23 Months

Little Peanut,

This has been possibly your best month yet!  This is your last month as a one year old and I am trying to cherish every moment we have left!  Things have been going really well this month and I am feeling extremely blessed.  Mommy is feeling a lot better (still nauseous and throwing up from time to time, but much better), your little sister is growing perfectly (already half way through the pregnancy), and you have become a champion sleeper!  You are sleeping 12-13 hours at night and 1.5-2.5 hours for naps.  AMAZING!  You have never been a good napper, so this is truly a miracle, especially after last month where you had all but given up on napping.  I am trying to enjoy every second, as I know it most likely won't last.  But all that sleeping has made you so pleasant to be around!  Instead of being cranky in the evenings, you are smiley and energetic.  What a wonderful change of pace!

Your schedule right now:
7:30 or 8am - Wake up, Breakfast
10am - Snack
12pm - Lunch
1:15pm - Nap
2:45ish - Wake up (I always leave you for a full 1.5 hours no matter what, but lately you have been sleeping for close to 2 hours! Thank you!)
3:30pm - Snack
6pm - Family Dinner
6:30pm - Playtime with Daddy
7pm - Bedtime routine
7:30pm - In bed 

There are two major transitions that are fast approaching that are making Mommy very nervous.  At some point we are going to have to move you into a toddler bed and eventually you will have to be potty trained!  AHHHH!  I am so worried about those two major changes!  Part of me just wants to put them both off for another year, but another part of me wants to just get them both over with.  What to do, what to do?

You are a still a champion eater, although I do think you might be slowing down a bit.  The other day I took you out to lunch to Honey Baked Ham and one of the workers there couldn't believe how well you did.  She asked me how old you were and when I told her, she was shocked.  She said she has a child the same age and they are always forced to eat at fast food restaurants where they have a playground.  She couldn't believe that you would sit so nicely and not whine once.  It was a good reminder for Mommy of how blessed we are to have such a well behaved little girl!

You are saying the funniest things these days and have learned that saying, "Please Mommy/Daddy?" will get you anything you want!  It's just irresistible!  You have started saying "I love you Mommy/Daddy" without any prompting, which just melts our hearts!  When did you get so incredibly sweet?  A few other precious sayings - "Come wit (with) me Mommy" (as she grabs my hand), "Watch me Mommy", "Thank you Mommy", "Play all day", "Read this pease (please)", "Daddy, in the tent" (when she wants daddy to play in her tent), "I see baby Emma?" or "Morning Emma" (to my tummy).  You are still singing all kinds of songs (or at least trying to).   You can sing the Barney theme song word for word and your latest is the Alphabet Song, which you sing out of order ("ABC, ABC, QRS" etc.)  Precious!

You have recently started wanting me to hold you like a baby and sing to you.  It's the most precious thing!  We rock in the chair in your room and you just let me hold you while you request different songs - "Lullaby and Goodnight", "Rock-a-bye Baby", "Hush Little Baby".  Sometimes you let me hold you for several minutes, which is amazing.  You also went through a couple weeks of wanting to listen to lullaby music while we rocked you in your chair.  "Moosic" (music) you would say and then we would rock you for several minutes.  At one point we started doing this in the middle of night when you were waking up, hysterical.  This was probably not the best decision, as it wasn't an easy habit to break, but it was totally worth it!  Those were some of the best cuddling moments ever!

For the latter part of the month you were sick with a never-ending cold.  It started with a runny nose and slight fever and turned into an ear infection and croup.  Thankfully after a 10 day dose of amoxycillian, your nose has finally stopped running!   I sure do hate when you are sick, but I can't say that I don't love the extra cuddles.

Other 23 Month Stats:
- You still wear size 5 diapers day and night (overnight diapers at night)
- You still wear a size 7 shoe
- You still wear mostly 2T clothes, with a few 24 month and 3T things mixed in.  But it won't be long before all you can wear are 3T clothes.
- You weigh 29 pounds and are 34.5" inches

How can you possibly be one month away from 2 years old? Impossible! I love you more and more everyday!