Avery at 4

On May 20th, Avery turned four years old. I knew it was coming, we have been talking about it for a while now, but when it got here it hit me really hard about how much she has grown up over the past short years.

There is a different, loving bond with each child, but Avery is extra special because she was my first. During the first pregnancy you check week to week to see what is happening, how the baby is growing, changing, etc. I remember aching with impatience, wondering what she was going to look like. Then the moment came. I will remember it always. The first time I saw her, held her, loved her. She put her messy little hand on my chest, and we cried together.

In that moment there was an instant connection; one that will never be broken.

She has always been a Momma's girl. Sometimes that wears me out, but mostly makes me proud and honored. We have a lot in common, which I know will haunt us during the teenage years of disagreeing, but for now it's fun.

Avery is a pistol in every way. She's fiesty, spunky, hilarious, beautiful and brilliant. I told her yesterday that if she continued to love Jesus the way she does now, and paired that with all of her other qualities, she will go far in life. I know she didn't understand what I meant, but she listened and filed it away to ponder.

Even though she's still young, she is so mature. When you have a conversation with her, it feels like you're talking to a mini adult. I have to backtrack sometimes and remind myself that she is still a child. She continues to amaze me and remind me of that through her innocence. I truly wish that we could all still hold the innocence that children do. They are so clean and pure. The world is a better place through the eyes of a child.

Princesses continue to be at the top of Avery's choice list of toys to play with, now accompanied by Barlow. He has taken to Avery almost more than to any of us. She enjoys taking him on walks with his leash.

Avery is a fantastic big sister. I find her tending to Braden (sometimes sweetly, sometimes not so sweetly), but it's normally when she is afraid he is going to hurt himself. When I tell her something might be dangerous, she immediately shares the information with Braden. They do play well together for the most part, but there are times when Avery wants to be alone and makes it well known.

She still helps with laundry, cleaning the kitchen, putting her dishes away, vacuuming, and now feeding Barlow and letting him out. She's going to be a great little momma someday. Sometimes I feel like she's growing up too fast, but then I realize she thinks most of those "chores" are games. The world is a playground for 4 year olds.

Kenny brought home balloons for her yesterday. She carried them around most of the afternoon, then that night after church. It is neat to me that she is creative and can take any item and turn it into something even more exciting than what it is meant to be.

I could write for days about how fantastic Avery is, as well as all of the wonderful things she does, but for now I will close with some words of advice from one of our happy books Bee Smart:

"Never stop learning or thinking things through; and you will be smart in whatever you do!"