Avery has loved having Norah in the house and is constantly giving her love, hugs, and kisses. She hasn't shown any jealousy of the baby and has only been sweet towards her sister. However, there is no denying that this has been a major change for her and we've turned her little two year old world upside down. Although her behavior towards Norah has been 5 star, her behavior in other areas has taken a turn and it's been heartbreaking for me as her mom to watch her act out in ways that she never has before, knowing that even though she "knows better" this isn't really her fault. I know that in time she will adjust and we'll have our sweet girl back (she's still our sweet girl, just with more tantrums and outbursts). In the mean time, we're trying to keep her in line while showing her some extra love. Erich is the best dad our two girls could ever have. He's sensitive and caring, but disciplines firmly when needed. Avery loves spending time with him and looks up to him in a way that I wish every little girl in the world could look up to her Daddy (the way I've always looked up to mine). Erich had the idea to take Avery on a very special "Daddy Daughter Date" and she was SO excited. He planned a morning that was sure to make her feel special, but I'll admit it made me a little nervous. He planned to take her out to breakfast at Cracker Barrel, then go to a salon to get her nails painted by a friend of ours, then out shopping for a special dress that she'll wear to Norah's baby dedication at church in a few weeks. I was nervous for a couple reasons... first of all, while I thought that getting her nails painted was a fun idea in theory, I thought there was no way that a two year old would sit still long enough to have her fingernails painted and then let them dry. I knew for sure she would come home with smudged and smeared nails. The other thing that made me squirm a little was the idea of Erich taking Avery shopping for a dress... that she'll be wearing on a special day up in front of our entire church congregation. I love Erich very much, and he is wonderful at picking out clothes for himself (I love his style), but it's no secret that we've butted heads a bit in the past when it comes to clothes for Avery. I like having a say in her wardrobe and this was definitely an occasion where I had to relinquish control and let him take over for the sake of Daddy and Daughter making special memories on their date.
Wow, did they ever prove me wrong! After a lovely breakfast at Cracker Barrel, Erich said that Avery sat perfectly still for the entire manicure and was enamored by the whole process. Then, they went to Gymboree and picked out the perfect dress. I absolutely love it and I'm so impressed with Erich! When they left that morning, my main instruction to Erich was to take lots of pictures. Here is a play by play of their morning...
Avery picked out her favorite outfit to wear and got all dolled up for her big date. Here she is applying her make-up (pink princess chapstick).
Eating her yummy pancakes (Avery notoriously doesn't do well in restaurants, so the fact that she took about 3 bites of these pancakes is a small victory in our book).
Erich said after breakfast they had some time to kill before her appointment at the salon. He asked Avery what she wanted to do and she said, "Let's go for a walk Daddy". So they spent about 30 minutes walking around the Cracker Barrel parking lot. She loved it. It's the little things.
Next up was Avery's manicure. All week long leading up to the date, Avery talked about getting her nails painted PINK. She was so excited.
Sagan treated our little toddler like the most important client she'd ever had. She took her coat, pulled up a chair for her, talked to her about life, and gave her the full treatment. We expected her just to paint Avery's nails quickly. Instead she did a real manicure with all the many steps involved. Avery was thrilled and did not move an inch.
This was Erich's favorite moment of the morning. Sagan offered to get Avery a drink. Since Avery's nails were drying, Sagan fed the water to Avery. Talk about being pampered!
Avery showing off her new duds. A cupcake sweater dress, a new shirt, leggings, and a cute cardigan. She looks precious in it!
Avery came home that morning with flawless pink nails (that she can't stop staring at and showing off to everyone, even days later), a cute new outfit, a huge smile on her face, and a heart that was full of love for her Daddy. She needed the attention and deserved every bit of the love he showed her. These moments are priceless and so is my husband.
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