Where has the time gone? Many days I actually ask myself, how is it only 10:30am??... and yet, here I sit two years after the greatest day of my life wondering where in the world the time has gone. Eleanor Michael Rector, you are a HOOT.... seriously, one of the funniest little ladies I have ever met. You are so incredibly beautiful and striking - your eyes simply take our breath away. You are vivacious and full of energy.... something that is already keeping us on our toes. You are just a blessing.... In an attempt to record the plethora of things you are doing / saying / accomplishing, this will be a random post (and I am sure I will continue to add to it).
*You know your full name and how old you are... it sounds like "Elenoo Michael Wectow", holy cuteness. When we ask you how old you are you hold up all 4 fingers and say "TWO!"
*You weigh about 22 pounds, fully clothed... hey, we will take it! You are wearing clothes that range from 6-18 months, size 3 diapers and size 3 shoes..... but you actually were in the 75% for height when we went to your 2-yr checkup! We have never seen a number that high for any statistic with you!!
*You are NOT interested in potty training.... a couple of months ago you taught yourself how to use the potty (of course you did) before your shower (you read that right, shower - no baths for this little missy) and would consistently go. Something switched in your brain though and you decided you are no longer up for that business. You tell us when you go, or are about to go, but never want to sit on that potty... I am sure its coming soon, but I won't rush it.
*You can count to 20 (minus 14, 16, 17!) and sing your complete ABCs.... as well as the most random songs on the planet. Literally, you are a sponge and music is the information you soak up.... your favorites are "Shine Jesus, Shine", "Hello, Hello", "Moves Like Jagger" (not kidding), "You are My Sunshine", "Father Abraham", "Waves of Mercy", "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", "Deep and Wide", "Rig a Jig-Jig", and "Happy Birthday".... I am serious when I say we only taught you Happy Birthday and Hello, Hello.... and I know there are more songs that you know, but this is all I can think of off the top of my head. Ridiculous.
*You are a PERFORMER. If you get a laugh, even one time, you have now found your new favorite activity. For example, on the jumperoo there is a music button and one time (about 2 months ago) you hit it and started dancing with your eyes closed... we laughed so hard and could not stop... well, there is not a DAY that goes by that you don't repeat this same situation at least once. And if someone is over... oh man, you will do it over and over again just knowing that you will get everyone in stitches.
*You are a Daddy's girl... I pretty much think you always have been, but now you are more than ever. There are multiple nights a week that you will wake up in the middle of the night just calling out for daddy to come and hold you. I mean, if that isn't the sweetest thing, what is?
*You are unbelievably verbal. When we went to your 2-year checkup, the doctor wanted to make sure you could at least string together a few words..... umm, not a problem. In fact, halfway through your appointment, he looked up at me and said "WOW.... does she talk this much EVERYday?" (Yes, Dr. Neely, she does......) I can literally have conversations with you like a would with a kid in kindergarten. Sure, you don't have the ability to reason fully... but I am pretty sure you know almost every word in the dictionary. You hear it once and it is in your brain and often, will come out in the correct context in a later conversation. Instead of sentences, you talk in paragraphs. Unreal.
*All of the sudden, you are a big girl. You often say "Let me do _____, mysels (myself)". We let you, but it typically means a bigger mess!
*You are still obsessed with Mickey Mouse (you are already talking about Disneyworld, what the what?!) and love watching it every morning or on the Ipad when we are on road trips... yikes.
*Still loving on that paci of yours... only when you are sleeping, but I fear that taking it from you (soon) will be quite the rough process.
*You are the WORST eater and we have the WORST poker faces about it. The only consistent things that you eat are Cottage Cheese and Hummus. You could eat them for every meal, somedays. Randomly, we will get you to eat english muffins with peanut butter, oatmeal, Tripper's vegetables (yes, baby food), chicken (of any kind) and fruit. You have no problem whatsoever with eating goldfish, graham crackers or fruit snacks. Fancy that. So, you are still on whole milk and multi-vitamins to make sure you are getting your nutrients... sigh.
*You still love yourself some sleep - 8pm-8am every night and you nap from about 1-4pm every day. You would definitely nap longer if I would let you, but I honestly feel guilty some days that you are asleep more than you are awake... good news is that if you are awake, you are playing HARD.
