Oliver Frank at 2 years

2 year olds are truly some of the best people! They're opinionated, energetic, cuddly, and FUN. Oh, and they're often loud and sometimes disobedient. There's that :) 

•  You’ve grown up soooo much the last few months! You’re chubby face isn’t *quite* as chubby and your leg rolls that I love love love to squish aren’t as squishable anymore.

{18 months}

• You have so many teeth, but no 2 year molars yet. Fingers crossed, they arrive before your new sibling does in January 😉 

• Food is your love language! “Nack, nack, nack” is something I hear 27 times per day and you really CAN put the food away. Based on what you eat now, I can only imagine how much you’ll eat 10 years from now! Raisins, cheese sticks, fruit, broccoli, green beans and chicken are some of your favorites. “Bite, bite, bite” is what you say to anyone with food…because *everyone* should share their food with you!
• You love books--all books! Some of your current favorites are the little blue truck books, books with cars and tractors, animal books and elmo books (of course!)
•  Oliver Frank, there’s no shortage of words from you! You mimic a good many things we say (and sometimes, it’s funny what you repeat!). Speaking of words, you’re SO LOUD. You call your sister “Mae mae” and I melt just a little bit every single time I hear it! 
• You're my child with seasonal allergies, but that doesn't stop us from getting outside! We couldn't keep you inside even if we wanted to! 

If the garage door is opened, you'll find Oliver right here 

• You wore the same shirt to pumpkin festival that you wore last year—an adorable, brown, 12 month shirt with a tractor on it. There are perks to having runt-children and being able to wear clothes for more than a few months is definitely one of them!

• Sweet Boy, you’re our entertainer! You manage to make people laugh wherever we go and will often jump, laugh or say “hi guys” to get people’s attention. 

At the fair...July 2018 {scowling at Uncle Jeremy}

• You are determined to “fix” things around the house, using various tools and other objects. You recently removed one of the register covers (using your screwdriver), then proceeded to raise it over your head and beat on the window. I quickly put a stop to that, so you immediately flipped over your dump truck and proceeded to beat on the tire. Daddy is VERY hopeful that your Mr. Fix It little self will be put to good use someday! :) 

• You’re sleeping in a crib and we plan to keep it that way for as long as possible! You’re very attached to sleeping with a thin blanket. You snuggle into your bed, cover you up and you say "night night". I'm just hear to say that it sounds a little cuter every single night! 

• You’re a reckless little climber and don’t possess a healthy dose of fear! I'm thrilled (and a little surprised) that we made it to your 2nd birthday without stitches or any knocked-out teeth. 

• A couple of weeks before your 2nd birthday, you came down with pneumonia AND your 1st ear infection (a double ear infection, at that). Thankfully, you recovered quickly--amazing what steroids, an antibiotic and around-the-clock neb treatments can do! 
• For your birthday, you got a basketball hoop and it has been quite the hit. I don’t want to forget how you say “almost” every time you miss a basket or how you hold your arms straight up in the air when you make a basket (and say “basket” in your little voice). 

•  You’re definitely in denial in regard to your coming sibling. When we say “Where’s the baby?” You point to yourself and say “me baby”. You don’t like it when the baby moves when you’re sitting on my lap and will point at my belly and say “nooooo”. 

• At 2 years old, you’re wearing 12 month, 12-18 month and 18 month clothes, as well as size 5 & 6 shoes. You tip the scales at 22 pounds and 3 ounces and 31.75 inches tall, both 3^rd percentile. 

Love always, 

 Mama

Eleanor Mae at 3 years

Our Pretty Princess turned THREE in July and I’m still in denial. It’s true what they say about kids growing up—don’t blink! Here’s what I want to bottle up and remember about this age: 

• You love peanut butter, goldfish, bacon, macaroni and cheese, popcorn, anything sweet and chick fil a. You can eat more than your weight in popcorn!
  
