The last post was over a month ago! I kept meaning to post, but the longer I took, the more I put it off because there was so much to update. So, I'm just going to jump in. Here's a quick snapshot of what's been happening.Several months ago (even before Audrey was born), Ava started waking up several times a night. She'd have a few good nights and then she'd go back to "needing" something ("ummm... ummmm... Mommy, I'm going to be hungry in the morning." Seriously? You woke me up at 3am to tell me that?). I didn't want her to feel alone and scared, but all of us needed better sleep. We tried various incentives to reward her for getting through an entire night without calling out for us. This would work for a night or two and then she'd have enough and would yell out only moments after I'd put her to bed, "I don't want any m&m's in the morning!!" Our original plan was to move Audrey into her room once Audrey started sleeping through the night, but we kept putting it off because Ava wasn't. We finally decided to move Ava into Carter's room about 3 weeks ago. The arrangement is still new and exciting which means they take longer to fall asleep and wake up earlier, but she is waking up and calling out much less frequently during the night... and they're both taking great naps! Ava has also recently become more and more interested in writing her letters. She knows how to write her name, but wanted me to show her how to write Carter's (significantly more difficult, of course!). I was so proud!
I've also been trying to be very consistent in my discipline of Ava. She has gotten quite used to doing EVERYTHING her way, and I've not done much to curb that. She is quite the negotiator and manipulator. When I ask her to do something, her response is not immediate compliance. I'll often get a "when I'm done with..." or "how about I..." I found myself getting frustrated with her and realized I was the one who let it get to this point. So, I'm working on re-training her on what it means to obey. She definitely is the one who challenges me the most as a mom, but as I am consistent each and every time she disobeys, I'm finding her responsive to the instruction. She definitely wears me out!
Carter has been talking up a storm. He still loves his trains and cars, but if Ava's getting dressed up like a princess, he usually needs to be beautified as well. I try to remember to take out the barrettes before we go out of the house. One of my favorite things these days is to observe him reading to himself. I so wish I had the video camera out when he was reading Grumpy Bird, a story about a bird who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed and as he is walking (too grumpy to fly), all his animal friends ask what he's doing. The answer each time is "walking" and he gets more and more irritated the more he's asked. As Carter reads it, he'll turn a page, say, "What are you doing?" then respond in the grumpiest voice he can muster, "WALKING!" until he gets to the end where they all stand on one foot and such. OH. MY. I could not stop laughing! While he's not the negotiator Ava is, he is starting to have opinions about being obedient as well. Usually all I have to do is ask if he'd rather be disciplined, and he jumps to it, though. He also LOVES to help in the kitchen. He'll drag a little chair over to see what's going on and loves to pour and stir and especially lick the beaters if something sweet is being whipped up. He also loves to help wash dishes (otherwise known as playing in the water).
Audrey continues to be sweeter than sweet. Although she must have been testing us lately, too, because after sleeping through the night (and usually sleeping in until around 8am each morning) for a couple months, she started waking up at all times of the night and continued to do so for about 3 weeks. I'm guessing a growth spurt hit it off and then she got used to waking up and getting a full meal during the night. I'm glad to say she seems to have gotten past it and has slept wonderfully the past week. She also seems determined to such her thumb. Ava used a pacifier for a short time and Carter was never interested in putting anything into his mouth (which was interesting when it came to teaching him to feed himself), so thumb-sucking wasn't an issue before. I know it's very normal, but I hear so many horror stories about teeth problems or breaking the habit later. We keep pulling it out, but I think we're fighting a losing battle. If I check on her while she's sleeping, she almost always has the thumb in (it is rather sweet, though!).
For more pictures from the past month, go here.
