This week Aurora and Madeline had their piano recital. Every one was practicing up a storm. Avery got some of her own playing time, with help from her oldest sister, Brianna. She LOVES playing the piano! She is such an artist!

April 2009

Avery is starting to sit up. Not on her own yet, but if we sit her up she can stay up quite a while. She is starting to get frustrated with only rolling. She wants to go places and reach things by herself. She is a highly motivated girl!

My (Janet's) dental hygienist gave me a tooth brush for Avery. She said we should brush her teeth before they come in so she won't fuss about getting her teeth brushed. It took nine kids to learn this! We can feel two teeth on the bottom but they aren't in yet. Lots of time to practice brushing teeth. So far Avery likes the tooth brush. She especially likes the training toothpaste. (I've tasted it. It is very good!)

Date Night We try to go out regularly and a few times a year we get away overnight without all of the kids. (Good marriage advice we've been working on perfecting for about 10 years.) This weekend we spent one night at a nearby resort. Avery went with us. (All nursing babies are exempt from the "without kids" definition of date night.) We took a walk, watched a movie, ate too many desserts and in the morning we watched Native American dancers while we ate homemade bread. Avery really liked the dancing. This is her and Brad sitting on the patio watching the "grass dance."

 

Avery learned to roll over!!

Happy Easter

Avery demonstrating Newton's law of Gravity.

Avery was so excited about plastic eggs. She played with them on the floor all afternoon.

Avery's Easter outfit. It was raining and cold this weekend. I was glad she had a sweater to wear. Stephen calls these shoes, "Avery's egg shoes." They have daisies on them but they look like sunny side up eggs to him. When you are 4 you have more experience with eggs than with flowers!

This week Avery went grocery shopping with me. We put her car seat in the cart in the parking lot, (she is getting heavy.) It was starting to rain so we were hurrying. The parking lot was a little bumpy for the cart and Avery laughed all the way as it jiggled her in the cart. We didn't have a camera with us - so no picture of her cart ride - but it was fun.

We had a beautiful day this week before it got rainy. Avery and I went to lunch with a friend and her baby. It was so nice that we sat on the patio in the sun for a couple of hours. We both got a little pink. I think my forehead is still pink, but Avery's sunburn had already faded by the next day. She had a nap part of the time in her car seat with the cover shading her. Next time she will have to wear a hat. Summer is almost here!

Avery is holding still for a minute. She found something to play with. She is starting to be interested in objects for longer periods of times. She really likes this particular teething toy. (No teeth yet). She loves her plastic links, and we have an O-ball that she can really hang onto that she tries to get into her mouth. She is at the stage that she puts everything in her mouth. She is exploring the world mouth first!

Avery is being gregarious here. She has a great voice. She "talks" and "sings." She is no shrinking violet.

We've had some nice weather. A couple of weeks ago we went to the zoo. Avery really liked being outside and riding in the stroller . She especially liked the duck pond. We could get close enough to the birds for her to see them.

Avery is rolling all over now. There were a couple of weeks she could only roll onto her tummy and that was super frustrating to her. She didn't like to be on her tummy very long. She quickly learned to roll to her back. Now she can make it across the room in a few seconds. When she rolls up against a wall or a piece of furniture she is annoyed. She is so smart!

March 2009

Smiley girl!

 Avery has discovered her feet! She grabs them when she's on the floor and rolls around.

This is Avery's favorite toy. Anything she can get in her mouth is her favorite right now. She is exploring everything with her mouth. She is so smart!

Avery has the coolest pants. Everyone thinks they are too striped. But then you have to know the story of the candy cane striped maternity pants Janet sewed when she was pregnant with Brianna. It is true what they say: tragedy plus time equals comedy!