Monday, July 22, 2013

With a hahaha and a heeheehee and a couple of la-di-da's!

Oh my goodness!  Lucy keeps me laughing all day long!  Before I forget them here are her latest funnies from today:

When she woke up this morning she said "baaaaa" and I said "oh, you're a sheep!" And she said "uh-huh!" And then she said "meow" and I said "oh, now you're a cat!" And she said "nope!" I looked confused and said "well, what other animal says meow?" And she said "a kitty!"

When Meow was playing with her on the back deck by pawing at her feet she turned around and said "Stop it, Meow! You're buggin' me!"  (It's not uncommon for you to boss Meow around simply because you can.  She can just be sitting in the bench and you'll turn to her, point your finger at her, and say "hush, meow!"

The other night I was trying to get you to settle down for bed and instead you asked for gummies.  When I said no, you promptly turned to me, held up your finger and said "I'll be right back!" Ran down the hall and said "Daddy, gummies please!"  This was the first time you really played us against each other.


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Happy 2nd Birthday, Lucy!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Lucy!
 
I cannot believe you're TWO already!! 
 
I look back at pictures of the day you were born and feel like it was forever ago, while at the same time feeling like it was just yesterday.  As cliché as it sounds, it is so true when I say I don't remember life before you, and don't know what I did without you in it!  You're my shadow!!  You follow me everywhere and help me with everything.  Not only are you my shadow, but also my mini-me. :) People tell us all.the.time. how much we look alike!  I always tell them, "thank you, but she's much prettier than I am" because it's true!  You are stunning with your blonde ringlets and bright blue eyes.  I just think you're the prettiest little girl I have ever seen! 
 
Let's see, Miss Lucy... At TWO YEARS OLD::
 
You are about 25 lbs and about 34 inches tall.

You are still in diapers -- size 5.  Although, we have attempted potty training, and you are successful at it, we have just been too busy this summer to buckle down and make it happen.  I'm pretty certain it won't take you long when you go back to daycare and get back on a schedule (in just a week and a half!  gasp!) that you'll be potty trained in no time!

You are able to eat anything you want.  You don't have any food allergies (that we have come across yet).  You can eat like a horse one day and like a mouse the next.  Some days, you'll gobble up whatever we put on your plate, and other days you're a little more picky.  Now that you're able to open drawers, we've made the bottom drawer of the refrigerator "your drawer."  We keep yogurts and applesauce squeeze packets in there.  You can't open the refrigerator, but you'll pull one of us to the refrigerator saying "yogurt, please" or "applesauce, please" and get us to open the door.  You like to open the drawer yourself though, pick out what you want, and close it all back all by yourself.

You are so great at using your manners "please," "thank you," "bless you," and "excuse me."  You're working on getting better at "ma'am" and "sir," although you do use those when we remind you.  You're also getting the hang of saying "you're welcome" after we say "thank you."  It's really the sweetest to see you turning into a well-mannered little girl! :)

You call me "Mommy" and only "Mommy."  You call your Daddy, on the other hand, "Daddy," "My Daddy," or "Chris."  It's really funny when you use his first name and although you know mine, you won't use it for me.  We both melt when you call him "My Daddy."

You still love to read, but have also started loving to build with blocks.  You have FANTASTIC hand-eye coordination and can string beads onto a shoelace.  You're starting to want to play pretend, telling me you want to "cook supper" with some pots and pans my friend Kendall Castillo gave you for Christmas.  So, your Daddy and I got you a play kitchen for your birthday -- it's pretty awesome. 

You're OBSESSED with the show Blue's Clues (you call it "Clue's Clues"), watching it every morning during breakfast and several times during the day.  We even have a DVD of it in the car, that you watch any time we're riding anywhere.  You know all of the characters: Blue (you call him "Clue", Steve, Mailbox, & Shovel and Pail) and will sometimes answer Steve's questions -- you're so smart!  The cutest is when you do the dances and sing the songs that are on the show.  We're throwing you a Blue's Clues themed birthday party -- it's super cute!

You also like to watch "Minnie Mouse" (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) and love all of the characters on there as well (Donald Duck, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, Pete).  You will do the "hotdog dance" that plays at the end of every show and dance just like the animated characters -- it's too funny.  You'll swing your arms side to side like a helicopter and then flap your hands like wings. A lot cuter in person than when it's described on a blog -- sorry.

And you still even sometimes ask to watch Elmo. :)

You are SUPER smart!  At two years old, you know all of your colors, can count to twelve (you can actually count past twelve, but we can't make out the numbers you're saying.. I think you actually get to fifteen), know all of your shapes (circle, square, triangle, diamond, pentagon, star, heart) and can recognize all of the letters of the alphabet (upper and lower).  You can even point out a few states on a map (Georgia, Florida, Texas, California, Pennsylvania). 