*Tripper is your very best friend... he is the first person you ask for every morning and after every nap. You tell him to watch you do everything (and he does!). You hug him a little too hard, want to hold him a little too often / too tight, and expect him to be able to do things that you can... it is so sweet but I have to remind you constantly that he is just a baby and to be gentle.
*You have learned what it means to be disciplined... you have your own timeout chair (and there are many times when you will put yourself in timeout when you know you have done something wrong) and you will set there (sometimes quietly and sometimes "fake" crying) until we come to get you. You immediately say sorry, give us hugs / kisses and most of the time go say sorry to whomever you offended.
*You have learned that we respond to Tripp because he cries... so you love to mimic this. Sometimes you seriously cry to get our attention, but most times you do this ridiculous fake cry trying to sound like Tripp so that we notice.... dramatic much?
*You love your friends, deeply. You are definitely TWO and do not know how to share or even be nice half of the time, but there is not a day that goes by that you don't go through your list of friends just asking me about them or "What is Lucy Kate doing, Momma?" (example). You can tell your friends are always on your mind, or that I am super boring!
*You went through a rough patch (about 21-24 months) where you did NOT like the church nursery... I mean, we were called out of the service almost every week. It was a mixture of a few things, but thankfully it seems to have diminished here in the past couple of weeks.
*You are currently cutting 5 teeth... I am pretty sure that when you get these that you will have all of them except your 2-year molars. We are just like a year behind, no biggie :).
*You Fs sound like Ss.... so when you want a french fry it sounds like a "sench ssy" or a frog is a "shog". Your Rs sound a little like Ws so your last name, to you, is "Wectow". I mean, I LOVE IT.
*You are really into cars - that sounds weird, but when we are driving you are constantly pointing out cars (makes/models) that our family and friends have. Seriously, whenever we see a Black or White Tahoe, you ask if it is Mindy or Josh. When you see a small black car, you ask if it is Grandpa or Katie. When you see a white truck, you ask if it is Daddy or PawPaw (you get the picture). Whenever we see a motorcycle, you always say "Grandpa has a motowcycle!"
*You have recently started to get a little shy around others when they first come in. If you are standing, you like to hug my leg and hide behind it.... I couldn't love anything more. It is so sweet to me and it seriously is one of my favorite things.
*You have started to get "booboos" and can seem to find them all over yourself at any given moment. About 5 times a day you will run up to me and say "Momma, I gots a booboo"... I will ask where it is and you will point to a random spot... then I'll give it a quick kiss and you always say, "Thanks, Mom (not Momma)" and run off. What in the world? I love it.
*You know that my name is Karen, that Daddy is BJ, DotDot is really just Dot and that Nanna is Donna. You make sure to call us by these other names, often.
*You love being "ousside" and your favorite is to slide, swing or "run too fast"...
I really could go on and on and on with more of the hilarious, precious, touching things you are doing right now... and I know at some point I will. But the truth of the matter is, that although you are a teeny little thing, you are no longer "little"... my baby is changing, growing into this beautiful, funny, charming, cunning, joyful little girl with every passing day. And I truly can't savor it enough..... I remember right after you were first born I was walking the mall with you and a man stopped to ask me how old you were... upon replying that you were only months old, he responded that his daughter was too, or at least it felt like she was must moments ago, and he had dropped her at college the week before. He told me not to blink, because I would be there before I knew it.... I laughed, but even now can blink a river of tears when I think how very true that statement was.
Yesterday I was just a high schooler, myself, dreaming about the man I would marry... the job I would have... the kids we would have.... and now you are here, you are TWO... and tomorrow you will be 18. Holy Smokes, I am a sentimental basket case, but Eleanor Michael, I FIERCELY love you. You and Tripper are my greatest joys, my biggest accomplishments, my undeserved favor and overwhelming blessings. There is not a DAY goes by that Daddy and I don't reflect on the goodness of the Lord to us... by granting us the opportunity to be your parents. We fail and mess up a lot, but our hearts desire is to love you, lead you and raise you well. Happy Birthday, precious girl. You are my littlest punkin bottom.
Comments