New Tricks

Avery Claire turned 8 months old and has learned so many new tricks. Of course we have video so you can see for yourself...
She started waving bye-bye!

Sorry this one doesn't have sound. I don't know what happened!

She can give her baby a big, open-mouthed kiss.

She has figured out peek-a-boo. She puts something over her face and then pulls it away really fast! It's very cute!



She pulled up...and she's already not afraid to let go!

All of these things in the same day was a little hard to swallow!! Our baby girl is growing up so fast! With this new-found independence has come a little bit of attitude! Somebody please tell us it's just a stage that she's going through!! She wants down all of the time, even when she's taking her bottle and eating her food. And she gets very frustrated when she can't get to what she wants exactly when she wants it! It's funny now, but let's hope it's something that passes!

Home

We got home yesterday around 5. Avery Claire got her bath and played in the walker for a bit while we got unpacked. She went straight for the door and looked at it, like she wanted to go outside...We'd move her, and she'd head back to the door. This morning, she did the same thing!

She may like to be on the go, but this girl loves her bed! She slept from 8:30 last night until 8:45 this morning...And trust us, we all needed the sleep! Hope Papa, Nana, and Uncle Matt got a good night's rest, too!

Thanksgiving

We headed home Wednesday for Thanksgiving.

Uncle Matt let Avery Claire touch whatever she wanted on Nana's tree.





Avery Claire ate in the high chair that Mommy and Uncle Matt used when we were babies.

Thursday, we made the Thankgiving rounds.




We went to the Foster Thanksgiving first.

You got to visit with lots of people who hadn't seen you in a long time. Mommy didn't take near as many pictures as she should have!

Rob and Joyce were excited to see you - they love to see you on the blog and were glad to see you in person again! You loved Joyce's earrings, of course! And I think you liked the taste of whipped cream she gave you, too!






You met a new friend - cousin Cohen. You really wanted to get your hands on him, but he wasn't so sure about you. He tried to teach you to play patti-cake.




Then we headed to the Hanners' Thankgiving. You slept for the first hour and a half we were there...Turkey Day is tiring! You woke up a little cranky, but you loved that Chas let you eat as much as you could grab in your hand!

It was warm enough to play outside, and you love being outside!

And you loved for Chas and Rana to "chase" the other kids while running with you. I should have gotten your squeals on video!

You did not sleep well Thursday night, and our Black Friday shopping trip was cancelled because you woke up with a fever! You spent all day in your pj's and we spent all day at home.

Since Uncle Matt doesn't think Avery Claire should hear "no," we didn't think he'd mind if she played on his computer!

No one in Nana and Papa's house slept good Friday night! You probably had the two worst nights of sleep you've had in months!

Uncle Greg and Aunt Robin came to see you Saturday before we headed home. Aunt Robin, we hope your scarf was "fixable!" We're so glad you came to see us!

We love visiting with family that we don't get to see often enough!! We are so thankful for such a wonderful family! And I love hearing how so many of our family members look at our blog daily to see our sweet girl growing. Maybe one day we can be closer to Clay County! But don't worry - Avery Claire looks at her picture book all of the time and we talk about who we see in her pictures!

Happy 8 Months!

Avery Claire, at 8 months, you:

- are good at sitting up now, but you'd rather be moving than sitting.

- are taking 5-6 ounce bottles every 3.5-4 hours.


- are crawling!! You've got it figured out...now you've just got to figure out to speed up. Boy, will we be in trouble then! You are very determined. If you see something you want, you'll figure out how to get it!

- are getting lots of new hair, which means lots of flyaway hair!


- are eating 3 meals every day, with a Puffs snack after your afternoon nap.

- are very silly!






- can feed yourself with your fingers. You think you're such a big girl.

- want to use the spoon to feed yourself, but you haven't quite got that one figured out!


- have figured out the sippy cup.


- have experienced your first Halloween. What a cute duck you were!


- have four teeth and the slobber to prove it.

- love to JUMP!!

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- are winking at us (we think). You look at us and close both eyes, and it's the cutest, sweetest thing!

- have experienced your first Thanksgiving (today).


- are so curious (a.ka. nosy). You don't miss a thing, and want to figure everything around you out. It's too funny to watch you snap your head around at something you hear but can't see.


- LOVE the Christmas tree.


- LOVE the walker. We have one at our house, but you haven't shown much interest. But when you tried out the one at Nana's, you took off (around the kitchen)!

- are SO SILLY!

- think your Daddy hung the moon. And he's wrapped around your cute little finger.

- are trying to pull up.

- still love bathtime. You've learned to splash with your hands and you think it's so much fun. We leave the bathroom soaking wet.




- love to pet Win. You are an animal lover, which we love. You love the kitty at Papa and Nana's. It comes to the door and bats at the window and you get so excited. You seem to know what it means when we say "let's go see the kitty."



- are too busy to be still and get your picture made with Froggy!






- are such a joy to Mommy & Daddy! We seriously laugh at you all of the time. We love watching you learn and grow. You learn something new every day, and never cease to amaze us! We thank God that he gave you to us and promise to be the best parents we can be!