Katie's 2 Month Check Up

Kate had her appointment with Dr. Clarke (one of Mommy's many heroes) yesterday, and everything looked great! She weighs 9 pounds, 5 ounces and was 22 1/2 inches long - both her height and weight are in the 25%tile, which is a huge increase from the measly 3rd%tile she was at our last visit. Thunder Thighs is growing fast!

Kate also got her first round of shots and handled the actual shot part well. Later, when the Tylenol was wearing off and the wound was still new, she had a really rough time. Mommy and Kate just sat and cried in a warm bath for about an hour while the new dose of meds kicked in. Luckily, I was still recovering from the Christmas week, and so I slept right through her cries... but Mama says that Kate's cries were a totally new kind of sad. Apparently, Kate has lived a relatively painless little life until now and she didn't know what hit her!

(She's feeling MUCH better today and already her fever has gone back down! Praise God!)

Christmas: A New Way of Life

Katie-Bear's Official Christmas Uniform

This wonderful thing called Christmas has become a way of life for me of late. Mommy and Daddy counted 8 days in a row of some sort of Christmas... tomorrow is going to be a real shocker when I don't have someone offering presents to me at every turn!

This weekend, we got to go to Lockhart and have more Christmas! We got to have our first Christmas at Aunt Sandie's house and I had so much fun playing with my second cousins David, Derrick and Jenna!

Nanny's Christmas

Playing Chalk with David

It was a beautiful mess!

Then, I got to go play at my Great-Mimi's house. I immediately took to my cousins and also enjoyed all of the puppies (at one point, there were 8 dogs in the backyard!)

Christmas at Mimi and Gran's

I got to spend the night one night on my special princess sheets at Mimi's house and one night on a magic bed that appeared from under another bed at Nanny's house. There were so many adults that Kate and I BOTH got plenty of attention. I love visiting Lockhart and can't wait for my next trip!

Click here for more pictures of my weekend

Merry Last Christmas! (sort of... Uncle Trey and Aunt Erin will be here next month to celebrate...)

Watch out Kristie Yamaguchi...

Here I come!

"I so glad Jesus..."

Christmas Day is here!

I woke up this morning to find Santa came to my house! He brought me 2 Barbies, a car, a princess tent, Rudolph figurines, and a stocking full of wonderful things! It was sort of scary when Mommy told me this morning that Santa came last night. He's quite the imposing figure, and I didn't know how I felt about him in my house. Once Mommy cleared up that Santa came and left, though, I quite enjoyed the things he left behind.

My Santa Stash

After Santa presents, I went to see my Nonnie and her family. I got to open more princess presents (perfect for me!), another stocking full of wonderful things, and a leopard jacket that my Great-Nonnie hand made just for me! It was so fun to play with everyone and show off my baby sister. I especially enjoyed dressing princess Ariel in her many outfits and playing with a doll house and baby doll.

My new coat from Great-Nonnie!

We came back home for naptime and a relaxing rest of the day. After all of the presents and excitement of the last week, I walked up to Mommy this afternoon and said, "Mommy, I so glad Jesus." Mommy's pretty sure it comes from the "Happy Birthday Jesus" song*, but Mama and Daddy both stopped for a moment of appreciation at the sweetness and innocence a toddler brings to the season. Merry Christmas, everyone!

And because Mommy cannot just pick 3 pics, click here for more.

*("Happy Birthday Jesus, I'm so glad it's Christmas...")

Christmas in Wales

Christmas with Nana and DD is always done up right, and this year was no exception!

We started with a first class lunch from Chef Emeril "DD" Wales. Later on, we got to go to a candlelit service at Nana and DD's church. The most exciting moment of the night came when I was helping Daddy hold the candle. I was being ever so careful, but curiosity got the better of me and I leaned over to see Amanda and David's candles, too. Well, I leaned right into the candle and POOF! my hair caught fire! There's a section of my head that had soot marks on it and that is bald from the fire. Because Daddy was such a fast-acting hero and "patted" out the fire so quickly, it's only a small spot (also, I hear, hair doesn't really burn, it just smokes...). In all of Mommy's years of going to candlelit services, she's never once heard of someone catching on fire. I guess it takes an Avery Leigh to do something like that!

Moments before the Smoking Hair Incident

After all of that excitement, we got to go to Nana and DD's for presents. I got some wonderful things, but the best present of all was an authentic, straight from Disney World, Cinderella castle complete with singing doors, lights, all the princesses and their princes, and even Minnie and Mickey sculpted plants! This thing could not be more magical, and I have been playing with it every moment I can since I opened it!


Chef DD and the castle

A thing of beauty...

Kate is 2 months old today and is (in my humble opinion) one of God's greatest masterpieces. Her beauty takes our breath away, and we love her calm, easy going personality.

Kate's current accomplishments include:
Sleeping 5-7 hour stretches at night
Eating like a cow and gaining weight rapidly (9.0 pounds at time of post!)
Cooing and "social" smiling
Grasping objects that happen to be in her way

Avery has really taken to her and shows her love much like my old cat used to - by bringing "gifts" and laying them at my feet. Avery's gifts are usually works of art and favorite stuffed animals, although yesterday Kate also got several pieces of princess jewelry.

I tried to capture Kate's finest moments (cooing and smiling) on camera, but this is the best I was able to do:

A Very McClinton Christmas

In my new princess gear

On Saturday, we got to kick off the official Christmas celebration with Christmas at the McClinton house. Mommy and Daddy had been building it up for me, because they wanted to make sure I was prepared for all of the fun, faces, and activities I'd be encountering. While it did prepare me and I had a blast, it also ensured I would absolutely NOT nap during naptime on Saturday - I was just waaaay too excited!

We had a blast at the McClinton Christmas. My half-cousin, Olivia, was there, and I loved playing with her and learning all about being "a big girl now" (my new phrase... Olivia is 4 and had a lot of big girl toys!) I got to play with Grandma and Grandpa and Mimi and Popi and Uncle Sean and Jennifer and even my great-great grandmother Te-Ta! The house was full of love and fun and Daddy carved his first turkey so that Popi could keep holding Kate (she was happiest in his arms). Mommy and Daddy have learned their no-nap lesson and have not told me yet that this was just one of many wonderful celebrations for Christmas. I guess the rest will just have to be a surprise!

5 Generations of McClintons

Avery-Lee and Christmas

Last night, Mimi and Papa came over and brought Kate and me our Christmas gifts. I got an extra-special, princess-worthy, interactive vanity. You should see this thing! I can put make-up on Aurora and she tells me how gorgeous my color choices are and everything. It is perfection!
-Avery

Hello, World!

For some time now, "Avery" has been sending out weekly emails to her family, weaving tales from the week. It's one of my favorite things to do each Monday... I love "seeing" the world through her eyes and telling everyone about the fun she's had.

