my dearest little girl (34 mos)

and the countdown for your birthday begins.  mom & grandma have been very busy preparing all your "birthday stuff".  and as always, i love everything to be handmade, personalized & unique.  [it's tiring & time consuming, but i'm doing it all for you.]

 

so what is up with you lately?  we're constantly reminding you to say please.  and thankfully, we have been hearing it more often than not.  we seldom hear you say YES but NO is pretty much your favorite word. you nod your head for approval or shake it otherwise. 

 

i reintroduced you to avocado & i'm so glad you loved it.  you like to jump - in the couch, in bed, in all the chairs, in the steps.  you like to receive coins & you place them in your piggy bank [which is half full already].  we taught you a couple of times to blow the candle, but you don't know how to do it until now.  surprisingly, you knew how to whistle right after you turned two.  however, you're good with blowing the straw in your cup.  [thank dad for the one time tutorial.]

everything in sight is "all mine" for you.  since you're the only kid in the house & no siblings to share your stuff with.  but if you're around other people, you are fine sharing anything.  [so i'm not worried about you getting selfish.] "pee-pee by myself", "jump by myself", "eat by myself", "put shoes by myself"..."i want to do it by myself" is your recurrent theme every single day.

one night, i asked you what you want for your birthday & you blurted out, "MONEY!" grandma & i were speechless. we expected you to say toys instead. was that just a random answer or where you thinking about your piggy bank?  we will never know what was in your mind when you said that. 

 

first official salon haircut

enjoying the last day of indian summer 

a closer look at momy's giant sunflower 

all the girlies in the house need to have a backpack

my dearest little girl (33 mos)

at two & three quarters...you're independent, observant, witty, strong willed, thoughtful, demanding, hyper, loud  & talkative.  [well, maybe kids your age are like this to some extent.]  as always, you're a constant joy to mommy, daddy & of course, grandma.

 

reasoning with you is a never ending battle.  [i think] a lot of times though you're merely testing if we will give in to your demands.  hopefully, this is just a phase. 

 

MCHS Employee Picnic @ Carson Park

birthday breakfast for dad

birthday weekend fishing with mom

@ birchwood

scared of the fish???

avery @ 33 months 

you'll be three soon & we're all looking forward to celebrate your birthday.

my dearest little girl (32 mos)

this month, a very big change happened for all of us.  mommy went back to work - full time.  i think you did much better with the transition than i did.  [maybe] separation anxiety for me? luckily, dad had some scheduled time off on my first week back to work.  so you & grammy had company all week long.

i bet you missed me a tad bit.  mommy misses you everyday for sure.  somehow, my daily pep talks with you have been very helpful.  you've adapted to the thought that "mom's going to work."

 

carousel ride with daddy @ the northern wisconsin state fair

 

sunflower field by county road H with mom

and grams  

my dearest little girl (31 mos)

our big girl avery - our one big ball of energy. we are certainly trying our best to keep up with you this days.

naps have been rare lately. however, the lack of it never slowed you down. your appetite for food is very consistent. breakfast is always your biggest meal of the day. snacks are very limited or none at all [unless we're not home for the day].

grandma's been teaching you a lot of filipino words & songs. you're catching on pretty quick [obviously]. i've yet to get a good video of you singing or talking in filipino.

pedicure time with mom

at phoenix park with mom & grandma

first bus ride

chippewa river by durand

avery @ 31 months 

my dearest little girl (30)

two & a half...is that you already? you've hurdled another important milestone. there's been so much going on with you all the time. everyday is always a surprise - new words, new songs, new tricks, new expressions.

this month, i heard you say "my mom", "my dad" & "my grandma". this meant a lot to me. you're beginning to learn the concept of ownership & possession. i'm actually glad you didn't learn this early on. [ask me why....]

jumping non-stop from one rock to the next at phoenix park

with mom & gram

my dearest little girl (29 mos)

 

two weeks ago, i decided to be more aggressive with your potty training. no more diapers at night & every time we leave the house. a handful of accidents in the process but overall you did great. you've been pretty good with pulling your undies/pants down all the time. i make sure i constantly remind you to go. i'm happy & proud to say you're finally potty trained. it was such a big accomplishment for all of us.

  

and grandma's finally back! since she arrived, you're talking non-stop, dancing & singing all your nursery rhymes. your dad & i are just amazed & surprised because you're such a big show-off.

opening fishing weekend at lake chetac.

my dearest little girl (28 mos)

you are officially 29 months old today. i got all my days mixed up. this was meant for yesterday. but it's just a day off, so no biggie.

your potty training has progressed. as long as we're home, you're very consistent. you still need help pulling down your undies [or sometimes you don't want to wear anything at all].

another funny [but somehow alarming] situation that happened this month...you heard us cursing. and of course you started saying it too! honestly, i was worried. you shouldn't be learning this but it's our fault. so sorry. when you blurt it out, we just ignore it. and thank goodness it only lasted for days! you haven't spoken any of those words until now. hopefully, it stays that way [bite our tongues].

