Miss Emily is two

This is what two looks like. It is a girl in a party dress and sneakers covered in dirt. It's full of smiles and laughter. It's made up of tears and frustration. I can tell it's hard to be two. You think you're SO big but you're still so small. These two years have gone by so quickly. I knew that they would.


Emily is FUNNY. I can not tell you how much laughter fills our home because of her. Most often she isn't trying to be funny. The things she does and says are just so comical.

Emily is SMART. I almost put that she is mischievous but really it's her smarts that get her into trouble. She will get water from the fridge if you don't remember to lock the dispenser. She will pour it into other things around the house. She will hide things and remember exactly where she's hidden them. "Emily where are my keys?!?...Oh you've hidden them nicely inside your bin of blocks."

Emily KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. She'll let you know too. Whether it's demanding MILK or telling poor Minnie where she can and cannot sit, Emily thinks she is in charge.

Emily is BEAUTIFUL. I'm still amazed by her. I love all of her tiny features. I just stare at her!

Emily is SNUGGLY. Sometimes.... When she's sleepy or upset she just wants to be held. I soak up all of those cuddles.

Emily is VERBAL. She talks a lot! Sometimes we have no idea what she is saying an other times we know exactly what it is. This morning she told me her baby was happy because it's morning lol.

Emily....
Dislikes all songs except The Morning Song (which I made up), 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, and The Finger Family song. This means that at bed time instead of singing lullabies I sing these songs. If I try to sing anything else she shouts at me to stop.

Loves to eat. She eats a lot of different things. I'm so glad she's not too picky.

Can be really shy but also want a lot of attention.

STILL holds her breath when she gets upset. I really would like this to stop =(

Loves her baby dolls more than any other toy.

She is absolutely amazing in every way and I can not wait to see what the next year has in store for her. I just hope it doesn't sneak up so fast!!!

She's not yet two...

And yet when I look at her this voice shouts she's two! She's two! And it just won't shut up. I don't want her to be two yet. I'm not ready for it. I wasn't ready for her to be one either, but that happened anyway. I think it's harder than when Noah was a baby because she is it. The same voice that shouts she's two also shouts there are no more! Don't get me wrong. I  am completely content with our family of four. We are certainly done. It's just hard letting go of the baby stage. When I rock her I think when will be the last time I rock her? How will I know? How will I seal it in my mind? I was so sad when we gave her the last bottle she would ever have and yet I don't remember that actual last time. 

She changes so much everyday. I swear sometimes she grows over night. She is less and less my baby and more and more a toddler. A toddler with distinct likes and dislikes. A toddler with attitude. A toddler with so much energy I don't know how I keep up. She has switched from favoring my husband to choosing me most of the time. I like to think she knows that I'm the one who is having a tough time accepting her impending two-ness. Maybe somehow she senses it and knows I need more snuggles. 

I just sit and watch her sometimes. She brings me so much joy. Her laugh is contagious. When it's bedtime and I'm rocking her sometimes she'll put her face close to mine. Her nose will touch mine. She'll laugh and laugh and then neither of us want it to be bedtime anymore. Children change so quickly! Blink and you'll miss something. Her birthday is getting closer and closer. Two just seems so big to me! I still have some time though. 


She's not yet two...

Reasons my toddler just can't even....

Emily is mad because:

1. She's done eating and decides to throw food on the floor. The dogs rush over to eat it. Commence melt down. The dogs can't have it just because she clearly doesn't want it anymore.

2. She can't fit into places she REALLY needs to fit into. For instance the house shown below. Total tantrum because she could not sit inside it.

3. The dogs are playing with THEIR toys that are in THEIR toy bin. No excuses. All dog toys will be played with by Emily first and then when she's ready she will hand them over to the dogs. Or so she thinks.

4. She doesn't want me to hold the bag of snacks. She wants it. She's totally responsible enough for this.

5. She is not able to handle the responsibility and the snacks have spilled everywhere.

6. She REALLY needs to hold a baby wipe. Like now! Why won't the container come open. She promises she won't put it in her mouth like the other 7,000 times before.

7. She put the baby wipe in her mouth and has now lost baby wipe holding privileges.

8. The dogs had to go outside. This obviously happens many times a day. She wants them inside where she can see them at all times.

9. No one understands her baby/caveman grunts and hand gestures, although she is clearly requesting to go outside, eat a snack, take a bath, and watch Sesame Street all at the same time. Duh!

10. Someone is touching or breathing on something that belongs to her.

11. She needs to hold the water bottle. NO! With the top off! She won't spill it or dump it on the ground.

12. She pours it out... Now she needs another one because this one is broken.

13. We've given her the fake remote. This is not the one mom!!! This one does nothing! Do you think I don't know the difference!?!

14. I'm going to change her diaper, hence the hiding under the crib.

15. Someone closed the fridge before she had time to examine all of the contents.

16. Someone closed the pantry before she was able to pull out all of her favorite snacks, beg to have some, and then not eat one single bite.

17. The puppy won't sit with her.

18. No one knows why. Maybe because life as a one and a half year old can be too much sometimes and Emily just cant even...

What parenting a toddler is like.

While I gave our new puppy a quick bath in the sink Emily notices she can't see the action. She begins loudly expressing her unhappiness about this situation. Calmly telling her I would show her the puppy in a minute didn't help. Out of anger she began tugging on my pants. My stretchy yoga never go to yoga pants. I can't let go of the puppy because she'll run all over the counter and my hands are wet. So there I am pant-less, in the kitchen, bathing a wiggly puppy, while a screaming toddler clings to my leg. Yep. parenting a toddler is just like that.

It's like raking leaves in a tornado most days. What are you doing tiny person? Why are you so messy? Why are you sticky? We haven't even eaten anything sticky today. Of course there are calm sweet moments but the crazy stress you out times are the ones I laugh at most....because you really just have to.

Emily appears to want cheese in the picture above. She crawls to the fridge every time it is open and snatches a cheese stick. Then she throws a fit because she wants it open. She wants it on her tray. She wants cheese!!!! But not really. After all the fit throwing and demanding the cheese sits on her tray never to be touched. She used to love cheese. I feel like she's doing this on purpose, to mess with my head some.

Emily expresses anger through licking. Yes. Licking. When she's mad she will lick the floor, the fridge, the cabinets, the couch, whatever is closest to her. I've never heard of a kid doing this. I guess it's better than biting?

I like to think I'm the boss but deep down I know she is. I wake up when she wakes up. I eat when she eats. If she wants to play we play. I'm just soaking up all of her crazy toddler moments because soon they'll be gone. She's already not a baby anymore. Time goes by way too quickly.