Avery's New T-Shirt

Coming October 2012....

Big Girl Dance Class

Avery had her first "big girl" dance class today.

She has graduated from "Tots & Tutus" into "2 Year Old Ballet & Tap."  

In addition to tap dancing, the major difference between this class and her old class is that the parents no longer participate. One parent per child is allowed sit in the room against the mirror, but most of the moms sit outside in the lobby and let the kids do the class on their own.  It is actually better, as it is quieter and makes it easier for them to focus on the teacher without the distraction of so many extra people in the room.

I decided to sit inside today, just to help her make the transition. But by the end I decided that my presence did more harm than good, so next week I am kicking the little bird out of the nest and she will have to fly solo while I relax and read magazines in the lobby.

Things started out pretty well. Although Miss Kate was a new teacher for Avery, the stretching routine was the same as always, so the class felt familiar to her.

VIDEO: AVERY LISTENING AT DANCE CLASS

But somewhere around the halfway mark, Avery grew a pair of red horns and completely stopped listening. She was over in my lap every two minutes, whining for milk, wanting to take pictures with my camera, and telling me "no" when I hissed at her to go back over with the girls and listen to Miss Kate. 

Avery was the big fish in the little pond in her "tots" class, but now she is the little fish in the big pond.  She went from being the best dancer in the class to being the worst listener. She was definitely the black sheep today, and spent a good portion of the class in a corner fiddling with something on the floor or admiring herself in the mirror.

VIDEO: AVERY NOT LISTENING AT DANCE CLASS

GGRRRRRRRRRRR!

Avery's Pink Cast

Don't feel too sorry for Avery. 

Josh and I felt so sorry for her last Sunday with that big splint on her arm that we took her on a shopping spree. First to Target for a bunch of new outfits and sweaters that could fit over her cast (at least that was how I justified it), then to Toys R Us for more clothes and a new toy, and rounded it out with a trip to Payless for new tennis shoes, boots, and tap shoes (and a Tinkerbell umbrella that she decided she couldn't live without). 

This girl is SPOILED!

On Wednesday Avery and I went over to the hospital to trade the bulky splint for a pink waterproof cast.  She was a complete angel and earned herself a few stickers from the nurses.

The waiting room:

The (very minor) damage:

Off to the elevator with the new cast:

Forced to pose for a photo op by Mom outside:

The doctor said she has a buckle fracture in both the right ulna and radius, at the wrist (but not near the growth plate, fortunately). This type of fracture is an incomplete fracture, which means that it does not crack all the way across the bone. These are common in children because their bones are still soft, usually from falling on an outstretched hand (which is what happened). The doctor said that it was just the way she landed on it that caused the fracture, and not a vitamin or calcium deficiency or anything of that nature.

And as you can see, she is doing just peachy and has even started using the fingers on her right hand, which is what the doctor wants her to do. 

More fun adventures ahead, as Avery starts her "big girl" dance class this weekend!

Diagnosis: Something Real This Time

I got one of those dreaded midday calls from Lizzy yesterday. Whenever I see her name pop up on the screen of my cell phone, I immediately assume that Avery is dying and I'm about to hear the worst news of my life.  Last week I got a call from her, and naturally the panic set in before I even hit the "talk" button. She was wondering if she could take Avery to the park, since it was a nice day outside. Sigh of relief... I've got to stop doing that to myself. 

But yesterday the call wasn't about the park. She was calling to tell me that something was wrong with Avery but she didn't know what. She had been acting whiny and sluggish, and was crying off and on and only wanted to be held.  She had also only slept for 20 minutes at nap time. 

I know my kid well enough (and Lizzy does too) to know that something wasn't adding up.  I left work early to pick her up and squeeze in a quick doctor visit before the weekend.  When I arrived, Avery was lying across Lizzy's lap, and as soon as she saw me, she burst into tears. Definitely not good. We hurried off and made it to the doctor at 4:30.  She was an angel during the visit, and was examined by the nurse and doctor.  No fever, no ear infection, lungs sound clear.  I told him it was possible that between the time change this week and her lack of nap, that she was just exhausted. He added, "Yeah, and she's two."  Good point.  So I decided to put her to bed early, and left with some peace of mind.  On the way home, I thought about what I would title my blog post, as I seem to keep having the same repeat experience of visiting the doctor and finding out that she's fine, and I'm just crazy and overprotective.

But as the evening wore on, I decided to hold off on writing. My gut was telling me that this story hadn't ended yet.  And I was right.

She had trouble sleeping, and after several episodes of waking up crying, I opted to give her a little Tylenol, which did the trick. This morning, she did seem a tad better. She wanted to climb in bed with me and watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So I snuggled with her while Josh got her cereal ready. I asked her if she wanted to go to dance class or stay home, and she said, "Dance class."

In the parking lot at dance class, I climbed into the back to get her out of her carseat. As I grabbed her right wrist to pull her hand through the strap, she burst into tears.

"Avery, does your arm hurt? Do you have a boo boo?"

"Yes."

I let her stay for class anyway, and observed her just to be sure my hunch was correct. She favored her left hand, couldn't grasp anything heavy with her right, and when the kids got down on the floor to crawl around, she wouldn't put weight on it and asked me to help her up.

So, off to Urgent Care... Again, she was an angel and the nurses cooed over her tutu and ballet shoes and what a good girl she was being. Two x-rays confirmed that Avery did, in fact, break her arm. At the wrist, in two places. 

Here's the sad, forlorn picture to make you feel sorry for her:

And here's how she's actually feeling, after a good nap and immobilization of the bones to stop the pain:

We will visit the orthopedic specialist on Monday or Tuesday to trade in the splint for a cast.

I'm hoping she chooses pink.

Uncle Aaron and Auntie Becky's Wedding

My brother got married yesterday. And it was such a perfect day! Sweet ceremony, followed by a fun and relaxing reception at the Duck Club in Irvine.  Avery was napping when the wedding started, so she and Josh met up with us at the reception.

(Also my camera was being awful and my pictures turned out yucky so I stole a sprinkling of others' photos to do some justice to how nice it really was...)

Photo credit: Beth Vogel

Aaron, seeing Becky in her dress for the first time, coming down the aisle (cue the tears):

Photo credit: Beth Vogel

Avery was enamored with Becky's princess dress and flowers.

Avery got a special dance with the bride...

And spent lots of time twirling on the dance floor!

Then (Uncle) Braedon gave the BEST Best Man speech I've ever heard.

Photo credit: Holly Wiencek

They played "Hey Jude" for Avery and she sang a little into the mic (which was turned off):

Like I said, the pictures don't do this day justice. It was truly perfect in every way.

(Except maybe this one):

Photo credit: Craig Duffy/Pink Cow Photography

Congrats you two!!!