Home Again

I didn't realize I hadn't done a post since we returned from Mexico!  This is a wrong that must be righted.

Our return flights from Mexico were about as easy as they come.  Avery did awesome on both flights, planes were on time, baggage arrived as expected.  Basically, it couldn't have been an easier trip home.  For that, I am always full of gratitude.

Since we've been back, Nain came to visit for a week.  Nain and Avery always have a great time together, with Nain often taking Avery outside to do things like blow bubbles and tricycle around the neighborhood.

Nain and Avery before a bubble blowing session

Avery in her favorite jammies: dinosaurs!

Avery in her Halloween costume (pulled out of the closet at her request)

Avery with Megan's best friend from HS, Jen!

With each passing day, Avery is establishing more independence and making decisions about the way she likes things to be done.  For example, I just assumed she would want stuffed animals on her bed to keep her company.  This is flatly wrong.  She doesn't like any stuffed animals or babies on her bed when she sleeps, especially if she did not put them there to begin with.  She will sometimes take her baby to bed with her, but she never keeps it with her through the night.  Avery sleeps alone ... and with her bibs.  She loves those bibs.  Often, when she wakes up in the morning, she's standing at the door of her bedroom.  I knock and ask if I can come in, she sweetly replies, "Yes," then says, "Avery's awake!" (or, as she did this morning, "I awake!) and is standing there with anywhere from 10-15 bibs in her arms.  She carries them into say hi to Damian who's usually getting ready for work.  I find her attachment to the bibs interesting because she definitely needs them to sleep, they are a source of comfort, but she rarely insists on bringing them with us when we leave the house.  The few times she has done that, she specifically states that she wants to leave them in the car.  I'm very thankful that she has no objection to the bibs being washed, and doesn't have an attachment to any particular bib, so losing one is no problem.  If she finds the rare bib that hasn't been cut (we cut the velcro part off the back so she can't put the bib on and accidentally strangle herself), she immediately requests that it be cut.

We also recently had a visit with Avery's great grandmother Ruth!  It's seems remembering the phrase "great grandmother" is a bit much for Avery right now, so we'll just call her Grandma Ruth.  Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Jerry came up for a visit last week to meet Avery.  While Avery was a bit reserved at first, when she figured out these two people where there to watch her ... well, she was happy as a clam!  It was a great visit and we were so happy to meet Ruth and Jerry!