Lake Tahoe

I didn't realize it had been so long between posts!  It seems like Avery is changing daily.  On the one hand, the new skills are rather seamless in their appearance.  It's almost like she was always doing these things.  On the other hand, each time she does something for the first time, we squeal with the usual delight of first time parents. 



At the moment, we're in Lake Tahoe on vacation.  We drove out here with Turtle and Eddie to meet our friends and their dog for a few days of fun.  Avery has done exceedingly well the entire time.  She's so flexible with naps and her general schedule; for this, I am eternally grateful.  She also loves to watch the dogs, so having them in the back of the minivan was a perfect distraction.



Today we went to the beach with the dogs.  Ironically, despite the fact we were coming to LAKE Tahoe, it didn't occur to me to bring her swimsuit.  Then we had a little diapering accident before hitting the beach.  So we made the best of the situation and used the sun tent for protection; Avery didn't seem to mind one bit.  I was a bit relieved to see a number of naked/diaper-only babies and children running around!

As she has been for about a month and a half (give or take), she's sitting up on her own and doesn't need any supports behind her.  She rarely falls over.  When she reaches for something in front of her, she can get all the way back up without problem.  She still cannot, however, sit up from a laying position.  She tries, but to no avail.

She is trying ferociously to belly crawl.  What she hasn't put together is that she needs to push her legs underneath herself to get into an upright position.  That said, she did make it basically across the bed the other day.  She was chasing D's laptop.  She LOVES the laptop.  It's adorable when she finally gets to it because she kind of scratches at the keyboard in a manner that looks so much like she's trying to type. 



The other day, we were sitting with her at the table and talking with friends.  We had a bottle of water in front of her that we'd been giving her.  While we were involved in conversation, she reached out, grabbed the bottle and proceeded to drink on her own.  Just like that.  It was so sudden because, while she would grab the bottle occassionally when we feed her, she generally leaves the bottle holding to us and has never held it for extended periods.  That she was able to get it up and into her mouth was fascinating.  Of course, she doesn't know about gravity, but she could suck all the air out and eventually get water.  



We have tried solids, but she simply refuses to eat anything at the moment.  I have admittedly tried to sneak some into her mouth when she wasn't looking and that has not turned out well.  Avery can seemingly vomit on demand.  When we return from vacation, I'll refocus my efforts on trying more interesting flavors since the blandness of the oatmeal and rice cereals doesn't seem to appeal to her.



In other news, Daddy can officially use the Beco!  This morning was his morning to get up with her.  When I walked into the kitchen, there he was doing various chores with Avery on his back.  She was one happy baby! 



Avery is also making all sorts of sounds, including clicking her tongue.  When she does that one, she has such a look for pride on her face.  It's adorable.  We've also noticed that she's loudest with her squeals when we're driving on the curvy road leading to and from our house.  She makes a huge racket that makes us both smile from ear to ear. 



I have been taking video of her, but haven't had time to piece any of it together.  Hopefully, I'll find some time in the next month or so and post a quick video of her cuter moments.  It's just so hard to narrow it down!



Finally, I''ll share a sweet moment from earlier today.  D and I were in a bedroom sucking the mucus out of her nose.  She used to not mind this at all, but has recently decided she no longer likes it, so she cries.  Both Turtle and Eddie heard her and came racing into the room to check on her.  When we finished and picked her up, they both sniffed her to make sure she was all right.  Eddie then gave her a little lick before they left the room satisfied they had done their job.  While I encourage the dogs to ignore her most of the time, it did warm my heart they so wanted to comfort her.