Happy 2.5 years, Sarah!

Sarah hit the 2.5 year mark on January 16 and we welcomed the opportunity to ponder back over the last couple of seasons and marvel at how she continues to mature. We are so thankful for her growth and find ourselves just sitting back in awe. It kind of seems miraculous the way our baby girl could become this sweet little girl we interact with day in and day out. And there are no brakes on her development these days. So we cling to these precious moments and look forward to all that is to come.

(We waited to publish this post until we got the stats at her appointment yesterday morning.)

Weight: 32lbs 6oz (84%)
Height: 36.5 (75%)
Diaper: FINISHED!!!! (details below)
Clothes: some 2T and mostly 3T; shoe, size 6 or 7

Likes: goldfish crackers, reading, imagining, piggy back rides, singing, other people putting her to bed (like Auntie Lee or Ms. Kim), giving shoulder rubs, play time (with music and corn puffs and cheerios)

Dislikes: not getting her way, cleaning up (would much rather go to bed than clean up!), loud noises (asks the mixer and/or food processor to please use their inside voice)

Schedule: Sarah's day usually starts between 7am and 8am, unless Josiah was too loud for too long and wakes her up earlier. She is then usually good until a nap around 1pm. Sometimes lately she has not been sleeping, but if she goes a day without sleeping she will definitely sleep the next. And if she goes to nursery in the morning she definitely sleeps. Even when she doesn't sleep she lays down and then I'll let her play in her room. We all need a little rest time! 

Eating: She still generally loves to eat. Favorites include peppers(preferably red)/carrots and hummus, yogurt with berries, pecans, and pasta. She is usually eager to try new things, but definitely knows whether she likes it or not after that first ambitious bite. I am thankful that she can usually eat what we are eating in some form or fashion.

Talking: This was the first well-visit where Sarah could really communicate with the pediatrician. I think it was a marker for us as to how far she has come with her speech. She continues to repeat pretty much everything and is pretty good at appropriately bring things up again. Her choice for conjugation is seemingly different with every sentence, but that is mighty cute at this point. I love the way she uses inflection, says "shall", and loves to sing. 

Developmentally: Sarah loves to draw and makes the most perfect little circles. Coloring fascinates her for longer periods of time now, as well as working with play dough. Dave has seen her draw an 'A'. She is running, but has yet to jump. That is one of our goals for the next half a year. She is really good at stairs now and just last week was brave enough to climb them without us right behind her. We quickly implemented a rule that said she has to ask before she goes up, but are excited for her bravery. It is a big step for our timid girl!

 

Potty Training: She is doing well! It is hard to believe that it has already been several months, but even harder to believe that diapers were a part of her life not that long ago. She seems so much more grown up now! Nap time and night time were never really an issue for Sarah, so dropping the diaper during those periods really wasn't an issue. If she doesn't go before bed, we still put one on just in case. I also still put a diaper on her when she goes to nursery, as I don't think she has ever told anyone she needed go. She just holds it until we get home. As for accidents, she has gone through a few phases where she struggles at certain times of the day. Honestly, I think it is mostly based on what she eats and what kind of warning she gets. Kiwi was not a friend :) She has resisted pulling her pants up/down on her own, but is starting to have some success with it. The day she climbed the stairs I think she was feeling really confident and took all of her clothes off on her own before her bath. All in all we are so proud and extremely grateful that this hasn't been a traumatic process for any of us! 

 

Random, but fun:

* She sits in the back of the shopping cart now, since we moved Josiah to a big boy car seat and he has to sit up front.
* "Go see neighborhood" is a common request to go for a walk, preferably in the double stroller. We don't use it super often, so I think it feels special to her.
* She pretends to be an Olympic swimmer in the bath tub...she might have gotten a little coaching toward this imaginative end :)
* Her memory is amazing. She is able to answer all kinds of questions about her day (though she doesn't so much grasp the concept of time as of yet).
* Feelings are a really big deal to her. She is always taking care of something stuffed who is sad and needs a 'nuggle. She likes to announce if Josiah is really upset that he is throwing a fit because he didn't get what he wanted :) (She knows from experience!)
* Singing and songs with motion are almost as fun as constantly reading, which is probably what she would want on a "perfect" day.
* Favorite songs include: Angels We Have Heard on High, The Solid Rock, Row Row Row Your  Boat, Good Night Josiah, I'm a Little Tea Pot, Sing Sing the Gangs All Here, Wheels on the Bus, Trot Trot to Boston, Here is the Church
* My heart melts when she sporadically says, "Mommy, I'm so proud of you." I know she is just repeating, but it lets my heart know she hears our encouragement and knows how much we care.
* She knows several Bible stories now. Favorites are about Samuel, David, Baby Jesus, and Saul.

Next appointment: Monday, July 22, 2013 at 9:15am

Understands presents this year :)

"It's a niiiiiight gown, Mommy, NOT PJs." I don't want anyone else to be misinformed!

Loving the stool/chair made by Uncle Jerry!

Meeting Baby Lincoln for the first time. She thought Baby Lincoln and Baby Jesus were one and the same for most of the Christmas season.

Tickling each other :)

Helping... :)

"I feel the wind!!!"

Advent ornament fun.

Taking care of Josiah.

Fancy grown up hair-do.

Having fun with Uncle T.

Practicing our "restaurant manners" with Auntie Lee and Uncle Frank. She now thinks every proper restaurant experience should end with ice cream and chocolate syrup.

She loves walking on the snow. We had to make do with Daddy's gloves and Mommy's scarf for some reason that day.

First time in the back of the cart.

Her serious rapper face.

And her not so serious rapper face :)