Time flies when you are painting your house!

AVERY
The blog may have been on break, but the boys haven't slowed down for a second! In fact, Avery, in all actuallity, has gotten FASTER. He now speeds throughout the house on two feet like a pro, but he can't help getting knocked down often by his equally speedy and innocently careless big brother. My doesn't he look cute in his big boy jammies!!! A major milestone for Avery is that we finally had to break into the 12month size box of hand-me-downs! While 6-9 mo. still fit, they were getting a little snug, so we thought that even if some outfits were a little roomy for our tiny tot, too big would be more comfortable than too tight! Just in time too, for his 1 year birthday is this coming Saturday March 10th! What is a mommy to do when her babies keep growing up on her??? You don't have to answer that one, because Avery has a sense that his slot as baby might be filled at any time, so he has taken it upon himself to enforce the "birth control patrol." While mommy and daddy want a big family, Avery sees no room for expansion, and he won't let his parents come within 2 feet of eachother! Not kidding either...no matter where he is in the house, asleep or awake, his little lungs sound the alarm if his parents cross that carefully drawn 24 inch line. Avery hasn't learned that God is the one he needs to worry about in this situation! In all reality, there are no real baby "plans" in the works, but we certainly never relied on plans before. We have trusted in God all of this time to bless us according to his perfect design, but for the time being, every day of physical healing we get before the next pregnancy is important to ensure a healthy 9 months. So while Avery's plot is certainly comical if not a little cynical, daddy and I are reluctantly grateful for his stubbornness.

DONOVAN
And now for Donovan....our gifted musician and delightful parrot. Donovan has been 2 for quite some time now, but he is finally reaching that peak of all things predictably 2ish, and keeping us (ME!!) on my toes. His comedic side is certainly taking shape, and the best part is that he doesn't even realize it! He imitates everything, so often I don't realize that I am making a funny face over something until I look at Donovan and his face is scruched up in a perfect study of mine...so I have given up mirrors- who needs them when you can look at a way younger, cuter version of yourself?? He also loves to dress up like daddy and mommy- and then he will walk through the house imitating our routine actions with great alacrity. His best impression is of me in my heels, with a modified purse (a pillow with a string), and a set of keys or a phone if he can get his hands on them- and then he'll walk to you in his get-up and wave nonchalantly "bye" with a slight Texas twang, and turn to walk to the door with his pillow "purse" swinging on his shoulder. When he is not imitating my actions or repeating every other word (with a few added Ewok-like syllables), he is DRUMMING. No joke, this boy drums from sun up till sun down- and if he is taking a drum break, he is generally singing or dancing. He certainly has a musical inclination. He is singing all of his nursery school songs on key and to the proper tune now, even if he doesn't quite know the words...those he just fills in with similar sounding mumbo jumbo! He just adores baby brother Ebom (Avery), and lights up when they meet for the first time each morning. They spend all day together trying to establish a pecking order, something that is to be won- it is aparently not a birthright as I had assumed (Avery can really hold his own when he needs to!). He would snuggle with Avery more if he could, but neither understand that concept very well, so most well-intentioned hugs and other such loving gestures end up in WWF moves on the floor. Oh BOYS.