Avery Overdose (for the grandparents)

We FINALLY organized some recent video footage for everyone. There is so much more we've missed putting together from her younger months, but this is fun. She's getting lots of new "words" out daily! Grab some popcorn and enjoy!

Hello Mimi and Fam

Doodah Baby

Animal Noises

Happy or Not?

Silliness

We're in a good rhythm most days at the Eyes.' With this face, how could I ever complain?

 Thankfully, Avery's started sinking into a better sleep pattern recently without the 4-5am wakings (then back to sleep until 7). Now she's just sleeping from 7 - 7 (or a little earlier)!  Don't know what happened but we were just about ready to do some sleep training and crying it out to get ride of that feeding. Pray this sticks!

She's up to about 25 pounds and takes 1 afternoon nap, usually just under 2 hours. It's not a lot of sleep in a day in my opinion but seems to be enough for this busy girl! 

This week starts a new change for our family: I'm going to work! I'm a part-time Breakfast Consultant with Hunger Free Colorado. My excitement isn't in leaving her, but I'm so glad it's a part-time flexible job I've been praying for that allows me to work whatever hours I want, from home, with occasional meetings with schools. And it gives her some chances to play with other people and explore other environments and ways of doing things for a couple days a week. Nice way to ease into things I think! Plus I'm excited to learn more about the nutrition environment in Colorado's schools and help make improvements and get more hungry kids connected to healthy brain food.

Here are some favorite shots from recent play times.

Sporting the hat Mimi made

 Proud of her puzzle and book reading abilities

 Telling me something! Quite possibly "peepee" we've been working on as part of an early potty training/awareness effort. And, pointing out something in her book.

Sprawling like a worm on the floor

Going bonkers

complete silliness

"reading" the paper?

  We spend hours looking at family pictures in this baby book...

There's my family I love!!

Goings-on

Tim's in his Tuesday night class and I'm finding myself preparing for a couple of (job?) interviews over the next couple days. Not entirely new for the past 4 months, but one in particular seems like a promising fit. I feel like part-time would be the only balance we could strike right now, with Avery being so cool and all (and Tim working tons and in school at the same time! Oh and with cooking and laundry and cleaning and sewing and hiking and reading and churching to do...).

Speaking of the little Muncher, Avery's into lots of fun stuff lately.
Masquerading in mom and dad's hats, shoes, and clothes.

She finally, finally has "mama" and "dada" straight and can do the right signs for them, instead of everything being "mama" with the dada sign.

Saying new words like "HOUUUUUSSSE," tuna, hee-haw (?), star, up, Jesus, Holy Spirit and Nietzsche (ok, maybe not those last two). 

Camping out under the dining room table.

Obsessing with her baby doll, patting it "pat pat pat" to burp, and shhhhhing it to sleep (helps having a couple little real babies around now and then!).

Also carrying around 2 big heavy stuffed bears and crashing on them together on the ground laughing.

"Jumping."

Boycotting the stroller on walks and instead tromping slowly down blocks and blocks of sidewalks.

We're a happy trinity, just gotta figure out the rest of life!

SNOW!

After a super warm and dry January, winter has hit. Several storms including a big one have given us some slippery fun (and trouble digging the car out!). 

We also braved a long drive over mountain passes to spend Pres day weekend in Telluride with my whole family to celebrate Becka and Kate's birthday. Wow was it worth it!

One of the amazing coincidences was that our good friend from Tacoma, Elisa, was planning on doing some ice climbing in Ouray around the same time. So we made plans to connect. And it actually worked!!

  We'll definitely have to do this again...(?)

A day in the life.

I'm back! A lot has been happening around here, and I've been in charge of it all. Well, the inspiration at least. Mom has been doing her sewing a lot and made me a Colorado baby outfit. I like the vest, sort of. 

 

I am not so sure about that hat, it's ridiculous actually. But she tells me it keeps me warm and I have to admit I have trouble ripping it off like I do my other hats. Plus it's reversible and OWLS are on the other side!

 One of my favorite things these days are babies. Especially real ones like my new cousin Livvy! She came to play the other day and I am very gentle touching her hands and hair. I won't take a nap whenever she is around to play with.

 The best new toy is my very own chair! I've only fallen out of it a few times, but the distance isn't so far. It only hurts when I land head first on my puzzles on the ground. But usually I can turn around and go down feet first.

 Mom, dad and Aunt Becka took me on another hike yesterday. I just love them (the hikes too). Peering over daddy's shoulder and playing with his hat and hair is really fun. Plus having Aunt Becka tickle me in the backpack is soooo funny.

 On days when we aren't going somewhere, my day usually consists of the following activities:

giving my baby doll (and other toys) her water, num num num

locking myself in various rooms of the house and waiting till mom rescues me, then running

opening the kitchen drawers to stir with bowls and pots and pans

crashing on pillows

doing puzzles (sort of)

watching the trucks go down the alley

playing with chain locks on the windows

eating old cheerios off the floor (oops)

wearing my necklaces around the house and putting them in things

riding my toy train

whining at mom when she's on the computer or doing dishes

if I'm lucky, going to swing at the park, or watching my sign language videos!!!

oh, and holding lotions of course. See you next time!

What the Munch?

Avery's been up to so much new stuff lately. We love this age (14 mo)!

• She does a funky dance, stomping her right foot all around and whispering something unintelligible when we say "break it down!" And sometimes she does her own versions of it just for fun when no one's watching her and shaking her head back and forth, then looks up and waits to see if anyone noticed.
• She's articulating and experimenting with sounds and words more. Besides her normal "nana" and short "ooh ooh" (un-oh), she's started saying "taaaaah" under her breath for hot, and the new "dupiedupiedupiedupie" for something else. Just to talk, I think. It sounds like Ralphy from A Christmas Story when he's beating up the bully Scott Farkus because she says it so sharply and quietly. 
• Also, "noooo" has entered her world of understanding and retelling. Often repeated over and over with a scrunchy face. 
• She loves to honk people's noses, including her own, while saying "hoooooon(k)!"
• She prances around on her tiptoes lately, after watching her cousins at Christmas do it.
• She loves playing with necklaces, and baby dolls, and giving them drinks, since she watched her cousins do it:)
• She'll randomly stop in the middle of the room and start slowly turning in circles or walking backwards while saying "waaaah, waaaaaaaah, waaaaaaaaaaaaah......WAH!" 
• And/or, she'll scoot backwards on her tummy across the hardwood floors. (evidenced by dirty shirts)
• Climbing up onto big-girl chairs and couches is a new favorite. 
• She loves stirring imaginary things with a bowl and spoon.
• Crashing into pillows on the bed or couch or floor is still a big hit. 
• Little Miss Curious is into everything. Pulling things off counters, out of recycling and trash cans (even with lids!), out of drawers and nooks and crannies.

I'm sure there will be something new tomorrow! We are loving and laughing a lot around here.

2011 Review

Here's a small slideshow of SOME highlights of past year for the Eyes. Of course there were plenty more! Stay tuned for a New Year song coming soon.

PS And while cousin Livvy got her own slide, don't miss cousin Adelyn in her mama's arms on the Isaacson Christmas slide at the end! Just as precious!


Happy New Year from our family to yours!!

Christmas at the Eyes

This is our first Christmas as a family of three in our own apartment in Denver.  Last year was great to share with my parents, especially with a 2 month old! Now we can bust out some of our own touches, though. Nothing extravagant, but a little fun:

chopped it down ourselves!

next year it will be my own instead of a kit:)

nutivity!