19 months on the 19th! And, as Avery gets further into her second year of life, she’s inching further and further away from babyhood…
Like last month, Avery is constantly running around, chatting, grabbing for things, and playing with or imitating her sister. She can often be found pushing things (babies, her sippy cup of milk, etc.) around in the stroller, pulling things (magnet, pictures, etc.) off the fridge or climbing on her sister’s bed or things. (If I’m lying in bed, she’ll try to climb up to join me or say “up” and ask me for help.) She also likes drawing (“scribble-scrabble” as Zoe calls it), and she’ll spend good chunks of time sitting at her table with paper and markers.
Her vocabulary is continuing to grow; recent new words include “apple,†“babyâ€, “bottle,†“book,†“doggie,†and “please,†and just the other night she said “No, thank you†as clear as day. (“Was that Avery or Zoe?†I asked Q when I heard it.) In reading back on Zoe at this age, Avery definitely has fewer words than her sister did – but she’s no less communicative. She’ll often talk in long, jibber-jabber sentences, and more often than not we can understand what she’s saying/asking for.
She has quite the (strong) personality these days. She cries, whines and demands more than she used to, and when I ask her for things – especially for a kissie – she’ll often shake her head and say “no.†(I guess this is an age – or Browdy girl – thing because it turns out Zoe was the same way at 19 months!) She is pickier (and less polite) at mealtimes – if she doesn’t want something she’ll wrinkle up her nose, say “no,†and sometimes even throw it to the floor. (One thing she’ll never toss away, though, is fruit. She’s still a big fan, and her new favorite is the clementine.)
Avery is still occasionally hesitant around, or suspicious of, new people – but much less often than before. She actually gave hugs and kisses to a few toddlers and moms at a recent playdate, and she was just fine when we left her with Safta and PopPop at New Year’s.
As mentioned below, she’s very interested in the potty. She routinely tells us when her diaper is full, and she occasionally gives the heads-up before it’s full – so we can dash to the bathroom. Per a friend’s suggestion, I made up a song and dance for when Avery has success; she loves it and gets a huge, proud smile on her face when we do it. And just a few days ago, when Avery saw me in the bathroom, she started clapping her hands and dancing, as if to say, “good job.â€
A few random things: She has finally stopped squirming long enough to enjoy a book; her new favorites are the ABC and 123 books that Zoe also enjoyed at that age. She’s still a good sleeper: She often takes two- or three-hour afternoon naps, and she goes to bed, with virtually no trouble, at 7 PM. (And like an alarm clock, she’s up at 7 AM). She’s about 29 pounds now and just over 34 inches.
And to end on a sweet note: Avery’s affection her for her sister continues to grow. She gets very excited when she sees her in the morning (Avery is usually up first) and runs up to her with a hug. And whenever Zoe is crying or clearly upset, Avery is right there to give her a squeeze or hand her one of her stuffed animals. (She’ll do the same thing to me if I’m sniffling!) Nothing, really, makes me happier than seeing these loving, hugging sisters!
-M