Jordan has been an advocate for blogging since these emails started last summer, but I've hesitated for a lot of reasons. The biggest reason is because I love writing the emails from Avery's point of view so much, but have never seen a blog done like that and wasn't sure how it would translate to the new format. (The other reason, as you will soon see, is that each week I have at least 15 pictures I feel I must share! :))

After months of encouragement from DH, I've decided to give it a go. Every week, "Avery" will post, but occasionally I will post as well. I'm going to give this blogging thing a try and see how it goes!

More Christmas!

Hey family!

It was another Christmas-y week, complete with shopping, parties, and new house decor!

I asked Daddy to put lights on the house, and he couldn't resist my sweet smile. Then, while we were at Walgreens the other day, Mommy spotted an inflatable Rudolph ("Rude-Opp") that was half off! Since Rude-Opp is my current obsession, a $10 inflatable was perfect! Every night, I ask Daddy to take me out to see Rude-Opp and say goodnight to him.

On Wednesday, it snowed! It was very little snow, but enough to make me do a happy dance and spend some good time out there with Daddy. I also got to go to my school Christmas party this week. It wasn't quite what I expected, because it was missing balloons, candy, and presents... I turned to mom after the story, healthy snack, and craft, and said, "OK, Party Now!" School parties are verrry different. Luckily, we also got to celebrate at my playgroup's Christmas party on Saturday night. I enjoyed being with my friends and eating chocolate covered marshmallows, cookies, and brownies! (My kind of party!)

This week, our new church building got ready for us. Our last Sunday as a church without a home was last week. No more getting to church early to set up drums and sound systems! Yea!

Click here for pictures of the week (also included: a picture of me "nursing" my baby and being sweet to my sister!)

Love you!

Avery

Avery is Thankful for...

I asked Avery to list the things she is thankful for this Thanksgiving, and this is the list she gave me (with great gusto):

Mommy

Kate

Oscar

Dottie

Everybody ("A-body")

My milk

Daddy

Princesses

My books

Oscar and Dottie (Really thankful for them, apparently!)

The list continued from there, to name all of Avery's relatives, several friends, and some other things that might not have actually meant to be on the list - "my milk spilling", "Baby Kate awake", etc. :)

This Thanksgiving, we were especially thankful for our girls, our health, and all of our amazing families that have rallied behind us with so much love and support.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pictures from Kate and Avery's Thanksgiving (There are a lot of them! And turn up your volume for a music video from Trey and Jordan)

Angela, Jordan, Avery, and Kate

Sick Again!

Dear Family,

I think Baby Kate wants to be like me! This past week, she came down with my old virus! I tried to tell her that copy-catting is really dangerous when it comes to viruses, but she was already committed to the illness by then. Kate kept Mom and Dad up for hours and hours at night with her congestion, so on Tuesday night, Nana came to stay with us and give Mom and Dad a chance to sleep and therefore function. Poor Kate survived with no medication (there's nothing they can do for an infant!), but did go through the whole week unable to breathe, coughing, sneezing - she even lost her voice for a while and Mama had to set her alarm to wake up to feed her at night because her cry wasn't loud enough! Kate is doing much better now (almost at 100%), but it once again made for a long week at home.

Luckily, before Kate got sick, I did get to see my playgroup friends at a pajama jam. I got to dance and show off Baby Kate. During one scary song (Day-Oh), I had to have Mom hold her hand over my eyes so it wouldn't scare me anymore. It was great to be back in the action!

While we were once again quarantined at home, Mom dug deep to come up with ways to entertain me. We bathed my toys, read LOTS of books, made muffins, decorated the house for Christmas, got reprieve from Nana, Granddaddy, and Nonnie. I also played a fun "night night" game with my princesses, and Mommy listened in as I tucked Mulan into "bed" and then said to her, "Minute, Muyan, I hug Tink now." Mama says play imitates life right now, and I am really turning a corner with understanding sharing and accepting my sister!

The last piece of news from the week is that yesterday, Kate celebrated her 1 month birthday! Weighing in at 7 lbs 5 oz, she has exceeded the doctor's growth expectations and has added a priceless and precious (although sleepless) aspect to the McClinton family! We love her so much (even me, now)!

Click here for pictures from the week

Love,

Avery "Can we leave the house yet?" McClinton

The Best Laid Plans

Hey family!

This past week was not quite like I expected it to be. It was Mama's first full week with us gals alone, and we were going to rejoin playgroup, head to Pre-School, and even have a big girl pajama party with church friends on Friday night. Instead, I woke up from naptime on Monday feeling a little under the weather. I sported a 100 or 101 all week, complete with a terribly runny nose, yucky cough, and congestion. Turns out I had a sinus infection and all the liquid in my ears made for a double ear infection. Yikes! On Saturday, I started my antibiotics and I am feeling much better today. Mom is THRILLED that we will be able to leave the house this week and start interacting with humans again! Despite Mom's best efforts, it sounds like Kate is coming down with the same stuff. Please join us in prayer for her little body to be healed so it doesn't escalate. (For those keeping track, YES - this does equal 2 full blown illnesses in 3 weeks - I've been more sick this month than in the past year combined! Pre-school is doing it's part to build my immunities, that's for sure!)

Because I was sick all week, we got pretty creative in coming up with ways to stay entertained. Needless to say, there was a LOT more TV than usual being watched ("Pee Pan" is a favorite this week), but we also took long soaks in Mom's tub, colored and did stickers countless times, irritated Oscar and Dottie, and took several visits to Nana and DD's house. (Mama is so thankful they aren't afraid of germs... getting out of the house was a mental health issue for both of us this week! :)) We also got to bring the cool little house that's been at Nana and DD's home with us this week, and I have really enjoyed playing in it! Granddaddy went to Disney World this week on business and brought me back some treats on Wednesday night, and I happily played with the cool colored hot chocolates, my new Ariel cup, and Princess stamps that he got for me. I also had time to play under their dining table like it was a tent with all of my princesses and enjoyed "chicken ah fries" with them more than once!

While I was at Nana's house, Mama, Daddy and Kate got to go see the new location for our church. We hope to be meeting there at the start of the new year, and Daddy can't wait to leave his drum set up instead of tearing it down each week! It's going to be amazing to have a place of our own for The Waters to meet!

Also this week, Kate continued to grow and change! Since we couldn't get out of the house to show her off, Mom and I took some pictures of her. Last night when Daddy weighed her, she was 7 pounds 1 ounce! She's a growing girl!

Click here for pictures from "Sick Week"

Love,

Avery "Illness" McClinton

The Good and The Bad

Dear Family,

If ever there was a week of big events and transitioning behaviors, this was it! The week was a mishmash between having a blast celebrating Halloween and Daddy's birthday and learning that Kate is here to stay and trying new acting out behaviors to see what gets me the most attention. Don't get me wrong, I'm a precious angel about 80% of the time, it's just that the combination of being two and being de-throned is sometimes a lot for us all to handle.

