This photo pretty much sums things up right now. Aveline turned ten months old on Monday, and at ten months it is like she is restrained at the starting gate, eager and waiting to take on the world.
Avie is so, so close to crawling. She gets up on those hands and knees and moves one leg forward, but just needs to figure out that she needs to move both legs. She usually ends up moving forward by moving the one leg, sitting again, moving one leg, and sitting again, inching her way, slowly but surely. And a lot of times on wood floor, she will end up going backward on her tummy rather than forward. But she bobs back and forth with such excitement, so wanting to get to -- or at -- whatever it is in front of her. I have a feeling that once she gets the hang of it, there will be no holding her back.
Avie is also my destructive baby. She puts things in her mouth much more than Elsa did as a baby and, thus, our board books are suffering, as are many toys of which labels and such are being gnawed off. Oh well, she is most likely our last, so if these things are destroyed, so be it. Although, if I catch her, I try to prevent destruction -- especially of the beloved books.
Speaking of her mouth, she has embraced finger food in a big way. Once she got over the choking reflex and really started picking up food and eating it, she decided baby food should be a thing of the past. Now I feel like I am almost force-feeding her the pureed stuff. But I also have not gotten it together enough to feel like I am giving her enough veggies without doing it. So I try to give her a good combination of finger food and purees, and we are making it happen for now. She adores scrambled eggs and cheese, could give or take avocado, and does not seem to really like anything involving mango. She still loves berries, and is so-so with grapes (chopped into little bits, of course). She really, really likes hummus, and seems to eat all the pureed veggies still without grimacing. She freaks out with excitement at the sight of the container of puffs, and is doing really well with O-shaped cereal too. Her favorite purees are still those involving meat, so that at least makes an easy way for me to get protein in her. Avie immediately took to a Green Sprouts straw cup -- it was one of the few I could find that you don't really have to work at, and she is very easily able to drink a good amount of water.
Avie is still nursing four or five times a day, one of those feedings being between about 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Then she will go back to sleep, usually until around 6:30 a.m. or 7:00 a.m. She still proves to be a good sleeper, and is taking two good naps a day, usually at least an hour-and-a-half each, often times longer.
Right now I am loving the wisps of hair over her ears, her new head-shaking trick, and the clicking of her tongue. And she cracks me up now when she signs "all done" with one hand when she is done nursing.
Avie's favorite book still seems to be Goodnight Moon, and I was excited to see that a cloth version is scheduled to come out in late September, as this is one of our cherished books that is likely soon to meet its demise if left in her hands too long. She enjoys walks, either in the baby carrier or the stroller. She continues to adore her sister, and is very interested in some of Elsa's toys, namely, Elsa's baby doll and Curious George (much to Elsa's dismay... unless she happens to be in a sharing mood). And, if she could, I think she would chew on my leather wallet, the neoprene carrying case for our small camera, or my keys all day long. She thinks Merckx is great, and squeals with delight when she sees him, often attempting to sign for "dog."
We have entered the stage of the "dropping game" too. She thinks it is fun to drop something from her perch in the highchair, and then say, "Uh-uh-uh-oh." Cute, but probably something we should not let her think is too cute.
We went to the doctor last Thursday, but just to get Avie's first round of the polio vaccine. I held her, chest to chest, while Susan gave her the shot in her leg, and she did not shed a tear. There was no weighing or measuring, so we will have to wait until her one-year check-up to find out those stats.
We love this little one. And we thank God for both of our girls every day. What amazing gifts have been bestowed upon us.
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