1st Birthday Candids

Avery started out her birthday with one of her favorite treats - a Nutri Grain Bar!

After daycare, we had Grams, GG and Aunt Amy over to celebrate both Am'y and Avery's birthday. We let Avery try a little cake and she LOVED it. Can't wait to see what she does with her smash cake during her party. 

 

Happy First Birthday Avery!

Today Avery turns 1 year old. While it's true what they say that it goes by so fast, it also gets better and better with each new stage of her life. I remember that day at the hospital a year ago very vividly - thinking I was in labor, then being told I wasn't, then seeing her heart rate keep dropping on the monitor and finally accepting the decision that we needed a C-Section. We'll never know what caused the heart rate to fluctuate but she came out screaming and healthy and perfect. I remember those early weeks where she was so tiny and just wanted to be nursed and snuggled and held. Then she was the alert baby who never really liked to sleep or nap but preferred to nurse and lay on her playmat and reach for the ladybugs. Around Christmas, she became our smiling and rolling baby - never wanting to be still she loved to roll around the room from object to object and explore her world. After the start of daycare, she learned to be comforted by others better and play on her own. Crawling, and solid foods soon followed - If she wasn't eating and trying new foods, she was moving! She then learned how to go crazy in the Jumparoo. And she continued to explore and grow and not be afraid of anything - the waves at the beach, the stairs, new people, smoked whitefish and aged cheeses, taking steps - you name it and she was willing to give it a try. We now have a true toddler who just discovered that ALL the cabinets and drawers in the house open and we never have a dull moment. In her first year, Avery has been an active, smart, busy, inquisitive, funny, sometimes demanding, strong, sweet, and beautiful baby girl. We struggled with sleep (and still sometimes do!) and had a couple ear infections, colds and illnesses, busy work schedules, long car trips, etc. - But the year has mostly been filled with joy, love and pride as we got to watch Avery grow. How lucky we have been.

We will officially celebrate Avery's birthday with a small family party in a couple weeks and visit the Doctor to get her a official stats. But here is an update on what we are seeing as the 1 year mark passes:

• Fully walking and balance is getting  very good - can bend down to pick something up and stand back up and can steady herself
• Bag of Tricks: Waves hi and bye, Claps, Blows kisses (sometimes from her forehead?), Tells you what the doggy says (basically looks like she is blowing with no sounds - Woo Woo Woo), Tells you what the Kitty Cat says ("Mow Mow"), Shakes her head "no" when she is finished, and Dances to music
• LOVES Books - Can't get enough. We read pretty much all the time. She typically gets bored after the 2nd page and hands you a new one so we rarely get to finish a story
• Favorite toy is her new wagon from Uncle Du - She likes to just sit in it and climb in and out.
• She is nursing less and less and really enjoying her solid foods. Her favorites are any grilled meats, watermelon and blueberries, cheeses, yogurt, nutrigrain bars and any kind of bread, and yogurt bites
• Sleeping well and mostly through the night. Goes down very easily and usually makes it through until 6:30 or 7 (but not all the time....)
• Super inquisitive and curious - staring at people when we are at restaurants, wanting to look at anything that anyone else is holding, fascinated by everything! 
• Very vocal and will get her point across about what she wants and doesn't want (open this, read me this book, walk me here, show me that, etc.)
• Playing with her hair is her way of comforting herself and one of the main signs that she is tried
• Likes to be held when she's tired or sick but basically wants to be on her own and exploring. And loves to play hide-n-seek.
• Has a great giggle that is one of my favorite sounds ever

Avery - We love you so very much and are thankful for the amazing 1st year we have had with you. Can't wait for all that's to come. Happy Birthday J-Bird.

Playtime with Dad

Hung is truly a great Dad - He does an amazing job playing with Avery and making her laugh (Hide and Seek is one of their favorites!). He can get giggles out of her that no one else can. 

And She's Off....