Great moments from the week:

*Daddy and Nana taking time off of work to play with me

*Having visitors at night - Nonnie, Great Nonnie, and DD all stopped by!

*Daddy's birthday: breakfast in bed with him, Saltgrass dinner to go, and special hugs for my "not old yet" Daddy

*Pumpkin carving - I helped until the smell got too strong :)

*Watching Kate GROW - from 5 lb 6 oz to 5 lb 10.5 oz this morning!

*Hanging out with Aunt Amanda and Uncle David

*Saying cheese with Kate for professional photos

*Trick or treating with Daddy, DD, and Mommy (Nana stayed home and helped Kate pass out the candy)

*Playing with my Playgroup friends at a Family Halloween Party

The not great moments from the week are way less fun to recall, so let's just say there were a few fits when I saw Kate being held, when I woke up from nap, even at the playgroup party... every week that I realize Kate is here to stay will get better and I know before long it'll hit me that she really belongs in our family! :)

Click here for pictures from the week

Click here for pictures from the professional photo shoot

Love you!

Avery

Kate is Here!

Hey family,

It's been pretty crazy since I last wrote. After naptime on Thursday, I got all dressed up and headed to meet sister Kate. I instantly loved her, making my silly half-giggle noises and wanting to compare our eyes, nose, fingers... Even though there are bound to be some hard days ahead as I learn my new place, most of all I just love Baby Kate.

I stayed with Nana and Granddaddy while Mom was in the hospital, and was going to come home for good with the family on Saturday. I did get to go to the hospital in another adorable dress and escort Kate home in our side by side carseats, but I wasn't acting like myself and was running a slight fever, so even though Mommy thought it might be because of teething, everyone agreed it'd be better for me to spend one more day with Nana and DD. It's a good thing, too! Turns out I had a stomach bug and wasn't feeling so well all day Sunday. Nana and DD took amazing care of me, but I still missed Baby Kate, asking about her once I started feeling better. I'm on the mend now, but it has been a very different weekend than I could have ever imagined. Mommy thanks God for Nana and DD and for letting me handle my first ever stomach illness like such a champ! We're praying hard for health for all those exposed, especially Baby Kate - Mommy doesn't think a 5.5 pound baby should weather an illness like this!

On a side note, Baby Kate enjoyed her time in the hopspital, entertaining visitors and charming the nursery workers. Now that she's home, she's really showing off her laid-back personality. Mommy says its amazing how much we can look alike and yet how different we can act! She's the perfect yin to my yang so far. (Mommy says she watches me get more perfect everyday, and now she knows it must be a McClinton baby trait, because Kate grows more beautiful and lovable every moment she's around!)

Next week, we're counting on God to keep everyone else in the family healthy, and we plan to "relax and simplify" - Nana's new motto for Mommy - as Daddy and Nana take some time off of work to play with me and hold the baby. Also next week: Daddy's birthday, Halloween, AND professional pictures with Kate and I.

Click here for pics (some are repeats from proud Daddy's email)

Love,

"Big Sisser" Avery

Last Week Alone

This is it!  My last nigt as an only child!  I've had a busy past week and weekend preparing for Kate and enjoying the last days of my reign.  My weekly post is going up a few days late, because Mommy says there was a lot to include from this week as well and we wanted to be sure and save next week's email just for "Kate and Me" pictures.

Last weekend, Mommy and Daddy and I went and spent a fun family day at Dewberry Farms.  I got to see barn animals, ride a corn train, play on the playground, see pumpkins all lit up, and play hide and go seek with Daddy in a corn maze.

I also got to enjoy my last night as an only child tonight.  I have been requesting stroller rides (which is very random if you remember that I bucked strollers at 9 months and haven't been in one since) and playing in the coin thing at Katy Mills, so that is exactly what I got to do.  We also celebrated Mommy's last meal with Mexican food (Daddy says he hopes Mommy's obsession with fajitas starts to wane after Kate comes because the poor guy has been subjected to an awful lot of Mexican lately!)

Other things that made my week special were making brownies using Mimi's Halloween presents to me (sprinkles and pumpkin cupcake holders!) and celebrating at another "Kate party" (this one with my playgroup friends).  It's been a great ride so far, and Mom and Dad promise me that Kate will only make it better!

Tomorrow I will go to school and see Ms. Georgia and Ms. Jennifer.  Mom and Dad are going to drop me off at school and then head to Katy Memorial Hermann Hospital, where Mommy is going to have Kate!  My whole word is going to change as I am introduced to my (hopefully) best friend and little sister, Kate Elizabeth.  (Incidentally, Mom also says she is coveting any prayers you may want to send up for the event tomorrow.  Surgery isn't her thing!)

Click here for pictures from the week (There is a video of me and Daddy that needs volume)

Kate News! (and Other Excitement)

Dear family,

This week, the big news is about sister Kate. Last Monday, Mom started having something called contractions. I don't know what that means, but for 2 hours she called out to Daddy every 4 minutes that "another one was coming on" and Daddy wouldn't let me jump on her while she laid still on the couch. By the end of the night, everything was headed back to normal, but on Thursday, Mommy's doctor told her that there's little chance she'll make it to Kate's due date and that it isn't a good idea to "stretch" a c-section uterus with repeated contractions. So, she told my mom that Kate needs to come on October 23rd, which is just 10 days away (when Mommy is 39 weeks pregnant)! Mommy was shocked, but we're all pretty excited now! Kate even got a tiny Halloween costume - a bunny - and I am a little confused by that, saying, "Baby Kate Easter Bunny Halloween." This is tricky stuff!

While Kate is the big news (and big excitement) around our house, I still did manage to have a fun and adventurous week of my own.

Highlights include:

*My first trip to the dentist (all is well on that front, and I've even gained a whole pound in 1 month!)

*Following Oscar around relentlessly - and learning to steal his bunny for fun (Mom says he's a real trooper!)

*Daddy's new glasses (somehow he alluded the camera this week, stay tuned for pics of him and his handsome new look!)

*Dottie and Oscar's trip to the vet (as you can imagine, I was quite the helper!)

*Dottie's allergic reaction to the shots, causing "Fat Face Dottie" (she's fine after Benadryl)

*Another great day at school (I am finally comfortable enough with Miss Georgia to thorw fits for her)

*My school's Fall Festival with Daddy, Mommy, and Nonnie

*Will and Luke's birthday party, watching Nana and DD's dog Rascal all weekend, and a yummy dinner out with Ms. Erin and Mr. Adam

Mommy and Daddy are spending the rest of this week and next enjoying their time with little ole me, knowing that life is about to change! :)

Click here for pictures from the week

I love you all!

Avery "Big News" McClinton

Kate Party and Father's Day in October

I had another wonderful week, complete with park days, a visit to my favorite pumpkin patch, another fabulous day at school, and a "rabbit" movie (Ratatouille) at Miss Erin and Mr. Adam's house.



