Avery is three!!!

http://youtu.be/6z_V3CCXEqw

Here's a video interview I did on Avery yesterday for her birthday. A lot of her answers surprised me! I thought her favorite food was pizza, and favorite show was bubble guppies, but little do I know! Haha I can't wait to see how these answers change over the years. And when she grows up? She wants to be a drummer and a mommy! 

I can't believe this kid is 3!! In a lot of ways she is still a baby. She sucks her thumb, is overly attached to her buppies, and loves to carried, rocked and snuggled. But she loses that babyness little by little each day, and it's very bittersweet!! It's so fun to see her grow up, and I couldn't be more proud of the young lady she is becoming, but will soak up all the snuggles I can get while the gettin is good!! 

This past year she has grown up a lot as she became a big sister, and what a great big sister she is!! I love the way she she just adores Jonah and will do anything to make him smile or laugh. She is gentle and patient even when he rips her hair out saying "no, no buddy!" In her sing-song voice. She lends her buppy to him when he's fussy and sings for him to cheer him up. 

As sweet as she is, she can be just as naughty, especially the past 2 months or so. We officially have a threenager in the house. More tantrums than ever, and such sass! She will deliberately do the opposite of what you tell her, just to see your reaction. She's a sighing, shoulder shrugging, eye-rolling, smart-mouthed delight. Dinner is a nightly battle to get her to eat, and if she didn't have a nap (which is becoming more often than not lately) bedtime can be a nightmare.

Some unsung milestones we have finally reached, POTTY TRAINING! After a year of bribery, regressions and our house probably smelling like pee, we are out of Pull-ups completely! She's wet the bed a few times and still has an accident or 2 per week, but they are getting fewer and further between. 

Spitting out the toothpaste. Learning how to rinse and spit,she can now use big girl toothpaste!!

Fine motor skills: working on writing lines and letters, and cutting. So proud of her learning to write her name!!

Lying. Not exactly something to celebrate, but the cognitive ability to know the truth will get you in trouble, so you better change your story.. Well that's something I didn't expect so soon! "The toilet paper unrolled the whole thing by itself, mom!" Mmmhmmm

 

When you fall asleep during a fit. Haha

But sassy or sweet, she's hilarious either way! A lot of the funny stuff she says may be embarrassing to her in the future, so I'll leave it off the World Wide Web, but here's some other silly things that made us laugh...

 

Me: what's your favorite store?

Avery: target. 

Me: what's your next favorite store, the really big one, with all the big stuff? (trying to get her to say Costco) 

Avery: prolly Oak-a-homa or something 

While walking into Walmart to exchange diapers-

Avery: what is this place?

Me: Walmart. 

Avery: (screaming in the store) I don't love Walmart I love Target! GET ME OUT OF HERE!! 

That's how we all feel, sweetheart. 

Jon and I leaving for a date:

Avery: can I come?

Me: no baby, it's your bed time. We will be back later. 

Avery: you mean it's a date?! I want to go on a date with daddy and you stay here! 

On high fives:

"No do it again. BAM it this time!" (Make it loud) 

At her aunt's wedding:

Avery: (whispers during vows) is that true love?

Me:yeah! 

Avery: true love, forever, from this day?

Me: yeah, isn't that exciting?

Avery: yeah. I'm going to be the bride and marry my true love too! 

Thank you Disney! 

She says funny stuff daily, but these were so cute! 

           Flower girl!!

Originally for her birthday we had planned to go to San Antonio and take her to Sea World instead of a party. Well after going to everyone else's birthday parties all year she was definitely curious about her own. So of course she got to have a birthday party too. We had to do it in the middle of the week because the rest of our weekends in October were booked. I'm glad we did, because due to a hurricane and storms across the state our trip has been postponed. while that is a big bummer, our house has exploded with pink and a princess everything!! 

We love this little girl more than words can say. So blessed to be her parents and watch her grow into such a beautiful being. She brings us such joy, and grey hair, but mainly joy! 

5 months

I refuse to believe my baby is 5 months old!! It makes me so sad to see the newborn stage as already just a memory along with pregnancy. No matter how much I cherish every single moment with my sweet babies, time keeps ticking faster and faster. Months go by in the blink of an eye and make me long for those newborn snuggles just one more time. 

But my sweet boy has the best smile. It  just radiates through the room, making this stage so much fun too. There's always something good about the next stage that takes the sting out of losing the former one..a little bit. I just always want to remember the smell of his baby head and the high I get from kissing his squishy cheeks a thousand times a day, before this stage too, is just a memory. 

At 5 months Jonah can sit up with support very well, and independently for a few seconds at a time. He can roll from his back to his tummy in an instant, so the diaper- time gymnastics routines have begun. He still gets stuck while trying to roll from belly to back, although he has made the flip out of frustration a few times. He is learning new things every day!  Physically though, his growth has slowed down. My little chunk is already thinning out a lot, especially around the tummy. 

Bubba J got his first 2 teeth a couple of weeks ago, and got his first taste of food last week. While angrily teething I had let him gnaw on a tortilla and a breadstick at different restaurants, so that I could finish my own meal. Well that made him want to snatch any and all food out of my hand when we eat, so I started him on baby oatmeal. 

Can you see his teeth?!

The dr had recommended that we start cereal for the iron soon anyway, because breast milk starts to lack in that area around this time. I'm so glad I have been able to exclusively nurse him this long, and hopefully will be able to continue until a year, but I've already been able to go longer without formula than I did with Avery so I happy with that! 

Anyway, he loves the cereal and gets soooo mad when it's gone! He acts like he's been eating off a spoon his whole little life. He tried avocado now too and loved it as well. Hopefully he will always be a good eater!! I'm excited to make him some more baby food this week. 

We are so excited for fall and have lots of fun things planned in the next month, including a 3rd birthday party and trip for my special little lady, who is certainly becoming the dreaded "threenager" lately. Good Lord, give me patience and grace for this one's sassy attitude! More on that later. 

"Let's take a picture with our feet in the way!" Lol

Loves his Jumperoo!

The 2 sweetest faces I've ever seen! 

Holding hands while watching TV...omg!

4 months

Mr. Jonah turned 4 months old on the 28th, and he had his check up today. He is weighing 15 lbs 4 oz and is 24.25" long. His growth has slowed down a bit, he's only in the 50th-ish percentiles for height and weight but his head is on the 80th. He's still huge to me though since he's starting to wear 12 month clothes and is so much bigger than Avery was at this age. 

He's now in size 3 diapers and we have started our cloth diapering journey as well. I only have enough to do them part time for which is actually working out great! It's way easier than I anticipated and they are super absorbent, but a bit bulky. I am still doing disposable ones for about half the time at home and for on the go. 

This boy is literally learning new things every single day. He's discovered his tongue, and is amazed by his hands and feet. He loves sitting up and standing with support. He is so strong and will propel himself forward from a reclined position. He hates lying down on his back, and he's officially a belly sleeper in his crib. He's so close to flipping over but gets stuck on his side while going either way. He has gone from belly to back twice in his crib but it doesn't count because I didn't see it! Haha.

 

He loves kisses and grabs my face to give me big open-mouthed wet ones whenever he can. His two bottom teeth have his gums so swollen and are a mere amount of hours from popping through. Combine that with vaccines and you've got a very cranky boy.

 He got the okay to start baby cereal soon, but I'm in no rush. He loves his sister and pat-a-cake and both make him giggle. He can grab toys and is learning to play. He hates his car seat unless he's asleep but doesn't mind driving as long as you don't stop. He hair and eyebrows are really growing in and he gets more handsome each day. We love this little cutie!!!