I almost can't believe it, but you are 2 1/2 years old today! It seems like we celebrated your 2nd birthday a few days ago, and now another 1/2 of a year has flown by. You are growing up so much and it amazes me all the things you know, say, and do these days. You're a great big sister and a fun daughter, and we all 3 just love you to pieces. You're on your way to THREE years old, which just sounds so old to me.
I can't lie and say these days aren't filled with challenges, because they are. I was optimistic that you weren't going to really give us a taste of the "terrible twos", but recently they've reared their ugly head around our house. You like having your way and aren't too concerned with obeying your parents most of the time. We've had to really up the discipline and consequences to try to help you learn how to listen and obey. Sometimes it works better than other times! You have lots of really sweet spells though, too, so that gives us hope that this is just a phase and you'll come back around to being your all-around good-natured self. You are really sweet and careful around your brother when you're intentionally playing with or holding him. But I'm convinced you may kill him on accident from your wild play when you don't realize how close you are to him and how fragile he still is. I do love how much you love him and how you talk to him in a baby voice and love giving him hugs and "smooches". He just laughs and smiles at you, except when you try to force his paci in his mouth. He's not quite the addict you are!
Speaking of which, you are still sleeping with your pacis but time is quickly approaching to break that habit. You're also getting potty-trained for good this month, which I'm hoping will be easier now that you're a little older and seem a little more interested. Your last transition will be to move to a big-girl bed, but we're dreading that one a lot since you sleep SO well in your crib still. You sleep from about 8:30 every night until 8-9 the next morning, and sometimes longer than that! You still take about a 2 hour nap each day, and you seem really exhausted when you have to miss it. You've started getting particular about what's in bed with you - so in addition to your pacis, you want a pink blanket, your pillow, 2 pink teddy bears, a stuffed giraffe, and a brown teddy bear, too. Tonight you were crying after I put you down, which you very rarely do, and and it turned out that one of your bears was in the floor. Oh, drama! You try to stall a little at bedtime most nights by giving hugs and kisses repeatedly. Then you want to ask me over and over what everyone is doing. You're wearing mostly 2T clothes and you are starting to have a little bit of an opinion on what you wear, but still let me dress you the way I want most of the time! You like to randomly put on your rain boots or some fuzzy winter boots and just prance around the house in them. You crack me up!
You love to talk about colors, shapes, animals, people, and food. You still love to be outside and play with your sandbox, swing, tricycle, bubbles, and slide. You love going to "nastics" at the gymnastics open gym near our house. You don't like riding in buggies and usually ask to walk in stores. You talk nonstop around the house but really clam up around people you don't know well. You always beg to play with friends, but don't really enjoy sharing your toys quite yet, though we're working on it! You absolutely adore your extended family and love when we go visit. We've noticed you like things in particular ways and don't like if something is out of place or different than what you're used to.
Since you turned two, we've visited Christiansburg to see the Joneses, the Whites, and the Bashams. We went to the beach with the Bashams, too. You stayed with Nana for 4 days and Nanie for 3 days while we went to Nashville for Daddy's work. We got a visit from the Caskeys, and it was fun to watch you play with Rhys and Owen, who are only a few weeks older than you. You've had several playdates with new friends in Hickory, and we've been to feed the ducks, play at the mall playground, and you went to your first Bible school. Your carseat got turned forward facing, which you love. You've gotten better at throwing balls and blowing bubbles. You've gotten to play with your cousin Jayla a few more times and it's fun to watch you guys grow up together. You still love Brady and ask about him all the time. In fact, you ask about a lot of our friends and family a lot. You're getting better at Skyping with Nana, Pa Bill, and Nanie. They love it!
I've kept a running log of some fun things you've said in the last couple of months. Here's a few...
*When you were praying and said, "Dear Jesus, Thank you for mommy and daddy." Melt my heart.
*"Hold on a second, I'm playing a game" - You were having iPad time and we wanted you to do something.
*"Daddy playing ball at work?" - We went to his company picnic, so now you think all they do is play kickball.