Then, on Friday, Aunt Erin and Uncle Trey got on an airplane to come see me. I spent Friday afternoon bonding with them, and that night, Mom, Dad, DD, and Nana spent a lot of time getting my house all set up. I got all of my pictures hung in my big girl room and they set up a new glider for me to read books in!



Saturday after swim lessons, Daddy took me to Aunt Erin's house, where I was slightly overwhelmed to see lots and lots of people who love me all having a party for Kate! Mommy says she has some of the best friends ever who made the party beautiful and so fun, and I agree! I loved the balloons, the yummy food, punch, and cake, and all of the presents for Kate and me. I especially loved getting special time with Nonnie and Nana while Mom and Dad opened gifts.



As if that wasn't enough excitement for the day, I went to Nana and DD's house for naptime because it was finally time to celebrate Father's Day for DD. Every year, the family plans a special menu (around a destination - this year was our trip to LA) for DD, and then we wait until the whole family can be together to make the meal. DD had to be REALLY patient this year, because Father's Day didn't come for him until October! While I was sleeping, everyone was busy in the kitchen making masterpieces. Dinner was amazing, as always, and I ended out the night cuddling with Nana and DD and bonding (again) with Aunt Erin.



I love keeping busy, but am looking forward to a "normal" week and weekend to recover from all of the excitement.



Pictures from the week - there are videos again this week - turn up the volume for a special performance by Trey and Pocahontas!



Love,

Avery



PS - For those keeping track, we're officially 1 month away from Kate's arrival!

Favorites

My mommy had a running joke with her second graders back when she taught.  She'd pull out a book from the shelf and say enthusiastically, "This is my favorite book!"  The kids would then groan and say, "Mrs. McClinton, EVERY book is your favorite book!"  Little would Mommy have guessed, but the joke resurfaced this week when we were watching the Wiggles together.  I looked over at Mommy at the start of every song and said, "Mommy fae-bit."

It feels the same when Mommy talks about the seasons changing.  Every time we head into a new season, Mommy spends about a week telling me how that particular season is her favorite!  Right now, Mommy and I are oohing and ahhing over the mild weather, the feel of autumn in the air, and the excitement that comes with fall each year (Halloween, Daddy's birthday, Thanksgiving and family, yummy smells and foods!)  This year, we get to add another exciting event to the fall lineup - Kate's birthday!

We really enjoyed fall this week at our favorite park, Mary Jo Peckham.  We fed the goldfish and ducks, chased squirrels (I reminded Mommy that squirrels are special because they sing with Snow White), played on the playground, and I tried my hand at putt-putt for the first time.

I also had one last birthday celebration this week with my friends Hannah, Ethan, and Emma Kate, got to go to PetsMart with my playgroup friends for a "field trip", and spent the night at Nana and DD's, where I danced my heart out.  On Saturday, during swim class, Ms. Shell told my daddy she thinks I'm ready to move up to the next class - Goldfish!  It's NOT a Daddy-and-Me class, so Mommy thinks we might wait until the sister transition has taken place before putting me in a swim class without Daddy, but it's exciting that I'm learning so fast nonetheless!

I went to school for the second time this week and we seem to have figured out that pesky half-nap thing because Ms. Georgia let me read quietly in the book corner during rest time and then I got my real nap at home.  I also won Ms. Georgia over this week when I randomly walked up to her and happily asked for cuddles.  

While I was busy charming my teachers, Mommy went to see about Kate.  Kate is growing well and appears to be 4 lbs 5 oz, with some hair (but nothing like what I had!), and is most certainly all girl.  It looks like we're on track for a Nov. 6th birth, but stayed tuned for changes as the day draws near!

Pictures of my week  (There are 2 videos that should load automatically for you if you are in slideshow mode - turn up your volume if you can to hear me as well.)

Love, 

Avery

PS - This morning, I proudly told Mommy her real name - "An-ju-wah", and when Mommy asked what Daddy's real name is, I said - without skipping a beat - "Honey".  They may be Mommy and Daddy to me, but I know their alternate names!

6 Weeks and Counting!

We're down to about six weeks until Kate gets here and I spent all last week thinking about Kate and getting ready for her! My friend David's mommy had her baby this week, and so David got to spend the weekend with us. We had so much fun making music, dancing together, meeting Cole at the park, playing in the sand and water table (right now just the water table), and meeting Moira, the new baby. Ms. Ella, Cole's mommy, is also going to have her baby any day (today, we hope!) and so I've been thinking it should be my turn soon too.

Mommy has explained to me that Baby Kate will be here after Halloween, and I know all about Halloween because I see pumpkins in every store we go into. It's a lot of sleeps away, but I am spending the waiting time enjoying Mommy's ever-growing tummy (I like to point to it and say, "eat", to rub it and kiss it, and to line my princesses up on the mountian of Mommy's tummy.) I am also practicing for when Kate is here and Mommy needs help with all of the new baby chores. I have a special baby doll I got from Aunt Sandie this week that I have carried all over the house, kissed, hugged, and taken on walks in my stroller, and rocked in Kate's baby swing. I also have been spending about 30 minutes a day playing completely alone so Mommy can get things done (and in preperation for when Mommy is nursing or passed out cold - hehe - just kidding!) Mommy never knows when these precious moments will happen, but when they do, I can entertain myself with dancing, princess dolls, baby dolls, Oscar and Dottie, or a slew of other activites while Mommy does dishes, sneaks a snack, or just stands by and cries happy tears at what a perfect creation God gave her in me. Can you believe the world is going to have two McClinton princesses?!? Mommy's heart could just burst at the thought.

Love,
Big Sister Avery
Pics from the week

St. Peter's and Ike

This week, I got to go to school for the very first time.  On Wednesday night, I helped Mommy and Daddy load up my school bag with a change of clothes (just in case), my nap mat, and some special notes for my teacher.  Mommy made my lunch and spent a sentimental moment reflecting on how this was the first lunch she's ever packed.  Mommy and Daddy even tried out my ice-pack with milk sippy cup combo to make sure it'd stay the right temperature at school (it's a good thing they did because the "leak proof" cup leaked all over the ziploc bag!  I wouldn't have had any drink at lunch!  Crisis averted...)

On Thursday when I woke up, Daddy was still at home for breakfast and getting ready time.  He followed Mommy and I to St. Peter's, this place Mom had taken me to play at once before.  We walked into the same classroom, where these nice ladies, Ms. Georgia and Ms. Jennifer, greeted me.  They took me to wash my hands at the sink. I grinned at Mom and Dad the whole time.  When my hands were clean, Mom and Dad asked for a kiss and told me they'd be back at 2.  I wasn't really sure what they were talking about (why would they leave me here?), but I accepted their words and went to ask Ms. Georgia about the Belle costumes (they were already on 2 other friends... Mom is not sure how they handled that without a meltdown).  Mommy was the only one who cried at all, and Daddy said he was so proud of her for "growing up".  Mommy says this letting go and letting grow stuff is tough!

