10 months

 I think this is my new favorite age! Avery is getting so big and so interactive. There is more communication that is happening between the three of us. That sounds funny since Avery cannot speak, but it is so much more than that. She points to where she wants to go and what she wants. Sometimes it is discouraging when mom or dad does not get it right the first time, but oh so much fun. One of my favorite things she does is finger walks to the front or back door, looks up at you and just waits for you to open the door. She definitely communicates in her own fun ways!

Avery this month:

• Loves to watch/play with kids her size. 
• First tooth poked through on the bottom – 9 months old
• Second tooth on her 10 month birthday
• Celebrated her first Valentines Day
• Helps mom tutor math
• Held and petted a parrot – she wants one now 
• Went to the Living Aquarium for Poppie’s work party – she wants a fish too J
• Went to the zoo – she want a sea loin too 
• Celebrated 8 birthday’s in February – 8 of 18 in Dave’s family
• Started to wave but not when asked
• She is a professional finger walker/runner
•  She has crawled forward a few times but not far and not on purpose. I had to change this the very next day. She is continually crawling/pushing herself backwards and spinning around on her belly
• She is crawling now – not long distances, but crawling. She crawls best anywhere but home. Mom is weak sauce J
• Loves all foods, however, tomatoes and beans don’t make her feel very well.
• Is such a good sharer, however when the food she is sharing disappears she is not happy and gets mad when we give her another one – it is not the same one. 
•  Anything mom has, Avery has to have too!
• She knows what closet her treats are in and gets supper excited when it is opened. 
• Loves to open and shut doors. She likes the hinges too. It is a great way to play peek-a-boo.
• Loves to be outside. She walks to the front door or back door and looks up waiting to go outside. She is one smart cookie!
• Loves her water cup.
• Continues to use others fingers to do her dirty work – pushing buttons, petting animals, doing anything. So cute!
• Rolls to her tummy to sleep once we lie her down for bed
• Loves to read/ pull every book off the shelf. We probably read an hour a day throughout the day. She LOVES books!

At Avery’s 9 month visit we had no shots!!! She is growing like a weed and on par or ahead in developmental stages. Vitals 9 month check up Weight 18 lbs 10oz 60%tile Height 28.5 inches 83%tile Head 45.5 inches 89%tile.

We have been attending a playgroup on Tuesdays with several women and children in our neighborhood. Originally, I thought it would be more for me than Avery but Avery loves just as much! I think she gets bored of just mommy all day.  The kids range in age from 6 months to 6 years old. Avery loves to watch the kids run and play. She tries so hard to run with them, but I wont let her. She gets very excited when she sees babies her size. We have already found her husband J Hendrix, he is 7 months older and they sure have a good time with each other. Hendrix’s mom takes Avery the weeks both Dave and I get to teach on Sunday. So they play every other Sunday for an hour and “entertain” the Sunday school class. J Church with little ones is challenging but so worth it!

Avery’s first tooth poked through on February 11^th.  She was so pleasant about it and hardly noticed a difference in her behavior, until she bit down on my finger and something poked me. It looks like her two top front teeth are coming in now. Her gums are very white and she drools a lot, her shirt is never dry! March 7th her second tooth came through and she was not so pleasant. Long night with Avery "sleeping" on mom. Babies do not sleep in one place. 

Avery has found her love of animals this month! It has been so much fun to watch. We went out for our almost nightly walk and saw an older couple out with their parrots. We started talking to them and ended up with Avery holding the parrot. She squawked back every time the birds squawked. It was so fun! We went to the Living Planet Aquarium for Poppie’s work party and had a blast. Avery loved to watch the fish go back and forth. She wanted so desperately to touch and hold them. This last week we attended the zoo with my sisters, nieces and my mom. It was tons of fun too! Cold but fun! I think the sea lions were Avery’s favorite there. There is more action there then with the loins and other large animals.

Avery is a little stinker when it comes to crawling. We know that she can do it and have video of her going short distances, but she has no desire to do it regularly. She much prefers finger walking than crawling. As my friend put it, “But mom it's faster if I just roll to you or if I cry you will just come to me. I know how to train my humans. (aka mom and dad).” She has us trained well! She is the same way with sitting up on her own too. She knows how to sit up from laying down but it is just easier to have her humans do it for her.  She makes me laugh. I am really trying hard to let her/make her do it but I am weak what can I say.