*We were passing the hospital and you said, "Going to the hospital? Not again."
*When your brother was born you said to us in the hospital - "I'm a big sister!" Adorable!
*Nanie had been singing "This Old Man" with you while we were in the hospital. She tried to sing it with you somewhere else and you told her - "No, we'll sing it when we get back in the car."
*You play on your pretend phone and we heard you say, "How you? I'm great!"
*When I came home from the hospital after Davin was born, you told me "It's okay, I help you feel better."
*"You were in the hospital....You in a big ole fluffy bed and take a little nap." Oh, is that what labor and delivery is all about?
*Nana and I told you that you couldn't have any Cheetos. So you replied, "Maybe I need to ask MawMaw."
*We met up with my friends Sheri and Lisa and their new babies. We had Jude and Davin beside each other, and you said, "There's two brothers.....orange brother and green brother" because Davin had on green and Jude had on orange.
*"I like Jack in the Box." We pass it a lot, but have never stopped there!
*"It's not my bedtime, Mommy." This has become a regular. Now you even add, "It's almost my bedtime though."
*"Don't tell me no again, Mommy." Uh oh.
*"That's awful Babe." I think you've heard me call Daddy "Babe" too many times.
*"You're in Daddy's seat. That's not nice." I told you that you don't like things in the wrong place!
*"It was a big piece of wood." You say this all the time - We ran over a big piece of wood on 460 one night in Christiansburg while visiting and it scared us all. You mention the wood at least 2 times a week still.
*There was someone singing the Star Spangled Banner on TV one night when you were going to bed. You said, "What's the girl doin? Go tell her to be quiet so I can go to sleep."
*"Protecta me!" This what you run in the living room saying while laughing most nights when Daddy or I are putting you bed.
*"You gonna go bye-bye, Daddy gonna go bye-bye, I'm gonna stay with Neena and Nanie. That sounds fun." You weren't too worried about us leaving you on our trip to Nashville in July.
*You heard us talking about the show "The Big Bang Theory." Then a day or two later you said something about "Big Bang to You." Ha!
*"Dude! Dude!" You heard me saying this to Davin when he would get upset and I'd try to calm him down - and then started repeating it.
*"Hey Davin. You was born in a hospital."
*Maw-Maw was in the hospital a few weeks ago. Around the same time Daddy had to go to the hospital to get a shot. While you waited you asked to go see Maw-Maw. I'd told you she was at a different one. Then you said, "She's at the other one. She's sick. The doctors fixing her."
*I was singing the chorus of "Call me maybe" around the house. We got you to say "call me maybe" on the phone to someone. Now when I say "This is crazy" about anything, you reply, "Call me maybe!"
*After bath - "Look at my hands. They're all shrinkled up."
*"Hey brother, brother man." - talking to Davin
And last, but not least, here are a few of your favorite things...
Foods - mac&cheese, corn, green beans, ice cream, fruit snacks, Teddy Grahams, mashed potatoes, fruit
Toys - tea party set, puzzles, grocery cart, pretend cupcakes, felt sandwich kit, pipe cleaners, and beads
Places - 'nastics, our backyard, Nanie's house, Nana and Pa Bill's house and farm
Color - You've said blue a few times, but I'm not sure you have one yet.
Friends - You ask about Claire ("Clara") a lot, and tonight you asked to pray for your new friend Briley. You still like to look at pictures of London and Tinley, and it was fun to watch you guys interact (and not so fun to watch you argue) at the beach. You always talk about your friend Lilly-Ann at church, too. Oh, and you made a teenage friend named Kaylee who watched after you at Bible school and you talked about her all the time for the few weeks after Bible school.
All-in-all, we've had a good 6 months. Having your brother here has really changed up our life and our schedule, but you've adapted pretty well and it's getting better and better as time goes on. You're a blessing to me and I get happy, proud, and sad all at the same time as I watch you grow into a little girl. You'll always be my little baby and I'll always be your best friend!
Love you so much!
Love, Mommy
enjoying your 1/2 birthday cupcake
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Whispers in the Hallway