While Mommy ran errands, scrubbed toilets, and vaccuumed, all helper-free, I was busy as well.  My daily report said I was friendly and happy all day, played with play-dough, painted, and loved music and movement time.  I even got to have my back patted for an hour until I finally fell asleep during rest time!  (Something I've been asking Mommy for each bedtime routine ever since...)  Mommy was so proud that her heart swelled up when she came to get me and found out what an amazing day I'd had.  Ms. Georgia and Ms. Jennifer even got impromptu hugs before I said goodbye!

On Friday, the funniest thing happened.  I woke up and Daddy was home from work again!  This time, it was because some storm was forming in the Gulf and he needed to stay home and get the house ready.  I didn't hear much more about the storm until Mom and Dad put me to bed that night, in their room instead of mine.  And then, at 2:30 am, when the storm was beating on their windows, they decided to move everyone to the closet under the stairs.  I slept through the whole move, and would've slept through the whole storm, except that there was a very nervous red dachsund whimpering next to my ear.  I woke up around 2:45 and thought it was the coolest thing ever to be in a "Tink" closet (we had a lantern in there that looked something like what Tink would stay in) with my family.  While Mom, Oscar, Dottie and I all stayed safely inside, Daddy was busy patrolling the area.  Our backyard was being pounded, but our front yard was barely seeing anything, so Daddy let me come watch for a while in the front yard.  I was in excellent spirits and played happily with my pricesses, Mommy's face, the lantern... anything at all!  Finally, at 6 am, the storm was dying down and Mom and Dad could barely hold their eyes open anymore, so they put me back in the pack and play and climbed in bed themselves.  (That only lasted until 8 am, when I decided I was ready to greet the day!)  By 10 am, things had calmed down considerably, although it was still raining.  Daddy fixed the fence in the 2 spots it blew over and assessed damage on his grill, which also took a hit in the wind.  Besides that, our house was safe and sound!

Once the curfew was lifted, we went to see the damage and visit Amanda and David at Nana and DD's house.  We saw some interesting things, including a house frame that had been blown into another house, the FEMA caravan to Galveston, and really high waters.  We somehow managed to get ourselves into a scary position when we were traveling down Barkers Cypress and came across running water, that looked like rapids, going across an intersection (not deep).  Daddy's skill and God's protection got us across just fine, but we were very careful about high water from then on.

We lost power only briefly but have neighbors who still don't have any - schools are closed here today and tomorrow for repairs, and Daddy is at home once again.  I'm going to get really used to having him here!

Link to Pictures

Love,

Safe and Sound Avery

Spotlight on Friends

It's been another monumental week!  This week, we spent a lot of our time focusing on our friends.  Mommy helped throw a baby shower for my friend David's little sister (she'll be here any day!), I went to a birthday party for my friend Alastair, and I got to celebrate my birthday one last time with the help of all of my playgroup friends! (More on that later...)

But I've been busy with friends in other ways, too.  Last week, I went to my friend Mason's house for playgroup.  He lives on a lake, so his Mommy, Ms. Andrea, took us all out on their boat.  It was supposed to be a 5 minute boat ride around the lake to see the ducks, but when we were returning to Mason's dock, Ms. Andrea pulled the key out of the ignition and put the boat in neutral and it kept going - full speed ahead!  After 30 minutes of mommies calling daddies to see if anyone could help us get off of the speeding boat, Ms. Andrea suggested that one mommy jump off the boat onto her peir while she sped past, and then she'd keep circling and throwing us toddlers over one by one.  Needless to say, none of the other mommies went for that idea.  Finally, Ms. Andrea's contractor who built her house jumped on board, found the emergency brake, and saved us all!  It was 45 minutes total in the hot sun, but us kiddies never really caught on to the situation.  The mommies, on the other hand, treated it like a real emergency, complete with rationing the water in our water bottles!

As if that wasn't enough excitement, on Friday I got to go to my new school to meet my teachers, Ms. Georgia and Ms. Jennifer, and play in my new classroom.  Mommy wore her sunglasses on the drive there so I couldn't tell if she was crying or not, but she sure did put on a brave face for me when we got to St. Peter's.  I was really apprehensive about exploring the room and letting Ms. Georgia get too close to me until.... we found a Belle costume!  Once I had thaat beautiful yellow dress on, I felt much braver, and played happily and smiled for Ms. Georgia's camera.  Mommy feels much better knowing there are 2 Belle costumes, and Ms. Jennifer said I would be allowed to wear one all day if I choose!  My school is really amazing, and it is going to be such a wonderful experience for Mommy and me... she just can't believe she's sending her baby to "school", even if it is only for a few hours once a week!  I start next Thursday, Sept. 11th, and you know you'll get to hear all about it!

During my busy week, I also found time to visit with Dr. Clarke.  Mommy and Daddy talked up the free ice cream, so when he came in the room, I didn't care that he was a man at all!  I just wanted my free ice cream in a princess cup.  I'm currently in the 10% for my weight (I'm only bigger than 10% of kids my age) and 75% for height.  Just perfect for a ballerina!

While Mommy was at Ms. Auburn's baby shower, I went with Daddy to swim lessons.  I jumped in the pool and came up on my back all by myself, let Ms. Shell float me across the pool by just my pigtails, climbed out of the pool from the ledge alone, and showed off my signing and color knowledge by being the one who got to say all of the colors for the rest of the class!  I'm really loving swim classes, especially when Ms. Shell and Daddy are both there with me.

Finally, on Saturday, we got to play with my friends at Pump It Up.  Nana and Granddaddy and my playgroup friends all came to celebrate 6 of us who decided to have a party together.  Believe it or not, we were all born within 3 weeks of each other!  It was so much fun, and Nana and Granddaddy and Daddy all played hard with me... until Cole arrived.  When my buddy Cole got there, it was as if everyone else just faded away.  We chased each other, played copy cat, and jumped and bounced the afternoon away.  After that, I got to blow out candles on my cake and eat ice cream with DD.  Then, as if it hadn't been enough fun, I spent the night at Nana and DD's while Mommy and Daddy went on a date.  At their house, I helped make sugar cookies, decorate a Tink picture album, swam LOTS, and watched the non-scary parts of Snow White.

Whew!  I feel tired just writing about my week!  Mommy and Daddy say things are going to calm down some for the rest of September.  As always, I'm just along for the ride, whatever it may be!

Spotlight on friends pics - click here

Love, 

Avery Whirlwind McClinton

Birth-Week!

This week was a big week for me! I learned that "birthday" is a word reserved for those not in the McClinton family... I had more like a "birthweek" celebration. I have so much to say, but I will try to keep it reasonably short...

On Thursday, I started my birthday celebrations with my friends from Focus Group. Mommy made cupcakes, Daddy frosted them, and I decorated them all by myself (with VERY clean hands). Then, I got to share them with my friends!

