Abigail: 6 Years Old – Trav and Erin + 3

It doesn’t seem right that our tiny 3 pound baby could be SIX years old now and starting kindergarten. Abigail went through a lot in the first month of her life and has come so far since then! It never ceases to amaze us how much personality is packed into her *bigger* but still small frame. We love her so!

Abigail will go for her annual checkup in a few weeks, and I’ll be interested to see how much she has grown in the last year. I can tell she’s definitely gotten taller! I still think she is probably on the smaller side for her age, at least comparing her to where Brooklyn and Savannah were at age 6. (Update: On September 12th, she was 43 inches tall (10th percentile) and weighed 37.2 lbs (10th percentile). She is wearing mostly size 5T clothes, although she can still wear some things that are size 4 and even a few things that are size 3! ;) She is wearing a size 12 in most shoes. Abigail is counting down the days until she loses her first tooth, but it hasn’t happened yet. We haven’t noticed any that are wiggly, so she may be waiting a while longer. Abigail is definitely the most interested in jewelry and makeup of any of our girls so far. She loves to accessorize her outfits with bracelets, necklaces, and even play makeup. Her hair is not very thick, but it’s about as long as it’s ever been.

Finally, at age 6, it seems like Abigail is getting more of an appetite and a willingness to eat foods that aren’t her favorite. Whew! She still has meals where she just won’t eat a whole lot, but thankfully that doesn’t happen as often any more. She usually eats cereal for breakfast every morning, and her favorites are Reese Puffs and Cheerio Oat Crunch. She eats a variety of sandwiches for lunch, including grilled cheese or ham and cheese in addition to PB&J. She likes a lot of different chips/crackers and loves fruit. She is doing better now at eating (or trying) most vegetables, but cucumbers are definitely her favorite. Abigail is my first kid to choose fruity popsicles or candy over baked goods for dessert; I think that preference must have come from Travis :)

I was reading over my post from last year and remembering how Abigail was having frequent nightmares when she turned 5. Thankfully, those have gotten fewer and farther in between at this point. She still has occasional bad dreams, but not nearly as often. Our goal is still to have her in bed by 8 pm, but that doesn’t usually happen due to our busy schedule. She continues to be an early riser, even after starting school, which has surprised me. I think she must have an internal alarm clock, like I do ;) A lot of mornings she is up by 6:15 AM, if not earlier. She still falls asleep in the car frequently, especially in the afternoon or evening.

Abigail’s big news is that she has finally started school as of earlier this month! We are so excited that she has the same kindergarten teacher that Savannah had a few years ago–Mrs. Curry, who is absolutely wonderful. Abigail is enjoying her time at school so far, although I can tell she’s been extra tired and irritable the last few weeks just trying to get used to the new routine. But she really likes Mrs. Curry, and she enjoys the things they are doing at school and has made a few new friends. I’ve been thankful it has been a pretty smooth transition! I definitely think it would have been hard for her to start kindergarten last year as one of the youngest in the class, and we’ve haven’t had any regrets about waiting until this year instead.

As the youngest child in our family, Abigail has naturally taken on many of the same interests as her big sisters. She has just started her 3rd season of soccer and loves it so much. She takes it very seriously and doesn’t like to lose ;) Apparently we breed competitive children…haha. I love that soccer presents so many opportunities for learning life lessons like good sportsmanship and how to be a team player. She is still left footed, and it’s a lot of fun to watch her play because she always tries her best. Some of her other interests include drawing, coloring, sticker books, playing with dolls, and playing dress up. She enjoys playing outside, although she is terrified of most bugs, so that puts a damper on outdoor activities sometimes ;) She has become a much stronger swimmer in the last year, although I still keep a close eye on her just to be safe. Next summer, I think going to the pool will be even easier/less stressful!

As the NICU nurse told Travis in the operating room when Abigail was born, she definitely has “some spunk.” Maybe even a lot of spunk. I see a lot of similarities to Brooklyn in her, but she’s also different in some ways too. Abigail loves being silly and clowning around. She definitely has a stubborn streak and wants to do things her way. She isn’t always the easiest to get along with because she can be very sensitive and easily offended. She also has a big sister who enjoys pushing her buttons ;) She can be very emotional and go from laughing to crying in a few seconds. She is our first child to have one of her best friends, Madison, move away, which has been a tough adjustment. (Madison was her best friend from soccer the past two seasons, and her family moved back to Utah over the summer.) Abigail is determined, fun-loving, talkative, and creative. She enjoys being a helper around the house and is great at vacuuming hardwoods and helping take care of Gabby. She is also great at making cards and pictures for friends and family. I love to see the ways that she shows her love for others!