Just Before 2

Lily will be TWO in 9 days! I can't even believe it.

Here are some things she is doing before two years old. She amazes me and I think she just might amaze you too.

Here we go...

1. Lily talks all the time and says so many things. She can repeat anything but, her own language has just exploded. She tells me about things that pop in her head. My dad asked me what all she says. It's really not a list that can be made because she just talks, very similar to you or I talk. Her pronunciation is near perfect. Some of the words she says surprise me at how perfect she can say them. Take for example we have an aunt named Marilyn. When I was little I couldn't say Marilyn so I said Mare Mare. Lily says Marilyn perfectly. She has trouble with her c's. Coffee is hoffee. But, I just find that adorable. While she can say her name perfectly, for love she says hove.

2. She counts...1,2,3 and sometimes 4 and then she skips to 6, 7, 8, 9. If you ask me she is brilliant! She even recognizes how many 1, 2, and 3 actually are. Like if she has 2 crackers she will count them...1,2.

3. She sings her a,b,c's.

4. She knows multiple songs. She is randomly singing a new song around the house. She must get them stuck in her head.

5. She loves reading books more and more and she has such a love for books that she will read and read and read all night long if we let her. We try to limit it to 3 books before bed. She has her favorites and she cycles through them and every time we introduce a new books that becomes her new favorite. She has yet to dislike a book. I'd say her favorite, favorite books are Froggy Learns to Swim and Honey Bunny Funny Bunny.

6. She's really into watching movies these days. Her favorite movie was Finding Nemo, of which she refers to as Fish. We finally convinced her to watch some others and she now likes Cars, Ratatouille, Up, a long with Finding Nemo.

7. She's really getting into teasing. The other day she had my keys and was sucking on them. I told her that was gross. She looked at me, smiled, and said, "Num num!"

8. She's starting imaginative play. She likes to play with baby dolls. She will try to change their diaper, she will put them to bed and say Night, night, then pretend to snore. The snoring is adorable! The other night she even bent down, low to the floor so her baby could walk and her and her baby walked across the length of our playroom. This is maybe a bit awkward but, I thought it was funny. We were changing her diaper and she lifted her shirt to see her "boobies" and then tried to nurse on herself. She kept bending her head down to reach but, couldn't and said, "Nurse, num num." I guess that is a sign of extended (or perhaps too long) nursing.

9. She's starting to understand the word ending -ing. She says running and walking. The other day she was pulling the trash can around the kitchen and called it trashing.

10. She HATES brushing her teeth. It drives me crazy! It's a fight every.single.day.

11. She's adorable in every way. Except for the major temper tantrums and screaming fits that have begun. Sometimes she will scream for 20 minutes. I know for some parents that doesn't seem long but, it's long for her, it's long for us. She also walks around saying, "Hit, Mama." or "Hit, Dadda." I can't stand that. She also says, "Move it." Can't stand that one either. Oh the things she learns in pre-school. Yup, that's right. She graduated to the next class at school and is now, officially, in pre-school.

12. She's started potty training in a very small way. At every diaper change she is given the opportunity to use the potty. She has yet to actually go in the potty but, she enjoys sitting on the potty. One time I asked her if her potty was coming so, now she stares down and asks, "Coming?" It's kinda funny. Soon, we will just jump right in and let her go at potty training full force. I think I will do that over winter break and see what happens. She is ready, we are just trying to go nice and easy.

That's really all I can think of. I don't think we will be doing a party this year. Just our immediate family for dinner and dessert.