11 Months

Avery is 11 months old today. That means only one more month until she's 1 year old! (simple math)

She toodles around everywhere with her "bike", but is especially drawn to this closet so that she can play in Piper's dog dish.

Remember a few months ago I was just a basket case about how she would stand up in her crib and cry forever? Well now she puts herself to sleep (for the most part) and sleeps the entire night. (Thanks Tammy and Laura)

Also, there is this. It made me incredibly happy yesterday.

Who's In Charge Here?

What kind of parent stands idly by while their child is licked in the face by a dog?

And what mother would allow her baby to eat a cheerio off the floor?

Take That

While we were in Ogden, Emily reminded me of this story.

I was a senior in high school and Aaron, Emily and Nettie were home from college for Christmas break. Us girls were driving home from somewhere and I had the hiccups. For some reason or other, this bugged my sisters so much that they stopped the car and kicked me out. Mind you, it was totally dark and we live out on a farm, so it was kind of the middle of nowhere - pitch black.

I don't even know what was so repulsive about my dang hiccups, but I got out of the car. When they thought I had learned my lesson, or that my hiccups had gone away, they turned around and came back to get me. This is what kind of sisterly environment I grew up in. Pure intolerance for any kind of abnormal noises. When they swung the car around, I'm pretty sure their headlights met with me mooning them.

But speaking of those sisters of mine...they are all pregnant! There is a whole gaggle of babies about to be added to our family.

My mom (she doesn't mind hiccuping),

Jamie: pregnant

Nettie: pregnant

Emily: pregnant

Kim: pregnant (Aaron's wife; she would never have kicked me out of the car.) Remember this was at Rob n Mary's wedding reception and Kailyn was afraid of the thunder?

Make Yourself Useful

I was trying to get a shot of Avery in her fairy tu tu. Get out of the way, please.

When Avery is done eating, she'll stick her hands out, and Piper will come and lick them clean.

See how well this totally cute outfit showcases the thighs? So much chunk. And lately we're into crossing our legs at the ankle.

8 teeth!? The better to eat black beans with.

A tough guy shirt, just in time for 90 degree weather. We love hand-me-downs!

I'm almost 1 year old! Sheesh.

Ogden

We took a quick trip to Ogden this week.

It snowed sunrise to sunset while we were there, but did that stop us from getting Zeppe's gilatas two days in a row? No, I tell you. Too dang delicious.

Abbey and Mylie were officially introduced to Pac Man. They refer to him as "the clam".

Obviously they are not properly tutored in 80's pop culture, although I have a sneaking suspicion they know who Guns and Roses is.

They were very good cheerleaders.

"eat em! eat em!"

"eat the cherry!"

Easter

Holidays are way more fun nowadays.

Hiding eggs in the living room,

wearing a cute Easter dress all day long...

delightful.

For some reason, there was nadda mentioned about The Atonement today at church. Don't you think that is weird?

So, I got out my favorite Easter sharing time from the primary file and performed our very first Family Home Evening. It was interrupted a few times by our neighbor kids doorbell ditching us, leaving "berries" from the landscape on our welcome mat.

While we were waiting for Jimi to get home from work, we went to Jamie's for some fish tacos. It looks like she ate too many. Oh wait, that's a baby in there.

Or did you eat too many eggs? No, it's a baby.

Alfalfa?

She is seriously at the funnest and cutest stage right now. I say that every month, but seriously.

She goes around saying "da da" and "Pietoe" (Piper).

When I try to get her to say "ma ma" she laughs and clicks her tongue.

Hodgepodge

In honor of the book I am reading by the Jeopardy! king, this post is a hodgepodge of trivial goings on in my home.

(isn't it always?)

Avery is getting the hang of walking (with the toy).

She was like,

"whatevas mom...I can walk if I wanna".

Sunday she was really bored...

...so we got out the finger paints. It wasn't much different than when she swirls food around on her high chair platter, but at least she didn't try to eat it.

Her bath water was really pretty.

I am trying to grow tomatoes, Basil, and flowers,

a little something green and non-synthetic in my backyard.

And the big reveal...

this project turned out to be way more labor intensive than we thought it would be.

We lived like this for a few months...

and then,

TA DA!

A crisp, clean, beautiful kitchen.

Playing

One Man's Trash

"Tales Beneath Timpanogos"

James Christensen

This magical little gem hangs in Avery's room.

A couple of summers ago, we were at Robbie and Mary's house when Nettie and Jeff were adopting Calvin.

(for fun, here's a picture of the sweet little family)

I was "snooping" through a pile of pictures in frames that were leaned up against a wall, and I came across that print and shrieked with joy. I had a measly 8x10 flier of this exact picture hanging on my classroom wall, but this was giant and beautifully matted and framed.

I asked Mary where she got it?

She said it was hanging in the building where she worked and they were going to throw it away! Can you imagine?

Then I somehow finagled it into my ownership. I think I slapped them a check of puny proportions to solidify the transaction. Thank you thank you thank you!

Lately Avery has been staring at it. It's just so beautiful.

One man's trash is another mom and baby's treasure.

Textures

The 10-month-old finally felt her first "river".

It's actually part of the nasty Blu Pns at the park. This little spillway has been named "River Jordan".

We hope to touch a real river next month on our trip to Yosemite. We're trying to pack in as much "local" fun as we can before heading off to the Dakotas.

I love the smell of a sunscreened baby.

She touched her first ladybug, effectively injuring it for good.

And felt her first pine cone, using her mouth for further investigation.

In other news, she is obsessed with Piper's water bowl. Any chance she gets, she crawls over to see if the pantry has been left open so she can splash in the water.

So I put some water in a bowl and set it outside, thinking she would have a hayday with it.

Instead she crawled over and played in the gravel.

Piper drank the water.