Tag Archives: reptile

Smiling With Our Froggy Friend: #MySundayPhoto

The summer heat is in full effect in Texas. Being a family that loves the outdoors, we do what we can to safely get outside. Lately, in an effort to keep our little girl smiling, that means exploring in our backyard in the afternoon when we have shade from the house.

There are several moist areas in our yard that make the perfect spot for amphibians to cool off. We’ve found frogs both big and small hanging out in the yard, and as long as they’re small enough, Avery doesn’t mind when I put one up to her face.

#MySundayPhoto, exploring, kids, my sunday photo

She actually loves chasing them across the yard and picking them up to bring them back to our garden area. I love seeing her interacting with nature, and hopefully, as she grows, so will her tolerance for catching cool bugs, reptiles, and animals.

A big thanks to Darren and his never dull #MySundayPhoto linkup. Check out his blog full of beautiful pics and join in on the #MySundayPhoto action!

Photalife

Another “BLW” Fail and Avery Meets our Turtle

Yep, baby-led weaning was another no-go today. After our first attempt with a fussy baby just the day before, we were sure trying mid-morning the next day would yield success.

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I could feel the excitement run through my veins as she grasped the green bean as I thought “This is it!” Is it sad to get so excited over our baby gripping a flimsy green bean? C’mon, I know other parents are the same! But the excitement quickly dissipated as she hastily tossed it aside.

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You can see it in the corner just barely hanging on to the tray. We sat and stared with cameras in hand a while longer, but finally gave up as Avery’s mood worsened. Another tasty meal for our box turtle, Tash, was served; compliments of Avery.

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At least Tash is enjoying the whole baby-led weaning experience thus far. Thanks to several of you for your comments on your own BLW experiences we will keep trying and have patience with Avery. In time, our girl will “pick up” on what to do with her food and she’ll be eating like a champ in no time. So we hope!!

G-Ma came over in the afternoon to stay with us for the night and she was excited to see and play with Avery. Going Mom and I took care of things around the house while G-Ma kept Avery occupied which was extremely helpful!

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All four of us wound up outside and I thought it would be the perfect time to take Tash out of her outside pen and introduce her to Avery. At first, Avery didn’t notice the Terrapene walking under her nose; maybe those puffy cheeks blocked her view!

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But it wasn’t long before she noticed Tash trying to distance herself from us humans.

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She became very interested in this new hard-shelled creature and tried to reach and feel for herself.

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It’s definitely not soft and fluffy like the cat and dog she already knows, and it was great watching her reaction. With Avery’s attention solely on our pet reptile, I explained their unique shell and anatomy to her as if she was taking notes.

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Did you know turtles have feelings in their shells? Yep, their shells are a part of their body and they cannot leave them like certain crabs can. There’s a little turtle info for the day; you’re welcome.

Poor Tash kept trying to get away, but we made sure to safely keep her around us. Intrigued, Avery continued to reach for Tash as she walked away and would just miss making contact. Probably for the best because baby fingers look awfully similar to plump grubs or worms!

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We all enjoyed watching Avery witness something new in her world and it’s awesome how interested she can get!

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I know as Avery gets older, she’ll be able to see and learn more about our turtle and the species as a whole since her dad is such a reptile fanatic. Yep, mainly snakes and turtles, but they all interest me. Maybe the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have something to do with? Hmmmm.

It was a great Sunday that went by too fast, but luckily Going Mom only has a four day work week ahead! Yay, the weekend starts early and lasts longer! Oh, wait, it’s Avery’s 6 month shots and check-up on the first day Kelley is off, but hopefully that won’t dampen Avery’s spirits the whole time!

Do you have any other pets besides a dog and cat that your children loves or hates or is scared of?

Are you a reptile lover or can’t stand the critters?