One

Avery May is 12 months old. I have a 1 year old. 

New this month (SO MUCH):

• 24lb, 31 inches 
• Tries to put socks on her feet. 
• Cleans the table with a wipe after eating. It’s not overly effective, but she insists. 
• Sings and dances. She even bangs her head and taps her knees in the car seat when she can’t move the rest of her body. Favourite bands: July Talk and USS. How do we know they’re her fave? She squeals in excitement when their songs come on. Every time. 
• Is starting to give closed mouth kisses, and hugs so tight you could let go with your arms and she’d just hang there around your neck. 
• Gives kisses to the cats.
• First flight and first vacation – rocked it. 
• Scaling the furniture and walking while pushing chairs around the house.  
• This month has been all about outside time. Our favourite activity is picking and eating fresh fruit and veggies from the garden. 
• Words: more, Mo, mama, cat, hi, bawana (banana), and various meows which she uses to communicate with the cats. She also recognizes tons of words, nodding vigorously when we offer something she wants. Sign language has stalled, but she still signs milk and all done. 
• First bike ride. She loved it.  

Likes

• The cats. And other people’s cats. And stray cats on the street. She is a cat person. 
• Books. Sometimes I’ll watch her read to herself, flipping the pages of a board book perfectly and muttering to herself. She demands to be read the same two or three stories again and again and again at bedtime. 
• Favourite foods this month: sweet potato tea buscuits, raspberries and currants from the garden, and lobster. 

Dislikes

• Leftovers… She refuses to eat something for lunch that she had for dinner the night before. 
• Having something taken away from her that she wants. This girl has attitude. 

Avery as a One Year Old

Over this past year I’ve seen this little girl blossom from a timid, colicky, and often displeased infant to a brave, gleefully happy, and so, so goofy kid. She’s still a baby, but she is exhibiting so much awareness and personality (and attitude) that it’s sometimes easy to forget and treat her like an older kid. She loves to make people laugh, and loves making her huge, hearty belly laugh (sometimes she laughs out of the blue seemingly at nothing). 

She loves adventure. She loves being around people, even though she doesn’t like getting too close to strangers. She loves books and nature. She is dramatic; for example, lifting something light comes with lots of strenuous sound effects, and every tiny little stumble and bump results in short-lived hysterics. 

Avery is growing up before my eyes, but when she needs mommy time, she’s a soft squishy baby again. She loves to snuggle, and she still nurses all the time. I hope our extremely close bond lasts forever, but I won’t assume she’ll love me this much when she gets older. I will continue to soak it all in and appreciate every single moment I have with this girl. Avery is so awesome and wonderful.