Out of all the monthly updates I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve written, I feel like Avery has changed the most between this and the last one. She may not be walking yet, and she doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t say many (real) words \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but she has nonetheless emerged as a very tall, vocal presence in our home. Her personality is really emerging!<\/p>\n
Avery isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a difficult child, but she knows what she wants \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more determined and stubborn than I remember Zoe being. If she wants something, she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll keep going after it \u00e2\u20ac\u201c even after we tell her \u00e2\u20ac\u0153no.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (In fact, she has taken to smile or giggle when we say \u00e2\u20ac\u0153no,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and she recently started mimicking me by wagging her finger.) She loves knocking over the chairs in her room, as example; I tell her not to do this and move her away from the chairs at least five times a day, but she continues to make her way over to them.<\/p>\n
She loves keeping up with her sister, which includes often trying to take things away from her, and it’s common for her to grunt\/cry<\/a> in frustration if she can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get her hands on Zoe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s things. The girls have had a few small tug-of-wars in recent weeks, and more and more of my time with them is spent \u00e2\u20ac\u0153refereeing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or making sure Avery doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t grab or ruin Zoe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s things (especially her drawings). <\/p>\n Aside from chasing after her sister, Avery still likes playing with rings, stacking dishes, and blocks. Her new favorite book is Peek-A-Who<\/a> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c every time I start reading it, she breaks into a big, toothy grin. (And the best part of the book: it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so simple that Zoe can read it to her.)<\/p>\n Avery is super vocal: Every morning, around 6:10, Q and I awake to a series of squeals, babbles (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153mamamama,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153dadadada\u00e2\u20ac\u009d) and words that sound like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153eye-ya.” She doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t say tons of real words on her own yet, but she is very big on mimicking. If she hears a word (hat, ball, etc.) she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll usually say it right after \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and Q’s new game is to sing \u00e2\u20ac\u0153la la la” to her and listen as she repeats it. Avery also likes to grunt a lot: she has taken to grunting when she wants more food and when someone walks in the room \u00e2\u20ac\u201c her way of saying \u00e2\u20ac\u0153hi,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I guess.<\/p>\n