Things Avery asks for by name:

(God am I in trouble!)

Cheese, toast (she says "toas"), chicken, cookie (fruit bar), for food in general she goes over to the highchair and says "mmmmm." She also knows grapes, watermelon, mandarin oranges, and yogurt by sight (in the fridge) and if she sees them and wants them, she will point and whine and point and whine until she gets them.

She'll also see the swing in the backyard and try to tell me she wants to go on it So fun! I love the trying to communicate thing. It just makes me want to work with her that much more to teach her new things!

Some recent videos!

Reading a book with mom -- 13 months
Walking toward the camera -- 13 months
"Where is your head?" -- 13 months
Walking on the sidewalk -- 13 months
Waving/Saying "Bye" to the dogs -- 13 months
Playing in the dirt -- 13 months
Hanging with the dogs
More hanging with the dogs
Telling Daddy "Bye" -- 13.5 months
Camera Fun -- 13.5 months
Saying "Bye" to Mama -- 13.5 months
Avery spitting everywhere -- 13.5 months
Carrying stuffed dog around -- 13.5 months

Day Trippers...

Today, Avery and I went with our friends Vickie and Jacob to Oak Glen, which is where we always go every fall for pumpkins, hot chocolate, and apple pie. We decided to go today to beat the crowds, and beat the crowds we did!

We actually got locked in (and I mean padlocked in) inside of the petting zoo because there were so few people there, they had only a couple of employees manning the place, and they had the petting zoo padlocked to keep out the freeloaders.

We had to yell for help, and after a couple of minutes I was starting to look at how many quarters I had and how much petting zoo food I could buy with it. Avery held her sippy cup of water pretty tightly to her body. I think she knew I was eyeing it.

Anyway, here are all of the pictures to share. A couple favorites of mine are these:

My little angel :)

After some serious photoshopping, I've taken the picture on the left and turned it into the picture on the right. I think I've just made our Christmas card graphic!

Recent Videos

Avery in her swing - November 12, 2005
Blowing Bubbles at Dinnertime - November 13, 2005

All the books and reading IS really making an impact...

Being a teacher's kid, Avery's going to have some high expectations set for her, both by Jed and I and just about everyone else. I'm on a mission to make her a reader, as my observation has been that too many kids hate to read. We'll see whether or not I'm successful.

Anyway, tonight, as I read Zoom to her, we got to about the middle of the book, to the page that says "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" and instead of me taking my finger and reading the long, drawn out word, Avery did it for me! I was shocked! Right as I turned to the page, she said "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" and it was long and drawn out, just like I always do it.

Not totally convinced this was on purpose, of course you know I HAD to read her the same book 3 more times, and each time, she said "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh" at the appropriate time. I must admit it made me a little teary-eyed. Yay!

Favorite Books

Avery has some new favorites. She still loves the old favorites, too, but when left to play with her books (yes, she plays with her books) she chooses the same ones over and over to look at.

First of all is Tails. This book is one with texture, but more importantly, fur. Avery loves the tail on the boar (it's the one you see poking through on the front cover, black and poofy). She thinks it's the greatest thing. She also loves the tails that swat and wag -- there are little tabs you pull that make the tails move back and forth. Great book.

Next there is Alison Jay's ABC book called ABC: A Child's First Alphabet Book. Now, I have to admit that even I am in love with this book. It's so simple -- really just an alphabet book. On the surface it seems pretty straight-forward. When you look a little more closely, however, you realize there's a story being told, and it's actually pretty complicated. Each page gives you a clue to the next page, and at the end, all the clues come together. For Avery it's the pictures and letters she points to. For me, I'm constantly seeing something new that fits into the puzzle of the story. Great book. I'm curious to see what her other books are like. I added some to Avery's wish list over to the left. *Hint Hint* :)

She also loves Peekaboo Kisses and Animal Kisses. These books have texture and sound. She even knows which pages have which -- on the sound page she'll press the tummy of the animal instead of patting its fur. So great!

More words...

Ball and light :) "Ball" I didn't even set out to teach her. She picked that one up on her own. We were at Sears the other night, and there was a huge ball-shaped Christmas ornament hanging from the ceiling. She pointed at it and said "Ball!" and has been saying "Ball" every since! My mom taught her "light" a couple of weeks ago, and it's just set in. Tonight I walked in and out of every room, turning the lights off and on again, and saying "Light!" each time I'd turn them on. She'll point to the ceiling and say "Light" now :) What a ham.

Meredith brought her to meet a few co-workers and I at Rubio's for lunch today and she had them all laughing with her "oof oof" and "meow" and pointing to her head. What a geek! I love it!

Waving and saying "bye-bye" simultaneously

Yesterday Jed had Avery out in the front yard walking up and down the sidewalk, and our neighbor stopped to talk to them for a moment. As the neighbor drove away, she said "Bye" and waved, and Avery said "Bye" and waved right back! She cracks me up :)

I think she's given up crawling altogether!

Avery is mostly walking now. She will still crawl around on the floor while she's playing, but when she decides she's done, she stands right up (without the assistance of something to help her pull herself up) and walks to where she wants to get. Even since yesterday she's gotten so much better and faster. This outta be fun and exhausting!

More words!

While at my mom's for a couple of days, Avery learned a few things. She can now say "monkey" and "cookie." My mom asked her if she wanted a snack and Avery answered immediately with "cookie." My mom said she gave her pieces of banana and Avery looked at her like she had dished her up some brussel sprouts. Too funny. She is also walking more adventurously. While she'd rather use your finger for help, she will stand up and walk on her own. She is still pretty wobbly though and doesn't do it a ton.

She recently got teeth #5 and #6 and is working on #7 and #8. Fortunately they don't seem to be bothering her a ton.

Her other new thing is to make a surprised face (her mouth wide open in an "O") when she hears something ring (like the phone) or when someone comes over. It's hysterical. I must get that on video somehow!

More Ballerina Pictures...

Because I can't resist!

Pretty in Pink

Walking!

Avery is just starting to take her first steps :) She's very cautious, but she's getting a little more adventurous with each hour. I'm sure she'll be off and running in no time!

First Steps - November 1, 2005

Halloween

Here is my little ballerina. More pics to come!