Approaching 2

We seem to be in a transitional time these days, though I suppose all the time is transitional as Callie grows and changes.

But somehow, since I went to back to work, things have been changing a lot.

1) Bumps and Bruises.  My friend Casey always told me about how her daughter Ciri fell down a lot and now I know what she meant.  Lately Callie always seems to find a way to hit her head on something.  Seriously.  It seems like it happens all the time (falling to the floor, running into a kitchen drawer, etc).  Case in point- she face planted on the sidewalk when walking to the park yesterday.  Yay for goose eggs.

2) Lots and Lots of Words.  Her vocabulary is growing in leaps and bounds by the minute.  She is quick to point out everything she sees (always putting an "a" in front of the word), especially in the car.  "A BUSH!!!!!" (bus),  "A CHOO CHOO!!!!!" (light rail)   "A PANE!!!!!" (plane), "CAW CAW!!!!!" (bird).  We're working on colors now and she is THISCLOSE to mastering them.  I'll get a good video soon.

3) POOP.  If we had a dollar for every time she has said "POOP" the past few days, we'd be rich.  Or at least be able to pay for the $30 portable potty we went to Babies R Us to buy.  Thirty dollars?  For a little potty?  It seems ridiculous, but whatever.  You may be thinking that we're jumping the gun, but her fascination with poop and the potty has grown like crazy.  In fact, when I got home from taking Kona for a walk over the weekend, I walked into to this scene:

So maybe we'll get lucky and she'll be an easy potty trainer like my sister Laura was.  All my mom needed was 4 hours and some M&Ms.

4) Increasing independence. Her need to do things on her own is becoming constant.  It is good, but hard for me to let go the control I'm used to.  Especially when she asserts her independence when eating really messy foods and refusing to wear bibs.  And the F-R-E-A-K-I-N-G out if we don't let her do things on her own.  Whew.

5) Meltdowns.  As I alluded to in #4, toddler meltdowns and temper tantrums are becoming a regular thing.  She knows what she wants (and what she doesn't) and has no trouble showing it.  Even if it means throwing herself on the ground and screaming.  Or arching her back in the car to try and avoid getting buckled in and screaming.  Or what Daddy got to experience today: screaming for no good reason in the tunnel at Underwater Adventures at MOA.  I got this in my email inbox at work today from Chris after a particularly trying afternoon:


6) Sleep.  And by sleep, I mean less of it.  We were so spoiled the first 18 months of her life.  She has always been a great sleeper.  And, up until recently, she would go to bed at 8pm and sleep til 8am no problem.  Now she wakes up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed anywhere between 5:30 and 6:30am...and we, her parents, are the opposite of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at that time in the morning.  We lay there and listen to her "blah blah blah" away in the crib, and no longer does going in and putting in the passy work to get her back to sleep.  No longer does going in and giving her a bottle work to put her back to sleep.  She's just up, and so then, are we.

7) Little Girl.  I don't know how it happened, but when I look at her I don't see my baby any more.  She is my little girl.  She can still melt my heart with a single look or hearing the word "Mom" from across the room.  She loves to give hugs and kisses now, in addition to the usual high fives and bumps.  Her personality is hilarious...she is so playful and smart.  Her brain is constantly going, learning, soaking the world up like a sponge.

So, as we gingerly advance in to the 2-year-old realm (and all that I've heard it entails), I continue to be thankful for the little family we have created, and all those who love and support us.