a freeze frame

Before Ivy was born, I did a little update of the girls- likes, dislikes, milestones, and the like to serve as a memory of them at that time. That was half a year ago and much has changed, mainly the addition of a little one. So, here we go!

AVERY ELIZABETH

"the bubby"

• Avery is 3 1/2 years old.
• Avery loves drawing pictures of "the whole family" and provides stick figures that are spot on.
• Avery has a musical ear in that she hears a song a few times and knows it by heart.
• Avery can count to 12 really well, but from 12-20 it's a little messy. 13 seems to challenge her.
• Avery is a master parade watcher.
• Avery still takes a nap, and sleeps well most of the time at night. 
• Avery loves Jesus and is beginning to understand his sacrifice on the cross.
• Avery is developing quite the sense of humor. Her big joke is calling people by different names, or last night when she was wearing her Abe Lincoln shirt (pictured above) our friend asked, who's on your shirt? Avery goes, "George Washington!" and laughs. 
• Avery prays every night for our neighbors and for Ivy's head. 
• Avery's picky eating habits are rapidly improving and she's trying new things, things that are green! Imagine that! 
• Avery is feisty at times and earns time outs, but thankfully after her time out is over, she'll apologize for whatever she did wrong (hit Eliza, throw a toy, talk back, etc.) 
• Every night, before Avery goes to bed, regardless if I'm in the room or not, she'll say, "To the moon mom!" and will wait for me to say it back. 
• Avery is very compassionate and shows empathy when people are hurt. 
• Avery often goes, out of the blue, "You know what Mom? I love you."

 ELIZA PAGE

"peanut"

• Eliza is a few months away from turning 2 years old. 
• Eliza loves eating everything, but has recently made the connection that guacamole is made from avocados, and she would eat a whole one if you offered it. 
• Eliza no longer takes a bottle, and is off formula. She can handle milk now, and drinks it from a sippy cup. (For a while her stomach couldn't tolerate milk, and she loved her bottle before her naps.)
• Eliza says A LOT, whether we understand it all, that's another story.
• She loves naming the family: "mama, dadeee, EYE-ee (Ivy), E-lyla (Eliza), and ya ya (Avery)".
• She ways, "I laa you!" (I love you)
• Eliza loves to wear socks and put on everyone else's shoes.
• Eliza winks and says cheeeee when she's smiles.
• Eliza still sucks on her two middle fingers on her left hand when tired or concentrating. 
• Eliza can get lost in books for a while, but tends to leave opened books laying all over the floors of the house. She'll revisit them throughout the day. 
• Eliza takes a long nap and sleeps very well through the night. 
• Eliza has the best curly hair.
• Eliza still wears diapers (and hates getting them changed) and sleeps in a crib.
• Eliza mimics everything that Avery does, good and bad. 
• Eliza loves dogs, and spends a lot of time on the porch yelling at them with excitement.   
• Eliza does not like when people leave our house.
• Eliza insists that we pray before every meal by putting her hands out to be held. She'll wait till everyone is seated at the table, and will say "amen" when it's over. 
• Eliza loves to be near Ivy at all times. 

IVY MARIE

"chee-wee / newbie / love bug / the little one"

(still working on one)

• Ivy is 4 months old.
• Ivy is in the 90% for all growth measurements. 
• Ivy wears 6 month clothes.
• Ivy is so happy and smiley. 
• Ivy drools pretty much all the time. 
• Ivy blows bubbles a lot as well.
• Ivy likes to sleep with blankets on her face, and occasionally with her thumb in her mouth.
• Ivy likes to have her fingers in her mouth when she's awake.
• Ivy has coronal suture synostosis, torticollis, and amplyopia in her right eye. (google it :)
• Ivy gets treatment and will have surgery to correct all those things.
• Ivy wears a eye patch for an hour a day.
• Ivy doesn't seem to care about the above mentioned things she was born with. :)
• Ivy is a great napper, and becoming a good night sleeper. 
• When Ivy does wake in the night, she's happy, so it's hard to be upset about waking up at 3 in the morning. 
• Ivy loves to be sung to.  
• Ivy is my most snuggly baby.
• Ivy likes to be worn in an ergo carrier or a wrap. 
• Ivy makes me feel like the greatest person in the world.