How in the WORLD do I have 2 year olds! These past two years have flown by. This is my favorite stage so far. It has been challenging dealing with your behavior, independence, and tantrums but it is also the most FUN!
picking up party food the day before your birthday
Emma Cate:
You are too much. You are sweet and loving and sassy all wrapped up into one really tiny package. We haven't been to your 2 year appointment yet but you weight 22.5lbs on our home scale and wear 18 month clothes. You are fiercely independent. I hear "self mommy" all day long. You want to do everything yourself. Only when you get stuck do I hear "help mommy". You wake up and play in your crib silently. You like to read and will sit there for hours until I come get you. You call your brother, Holdie and you both throw animals and books back and forth between your cribs until you both get tired with the game and then throw everything on the floor. I walk in your room to get you and hear "I wake up mommy!". We change your diaper next. You like diaper cream and always request "ceam mommy ceam". We request that you pick up your pjs and put them in your hamper... sometimes you comply readily and other times it takes some convincing. You then have to pick up any toys you threw over your crib before we head to breakfast. Immediately, you request milk and drink a ton. You're not much of an eater but you drink milk and water all the time.
At meals you love you fruit. We have to hold back so that you'll eat other parts of the meal. You also love syrup and will skip the pancakes and just like the syrup off your plate. Your favorite food is yogurt. We mixed plain yogurt, local honey and fruit for breakfast. I hear "yuh-gurt honeee pease" all the time. You also love strawberries, oranges and pineapple. You are a big fan of "o's" (cheerios or kashi cinnamon cereal) and request them a lot. You like your cheese shredded vs. cut. You will only eat a banana if it's in the peel and you like Kind granola. You have very definitive opinions and a quick to throw a temper if something isn't to your liking.
You love to play. Upstairs, your favorite thing to do is climb on the trunk (that serves as an end table) and fling your little body onto the couch. You also like to jump on the couch (this is discouraged in our home but I'm at a disadvantage when I'm in the middle of feeding Shep and you do this) and climb your anywhere chair. You fall a lot. We do quick hugs and kisses and you're off and running again. You like quiet time too and I'll find you sitting on the sofa reading a book. You're either wild child or calm and sweet. Not a lot of in between. In the playroom, your favorite thing is the bounce house. You jump and jump and jump. Actually, you like to jump everywhere, off steps, in place, on our little trampoline. You also like to sort things. You'll take all the food from your kitchen, fill your shopping cart, dump it out, and put it all back. You set up the little tea parties for us and baby Zsa Zsa to enjoy. We nibble on food and you think this is pretty funny. You LOVE the slide in the playroom and hurl yourself down it laughing all the way. I often hear your talk to yourself as you play and it is so sweet.
Your hair is curly curly and matches your personality. It is FINALLY growing in at your hairline and mommy is so excited. It's coming in really really blond. You have the best smile and love to say cheese for me to take your picture. You have a love/hate relationship with bows. You often request them and then yank them out of your hair and toss them across the room with a devilish laugh. I will give you two options of clothes to wear and you pick out what you're going to wear. Your summer favorite is your sailboat bubble. You also love your "wiwwy (lilly pulitzer) dresses".
You can throw a fit with the best of them but I think we're started to get away from this phase (thank God). You used to scream, kick, and hit me getting in your car seat but you've gotten so much better. I hear "i do it!" all the time. You like to buckle yourself in (just the chest strap), climb in the car, walk down the front steps, put on and take off your shoes all by yourself.
You are a great napper when you finally get to sleep. I'll put you down around 1 and you'll play quietly in your crib until 2:30 and then sleep until 5.
You squeal when you run and love being chased. You and Holden will chase each other around the island in the kitchen for a solid 20 minutes. You are a biter and we have to put you in time out often for this. You get so frustrated and latch on to Holdie and won't let go. You do give a little warning by screaming No Holdie No and swatting your hand back and forth before going in for the kill.
You still do get frustrated and misbehave. Often, we need some time to cool off and regroup. When you're really naughty you get a "sleep sack time out". You have figured out how to take your sleep sack off and climb out of your crib so Daddy had the great idea to put your sleep sacks on backwards so you couldn't get them off. You won't ever sit in time out and when we put you in time out in your crib you just crawl out. Gigi had the great idea to start sleep sack time out and we put you in your sleep sack and in your crib. You cry for a good 5 minutes then start screaming "I sorry mommy, I no bite!". It is really funny on my end. It probably sounds cruel but it works so well and when I go get you out, you are full of hugs and back to your sweet/crazy self.
You aren't a big tv watcher but you will put down anything you're doing to do the hot dog dance (you call it hottie doggie diggity dance). You like Sophia the First and Doc McStuffins but prefer to read books about them instead of watching the show. You also LOVE nemo. We watch nemo when we've got a long car ride.
We love to dance and you often request Pharrell's Happy as your song of choice. You also like Blurred Lines (I know... great parenting). Your aunt's have taught you to "whip your hair" and you can also get low and pump. Watching you dance is comical. In the car you're pretty good at copying mommy's moves and can bob your head to the beat. You also like to put your hands in the air and wave em like you just don't care.
Before bed you love to read the Twins book. You know all of the words. You always do prayer hands when we pray and says AAAAmen when we are finished. You cry just long enough for us to make it down the hall and are out.
Emma Cate, you are so cute and spunky and bring so much laughter and joy to our lives. We love you very much!