On Saturday, I woke up and got to have breakfast at Denny's with my Mimi and Papa. They brought me this amazing box full of fun. It has so many dress up clothes in it, and Mimi decorated it just for me! I enjoyed breakfast with them and showing off my swim moves. My naptime had to be pushed back some because Mommy and Daddy couldn't bear to make me stop playing with my dress up clothes.

When I did wake up from naptime on Saturday, I headed to Nana and Granddaddy's house, where I was excited to learn that my Great-Mimi and Great-Gran had come in town just to spend my birthday with me! I showed them a good time by dressing up and dancing for them, swimming in Nana's pool for their viewing pleasure, and giving hugs and kisses around the room. Saturday night, they took me to The Rainforest Cafe, and endured a VERY noisy dinner just to help me celebrate my big day. Afterwards, as we were walking back to the car, I turned to Granddaddy and told him, "Horses 'gin". He knew just what I meant, and after carefully selecting another riding partner ("Mimi too!"), we got to ride the carousel. Then, Mimi bought me a green punching balloon, which took up the rest of my night chasing it around the living room with Mimi. (That, and eating a Belle cake...)

As if that wasn't enough, I woke up on Sunday morning to a McClinton family tradition - breakfast in bed! Mommy and Daddy have been celebrating birthdays like this since they first got married, and I am in a big girl bed now and can join in the fun. I loved it! After breakfast, we headed to church, where I helped Mommy in the nursery and even learned she can hold another baby and STILL love me so much. After church, a quick lunch, and a nap, I woke up to find that Aunt Amanda and Uncle David came to Nana's house to party with me, too! We celebrated with a Tink cake, presents, and more dressing up. I got this amazing miniature baby grand piano from Mimi and Gran and honestly don't know if I prefer dancing or playing!

Sunday night, I headed to my favorite restaurant, Clay's, to play with the animals, enjoy the sandbox, and love on my family and some precious lifelong friends. Ms. Ella made my cake, and it was amazing! She made a barnyard cake, but made me my very own princess pony cake. Does she know me or what?!? I had such a great time, but when the presents were done, I turned to Mommy and asked her, "bath?" I was wiped out from my big weekend of celebrating!

Next Saturday, I celebrate my birthday one last time with my playgroup friends at Pump It Up. It's no small wonder that I feel that the world revolves around me! My friend Ms. Becky always says, "You can be spoiled without acting rotten," and I think I might be a perfect example of that!

LOTS of pictures from my big weekend

Love,
Terrific Two Avery!

Adventure Girl

This week I kept busy by hosting playgroup on Tuesday (we got cupcakes to celebrate Hannah's new baby sister and her birthday - all on the same day!), playing with daddy at Focus Group while mommy was at a meeting, hanging out with Nonnie, Bob, and Great-Nonnie, and taking pictures to prepare for my playgroup birthday party (we're all going to celebrate together since our BDs are all within 2 weeks). I had a great week, but the real story is about this weekend!

This weekend, my daddy and I had very different adventures. He went on an adventure race, but this time was different. He was asked to head up the second team and be their team captain, and he and my friend David's daddy, Mr. Jesse, were in charge of navigating and orienteering for the first time ever. Daddy's trip took him to Killeen, where the weather was HOT and the course unforgiving! They did amazingly well, and Daddy made us proud withhis trekking, kayaking, ropes climbing (sort of - see pics), and mountain biking. However, after 13 hours of the 24 hour race, one of Daddy's teammates got really sick from heat exhaustion and dehydration and the team had to make the tough decision not to finish the race. We're so proud of Daddy and how he stepped up even more for this race than ever before! (As a side note, Daddy's "sister" team did really well. Ms. Debbie and Mr. Brian finished the race at 6 am with only 7 check points missing - which is really an incredible race! Go Teams Never Last and Never Fast!)

While Daddy was away at his adventure, I was busy on an adventure of my own. I got to go to my friend Summer's 5 year old Dalmation birthday party (during which we wore adorable costumes but the camera was with Daddy) and show Mommy the ropes at swim class on Saturday (my teacher, Miss Shell, said she'd never heard such big alligator tears when I tried to show Mommy how hard it is to float on my back). My favorite, and most time-consuming activity this weekend was (can you guess???) dancing. I wore several different costumes and demanded Nana and Granddaddy's full participation. It was so much fun that I chose dancing over swimming, playing with my toys, and even eating sometimes! We also tried to take my 2 year old pictures on Saturday, and Mommy brought two changes of clothes, a cake she'd made for the pictures, and even my Tink props, but when we got to the studio, I changed my mind. The Picture People gave me two chances to try to take pics, but I was sure that taking pictures is a form of torture in some countries and never even let them snap one shot. (Luckily, Nana and Granddaddy were there to get a pic with some proof.)

It was an adventurous weekend for Mommy AND for Daddy...

Love,
Adventure Girl Avery

Click here for pictures

PS - Last week, my Beloved Pie (pacifier) got a hole in it, and instead of a new one magically appearing as it normally does, I was stuck with the "Froken Pie". I chose not to sleep with it anymore starting on Tuesday and have been adjusting to my last step into big-girl-hood. It has been a LONG week for me, Mommy, and Daddy while we've been dealing with the sorrow of losing such a precious thing, but PRAISE GOD, I slept my normal amount last night and have been acting much more like myself today!

Look What I Can Do!

This week I've been very busy becomming a big girl! I decided one day that I could put my sandals on all by myself, and low and behold, 45 full minutes later, I had fastened one of the straps and was able to walk around in the shoes! I was SO PROUD - I kept saying, "Yook, Ah-ky, yook, Dah-ee. Avery shoes." Oscar and Dottie, of course, were dully impressed. When they wore out as my audience, I then video called my Daddy to show him what I could do! I was so proud that I even called Nana dna Granddaddy's phone and left them a message... "Yook, Nana, Yook, DD. Avery shoe. On!" I'm sure they saw the whole thing in their minds. :)

I enjoyed putting on my own shoes so much that I continues to show off my skill to everyone who came over this week. Then, on Saturday, I was hit with a stroke of genius! If I can put on my own shoes, why not also try my clothes?

Things started off well, with my shorts going on correctly (well, backwards...) Then, I added my shirt. After that, I realized my panties weren't on yet, and that's when the real fun started. Who says you can't put both feet in one hole? I wore the shorts and panties until bedtime, I was so proud. And Mommy and Daddy thought it was so much fun that they let me...
Look at what I can do! (Click for pics)
Love,
Avery Dresses Herself McClinton

Week of Princesses

This was a week of princesses.
Case(s) in point:

I drove up with Mommy this week to pick up the dogs from Lockhart. As we pulled into Nanny's driveway, I excitedly yelled, "Nanny's castle!" Of course, the story was the same at Mimi's house. (As a side note, it was a wonderful time in Lockhart. At Nanny's, I immediately remembered to go outside to play, to eat her cookies, and also learned to play with her "soap" (lotion) - I rubbed it all over everyone in the room! At Mimi's, I decided playing with Mimi alone is much more fun and instructed Mommy to go bye bye repeatedly... while playing with rocks, while swinging, while eating snackies... I LOVE my Nanny and Mimi!)

