Two and a Half

Lily Claire,

Today you are two and a half!  If I had to pick one word to describe you right now it would be "mess"!  You are a mess- sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a stinker way!  You are definitely in your terrible two's but there are many days that are terrific too.  You bring so much joy and laughter to our family! Here are some of the things I always want to remember about you:

In this picture, you had climbed up the ladder and were saying "DAH" (ta-da)!
 

-You are still a big girl.  You weigh about 34 lbs and are quite tall for your age.  You are wearing size 4T clothes and size 9 shoes.  At age 2 1/2, you are wearing the clothes that Eden wore when she was 3 1/2. 





-You are a pretty good eater and will usually try at least one bite of something new.  Even though you will eat most things, I have a hard time getting you to sit and actually eat for very long.  After a few bites, you are ready to be on the move again.  Sometimes I let you sit in my lap while you eat because I know you will eat more that way.  Some of your favorites are nuts, yogurt, fruit and anything sweet!

-You are a great sleeper but putting you to bed is one of my least favorite times of day.  Once you are asleep, we rarely hear from you until you wake up, but you have learned how to use every stall tactic ever invented in order to avoid going to bed.  I usually have to put you to bed crying and let you fall asleep on your own, which I hate.  I miss getting to snuggle with you and rock you before you fall asleep because I know it won't be long before you will be too big for me to do those things.  You still take one nap a day that lasts for about an hour and a half.

-Your favorite things to play with are your dolls.  You carry them around all the time and love to play "mommy" to them.  You also love to be outside and would swing all day long if I would push you.  As the third child, you usually end up playing with whatever Parker and Eden are playing with. 

-You can crawl in and out of your crib without any help but have yet to do it at bedtime.  We are just waiting for you to show up in our room in the middle of the night.  Until that happens, we are planning on keeping you in you crib for a little while longer.

-You talk all the time!  When Parker and Eden were 2 1/2, they were barely speaking in sentences.  You and I have full conversations!  There is pretty much nothing you can't say.  I love watching you talk because you often get so passionate about what you are saying that you start talking with your eyebrows.  It's one of my favorite things about you right now!

 -Passionate is another word I would use to describe you!  Just like Parker, you can be very passionate about the things you like and dislike.  Whether you are happy/excited or mad/frustrated, your passion always shines through.

You are blossoming into a beautiful little girl, Lily, and I love spending my days with you!  I love your smile, your kisses and your bear hugs and can't imagine our family without you!  I can't wait to see how you grow and change over the next six months.  I love you to the moon and back, Mommy