Saturday, March 3, 2012

my squirts












This post is so beyond overdue. I really wish I was the type of put-together mom who wrote down little moments throughout the day..  and folded them on stationery paper and put them in a special mason jar, for reminiscing in style down the road. But, I do what I can to get everyone fed and changed and loved. That'll do it for now! I hope I can remember all the cute (SO CUTE) little daily occurrences that I told myself to remember...   In no particular order...
* Avery, you are such a chatty little lady. From the moment you are up in the morning (typically between 6:30 and 7:00am) you are saying 'mamamama' or 'dada!' or 'ababababa'. So conversational, all the time. You really do know 'dada'. We say 'where's dada?' and you find him and smile 100% of the time. Why you don't really do this when we say 'where's mama' (she who wipes your butt more than any other) is beyond me. You find 'where's brother' 100% of the time as well. But MAMA? You think it's just heeee-larious to look to the sky or start messing with your socks or something.
You say 'baba' for A LOT of things. At first, we thought you were really saying your version of 'brother' (baba!) or 'baby' (which you seek out pictures of ALL the time).. or 'bottle'.. but now we know you just love to say baba! We justify it every time. :) It reminds me of your brother, when he was older, like 12-13 months old, he said 'GA' for everything. I'm talking 100% of the things. I remember being a little concerned, worried he'd never differentiate between.. anything. A kindergartner who communicated solely with one syllable: GA. And now, of course, he's an almost four-year old, with an ornery streak who tells me very clearly 'sometimes I want to break Avery's toys, and sometimes I don't'. Go fig.
*Avery, you are also quite the little sensory-seeker. You absolutely LOVE to be in the middle of our big soft bed, or sat back in the middle of the couch. You get this big smile, realizing where you are, and almost immediately throw yourself forwards or sideways.. then backwards, not thinking about it for one second. It scares me sometimes, imagining you hurling yourself backwards on any other surface, but I am pretty confident you'll keep it contained to the couch... here's hoping! You crawl headfirst into soft things, too - a blanket hanging over the side of the couch, or the soft ottoman we have. Mommy's stomach. You absolutely live for a Curious George doll, that Andrew got for Christmas. And probably the most ... what's the word .. REVOLTING effect of this sensory madness is the way you eat. CHILD. You love to feeeeel your food. If I make the error or accidentally dripping one droplet of puree onto your highchair tray? Your sensory-sonar finds it almost instantly and your big open palm smacks it and frantically spreads it around the tray/anything nearby. It's your happy place. Messes. Can't say I am accustomed to this trait, as your brother was famous for refusing anything wet/squishy for months on end. He did not crawl in grass until well over a year old (as I wrung my hands in the background). You love to. You crawl in that dead scratchy grass, and then you eat it.
* Andrew, you are definitely without a doubt going through a daddy-preference stage. Unlike past stages of you preferring him. this particular one is MUCH more tolerable for me, because you aren't hating on me. Yay! You're just getting so big and empathetic and kind...  of course, you've always been this way, but we've gone through quite a few stages where the rage of communication barrieres between us was directly focused at me. And me only. This time, when we ask you if you want to go certain places with ME or Daddy, you almost always say 'Daddy. But don't worry, I still love you.' Warms my tired beat-down mommy heart, it does.
* Avery, you are a clapper. You just love to clap. And I tell ya, there really is no cuter sound in the world than a baby clapping. Tiny pudgy hands clapping together to make the tiniest little sound... pretty sure I squeal every time. You love to clap SO much, that you try to do it while taking a bottle. Sometimes, you'll be half asleep while drinking your bottle, and one hand will be curled up by your face, and apparently the other WANTS to clap.. so it'll be smacking into your own forehead, then eventually my face... until your brain wires cross the right way and your other hand gets the message to join in. It's amusing watching you clap your hands, one arm hooked through mine, holding your bottle. So talented. You love to wave, also. This is fairly new.. and again, I squeal over the cuteness. You LOVE to go outside and when a car comes down the street, I'll say 'Car, Avery! Car!!!' and your head will swivel in the direction of the sound, and your hand whips up to start waving, immediately. The car might still be 10 houses down, but no matter. You wave with such enthusiasm. Your wave started out as sort of a cute little outstretched hand/arm movement. Now it's a full-on pageant wave that could not be cuter. Every time someone enters the room, you wave. Such a polite little girl.
....  In all honestly, this post was sitting in draft for WEEKS. Not joking. Life is just so so busy... and I do feel very guilty about not recording every day's note-worthy moments. But they come at me like an avalanche. How could I record it all? TOO much. Andrew, I am about to start writing your epic 4-year old letter, ALL about you. I know I won't capture it all, or really do justice to all that happen's on any given day, but I'll try. The day's are just filled to overflowing with funny moments and cuteness. Also with stress and not having enough hands/help, and relying on strong caffeine, and sometimes envying the office-working crowd. I won't deny that for a second. But damn, I am grateful more than anything. I get to see you two squirts everyday, ALL day, and while you are well versed with what buttons to push, you make me happier than I could ever have prayed for. Here's to better documentation, and stronger coffee!