Sweet Iyla Grace, today you are 2.5 years old! You have had SO much growth and development in the past few months… it seems almost daily your Papa and I turn to one another and remark how you are growing up right before our eyes.
At 2.5 months, you are sweet, affectionate, empathetic, observant, creative, gentle, opinionated, and a definite girly-girl. You have the sweetest little heart, and are very perceptive to the emotions & energy of people around you. You'll often pat the back of other children who are scared or sad while looking on with concern. You also aren't one to deliberately disobey; you definitely have strong feelings & opinions on things, but if Papa or I set an ultimatum or tell you "no" you take this to heart and usually cooperate.
You are generous and selfless; if another child takes a toy away from you, you'll just regard them with curiosity then move on to do something else. You have no problem sharing your very favorite things with others, and seem to be baffled when other kids have trouble sharing with you (a commonality in the toddler crowd!)
Here are your 2.5 month updates:
How big? We haven't been officially measuring you (you had a meltdown when I pulled out the tape measure the other day!), but you appear to be all legs like your Papa and on the taller side of the spectrum. Most of your 2T pants end up looking like high waters (though they still fit in the waist) and I've begun ordering 3T sizes for everything else. You've caught up in height to many friends who were always taller than you and seem to be gaining height on a daily basis!
Here are a few photos of you and Sam from this morning… it took a lot of coercion to get both of you to cooperate:
Teeth? You have everything in now but your 2nd year molars. You are also very good about letting me brush & floss your teeth 2x/day.
Sleep? You have always been a great sleeper, save your sleep regression last February. However, you've been going through another pretty major sleep shift this past month. It began with your crying/fussing at nap and bedtimes at the end of March, transitioned into our moving you to your big girl/toddler bed, and has now transformed into shorter naps and earlier wake ups.
Lately you've been doing a lot of 20-30 minute naps, often waking up sad & cranky. It is evident you still need more sleep, but for some reason you aren't able to go back to sleep once you wake. Same thing with the mornings- you've been waking earlier than usual (around 6:30) and crying to 'get in Mama/Papa's bed!' We then all snuggle in bed together until a little after 7 (which admittedly is cozy despite the sleep deprivation).
I love peeking in at your sleep configurations
Food? I am beginning to think there is a critical period for food exposure in little ones (or maybe it's just you?). All of the foods you are used to me cooking and serving you LOVE, but you are not hip to try anything new beyond those items. Some consistent favorites of yours lately include: chicken, steak, fish, bacon, pancakes, mac n cheese, apples (you'd eat these all day every day if we let you!), strawberries, carrots, broccoli, breakfast bars, Cliff Bars, and 'suck-sucks' (pouches).
Words? You continue to be very verbal & talkative, coming up with new phrases on a daily basis. Here are some recent favorite quotes of yours:
"You don't know what I'm taking about"
"No, I'm not ready"
"Just an itsy-bitsy teeny tiny bit?" (said when pleading for more food or more time with an activity)
"I know you best" (said while stroking my hand and looking into my eyes).
"Pretty pleeeeeeease?" (said while wringing your hands together for affect).
"What's that?""Who's that?" "What's her/his name?" (You've started realizing everything and everyone has a name, and you want to know them all)!
"Look so hard!" (said while searching for a lost object and assuming the most hilarious position- hunched over, head down, with your elbows in the air)
"Look at your beautiful eyes. Look at your beautiful eyebrows. Look at your beautiful hair." (cooed to me while cupping my face gently in your hands. Melts my heart every.single.time).
New skills?
*Perceiving PLACES. You always ask once we leave a place where it went: "Where is home? Where is the Driskill?" You are also very curious where people go when they leave our house or where we go once we put you to bed.
*Counting! You love to count, and actually have the preliminary concept down further than just memorization. You like to line things up (especially pieces of Cliff Bar) and count them out for us, changing your count as you add or subtract objects to the lineup.
*Singing Reciting your ABC's. You just revealed this yesterday! You have a tendency to incubate new skills until you have them down perfectly, and sure enough, all of a sudden you could recite the entire ABC song with me. You still don't have the 'singing' part down... either you don't quite understand how to sing yet, or you have officially inherited your Papa's voice. ; )
Current favorite things:
*Dancing! For music, you always request we play either The Nutcracker or Bluegrass, and come up with adorable new moves every day. You also have very dramatic facial expressions while you dance- it looks like you are really feeling the music! Next month you'll start your first official dance class and I can't wait to see if you like it.
*Dressing up. All day every day you alternate between 3 dress-up dresses and your tutus, and love to announce yourself by saying: "presenting Princess Iyla!"
*Sam. You adore your kitty and give him constant hugs & snuggles. You'll remark "he's so beautiful! He's so cute!" as you lay your head on top of him.
*Water. Any kind, anywhere! You continue to love swim classes, and haven't met a puddle yet that you couldn't resist splashing and playing in.
*Favorite Toys: Your current tried-and-true favorites are your little Sofia doll figures (preferably played with in one of your doll houses), your white stuffed kitty (who sleeps with you every night!), your Angelina Ballerina doll, & your My Little Ponies. You also love your books and delight equally in reading them "all by yourself' as you do being read to.
*Favorite Clothes: you are definitely a girly-girl and will always chose a dress above all else. If you had your way, you'd be wearing the most fancy dresses possible on a daily basis. Your two favorite day dresses right now are your star dress and your blue flower dress. You also love to have your hair done! Yes- it helps that you get to watch a little video while I do it- but once it is done you turn and admire yourself in the mirror, and never try to pull the barrettes or pony tails out.
You call this your "garden hat' and wear it when heading out to our backyard.
Photo credit to your Grandma Lambert, who came to stay with you all last week while Papa and I were away!
At 2.5 months, you are sweet, affectionate, empathetic, observant, creative, gentle, opinionated, and a definite girly-girl. You have the sweetest little heart, and are very perceptive to the emotions & energy of people around you. You'll often pat the back of other children who are scared or sad while looking on with concern. You also aren't one to deliberately disobey; you definitely have strong feelings & opinions on things, but if Papa or I set an ultimatum or tell you "no" you take this to heart and usually cooperate.
You are generous and selfless; if another child takes a toy away from you, you'll just regard them with curiosity then move on to do something else. You have no problem sharing your very favorite things with others, and seem to be baffled when other kids have trouble sharing with you (a commonality in the toddler crowd!)
Here are your 2.5 month updates:
How big? We haven't been officially measuring you (you had a meltdown when I pulled out the tape measure the other day!), but you appear to be all legs like your Papa and on the taller side of the spectrum. Most of your 2T pants end up looking like high waters (though they still fit in the waist) and I've begun ordering 3T sizes for everything else. You've caught up in height to many friends who were always taller than you and seem to be gaining height on a daily basis!
Here are a few photos of you and Sam from this morning… it took a lot of coercion to get both of you to cooperate:
Teeth? You have everything in now but your 2nd year molars. You are also very good about letting me brush & floss your teeth 2x/day.
Sleep? You have always been a great sleeper, save your sleep regression last February. However, you've been going through another pretty major sleep shift this past month. It began with your crying/fussing at nap and bedtimes at the end of March, transitioned into our moving you to your big girl/toddler bed, and has now transformed into shorter naps and earlier wake ups.
Lately you've been doing a lot of 20-30 minute naps, often waking up sad & cranky. It is evident you still need more sleep, but for some reason you aren't able to go back to sleep once you wake. Same thing with the mornings- you've been waking earlier than usual (around 6:30) and crying to 'get in Mama/Papa's bed!' We then all snuggle in bed together until a little after 7 (which admittedly is cozy despite the sleep deprivation).
I love peeking in at your sleep configurations
Food? I am beginning to think there is a critical period for food exposure in little ones (or maybe it's just you?). All of the foods you are used to me cooking and serving you LOVE, but you are not hip to try anything new beyond those items. Some consistent favorites of yours lately include: chicken, steak, fish, bacon, pancakes, mac n cheese, apples (you'd eat these all day every day if we let you!), strawberries, carrots, broccoli, breakfast bars, Cliff Bars, and 'suck-sucks' (pouches).
Words? You continue to be very verbal & talkative, coming up with new phrases on a daily basis. Here are some recent favorite quotes of yours:
"You don't know what I'm taking about"
"No, I'm not ready"
"Just an itsy-bitsy teeny tiny bit?" (said when pleading for more food or more time with an activity)
"I know you best" (said while stroking my hand and looking into my eyes).
"Pretty pleeeeeeease?" (said while wringing your hands together for affect).
"What's that?""Who's that?" "What's her/his name?" (You've started realizing everything and everyone has a name, and you want to know them all)!
"Look so hard!" (said while searching for a lost object and assuming the most hilarious position- hunched over, head down, with your elbows in the air)
"Look at your beautiful eyes. Look at your beautiful eyebrows. Look at your beautiful hair." (cooed to me while cupping my face gently in your hands. Melts my heart every.single.time).
New skills?
*Perceiving PLACES. You always ask once we leave a place where it went: "Where is home? Where is the Driskill?" You are also very curious where people go when they leave our house or where we go once we put you to bed.
*Counting! You love to count, and actually have the preliminary concept down further than just memorization. You like to line things up (especially pieces of Cliff Bar) and count them out for us, changing your count as you add or subtract objects to the lineup.
*
Current favorite things:
*Dancing! For music, you always request we play either The Nutcracker or Bluegrass, and come up with adorable new moves every day. You also have very dramatic facial expressions while you dance- it looks like you are really feeling the music! Next month you'll start your first official dance class and I can't wait to see if you like it.
*Dressing up. All day every day you alternate between 3 dress-up dresses and your tutus, and love to announce yourself by saying: "presenting Princess Iyla!"
*Sam. You adore your kitty and give him constant hugs & snuggles. You'll remark "he's so beautiful! He's so cute!" as you lay your head on top of him.
*Water. Any kind, anywhere! You continue to love swim classes, and haven't met a puddle yet that you couldn't resist splashing and playing in.
*Favorite Toys: Your current tried-and-true favorites are your little Sofia doll figures (preferably played with in one of your doll houses), your white stuffed kitty (who sleeps with you every night!), your Angelina Ballerina doll, & your My Little Ponies. You also love your books and delight equally in reading them "all by yourself' as you do being read to.
*Favorite Clothes: you are definitely a girly-girl and will always chose a dress above all else. If you had your way, you'd be wearing the most fancy dresses possible on a daily basis. Your two favorite day dresses right now are your star dress and your blue flower dress. You also love to have your hair done! Yes- it helps that you get to watch a little video while I do it- but once it is done you turn and admire yourself in the mirror, and never try to pull the barrettes or pony tails out.
You call this your "garden hat' and wear it when heading out to our backyard.
Photo credit to your Grandma Lambert, who came to stay with you all last week while Papa and I were away!
On the agenda for summer 2015:
*Dance classes
*Swim lessons
*July family reunion in Houston/Austin
*Starting a part time school program in August (fingers crossed! You are on many waiting lists.)
*A trip to the beach (yet to be planned, but we are committed to showing you the ocean this year!)
And now (primarily for your Grandparents) a montage of photos from the past month. We love you so much Iyla Grace, and are so grateful to have you in our lives!
