Lately

Claire lately...

...is playing more independently. She will go into her imaginary world for longer periods of time, taking care of her baby dolls, cooking food, and who knows what else. She talks to herself constantly. She is really good at puzzles and is getting more independent with those. It is so much fun to watch her play and develop. She is also all about painting these days. Not a day goes by when we don't pull out fingerpaint, watercolors, or acrylic paint at least once (usually more).
...is also starting to include Averi Kate in her playing. The other day AK was in her playcenter and Claire kept running back and forth, bringing her dolls and animals. I caught on that Averi Kate was the doctor and Claire was the mommy, bringing her sick babies in. Just now we walked into the living room and Claire was actually trying to hold AK, which is a no-no, of course...but when we told her, "Claire, don't hold Averi Kate!", she responded with "But I'm her mommy! I'm big like you guys!" It was more than a little hard not to laugh.
...loves to sing. She continues to belt out her classic favorites, like "Jesus Loves Me" and "Haccheus." But she also makes up songs all the time. They are usually a combination of real and made up words. For a 2 year old, she has really good pitch and actually stays on key most of the time.
...is funny. The other day AK started crying and Claire rushed up to her, started hugging her and crying out, "It's okay Averi Kate! It's okay! Children obey your parents in the Lord, Averi Kate!!! Children obey your parents in the Lord!!!" Not your standard comfort line, but hilarious for sure.

Averi Kate lately...
...is sleeping better. Sometimes. Really, she is pretty inconsistent but she will go all night sometimes without waking up. Then there are those other nights.
...is happy. She smiles easily and absolutely adores anyone who will interact with her. She is pretty content as long as someone is in the same room with her, but she hates being left alone. She is ticklish and has the cutest laugh.
...is enamored with her big sister. I have caught her on several occasions laughing out loud when she was just watching Claire being silly. I love her expression whenever she sees Claire for the first time each morning.
...loves books! Claire didn't develop a love for books until much later; in fact, when she was a young baby she used to cry when I would try to read to her. Not so for AK! She loves being read to and being included when I read to her big sister. It is fun to sit on the couch all together and dive into some good books.
...loves her playcenter (pictured below). I think she loves it more than Claire did when she was a baby. AK has great hand-eye coordination, and I think that has something to do with it.
...was in the 50%ile for weight and I think the 75%ile for height at her last checkup. Perfectly normal :)

Enjoy some of her classic AK expressions...

Oh how we love our girls! They make us so happy, they make us so tired, they make us frustrated, they make us cry out to the Lord for wisdom and grace. They delight our hearts and teach us so much. Thank you, sweet Lord, for these precious souls You have entrusted into our care!