Happy Second Birthday Audrey! It's hard to believe how big you have gotten this year! In the past six months we have really seen you make that transition from baby to an independent kid with her own thoughts and personality. It has been so fun to see and so fun to get to know you!!
Likes: playing with Elijah, taking her of her dolls and even feeding them in her own high chair, playing with her play kitchen, drawing with markers or on a whiteboard, reading books in the rocking chair, putting on dress up clothes, fruit (she will eat an endless amount unless we cut her off because it seems like too much), swimming in our kid pool, sneaking to Elijah'a room to play when he's at school (even tucking dolls into his bed so her babies can "sleep", repeating us, trying to be part of the conversation and family action, shoes (even dress up high heeled ones which she walks around the house in! And she also wants us to wear shoes all the time...bringing our shoes to us if we're not wearing them :)
Personality: Audrey is a very happy and easy going girl, and extremely independent! She knows what she is in the mood for (be it a snack, putting on shoes, or helping me cook) and she works really hard on her own to figure out a way to make it happen. She pulls up a chair next to me and climbs up when she wants to help me cook, goes to the kitchen cabinet to bring me a bowl and raisins if she wants a snack, goes into Elijah's homeschool material to find his whiteboard and marker if she wants to color, finds a book and me and guides me to the rocking chair to read, etc. This girl knows how to make things happen! Although she's independent, she still lives a good snuggle when she's sleepy and enjoys sitting on our laps to read countless books.
New: Nonstop talking! Audrey can say a ton of words, even putting 2-3 words together to form an idea (elmo cup water = asking for water in her elmo cup), and repeats absolutely anything we ask her to. Elijah especially loves to ask her to repeat him...very funny to hear the interaction! She also answers questions well, such as when we ask "Who wants ice cream?" she enthusiastically raises her hand all the way up and says "me!!!" She can also help clean up now, get out something she wants to play with and play by herself, she can help cook by putting in measuring cups of ingredients I give to her, interacting well with other kids, noticing friends like her friend Deborah (who she even calls by name), she also is very kind of say hi and bye (oi and tsau) to strangers who want to interact with her. The other big new is seems very ready and interested in learning to use the potty. Training starts tomorrow! She loves to put on undies i bought her, even if just over her diaper, and today she got sad that I made her put on her diaper. I'm excited for this next step that will really move her to the "big girl" stage.
Routine: Wake 8 (but sometimes she randomly sleeps as late as 10am!), nap 1-3:30 approximately, sleep for the night at 7:30
Struggles: Some struggles with bad attitudes when I say no to something, begins pouting and insisting. I usually put her in her bed when i gets our of hand and she happily lays down to rest during that time. A few minutes later she usually calls out "happy" all on her own to let me know she is ready to be happy, and she really is! A fresh reset in attitude.
I can't wait to see what this next year holds as our sweetheart grows and develops!