  
  
• You’re pottytrained! As with every transition, you didn’t do this willingly! (Mama learned a few things along the way: trying to pottytrain too early is just a nightmare! First kids really are guinea pigs!)
• You love love love to help…cooking and mixing, unloading silverware, putting away towels, putting your clothes (and everyone else’s!) in the hamper, lining shoes up by the door and on and on it goes. You’ve turned into such a big girl these last few months.
• Hazel goes everywhere with us. You prefer to take Hazel, Hazel’s blanket, Hazel’s bottle AND a purse filled with bracelets and bouncy balls everywhere we go, buuuut 2 toddlers + alllll the things isn’t usually a good combo! So we compromise and Hazel goes with us, while the rest of it stays at home 😉
  
• Daddy calls you “the little stepstool girl” because your little fold-up step stool is never far from you. It makes you JUST tall enough to reach things on the back of countertops. 

  

  Speaking of Daddy, he took this picture of one of your first times on the big girl swing and it's one of his favorites

• You adore kitties/cats and hearing you stand on the front porch saying “meow, meow, meow” while waiting for your kitties to come is one of my favorite things right now
• I took you to the dentist when you were 26 months old. Thankfully, you were most cooperative--proof that our practicing DID help!
• Just a couple months after your 2nd birthday, we were forced to transition to a toddler bed because you repeatedly climbed out of your crib. Fortunately, you knew we don't mess around with bedtime, and it went better than I anticipated!
• I'm sooooo happy to say you're still taking an afternoon nap (most of the time, at least!) Speaking of sleep, you always have owlie and blankie to sleep.

  

  You were the most adorable flower girl in Cole & Alison's wedding...April 2018

• Your 2 year molars FINALLY came in—shortly *after* you turned 2.5. Thank goodness we have a break from teething for a while!
• You adore "Bubba" and definitely watch out for him. You *flattened* another toddler who intentionally knocked over your brother at storytime. You’re QUITE bossy with your brother and tattle on him, even though you don’t say very many words. 
• You spent 5 days in Florida with Grams in February. To say you had fun is truly an understatement! :)
• You did 4 months of a gymnastics/jazz class on Tuesday evenings (January-April). It took a few weeks for you to “warm up” to this class, but you ended up really enjoying it! Aaaaaaand Daddy participated more than he’d ever admit 😉 
  
• Sweet Girl, you’re left handed, like your mama. You kept us guessing for a while, but I do believe you’ve decided to do things with the hand that makes the most sense! 😉
• You got another haircut shortly after your birthday because we couldn’t deal with the mullet hair any longer. Your little bob is super cute. You can’t stand it when your hair is in your face!
• You wake up early when we travel. Our traveling typically involves central time aaaaaand 7am to you is 6am everywhere else we go. Have I ever mentioned that I don’t even like my own children before 7 in the morning?! #notreallykidding 

  

  She IS a cute early riser!

• You’ve become rather affectionate lately and we’re eating it up! Finally, you’ll give hugs (and even kisses, if we’re *really* lucky). You love love love to hold Bubba’s hand whenever possible.
• You call allllll lego people “Daddy”…even the girl ones. Daddy is still your favorite person 😊
• Checking the mail is a big hit with you…probably because Pops and Grams send you packages!
• Hazel, Owlie, and your blankie go in your bed with you every night. You’d prefer to have 4 or 5 babies, 3+ stuffed animals, 6 blankets, a pair of shoes, slippers, and at least 2 pairs of sunglasses in your bed…and I’m not kidding.
• You’re still a little lady of few words, but you don’t have a shortage of opinions! You’re quite capable of expressing what you do (and do NOT) want.

  

  At the fair...July 2018

• You’re obsessed with babies, Eleanor Mae AND you’re pretty good at spotting them. I hope you love your new sibling as much as you seem to love the babies we pass at walmart!
• Your version of a run consists of you swinging your arms at least twice as fast as your legs are moving. It’s hilarious and I’ll be sad when you outgrow this run someday.
• You’ve been our tiny, mighty little girl from the very start and some things never change. You weighed 22 pounds and 8 ounces a few days after your 3^rd birthday. You’re 33 inches tall and wearing size 5 shoes. (It goes without saying that you didn’t make the chart at the pediatrician’s office, but you’ve continued to make your own little curve—far away from anyone else’s. It only seems right that even your GROWTH would be on your terms!)

Love always, 
 Mama