I decided on Thursday night that Elmo panties would NOT do for a princess like me and was forced to throw an enormous fit until the correct (Jasmine) pantires were presented to me.

I've been loving on my Disney princess figurines all week - I like to pull them out of my princess bag, line them up, kiss each of them and hug them, and then replace them in the bag.

My Nana and Granddaddy had to say goodbye to their very own Princess puppy this week after 15 years of loving faithfulness.

I got my Halloween costume (don't try to tell me Tink isn't a princess!), and won't take it off. I've worn it all day for 3 days now! (Even the crown!)

And, my very favorite obsession of the week is my new Disney Princess book. It sings and lights up when you press the buttons, and I've found it is appropriate to read it in the car, at the breakfast table, first thing out of bed, during playtime, before naptime, before nighttime, while at a friend's house... Mommy and Daddy are SO thankful for this little miracle of a book. Special thanks to the sweet soul who found it and bought it for me! :)

Princess Pictures

So, Princesses, here's to you!
Princess Tink Avery

Verbal Explosion

This week I've been hanging out with my Great Nanny and enjoying some playgroup fun! I've kept Mommy busy with my verbal explosion, which is both really exciting AND really tiring all at once!

One major benefit from my new found verbal skills (I'm saying more and realizing I can express whole thoughts!) is that I am MUCH less aggressive with my friends, because I know I can call for Mommy and she'll get me my toy back or help me wait my turn. It's so much fun not to spend half of my playtime in time out!

I've also used my new expressiveness to give Mommy and Daddy a chuckle once in a while. Below are Mommy's three favorite anecdotal moments regarding my verbal-linguistic skills...

1. When pulling through Starbucks, I started clapping my hands and yelling, "chicken, french fries!" It seems Mommy mistreated the Chick-fil-A run during her first trimester...
2. I wasn't ready to go downstairs when it was time for us to go, so I didn't get to be carried down. When I was finally ready, Mommy was downstairs waiting for me and I couldn't convince her to carry me, so I had to throw a fit. Mommy waited it out, and when I was ready to climb downstairs by myself, I headed down, hanging my head and saying pitifully, "Mommy, sad. Sad. Avery sad."
3. I fell and hurt my rear-end the other day and needed a little comforting. Daddy was sitting on the floor, so I backed my (naked) self up to him and said, "Kiss, hurt." Daddy was sure I didn't mean my toosh, but I wouldn't drop it until he (quite literally) kissed my bottom!

What week would be complete without pictures??? (CLICK HERE)

I'm looking forward to leaving tomorrow morning for LA to see my Uncle Trey, Aunt Erin (and of course the rest of the Wales family), and to visit Disneyland, Hollywood, and CA beaches!

Love,
Avery "Silent? What's that?" McClinton

We have a NAME!

Dear family,

My mommy's tummy has been growing and growing the last few months, and the baby inside is getting ready to come join our family. Mommy and Daddy finally sat down and really talked about Baby Sister's name (especially because I can't say "sister"), and have decided on one we all love! When mommy and daddy named me, it was a perfect, heaven-sent name. My name honors important people in my life and also is modern, but not over-used. Mommy and daddy wanted baby sister to have just as special of a name, that fit all of their criteria beautifully. Well, they found the perfect name.... Kate Elizabeth McClinton!

Kate is derived from my Great-Nanny's name, Kathryn, and Elizabeth is from my Great-Mimi (My Mommy's grandmothers). Just as I will grow up knowing how important I am because of who I am named for, so will Kate. Some of my mommy's best memories are from spending time with these two amazing ladies, and as Kate grows up, she will get to spend time with them and hear stories about them. She'll know just how important she is as she learns how precious they are! Mommy and daddy couldn't be more excited about the name, and on the first day they decided on it, they taught it to me. I've been walking around ever since calling my baby dolls "Kate-Kate" and telling everyone who asks me that the baby's name is "Kate-Kate". I love kissing Kate-Kate and laying on Mommy's bump to cuddle.

As you can imagine, this week hasn't been only about Baby Kate-Kate. I'm also getting a big girl room, slowly but surely. Weeks ago, Daddy painted the room and moved my furniture in, and since then Mommy added my quilt and 2 shams. There is plenty left to be purchased (curtains, more shams, bookshelves, bulletin boards), but Mommy and Daddy are all about the slow and steady approach to room decorating. :) The very best and most important part of my room, though, is coming together better than I could've dreamed! Being a librarian, Mommy decided to do my room in storybook characters. Daddy is painting the canvases in purple, pink, and green, and then Granddaddy is painting favorite characters on the canvases. It's a LOT of work, but you'll never hear Daddy or Granddaddy complain about doing something for me! :) Mommy chose 14 of our favorite characters, and we're about half-way through with them. We need them all to be able to hang them (so we get spacing right), but that fits perfectly into the name of the game - Slow and Steady. :)

Click here for a few pictures of the room, the canvases, and Mommy's big bump.

(And YES, those paintings are all hand-done, not scanned images! You're not going to believe how good they look!)

Love you!

Big Sister Avery

Sea World

This week, I took a trip to Sea World with my friends Summer, Alyssa, and Drew. We stayed with our parents at their Memaw's country home outside of Austin and drove to Sea World for the day on Friday. I loved it, but I did call out for Oscky and Doh-ee at the end of the day. Mommy says she was a little surprised to hear how much I missed them!

Here are a few highlights from the trip:
*Holding hands with Drew and walking all over Bucee's during a potty break on the way, and holding hands with the big girls all over Sea World
*Swimming in the pool and jumping in over and over again at the country home
*Seeing the penguins (pinkens), sharks (said correctly!), dolphins (dolpeens), Shamoo (fishies), and sea lions (sea night-nights)
*Jumping off of the curb repeatedly while waiting for Summer to ride a roller coaster (yes, there were a trillion other things to do at Sea World, but it made me SO happy!)
*Riding in the wagon all day with Summer and Alyssa, and especially riding in the double stroller at the end of the day when I was SO tired
*Seeing Shamoo jump-jump so high!
*Watching a show called "Waggin' Tales" with rescued animals and trying to figure out why Oscar was at Sea World performing
*Having such a special day with my Daddy (He took really good care of me all day so Mommy could just worry about being pregnant in the heat)
*Learning big girl games like hide and go seek and Mommy and Baby from Summer and Alyssa (I call them "Summah" and "Aih-sigh")
*Seeing my cousins Sarah and Jenna at naptime on Friday
*Coming home and realizing how many wonderful toys I have here that I missed!

