Addison Mae - 2 years

Y'all, I officially have a 2-year-old. I have been a mom for a whole two years. I can hardly believe I have any sanity left (actually, that's questionable). My high-energy girl and I have had a whirlwind of fun and butting heads over the last month. I think that will likely be the combination for the rest of our lives. Swim lessons were a little rocky at first (complete with her kicking and screaming at her teacher the first lesson ... oh my) but she did a great job and learned and perfected more than I ever imagined she would. And found the bright new world of lollipops (her teacher's reward at the end of each lesson). We have crafted, painted and Play-Doughed ourselves out. We have worked puzzles, played kitchen, taken care of numerous baby dolls (all named Julia or Stella) and made lots of cookies. My parents, Addie and I went to Fort Worth to cousin Lila's birthday party, and Addie was out of her mind for days beforehand she was so anxious to go. It was a quick trip, but she had the time of her life with her sweet cousins, played her heart out at the waterpark party, loved on their two new kitties and ate her weight in sugar. She was also beside herself for her "sister party," when we told her and our families that she's getting a BROTHER! She didn't care about that part so much, but just wanted to eat the pizza and cupcakes she'd been promised and was not-so-patiently waiting for.

We have celebrated and celebrated and celebrated this sweet girl's birthday, starting off on her last day of school when she insisted she wear her full birthday outfit, rather than just the shirt ("I need tutu, Mommy"), and took muffins for her classmates. On her actual birthday, Jordan and I took her to lunch and to Pinkitzel for cupcakes and then celebrated that evening with our families with a hot dog cookout and cookie cake. On Friday, Jeff, Rebecca, Julia and Lila arrived for more celebration, and we had her Aloha! party on Saturday at my parents'  house with her sweet friends and more family. I'm exhausted. And so very, very blessed to be this girl's momma!

Weight: 24 pounds
Length: ~32  inches

New things this month:

• Swimming like a fish. She can kick her little legs, (sort of) use her arms, hold her breath, blow bubbles, jump in like a champ, pull herself out of the water along the side, monkey-crawl her way to the steps and occasionally float (when she allows herself to be relaxed). Now, her "swimming" still resembles drowning most of the time, but she's totally got all the foundational skills, which is awesome. And I think her extreme confidence means momma's got to keep an even closer eye on her than before!
• The talking. Unbelievable. She uses the word catawampus. She also says she's exhausted. Those are my two new favorites. She can use time and directional words correctly, most of the time (yesterday, tomorrow, not yet, next to, under, over, etc.) and likes to say the days of the week (not in order and really, she just likes Sunday and Wednesday). She talks about bigger and smaller, open and closed, in and out ... I'm gonna go ahead and say she's a genius. And that it's likely her sweet brother won't speak a word till he's 7.  Some of my favorite recent phrases: "That not yours, Mommy. That Addie's;" when waking up on a Saturday morning: "Daddy no go work today! Daddy go Farmer's Market with Addie!"; when I hurt myself and yelled Mother Pooper!! (better than many other options, right??), she said, "Mommy, your pooper hurt?"; when I told her the oven was stinky: "Mommy, Izzy poop in there?"; when she was going down for her nap after her party, "Mommy, I so happy Daisy came my party" ... I know I am forgetting so many ...
• This part's not so fun, but she's started saying "I no love you," "I no like you," "I no want you, Mommy" when she's uber cranky or mad at me. Breaks my heart just a little.
• An even greater need to be in control and do things herself, like wipe/wash her own hands, "try" to put on her clothes, open and close all doors 
• Willingly going to time out when we tell her to. And then crying as if her heart would break.
• Chewing her fingernails obsessively. She is my little worrier. (PS Any ideas of how to help her break this would be greatly appreciated.)
• Sleeping all night in her big girl bed, by her own request. I worried most of the first night, but thanks to a very cool foam "railing," she didn't fall out. And I don't think she's figured out that she could get out by herself if she really wanted to.
• Making actual deposits in the potty. She has been sitting on it for a month or more, but she actually made both pee-pee and poo-poo. She was ecstatic. So was Mommy. We've decided not to push potty training but just let her lead the charge (she is rather independent and likes things to be her own idea, if you haven't already noticed). For now, the plan is to sit her on the potty once or twice a day and see what happens ... we'll go from there!
• Meeting Pistol Pete at the Cowboy Caravan. She was really excited to meet him, until she actually saw him. This is her description of the meeting: "I no like Pete, Mommy. I see him, I say AAHHHH! He nice man, he just scare me little bit."
• Finding out she's going to have a brother! She loves to talk about how he's growing in my tummy. When I tell her she's kicking me she either kicks me, too (helpful) or tells my tummy, "We no kick Mommy." When we ask what his name will be, her answers vary: brother baby, sister, boy, green, fountain. The correct answer is Hutch.

Likes:

• Playing hide-and-seek. Although she often forgets to find whoever is hiding. And usually comes out of hiding herself before giving the seeker a chance to find her.
• Playing chase, especially with her daddy. And chasing us, saying, "I going to get you!!!"
• Playing with her baby dolls. She got lots of new accessories for her dolls for her birthday, which has made doll playing even more exciting.
• Playing tea party with her new tea set.
• Play Dough.
• Playing with her shopping cart. "I go grocery store, Mommy. I be back soon."
• Her new outdoor playset. "It has ladder, Mommy!!" And a slide, which she prefers to go down backward on her tummy.
• Trying to or requesting to hold babies. Whether we know them or not. And getting really mad when told she can't hold a baby.
• Stickers. And Bandaids.
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la Elmo's World.
• Making up songs on her xylophone or drum.
• Dancing.
• Painting, coloring, finger painting ... any type of art project. One of her teachers at school had some type of art planned nearly every day, so Addie was in heaven. She enjoys painting/coloring the paper and her entire body. So at home, we typically have naked baby art projects.
• Speaking of naked, being naked. "I be naked girl baby, Mommy."
• "Funflowers." Sometimes she actually says sunflowers, but I like the first version better. She loves to look for them as we drive around town. And was beside herself when we bought her some at the Farmer's Market.
• Also the Farmer's Market. She loves helping pick out fruit and veggies and just taking in the sights. She also loves our friend's crepe truck.
• Cupcakes.
• The color green.

Dislikes:

• Eating. This has become a three-times-a-day battle of wills at our house. Even with the addition of ketchup. I know she's just asserting herself and trying to have "control" over something in her little life, but mealtimes are exhausting around here.
• Pants.