THE PASCHAL PASTIMES: ~Avery Mae at 1 Year~

It is so hard to believe that our sweet baby girl is already 1 year old! This past year has flown by so fast, and so many things have happened. A few months after Avery was born Jacob started a new job in downtown Houston. We were so thankful for the change, but ultimately we knew he would not stay there for very long. The hours were long and so was the commute. Jacob was so blessed to get a phone call from a friend in Huntsville that wanted him to come back and practice in town. We were so happy! We put our house up for sale in the beginning of July and it sold within just a few days! So, we moved back to Huntsville and have been living with Jacob's parents ever since.

When Avery was born we never would've thought in a million years that we'd be living in Huntsville by the next summer! After moving back Jayda started first grade and Sydney started pre-school. Both the big girls started dance, so that was a new fun adventure! From then until now it seems like life has not slowed down one bit! Things are always crazy and busy and something is always going on!

Luckily, Avery is very easy going and has been such a trooper through everything! She is such a sweetheart and so loving. She loves her Mommy, Daddy, and sisters SO much! We just can't seem to get enough of her and I can't stop kissing her chubby little cheeks!

Avery is walking everywhere now. She started walking at 11 months old. I was standing in the living room straightening Jayda's hair (per her request). Avery was right behind me and saw that Sydney had her little kitty cat. She stood up and took 6 steps towards her so that she could get her little cat Pepper! Me and the girls could not believe it! We were all yelling and clapping and excited for her! She knew she had done something special! I immediately ran and got my video camera and we wanted to see if she could do it again. So Sydney came over by me with the camera, and Pepper the cat, and we called Avery over to us. She walked again and took 11 steps that time! If anyone would've been here they'd of thought we were crazy. We were all running, jumping and yelling because we were so happy that she was finally walking! She'd been pulling up and walking assisted with our hands or toys for well over a month so we knew she'd walk at any moment! It was such a special night and one I'll never forget. Soon after she started walking Jacob got home so he got it to see her new trick too. It was the cutest thing ever! She was smiling so big and so proud of herself. After that she would take a few steps here and there and then get down and crawl because it was faster. But, it was only a few weeks later and by Thanksgiving she was walking all over the place. She loves to walk around and check out what her sisters are doing or play with her toys.

Avery is so good about entertaining herself and playing with her toys. She can play like that for a long time, so that is really nice. Even when her sisters are playing with something else, she will just do her own thing. She can also get into mischief on her own, like pulling open the kitchen drawers, pulling things out of the pantry, going up the stairs when the baby gate is left open, playing in the toilet paper if the bathroom door is open, and opening up all kinds of cabinets she does not need to be in. It's funny too because most of the time she knows she is not supposed to be doing whatever she is because when I find her she's shaking her head telling me no-no. Silly girl.

She can also hold her own with her sisters. If they try take her toy away she'll hold on so tight they can't get it. And if they do, she snatches it right back. It's the funniest thing, like she is telling them "NO-this is MINE!" I guess this is what happens when you're the third child.

Avery Mae seems to be a picky little eater. She does a great job taking her bottle and eating cereal puffs, cheerios, crackers and yogurt melts, but beyond that I can't get her to eat much of anything! I haven't switched her to whole milk yet. I gave her some at 9 months and she had an upset stomach for a week so I've been nervous to try again, but I know I need to. She won't eat any cheese, fruit, veggies, or much of anything else. I'm hoping she'll soon change her mind and decide she likes more than just cereal and crackers!

She wasn't quite sure about these one year pictures.

Avery has learned to communicate with us by shaking and nodding her head. She shakes her head no-no when she doesn't want something and nods when she's telling us yes. She had been shaking her head for a while and started that several months ago, but has just figured out how to nod and say yes. It's so cute! She shakes her head when she doesn't want a certain food, or to play with a particular toy, or for someone to pick her up. She nods yes when she wants her little cereal puffs, wants us to hold her, wants her paci, or wants to take a bath. It's so sweet and innocent and amazes me that she can already tell us what she wants!

Avery makes lots of sounds and has even been putting some different sounds together. Some that she says are baba, mama, dada, nana, tata, ada (Jayda), papa, bama, nama, de (Sydney), gaba, and lots of other gibberish. She already knows what she's saying, that is for sure. I love to listen to her babble and talk!

Avery loves our little dog Daisy. She follows her all over the house and yells and laughs at her. She tries to pet her and pull her tail and then squeals if she actually gets a hold of her. It's pretty darn cute!

Avery is a little cuddle bug. She loves to hug and kiss us and be held. If she puts her little hands up for one of us to hold her (even her sisters), we all just grab her up. She smiles so big when we hold her and lays her head on us. She is the sweetest little baby ever. A lot of times she'll come up and hug our leg. Since she's so little that's all she can reach but it just melts my heart. I think she is going to grow up to be a very sweet and loving little girl with a very good heart.

Avery loves to be outside. She is so curious and watches everything that is going on around her-sisters playing, the animals, nature, etc...she just takes it all on. I'm sure she can't wait to get a little bigger so she can keep up with her big sisters outside!

Love this precious picture of her!

Avery can not get enough of her sisters! Jayda picks her up and carries her all over the place. She is pretty much like her second mommy. It's so cute. If I'm busy doing something and can't hold her when she wants to be picked up, she'll go over to Jayda and put her arms up for Jayda to get her. And Jayda loves it too. She'll so, "Oh, come here little baby boo"! That's what sisters are for!

We are so thankful that God gave us Avery Mae.

She is a perfect fit for our family and the absolute sweetest baby I could ever imagine.

Happy 1st Birthday to our little Christmas baby!

Avery's last monthly sticker pictures! I had so much fun taking these sweet pictures every month this past year. It's been so neat to see how much she's changed from one month to the next!