15 Months

It's so hard to believe that Avery Grace is 15 months old!



Can you sense the joy that utensils (or lack of) have brought to her life?



Enjoying her new cat jammies, and maybe getting ready to pounce.



See that eye boo boo? Not the first and certainly won't be the last.



Taking a few steps as she pleases.

Last year this time I was just going back to work and leaving my tiny baby at the babysitter's. Now she reaches for Jen-Jen ready to play.

I'm a few days late posting so that I could include Avery's newest growth information. She weighs 21 lbs 2 oz (slightly below 50th percentile) and is 30 1/2 inches long (50th percentile). She's lost a little weight since her 12 month appointment and has grown about an inch. I don't think I've ever done her head measurement, but it remains around the 90th percentile...lots of brains!

Avery is still fitting in 12 months and 12-18 months clothes. All of her pretty 18 months clothes are too big after her slim-down. She wears a size 4 shoe and is still in a size 3 diaper. We bought some size fours and they are a little large as well.

We all had a tough time with germs this month. Avery ran a high fever at the end of September, which turned out to be a viral throat infection like hand foot and mouth. A few weeks later she ran fever on a Thursday night, and that diagnosis was an ear infection. She bounced back quickly from that but was running a high fever again by the next Tuesday. Her fever hovered around 103 degrees for 3 long days. She was so sick and pitiful with absolutely no energy. She's finally made it a whole week at Jennifer's so we're hoping we're over the germs that seem to be getting everyone around here, Mama and Daddy included. We are so lucky that she remains a good baby even when sick.

Sleep habits remain about the same. Bedtime is between 7 and 7:30 and she usually sleeps until at least 6:30. Morning naps have been touch and go this month, but the absence of them usually turned out to indicate sickness. While many babies' nighttime sleep is affected by sickness and teething, Avery's isn't. (As I type, I brace for the universe to strike me with a week of no sleep.) It's always Avery's naps that go a little crazy when something is going on. Since she's been sick, she's been taking two 1.5 hour naps a day. It's been awhile since I let her nap that long in the morning, but it's working now so I'm going with it.

Avery didn't have much appetite while she was sick, and it took awhile for it to return. Even some of her favorites were rejected. She's still loving the same things, but has finally returned some vegetables to the menu. Broccoli and cauliflower with cheese are big hits, and she ate some green peas the other night. Our big feeding milestone this month is that Avery can now feed herself with a spoon. She is best with things like yogurt, applesauce, etc. Individual items she still usually attacks with her fingers. Fingers have a way of ending up the the yogurt and applesauce as well. This is a big accomplishment but also a big MESS! She still seems to have 7 teeth.

Avery still has so much to say. We hear hi, bye, D (for Dixie, Doodie-Felix, and really any animal), Dada/Daddy, and pie-pie. Pie-pie is hilarious to me because that is NOT one that we've been working on! She seems to say the same thing each time she hears the train, and also says something very similar to juice, cheese, and side (outside). Whether or not we can understand, she gives us play-by-play accounts of what's going on.

Avery continues to be a mover and a shaker. She's taking more steps at a time and is taking steps so frequently during the day now. She's just started taking series of steps at the babysitter's though. The only thing that I can figure is that with the others around, she either isn't as comfortable on her feet, or she'd rather be fast and crawl. Climbing is a big hit also, and everything is fair game...into the refridgerator, onto the dishwasher door, into her baby stroller, etc.

We are so fortunate that she entertains herself so well. She is happy to play in her Fisher Price showroom but is also happy with every day objects. Her newest obsessions include markers and glue sticks, and she still loves pens. She seems to enjoy their size and having several things that are alike to hold, tap, and throw. Pens are out of the question since she can get the tops off. She also loves travel-size bottles of baby shampoo and lotion, which is great because we got about 10 of those sets when she was born. Mickey is still a favorite, and he seems to be the only TV that will hold her attention for a brief time. She'd much rather play and move.

Avery teaches us just as much about life as we are teaching her. I could write volumes on all the funny, sweet, and aggravating things she does each day. We are so lucky to call her ours.