Happy Birthday Sweet Avery Grace

Sitting here, watching my little 3 year old little princess play, I can't help but wonder where the time has gone (and regret not capturing every moment of the last year on video)! I'm trying to be really happy because I'm sure it's completely normal that she has a birthday and gets older, but there is also the fact that I'm on the verge of tears because I just want this to slow down. I guess the only thing there is to do is savor every moment. Soak it in. And most definitely, pull out the Flip cam every chance I get!

We have a fun day planned full of carousels and cupcakes (her favorite things). And tomorrow will be the big birthday bash with lots of family and friends. Celebrating another year of a healthy, gorgeous little miracle that has captured my heart in ways I didn't know were possible.

I thought this would be a good day to remember some of the things that we absolutely love about her and that she loves to do!

• I love all the mini things around the house, that will disappear in years to come. Mini panties and toothbrushes and socks and such. 
• I love it when she starts giggling about something silly, which makes me laugh, which makes her REALLY laugh (a deep, contagious, belly laugh) so I start really laughing until we're both laughing so hard at each other that I'm crying!
• I love that she embraces being a big girl. And constantly says things like "Mama, I not Elmo. I Big Girl!"
• I love that she has a newfound love for Dr. K and always wants us to be her patients. I love that right now, she only remembers when Dr. K tickled her at her last visit so she constantly says "Mama, Dr. Kafar so silly, he tickle me!"
• I love her ever expanding vocabulary and how words sound when she first starts to use them. (for example, boy = Bo-iiii
• I love having tea parties w/ Avery and Nora (her doll) and Snowball (her kitty) and Fat Boy (her daddy's name for her baby boy doll who is rather heavy and large).
• I love that she thinks ANYTHING that doesn't work the way she wants "needs batta-ies" (batteries).
• I love that out of the blue she says, "Mama, I lud (love) you too!"
• I love a million little things and I could sit here and type for a year about the cute little things she does!
• I love that she chooses certain rooms in the house to be 'her house' or 'the mall'. She says, "Let's go to the mall" and leads me with her hand into some random room and says "Tada, the mall!"

Avery loves...

• Cupcakes
• Kitties (and all animals!)
• Tea Parties
• Blowing Feathers
• Dr. "Kafar" (this is seriously her response sometimes, when I ask her who she loves)
• Max and Ruby
• Olivia
• Chicken Nuggets
• Playing house
• Playing hide n seek
• Riding on daddy's back around the house
• Playing dress up
• Playing w/ flash cards and puzzles and reading books
• Tracing my hand and drawing Gigi

Avery knows her primary colors, can count from 1-12, knows some of her shapes (circle, square, triangle), and many words. She is so proud of the things she knows, and I am so proud of her!

I can honestly say I want nothing more out of life than to raise her to become a healthy, happy, God-seeking young woman. I can't wait to see what this year holds for my precious 3 YEAR OLD! Happy Birthday, sweet Avery Grace!

Wordless Wednesday

A Day at the Mall

The last week of the year I was on vacation, but Charlie wasn't. So me and Avery hung out all week. I got a good taste of what it would be like to be a stay at home mom: WONDERFUL! Her nap schedule was WAY off and we ended up waiting for daddy to come home every night (at 11pm!) from work. This meant sleeping late and 5pm naps. I actually enjoyed it very much! We also shopped till we dropped most days. I was loaded down with returns, exchanges and gift cards from Christmas, so we were out and about every day. I loved every minute with my lil sweetie. I don't think I could survive a trip to the mall without the carousel, riding toys and the cookie shop! When I can tell a meltdown is on it's way, I simply say "I guess it's time for us to go home. Unless you want to be a good girl so you can _____(insert fun thing here)." It worked like a charm all week! Bribery at it's best. ;)

Tea Parties

You may remember Avery's first tea party - here. These days, we're having tea parties of a calmer sort. You know? The kind with little stuffed animals and baby dolls and tiny porcelain cups and a hostess in Tinkerbell PJ's. Those kind! Avery got two tea sets for Christmas and puts both of them to use at least once a day. She is becoming quite the hostess!

Wordless Wednesday

Helping Poppa

When Poppa is busy at work, he can always count on a little helper to be at his side!

The Pink Kitchen

After looking for a while online one day, I decided on Avery's 'big' gift - a pink kitchen. She absolutely LOVES it! I started trying to put it together the night before we left, after she went to bed. I am NOT very nice after about 9pm, since I wake up before 5am every day, so you can imagine how much fun I was having at 11pm trying to get this together by myself! Charlie finally came home from work and I handed him the instructions and went to bed. After 2 hours I was on step 3 of 22! And that was working nonstop, as fast as possible.

2 hours later... step 3 of 22!

Charlie tackled it the next evening and finished at 2am. I was in Vidalia on Christmas Eve and woke up to a text from Charlie that said "Merry Christmas Little Britches!" with the picture below. So, after 7 hours of work, Avery had the cutest lil pink kitchen I've ever seen.

We spent Christmas in Vidalia and she got to see the kitchen when we came home on Sunday. She LOVED it. It was so sweet! Even better, when she walked into our kitchen the next few days she would gasp (like she was surprised) and say "MY PINK KITCHEN!" It was like for a moment she forgot she had it and would remember all over again. PRECIOUS! She has been playing with it nonstop. We have already gotten our money's worth. Merry Christmas Little Britches!

This was right after I organized the play food and pots and pans. It looked like this for about 10 minutes 

She also got a robe for Christmas and the shopping cart with more FOOD!

Christmas 2010

We had a wonderful Christmas. An absolutely great time. Thank God for sending His precious son to save sinners like me!

Before the madness... 

Let the madness begin!

She loves her big wheel princess tricycle from her uncles!

Avery also enjoys playing with one of Charlie's gifts!

3rd bday party invite

Presto Blocks Girl Birthday Invitation

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View the entire collection of cards.

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas Eve

This year, we started a new tradition. Alicia, Charlie's cousin, invited us over to her house for Christmas Eve. We opened presents with the kids, ate chili and lit sparklers. We had a great time! It was Avery's first time to see sparklers. She was too scared to touch them but loved watching them. I love making new traditions and enjoying spending time with our family!

Bram, Charlie's nephew

Avery and Layne, 2nd cousins

The 3 little cousins singing karaoke

December is for Baking

A Christmas tradition in our house is baking Christmas cookies. We had a great time this year and they were pretty yummy!