B-I-N-G-O dance

my dearest little girl (27 mos)

 

it has been a very interesting month for you. everyday you learn a lot of new words, phrases & sentences. this time, you're starting to sing your nursery rhymes as well. [B-I-N-G-O; head, shoulders, knees & toes; twinkle, twinkle little star; i have two hands] and it's amazing to hear you sing the potty dance song even though you haven't seen it for long time.

also, you're following more instructions. returning your toys in the box; throwing garbage; mopping the floor; placing laundry in the hamper, closing the door.

you love mickey mouse clubhouse & barney. now, handy manny is your new favorite.

the tantrums? not so good. if you don't get what you want, then the crying & screaming starts. but mom & dad have come to learn the art of ignoring your bawling. i think it's paying off because after awhile, you just calm down & stop crying. this only happens at home though & never in public.

cuddles with dad after nap time

smiling & showing off those "toofers"

and finally, you started to go yesterday. mom & dad are so happy & proud of you.

my dearest little girl (26 mos)

"where did daddy go; where you going; what happened; what's that; what you doing?"

and there goes curious avery. you're going on & on & on - nonstop. you've mastered counting one to ten & singing your alphabets. these days you pick up words or phrases pretty quick. when you're amused, you say "hahaha, funny!" when you're finished with a chore, you say "yey, we did it!" that little mind absorbs a lot. you're a very inquisitive & observant girl. keep it up! mom & dad are so proud of you.

chillin with mom. plenty of hugs & tickles everyday.

look at your hand inside daddy's sleeve.

still no luck & progress with potty training.

my dearest little girl (25 mos)

it's 2012 & in 11 months you will be three! [i know] it's pretty early to think about your birthday [but i am.] it's just nice to plan things early on.

and how has the past month been for you? crazy...amazing! you're talking non-stop & really catching on to almost every word we say. you've mastered one to ten & almost halfway through the alphabets [you're still missing l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u,v]. most days, you're pretty good at following simple instructions. we've started potty training but you're uninterested [even though you watch the potty dvd & book].

another thing you learned this month...saying NO. it is a simple word but conveys a lot. honestly, i never wanted you to say this word at all. but i guess i'm just dreaming. i cringe every time you say it. and i've been hearing it quite often...no to food i'm giving you, no to potty, no to changing diaper, no to bath, no to sleep, no to doing what i tell you to do, no to watching tv, no to getting dressed, no to putting your shoes...endless no's all the time. you're a very head strong girl for sure. it's been a constant battle but i'm positive everything will turn out fine. your dad & i would even say YES, just to dispel & divert you from saying no.

it's one of those rare days when you get up the couch & take a nap on your own.

we baked butternut squash muffins yesterday.

it's nice to see you helping out. it just shows you're showing more interest in what i do.

i think you're more interested in the camera. you're even smiling here!

my dearest little girl (24 mos)

and you are two years old! everybody says "terrible twos". a lot of people resign to this misnomer, but i will not. i have always been optimistic - always looking on the bright side.

two is a wonderful time. you are definitely saying more words & understand what it means. you can follow simple instructions. you imitate sounds & actions. you have always been a very independent girl. you like to figure out things on your own & would never ask for our help. but this last few weeks, i finally heard you say "open, please."

everyday, your dad & i are learning a lot. yes, you are only two but we are so proud of you. each new word or action you learn; finishing your food or drinking your milk; & taking your first potty alone. it is an amazement & gives us delight. we know you are reaching a lot of milestones.

more adventures & more discoveries to come my little girly girl.

we visited the library today for the first time. you had a lot of fun in the play area. we will visit more often in the coming months.

and yesterday, dad took us in the nearby cornfield for snow sledding. unfortunately, the hill wasn't steep enough. so he ended up dragging us behind the atv. you enjoyed the ride & cried when i took you out of the sled.

my dearest little girl (23 mos)

well the last three weeks...mommy has been pretty busy planning & preparing for your birthday. and you have been a busy bee as well. all of a sudden, you're saying a lot of words. you're even singing "hap birtday..to woo" & counting "one, two...five,six,seven,eight,nine,ten". daddy even taught you to say the letter "W". {we're so amazed that you can actually say "W".}

you're second birthday party celebration was held at mcdonald's. you had a blast playing with everybody & tagging your birthday balloons around the play place.

my dearest little girl (22 mos)

where did summer go? warm days are over. but we got lucky this week. it got warm again after a cold september month.

we have been going to the Family Resource Center at the mall for four weeks now. your play group meets every wednesday morning. most of the kids are older than you. i noticed that you're still not used to playing/mingling with others. you always wander away & play by yourself. {hopefully you'll start to socialize more in the weeks to come}.

we had our dinner picnic at phoenix park today.

you just love getting your fingers in between the blocks. my cellphone has become your constant play toy when we're out & about.

thank goodness for strollers! i wouldn't leave our house without it. anytime you get fussy or sleepy i just strap you in it.

YOU WILL ALWAYS BE DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL.

and mommy's sidekick for life. =)