and kiss those soft puffy cheeks and tell her every day how much I love her and how lucky I am to be her Mommy. She is one special little girl and I truly feel blessed to be her Mommy. I am the one that gets to hug her and kiss her every day. How did I get so lucky?

Now enjoy some pictures and some videos of our little heartbreaker.

Oh no, am I 10 months already?!

Oh I guess that's OK, at least I get to destroy this sign.

Ah, chewing, it's what I do best.

I've got a shoe. I'm silly.

Hello!

I think I'm just going to crawl over this sign and grab Mommy's camera. That would be naughty right? Then I'm in.

Standing and chewing. A double threat of good times.

My little chunker. So cute.

Hmm, what can I get into now?

I'm going to get you.

This is a fun place to cruise. I even have my Michael Jordan move down.

Look at those round cheeks. They are so soft too.

Mid motion waving. Goodbye for now.

Avery is now climbing on everything. Here she is climbing stairs. Connor was never this much into climbing. Ugh Oh.
http://youtu.be/uwt6gI9cq2U

Avery can clap, wave, and do the trick where if you say, "how big is Avery?", she'll lift her hands in the air when you say, "So big!" Here is just a video of the clapping since I know I've videod her waving before. We'll catch the "so big" at some point.
http://youtu.be/WH8BZh_6yo4