Our sweet Aveline Jane…goodness, how we love her! This is such a cliche mom thing to say, but I cannot believe how fast time is rolling with her…it seems like just yesterday we were just waiting on her to come out and to find out who she was and have her in our family on the outside…and yet it also seems like she’s been a part of us always and we can’t even remember or wish back what life was before she was born.

She truly is a sweet, peaceful child, and she rarely cries unless she needs something. She loves to smile and squeak at you when you talk to her, and it’s so much fun to have a baby like that! Ayla was always very engaged and watchful as a baby, but certainly more serious and her smiles weren’t nearly as easy to come by. So to have this little one who is so full of expression has been a lot of fun for us all. She is nursing and growing well, and sleeping pretty well. Some nights are more wakeful than others, but she has done a few nights of six+ hours without a single wake and those always leave me so astonished and grateful when I do finally get woken up at four or five o’clock. She’s eating every 2.5 to 3 hours during the day, and I had forgotten what’s like to be so engaged in that nursing routine. I don’t mind it really, and especially since she is a quick nurser and is filled up within ten minutes by now.

She is starting to look around and notice more things and is more easily entertained when she is laying on the floor or in the Mamaroo. She is much more of a snuggler than Ayla ever was, and I do so love that about her. She sleeps in a moses basket in our bedroom right now, but most mornings I keep her snuggled up in bed with me after her early morning nursing. I know they say that those kind of habits are hard to break then when you’re ready to, but for now, I am just soaking up those few hours cuddled up with her. We’ll worry about habit breaking another day. She has her two month checkup next week and I’m curious to find out what she’s weighing and measuring by now. Her perfect little heart shaped stork bite right above her lip is still visible and I hope it stays for a while yet…it’s the cutest little mark!

I feel like we have found a solid new routine as a family of four now, and it’s different and busier than it was with just one, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Motherhood and these two little ones of mine are such a gift.

 

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Ayla is two-and-a-half years old now, and these days with her are so interesting and fun. It’s hard to imagine her ever being the still, quiet baby she used to be, because she is full of endless chatter and on-the-go all the day long. I love this stage with her, but it’s also been challenging for me…kind of both so fun and so frustrating all at the same time. It’s so funny/frustrating how these toddlers get some things in their heads and you cannot talk them out of it, no matter how little sense it makes. And I love her chatter, but I also completely zone out sometimes and find myself just mindlessly saying “yes, uh huh, yes” while she is jabbering on about whatever she finds interesting at the moment. I love when she’s up and awake and playing around the house, but I also breathe a big sigh of relief for some quiet and calm once nap time arrives.

She does love her baby sister, and I am so thankful for that. She can’t handle it when Aveline is crying and will jump up immediately and run into my bedroom to “help her” whenever she hears her start squeaking and waking up from a nap. She will even talk to the baby like she can understand what is going on, telling what she is doing or something funny that happened. It’s so sweet and I love watching these two girlies together.

Ayla is sweet and sensitive and very perceptive. I love that about her, but it also has it challenges because it can be hard for her to adapt to something new or do anything she isn’t one hundred percent comfortable with. She isn’t usually scared of people and will wave or say hello if we prompt her to, but cars and loud trucks or noises make her come running. Her memory blows my mind and sometimes she will start talking about something we did months ago with very specific details. She is also very specific about the things she likes or wants, especially music. She will still let me pick her clothes, but I don’t know how much longer that will last.

A few funny/cute things she’s said:

“I’ll get mama dressed before daddy comes home.” – I didn’t tell her that daddy probably wouldn’t mind if mama wasn’t dressed when he got home, hehe…and yes, I was actually dressed. I don’t know where she got the idea to get me dressed.

“Daddy looks so handsome and mama looks so happy.” – this was such a compliment to me and especially since the day before was a rough one and I don’t think I looked that happy that day

“Thanks, lovey.” – said to me when I give her something

“I’m eating a chocolate meatball!” – how she describes the date & nut bites I make for her snacks

“This is kind of awkward.” – about anything that is a little uncomfortable

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