For the first time, I asked Zoe for help in summarizing what Avery is like at this age. “She likes to dance around sometimes,” was her answer. “And turn around. And play with toys.”
That’s a pretty good summary, but I can add to it a bit. Avery’s at a very active stage – dancing around, as Zoe said, or just running around (often chasing her sister). She doesn’t like to be alone and is known to follow people throughout the house or grab their hand to bring them where she wants. Among her favorite things: playing with her baby doll (still), playing the “night-night” game on one of the beds, sitting or standing on her sister’s little pink stool (which Avery is known to carry around the house), using said stool to reach the sink to brush her teeth or wash her hands, and, as mentioned before, copying her sister (or playing with whatever Zoe is playing with).
She’s talking more and more each month, and her vocabulary continues to grow. Just as was the case when Zoe was 20 months, the word we hear most often is “please,” which comes out as “peas.” And her most used phrase (aside from “thank you”): “A bite!” which she says any time (and I mean any time) she sees us eat. A few other phrases she’s picked up: “all done,” “the end,” “excuse me” (which we heard for the first time just a few days ago) and “sister crying.” When it comes to verbal skills, I’ve always thought Avery was a bit behind where Zoe was at her age. But a look back tells me that while Zoe knew more single words at this age, Avery started using multiple-word phrases around the same time as her sister did.
Avery also recently learned to nod yes or no, which makes communicating with her a bit easier. The only bad thing: she seems to favor the word “no;” more often than not (and as was the case with Zoe at this age, too) she’ll say “no” to whatever you ask. The usual exceptions: If you ask if she wants a snack or if she wants a “butterfly kiss” (a new favorite of hers).
Some quirky/fun things: She likes playing with socks; more specifically she likes wearing them on her hands as mittens. She also loves her sister’s scrunchies, and she wears them like bracelets. If you ask, “Who wants to (fill-in-the-blank)?” she’ll raise her hand, no matter what the question is. And, as mentioned before, if someone is crying she’ll come over to them with a hug. I admit it: I often pretend I’m crying, just because it’s so cute to see (and because I love her hugs).
She’s still a good sleeper and still very easy to put down. These days we plunk her in the crib, cover with her a blanket, and that’s it. “Night-night,” she’ll say to us, another recently picked-up phrase.
All is not perfect, of course: I had forgotten how strong-willed and tantrum-ish toddlers this age can be. Avery is known to tantrum or pout if she doesn’t get her way, and she’ll often throw things (toys, food) in frustration. The grumpy periods never last long, but I do occasionally mourn the days when we saw only the sunny side of Avery.
Lastly, Avery’s a bit over 30 pounds and just about 35 inches. My little baby, no more!