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

Love,
Avery, Marine Biologist Extrodinaire

Fourth of July

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend!
I spent the day celebrating with my friend Tyler at my Nana and Granddaddy's house.
And, when he had to go home for naptime, my Aunt Amanda and Uncle David showed up! How exciting! (No fireworks again this year...maybe next year I'll be ready for a sparkler.)
Mommy has been battling some yucky blood-sugar pregnancy issues (Baby Sister will be worth it, I'm sure!), which didn't bother me at all. It just meant more time with my Daddy, Nana, Granddaddy, Amanda, and David!
On Saturday and Sunday, Mommy got a nice (and needed!) break and I spent the weekend swimming, helping in the kitchen (a real favorite), practicing my most recent skill (jumping), dancing, and all around having a blast at Nana and Granddaddy's house. I even got to go to their special (extra big) church with them on Sunday and sing and dance to the music there.
Love,
Avery

CLICK HERE FOR A FEW PICS OF THE WEEKEND

Weekly Report, Numerical

8 - Nights I've slept in my brand new lavender big girl room!
7 - Kids I had to wait in line behind to get my face painted at Bounce-U
6 - Innings I made it through at my first Astro's game
5 - Number of cherries on my ice cream sundae
4 - Months until Baby Sister is set to arrive
3 - New phrases I've added to my vocabulary this week ("What happened?", "I sorry", and "NO WAY!")
2 - Average number of temper tantrums thrown daily
1 - Times I swam this week (despite Mommy's best efforts)
0 - Name ideas Mommy and Daddy have for my Baby Sister

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

Summer Fun

I had another fun week. Mommy says summertime is magical, and I can see why! There are so many fun things to do during summer!

On Monday, I got to go out to eat to help celebrate all of the wonderful memories we had with my name-sake, my great Poppa. It would've been him and Great-Nonnie's anniversary, so we surprised her for a fun dinner. I loved seeing everyone and eating LOTS of bread!

On Tuesday, all of us girly girls wore our tutus to playgroup. Our mommies figured out the best way to take our pic - to offer us snacks and put us on the couch. It worked! After that, we went outside to play in the pool and jump on the trampoline. I LOVED playing ring around the rosie with my friends Natalie and Hannah!

Tuesday after Daddy got finished working, we got to go back to my neighborhood pool - always a favorite!

On Wednesday, I went to Bolli Brothers Pizza, where they let me make my very own pizza. I used a cool roller tool, added sauce and cheese, and then carefully placed 4 pepperonis right on top of each other. It was so much fun and totally YUMMY!

To finish up a wonderful week, I got to go visit Mommy's wonderful friends from OKE, Miss Patrice, Miss Brittany, and Miss Kendra. Of course, at first I was shy, but then we got in the pool and I really warmed up. "Miss Treece" let me play in the pool with her, and Miss Brittany took me to the top of the slide and let me slide down to Miss Kendra. It was so much fun that we didn't leave until past naptime, but luckily, Miss Kendra sent me home with a brownie that kept me awake until we got home. (Later, when I was doing a craft with Nana, she asked me who I wanted to send the picture to, and I told her, "Treece, Treece".)

On Saturday, Daddy spent the day paitning my new big girl room a beautiful shade of lavendar. Soon, Mommy and Daddy will move my bed in there and I'll get to start sleeping in the room. I love it! Every time I go in there, I touch the walls and say, "pur-posse" (purple). Daddy is so good to me!

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

Love,

Busy Bee Avery

Pool Time, Blueberries, and Father's Day

What a week! What a weekend!

I spent most of last week in the pool - literally. Mom and I went swimming Tuesday through Friday and I had swim lessons with Daddy on Saturday. It's safe to say I'm turning into quite a little fish! On Wednesday, I went to a special pool party at my friend Matt's house, and he had a 10 foot slide into the pool. I thought it was so much fun! When Mom read the sign saying it wasn't for pregnant women, I was still willing to slide down it by myself to Miss Ella, who caught me in the pool. I'm such a daredevil some days!

Then, as if that wasn't a wonderful enough week, I got to go to Spring after naptime on Saturday. Aunt Amanda and Uncle David and Mom and Daddy all took me to Moorehead Blueberry Farm, where we each got buckets to put blueberries in. At first, I let Dad do all the work and just enjoyed eating the blueberries out of the bucket, but then Aunt Amanda got smart. She figured out that if I helped her pick blueberries, it took longer and I ate fewer total. It was so much fun! After that, we went to dinner and then back to Aunt Amanda's house, where I bonded with Uncle David. It was a wonderful day!

Sunday was ALSO a special day! I woke up and joined my Daddy in his bed for breakfast. Then, I got to put on my extra special outfit that Daddy made me (it matches his shirt and is even made out of a men's shirt... and yes, he had help from my Mimi...) We wore our outfits to church, where everyone oohed and aahed over Daddy's skill and how cute I looked. After naptime, we got to take Daddy to dinner at Berryhill and playtime by the fountain. It was an amazing weekend, but it left me pooped!

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

Love,
Your Little Swimmer Avery

River Rat

What a weekend! I started the weekend Friday morning surrounded by people who love me. Mommy and Daddy and I met Nana and Granddaddy and Nonnie at the doctor's office to look at pictures of my baby. I don't really know what all of the fuss was about, but having people who love me stay close by is always a plus! Mommy had to give blood so we ate out as her reward, and afterward, even though I was VERY tired, I decided to reward her in my own special way... by refusing to nap! Luckily, it was a date night for Mommy and Daddy, so we got a nice break from each other Friday night.

On Saturday, Nana and Granddaddy and I picked up Mommy and Daddy and we headed to Lockhart. When we got there, I got to play with my little cousin Jenna. Even though she's a year younger than me, she is plenty of fun and thought I was pretty interesting. I ate a yummy lunch at Nanny's and then headed to Mimi and Gran's for naptime.

After nap, I got to get up and go swimming in Mimi's pool. I also played with all of my fun toys there and really enjoyed the tv that was right on my level. AND, my Aunt Amanda and Uncle David showed up to play with me too! After a great day, I enjoyed a bath and my night time story with Mimi.

When I woke up Sunday morning, I got special time to play with Mimi before it was time to head out again. We loaded up, but instead of going home, we went to a place with lots of trees and a river! Nana said she used to camp there a lot as a little girl. I got to meet a lot of my relatives AND swim in a "pool" that had moving water. At first, I yelled at the water - "no!", to make it stop, but once I got used to it, I realized just how much fun moving water can be.

I played well with my cousins David, Derrick, and Jenna - as long as they didn't get too close and no one was trying to take my picture.

My favorite parts were being held in the fast water, collecting rocks, swimming downstream from Nana to Daddy, and rising rapids with Daddy. Unfortunately, at about an hour past my naptime, Mommy called the fun off and brought me back to Lockhart for a nap.
I spent the nap dreaming of the river!
Love,
River Rat Avery

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES