2 Years

Two! For some reason two just seems so much older than one. In some ways it's hard to believe it was already two years ago that we were anxiously awaiting her arrival, and in other ways, it feels like yes, it was definitely two years. She has grown up so much, especially the past few months, and is definitely a true toddler now!











2 Year Stats:
Weight: 24 lbs. 3 oz. (18%) Switch from WHO to CDC charts at this appointment
Height: 31.75" (7%)
Head: 19.66 (96%)
Teeth: 16
Words: Pretty much says everything! She still has some of her "own" words: bapa (grandpa), dama (grandma), yum (one), I you (I love you), mayme (maybe), curcl (turtle), ship shops (flip flops)
Potty trained!

Favorites:
Foods: fruit & veggies are still tops! Pasta, Chick-fil-A, steak, avocado, shredded cheese, raisins, applesauce pouches, tacos or anything in a tortilla shell!
Books: Go, Go, Go, Stop!, Franklin and the Thunderstorm, Giraffes Can't Dance, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, non-fiction
Things to do: read, go anywhere: MyGym, museum, library, friends' houses, play with play-dough, dump and pour things, take care of her babies
Loves: animals, stuffed animals, stickers, puzzles, putting things in and out, zipping and unzipping, bubbles

Definitely her biggest leap in the last 6 months has been in speech. Just after 18 months, she said her first two word phrase (all done: aaaahhhh dah) and learned her colors (albeit oh, buh, eh, du: green, yes, purpu) and quickly moved on to babbling constantly with a few words with ending sounds: up and help (19.5mo). Around 20 months, she started referring to herself in the 3rd person (Em, Emma), using more words in their entirety, and putting a few words together (brit: bring it, help broken). She also began telling stories word by word until someone helps her complete the story (her favorite was the story about Dad kicking the duck out of the play room upstairs). She quickly started putting 2-3 words phrases together: "I sit", "need help", "where are you" (21-22mo), and after her first sentence: "I see a bird" (23 mo), there was no stopping her. She learns words so quickly and now at 2 says almost everything correctly. She consistently puts together 5+ word sentences and is starting to use prepositions and tenses correctly. We are still working on the pronouns (you, I, yours, mine are often mixed up), and she still struggles with the beginning sounds of f (sh), g (d), v, z. She echoes everything, but I often find her using those new words in different contexts later, so it's not just echoing!  Overall, though, she really doesn't stop talking these days and is always narrating what she's doing or retelling a story (usually one that's from so long ago it takes me forever to figure out what she's talking about!) She also has an amazing memory and can fill in pretty much any missing word of a story that you've read only a couple times!

Although we are reaching the 2s where "no" is becoming her favorite word and tantrums over the smallest thing ("I wanted flower underwear today, not pink ones") are not uncommon, overall she continues to be a sweet, curious, cautious child. Books are king, and we are certainly not complaining about that! In situations she's comfortable in, she talks up a storm and her sillies come out, but in unfamiliar situations, she is cautious and quiet, taking everything in from a safe distance.

She loves her baby dolls, and you can often find her giving them rides in the stroller, feeding them in her booster chair, or putting them to bed and telling them "I you!" She likes to make them cry and change their poopy diapers. I think she'll be a pretty great big sister! Animals of any kind are still a favorite--real ones and stuffed animals, which she now sleeps with a ton of!

As always, she needs less sleep than most kids her age, but we are settling in on her routine. She's gone through a few "regressions" these past few months, which I've realized are actually just that her sleep needs have changed. She wakes 6:15-7am, naps 12:45-1ish for 1.5-2 hours, and goes to bed at 7:30 (although she often doesn't fall asleep until 8:15-8:30). Poor girl had her first ear infection (20mo) that caused some pretty poor sleep for a while until we figured out what it was. After a reaction to penicillin (she looked like a measles patient), we finally got everything under control and back to normal! She also got her top two canines just before 21 months and her bottom two canines just before 22 months. Now we are just waiting on those two year molars!

Emmeline is independent and determined. Both great qualities, but they can lead to tantrums when she gets frustrated and wants to do it herself. She loves puzzles, and can do a 12 piece one all by herself (22mo)! She is very persistent and will do things over and over, especially building towers or houses (lining up like a train) with Duplo. She is a great helper, and still loves her chores, which now entail emptying the dishwasher, setting the table, and putting her clothes in the hamper. She also has a nice new stool that Daddy made so that she can help make meals and cook!
 
Around 23 months we started potty training, and she is officially trained (except at nighttime when she still wears a diaper). She was interested around 18 months, and around 22 months she started asking to be changed after pooping and peeing, so I knew it was time. She caught on super fast, and although had several weeks of a pee accident almost every day, now she wears big girl underwear and is so proud to keep them dry, even during nap time!

What a year, and we can't wait to see how much she learns and grows in the next year!