Mallory–TWO!

Mallory Rae is now two!  When you ask her how old she is she says “be two in June”.  She heard us tell so many people that she was going to be two in June that she started saying it.  She tries to hold up two fingers, but she has a hard time holding down the other three fingers.

For her birthday I took her swimming after supper.  After swimming we went to watch K (our Nanny’s daughter) in her ballet recital.  Mally sat there and watched those girls dance the whole time.  She even started dancing in my lap.  I’m thinking some dance classes are in her future.  : )  The next morning K brought all her dance stuff and I showed K where Mally’s tu-tu skirts were and they dressed up and danced.  ADORABLE!!  I showed the Nanny how to run my camera – but she didn’t take any pictures of them.

We had a little cake on her birthday at lunch time with K and Mrs. C.  That is what these pictures are from.  Please excuse the dirty highchair… that would be tomato soup everywhere!  : )

Some highlights of her at two:

~ Talking.  This girl pretty much talks as anyone else would.  She talks sentences.  She can ask questions.  She can tell me her wants/needs.  The other day she was telling me about “decorations” how she knows the word and meaning of decorations I will never know.  I still feel like she talks pretty clear and is easy to understand.

~ Singing.  She loves to sing songs.  She has so many songs memorized it is crazy.  She knows: Twinkle Little Star; BINGO; E-I-E-I-O; Five Little Speckled Frogs; Ring ‘Round the Rosie; I’m a Little Tea Pot; ABC Song; and I’m sure I’m missing a few.  I started walking at night and I hook my Ipod up to the stroller and I usually play Sugarland and I caught her one night singing along to one of the songs!!   

~ When I ask her to count she counts like this: 1-2-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12.  I try so hard to get her to say 3 and 4, but she always skips them.

~ She doesn’t officially know her colors yet – but she is getting there.  When I ask her what color something is – she always tells me “green”.  But if she has something green she will say “this is green momma”. 

~ She is having a little more trouble listening and following directions.  She is starting to visit time-outs a little more then she use to.  : )

~ Potty Training.  We are in the thick of potty training.  Jesse and I finally got her to go one night – it was a team effort.  So I put her in pull ups and we went out side to plant the garden, came back in and were playing toys and she said “momma go potty” we went to the bathroom and she went!  It was unbelievable!  I was thinking this is going to be the easiest with her.  And well… no.  : )  We are still training.  She runs around in a pull-up most of the time (when we are home) and she is starting to tell me when she has to go – not every time though.  She also can’t sit on the potty unless all the clothing and accessories are removed from the lower half of her body.  No pants.  No shoes.  No socks.  I fear the moment we have to use a public restroom and she refuses to leave her shoes on!  ICK!

~ The art of stalling.  She has learned the art of stalling.  The other night she didn’t want to go bed.  I asked her (like I do every night before bed) if she had to go potty.  She told me she did.  So we sat there and sat there.  I asked her if she was done and she told me no.  Hmm… you are messing with me now.  : )  She just didn’t want to go to bed.

~ She sings songs when she gets really sleepy.  And she blends songs together when she is in this state.

~ She needs lots of mommy time lately.  I’m not sure if it is because of Maxwell or just a phase for her.  But she is extra snuggly – and she never was a snuggler before.

~ Sleep is overrated.  She always use to sleep until 8 most mornings and now (since Max was born) she is up around 6… sometimes sooner!  I won’t even be out of bed yet and she is climbing in bed with me saying “momma get up”.  Sometimes I can get her to lay down with me and go back to sleep for a bit.  She is still a great napper though – and takes a good couple hour nap each day.