You're an excellent talker -- You just take off talking all the time.  You still sometimes talk faster than your mouth can move and it sounds Vietnamese.  You're getting pretty cute with your sayings though.  Like the other day, your Daddy & I told you to go get your Lovie and Blankie for bed and you crossed your arms and kinda looked up and said "Well...." like "I would, but I'm not ready for bed just yet.."  Or the other morning, I asked if you were ready to get up (you love to just lay in bed when you wake up and just do your own thing, whether it's just laying there sucking your thumb, or playing with your stuffed animals you have in there with you) and you told me "No.  Leave.  Close the door.  Bye!"  You just were not ready to get up, I guess!  I also asked you just yesterday if you wanted to get up, and you laid back on your pillow and said "No. I relax." I just laughed because what does a TWO year old know about relaxing??!? Too funny!!

One of the more recent things you've said that astounded me was when you bit me (you started doing that a couple weeks ago, just randomly and VERY hard!  Maybe it's because I tell you "I'll eat you up, I love you so!" and that's your way of telling me how much you love me -- no??  ha!).  I had been trying to just sternly get on to you, but when you bit my cheek, I popped you.  You very quickly turned to me, pointed your finger at me, and said "No hurt me, Mommy!"  I explained to you that I popped you because you had bitten me.  It was such a heartbreaking moment for me, but I was so proud of you for sticking up for yourself at the same time -- ha!

You are a FABULOUS sleeper -- people tell us all the time how lucky we are at how well you sleep.  And we know!  We have friends and family members with children who don't sleep!  You will generally sleep 12 hours from whatever time you go to bed.  We try to make your bedtime at 8:30, but since it's summer time it has gotten pushed back later sometimes.  I'm sure when the school year starts, it'll go back earlier.  You still take a nap every day and it's usually a good 2.5-3.0 hour nap!  You have lots of friends that sleep with you in your crib: "Minnie Mouse" (you actually have two of them), "Lion King Baby" (that Emma McCrae from across the street gave you), "Dolphin" (that we got from the Georgia Aquarium when we went for Sallie's birthday), and "Baby" (a little baby doll).  You, of course, still sleep with Lovie (this summer, you've slept with both the one you have at home and the one you would take to daycare) and Blankie (the same one you've had since you were a baby).  Sometimes, during the day, you'll just go in there and grab whichever one you can reach (lovie or blankie), pull them through the crib slats, and carry them around with you.

While you have recently started showing interest in playing with baby dolls, we will ask you if you want a baby brother or a baby sister and you reply "nope" to both.... oh well!  You don't like it when I hold other babies, but are getting better at it.  Maybe you won't hate us if we give you a brother or a sister one day.

You love to play chase or peek-a-boo with your Daddy & I usually getting so tickled you get the hiccups or laughing so hard you spit up!  Your most favorite thing in the world right now is "dance." We put the t.v. on a country music channel and we will have dance parties in the living room.  You think of all kinds of crazy dance moves!

You're also really into copy-catting right now.  You will copy anything your Daddy & I do (or say!) and want us to copy you, too.  You'll say "do this!" and then do something funny with your hands like squish your cheeks together or pull your mouth apart with your fingers.  You also like us to "close eyes" and pretend to be asleep. 

You have recently loved it when your Daddy & I hug and kiss and want to be included, too.  You'll jump up between us and squeeze all three of our faces together by wrapping your arms around our necks and pulling us in tight.  It's precious.

You have lots of little friends, and it makes my heart so happy -- your best friend is probably still Noah Franklin.  The two of you have such fun together and light up when you see each other.  According to his mom, he talks about you all of the time even when you're not around, and you do the same for him.  I love his family and hope y'all will always be friends (his mom and I may or may not be planning y'all's wedding ;) shhhhh!)  You are also friends with Amelia Tanner, Caylin Stancil, Anna Caroline McMillan, and Carson French.  We have played with them several times this summer.

Your cousins, are of course, still higher than any other on your friends list.  You play with Sallie like you don't play with any other child.  The two of you have a special relationship that I hope you'll always have.  It's like y'all have always understood each other even before y'all could talk -- y'all laugh and play differently than you do with anyone else.  It's VERY sweet!  You both look out for each other, never drink from each other Sippy's and talk to each other often through FaceTime or Skype.  You also love watching Nathan & Mason, and seem to be in awe at everything they do.  They're like the big brothers you'll never have :)  You are also big fans of Macie & Mollie, always asking to play with them.  You must think they live at CiCi & Papa's house, because everytime we tell you we're going over there to see them you say "and Mollie and Macie." Ha!  At this time in your life, you play better with Mollie than you do Macie, but still love her just the same.  Things may be different next year, or even next week -- you can never tell with girls! :)

Lucy, your Daddy & I love you SO much and are just in awe at how perfect you are.  You never cease to amaze us with your beauty, intelligence, or kindness to others.  You are perfect in every sense of the word and I cannot wait to see what this next year brings you!  You are my sunshine! :)

-- Your Mommy