While still a bit wobbly, Avery seems to be officially walking! Crawling is still the fastest method of transportation but in the last few days she is walking more and more and her balance is getting much stronger. I love to watch that little girl toddle around!

 

Some Early Birthday Gifts

Although Avery's birthday is still a week away and we are a couple weeks away from her party, she has gotten a couple early presents. Her friend Ella (and Rebecca) got her a Radio Flyer that she has loved pushing around the house. And Uncle Du got her an awesome wagon that she can't get enough of! She loves to climb in and out, in and out, in and out. And also loves taking walks outside in her new wagon. She is one happy (and lucky) girl!

Avery's First Indiana State Fair

Grams and I took Avery to the State Fair this morning and we had a great time! Although Avery was a bit young for most of it, I think she still had a lot of fun.

We started off taking Avery on her first pony ride - she was pretty serious for most of it. Not sure what she was thinking. Then we headed to the "Little Hands on the Farm" exhibit which was just SO cute. The kids were given a bucket and they walked through different farm stations where they got to find feed, pick an egg from the chicken coop, pick vegetables and apples and gather wool. Once they completed every station, they "sold" their goods at the market and then got "money" where they were able to get a treat - Avery got applesauce which she had with her lunch. It was a great exhibit! I think Avery will appreciate it much more over the next couple years but she seemed to like going through the stations and getting different things to hold. After we were done in the kids farm area we took a train over to all the food vendors (Avery LOVED the train). We all enjoyed some fried potatoes, grilled cheese and ice cream. And then ended our day listening to a great band where Avery got to dance with Grams for a bit. 

There was a TON more to see and we will for sure be going back next year where Avery will be older and able to explore more. The fair was not very busy and we had a great weather - It was the perfect Sunday!

7 Steps

I am not sure that we are "officially" walking - but Avery took some big steps today! We were at Nordstroms and Hung had some shoes that she wanted to play with (i.e. eat) and she was standing by me and took 6 steps towards him before grabbing for the shoes and falling. And then tonight while we were up reading books in her room she walked from Hung to me and took 7 steps for falling into my lap. Any day now she is truly going to take off!

A Weekend of Playing

Avery had a very busy weekend playing with friends and family!

On Friday, we hosted playgroup at our house and had 6 moms and 7 babies over for lunch. Avery had fun pushing Holden around in her new Radio Flyer wagon from Ella. And then Henry wanted to give it a try as well. It had been a few weeks since we saw our playgroup friends so it was fun to all hang out and catch up.

On Friday night, Uncle Du came for a visit and Avery LOVED seeing him - She is fascinated by Du and spent over 30 minutes just sitting in his lap and playing with him (she never sits that long for me or Hung!). And he had her belly laughing quite a few times throughout the weekend - he's such a great Uncle :) We also had my mom, Chuck and Grammy over for dinner and grilled out. Avery was very busy and got lots of attention all night.(I forgot to take pictures...)

On Saturday, Hung and Du golfed while Avery and I went to Ian's 1st birthday party. We got to spend time with Leah and the twins again as well. It was a nice day out and the babies had fun playing with all the push toys in the backyard. After the party, Avery and I went for a swim at Grammy's pool with my mom. The water was SO warm and Avery had a blast. She loved bouncing the beach balls around in the water. And also found it really funny when we would swim underwater, grab her feet and surprise her. We can't wait to go back! That night we went out to dinner with my mom, Chuck, and Du and Avery got her favorite for dinner - a hot dog!

Sunday we went to Courtney, Mary and Ava's for a BBQ and also got to see Mike, Poonam and Savera. We had not seen them since earlier in the summer and it was so fun to catch up with everyone and see the girls play together. Avery loved exploring all of Ava's toys - especially her board books and a beaded bracelet. They are all getting so big and were very cute together! It was the perfect end to the weekend.

Avery crashed when we got home - It was a fun weekend and she was one busy girl!!