two and a half

** For the record, I started writing this blog at 8:30am Sunday morning.  I uploaded the pictures, then got distracted, then got busy.  Every time I tried to sit down to write - something came up.  So, now it's 11pm and I'm finally getting back to this regardless of how tired I am.  This is why blogging has been slow lately. **

Happy 2.5 years Abigail!

**Second update.  I typed that last sentence and fell asleep.  It is now 9am on Monday morning and I'm going to try - once more - to write this blog.**

Ok.  So, Abby turned two and a half years old yesterday (y'know, when I started this post...)  She is very much two and a half years old.  And, most of the time, it's pretty great. 

I think this may be easier to write as a list.  So, here we go.  At two and a half years old:

- Abby weighs in around 28 lbs.  I'm not sure how tall she is, I'll need to update her height chart in her room.  People often comment that she seems tall for her age.  I don't think she does, but maybe we just have short friends?  I think she's probably right about where she should be for this age.

- Favorite foods include: hummus (usually on a wheat tortilla), olives, onions (yeah, she just likes them raw), pretty much any fruit - but watermelon, blueberries, and cuties are special favorites.  She really does eat pretty well for the most part.  She's still not real big on meats like grilled chicken or beef - but she's getting a lot better.  She loves pasta (who doesn't??) and really most carbs in general.

- Regarding food, she's become much more indepenent in getting it.  She opens the fridge and gets apples (or whatever else she's decided she neeeeeeds) for herself.  She'll use her step to get things out of the pantry, anything left on the island is fair game.  We definitely have to keep a closer eye on her now.  She has a really annoying habit of getting an apple out of the fridge, taking a few bites, and discarding it somewhere.  I'll find the apple, 3 days later, sitting in her toybox or in her bag of paint supplies or something.

- As most 2 year olds are, Abby is imaginative.  This always makes me so happy.  She talks to herself while she plays, and I love evesdropping on her self-narriative.  She plays a lot with her baby dolls and takes care of them just as she sees me taking care of Elizabeth.  I think Abby's favorite thing ever is changing diapers on all her toys....and bathing them in her wooden sink.  Lately, she's really upped the train play as well.  Usually, after she washes the train in the chugwash (thank you disney channel), she pulls them around her room and out onto the landing into the designated "school" corner.  She likes coming to tell me that train went to school.  But, she has a hundred games and scenarios she plays - she treats her toys as if they were as real as any of us (and, of course, they probably are....)

- Abby looooooves Elizabeth.  She gets so excited when E wake up and she gets to come say hi.  She has nothing but hugs and kisses and smiles for her.  And, honestly? E smiles more for Abby than anyone else too.  Abs has proven to be such a good helper.  She'll bring me things I need, give E her paci or bottle, clean up spit ups, throw away diapers, etc etc.  She really shines in this department.

- Of course, our days are only 90% sunshine and rainbows.  Abby is constantly struggling with balancing her two worlds.  The world where she still needs help doing things and the world in which she's completely capable and independent in all tasks.  It's a hard thing to reconcile at her age, and I do understand why she gets so frustrated.  Abby confuses the phrases "I can't do it" with "I don't want to do it"  So, we often get something like this

Abs: "I can't sit on the couch right now"
Me: "Yes, you can"
Abs: "NOOOOOOOO!"

So, I'm trying to remember to watch for that.  We've also started teaching her the difference between her "nice voice" and her "whining voice"  It does no good to tell a kid to stop whining when that word has no meaning for them.  So, we're working on that as well.

I will say, though, for all the frustrations and tantrums we deal with - the kid is good about time outs.  If I tell her to go to timeout, she just goes.  I'm going to enjoy that for as long as it will last.  One day, it will dawn on her that she can walk out of that corner...but, hopefully not for a while.  After time outs are over - she nearly always corrects the behavior.  So, I can't complain about that.

**I just took an hour break to go play with and feed Elizabeth - who is now (trying) to sleep again upstairs.  I say trying because Abby is kinda loud when she plays sometimes.**

Where were we?

Other things that Abby likes.

- Dancing
- running
- Parks
- jumping/hopping
- climbing
- sliding
- did I say dancing?
- all animals
- going on treasure hunts (ie: picking up rocks and sticks)
-anything that involves being outside.

goodness me, this post is disorganized - but I suppose, in a way, that's pretty appropriate.  Abby just got an apple out of the fridge and is trying to color it with markers.  So, you know what?  I'm just gonna wrap this up.

Abby, you are truly wonderful.  You amaze me everyday and I am not only in love with you - but I am in love with watching you grow and change from baby to little person.  You are so much fun!  Thank you for bringing so much good into our lives.  I, once again, find myself saying I can't wait to see what comes next.  And yet, I kinda want to stop time again too. Love you endlessly. - mommy

(it only took me 26 hours to write this.  #lifewithtwo)