23 Months Old!

Sweet Eloise Jane, you are now 23 months old!

This past month you've started speaking in complete sentences, had your first trip to the ER, and have loved interacting with "friends" at your sweet little school.

You continue to have fire in your belly, and are extremely vocal when you do NOT want to do something. It usually takes me doing a lot of creative negotiating to get you on board with something you don't want to do, and when you do finally get on board, your whole demeanor changes and you'll say "ok, I'm ready!"

Here are your official 23 month old updates!

How old? 23 months.

How big? You were weighed at your ER visit, and came in just a smidge over 29 pounds! You are extremely tall and have a long torso, so I am now buying size 3T clothes for you- though you can fit into shorts that are 4T and 5T. You are moving into a size 7 shoe and 3t pull ups.

Words? You are now speaking in complete sentences! Some of your expressions this past month include "don't have to," "I'm hungry," and "I like it!" or "don't like it." You are always very concerned when other kids are crying, and will say things like "Emmitt sad!"

One of the cutest mispronunciations you have is "BOOPS," which is how you say "boots!"

Food? You continue to love and eat pretty much anything! You tried blistered shishito peppers for the first time yesterday and exclaimed "I like it!" The only thing you are not into is broccoli, and overall are a bit less exuberant for vegetables.

Potty? No changes here- you still do #2's almost exclusively on the potty, and will go #1 if you have to go when you sit- but are happy to go in your diaper if more convenient!

Sleep? I have a new sleep routine that's been working for us this month! When you have your milk, you like to sit BY SELF on your chair while I rub your feet. When the milk is done, I sit next to you and snuggle, singing two songs. Then we move you to your bed for a 'silly song'- which equates to me carrying you upside down to your bed, then laying next to your bed for a 3rd song. When that finishes, I stand outside your door- which is open a crack- and sing two more songs (you want Twinkle and Row Row Row most times).

You go to bed between 7-7:30 and wake up around 7:30. You nap from 12:30-2/3:30 depending on your day!

Favorite things?

*You LOVE animals! Dogs are your very favorite, closely followed by "meows" (cats).

*Swimming. You just started a new level of swim class where I no longer get into the pool with you! You were a bit skeptical during the first class, but by the 2nd class were happy to jump in with your teacher Mr. John. Here are some photos of your first classes:

Other favorite things include playing chase, rough housing, music/singing, and playing with tiny beads (which you love to string onto pipe cleaners!)

Here are a few more photos from your past month:

We love you so much sweet Eloise Jane! Happy 23 months to you.

23 Months Old!

Sweet Iyla Grace, today you are 23 months old! The last few months have flown by, and soon you will be an official 2 year old. There is a well known expression about the "Terrible Two's," and although I would never ever deem you 'terrible,' you have definitely turned up the FEIST in the last couple of weeks. There is a lot more volume & emotion in your opinions and desires, and more resistance to the status quo. You are exploring your sense of who you are and how you fit into the world.

As much as you are feisty, you are also equally sweet and affectionate. I just love when I walk into the room or come home and you run full speed into my arms, nuzzling and hugging me tight. You'll say things like "Mama here!" as you softly stroke my hair. Heaven.

Here are your 23 month updates!

How old? 23 months today

How big? Next month you'll have an official weigh in at the doctor, but for now- here you are with Sam. All legs like your Papa!

Teeth? This month saw another molar & your last bottom front tooth come in! We have a total of 12 teeth now- 4 top, 4 bottom, & 4 of what I assume are your 1st year molars. Now we await your 4 canines & 4 2nd year molars. No real issues with the teeth- just several days with your hands in your mouth a lot more often. So thankful they don't seem to bother you too much!

Words? Your expressions never cease to surprise and delight me. You often say things like: "we said bye to Papa, didn't we?" or "you went to work, didn't you?" You are adding more small connecting words to your sentences, and your language is definitely growing in complexity. It astounds me how quickly you learn, memorize and REMEMBER new vocabulary!

Potty Time? I was looking back at your monthly updates, and it seems in your 19th month you 'got it' and were essentially daytime potty trained (albeit without undies). You've now been wearing undies almost 2 months and are doing great. We've only had maybe 2 small accidents- and those equate to you suddenly realizing you have to go NOW and dribbling a little bit in your undies before we get you to the potty. I really think the Elimination Communication you've been doing since 1 month old has helped you feel totally comfortable using the potty; I don't feel like I ever had to "train" you- it all came naturally and was just a matter of watching your cues and consistently acting on them.

Favorite things?

The Sofias. You have a "Big Sofia" and a "Little Sofia" doll who are your buddies and go everywhere with you. You make them talk and dance with one another, and say good night to them each nap and evening while arranging them on your bedroom ottoman. You also make sure any person who greets you also greets them by telling them "HI SOFIA!"

Making sure Sam acknowledges Little Sofia

Videos: You ask to watch videos quite often, and we try our best to limit this to 30-60 minutes tops/day. If you hear the word you become ADAMANT about watching… and I learned this month I can't even SPELL the word without your catching on. Right now we'll watch PBS Kids on Netflix, and you like Daniel Tiger & Super Why. You also love to watch Tinkerbell movie clips and still have your weekly Tangled viewing with Papa.

Adventures: Lately you've been such a great buddy to take out. You enjoy going on adventures to our regular haunts- the Driskill Hotel, Weatherup, the Rainey Street District, the Children's Museum, kids' yoga story time, etc. The only challenge is that you don't like to sit still very long to eat/listen/etc, so our outings involve a lot of chasing you around!

Dancing: You have been getting your groove on more this past month, thanks to a toy microphone that plays music. Usually your dancing consists of running back and forth and turning in circles. You totally have your Papa's moves. ; )

Counting: You have memorized how to count to 10! I also often observe you picking up one toy then another and remarking "now I have TWO." Of course I like to think you are a child genius and already understand the concept of counting, but realistically this is just excellent memorizing.

Swimming: Swim lessons are still your absolute happy place, with constant delighted squeals as you throw yourself into the water and swim all by yourself underwater to me. I never cease to be amazed by this!

Coloring: You ask to "play color" several times/day. You know your colors down pat, including differentiating turquoise and maroon from blue and red! You love to color in your Tinkerbell, Frozen, Tangled, or Little Mermaid coloring books, and also love coloring with chalk outside.

Jumping: Well, YOUR version of jumping. I hear stories of many toddlers who hurl themselves off couches and leap fearlessly off playgrounds, but you- you have always been a careful, cautious little one. The other day, however, you started "jumping" off your little chair, and due to your nature it was a big deal! So cute.

Here are a few more photos from your past month:

We love you so much sweet girl! Happy 23 months to you.