Riley you are two and a half years old!
It's official.
Everyone...and I mean everyone, thinks you're older.
You're tall.
You have lots of hair.
And, you talk pretty well too.
You're already wearing size 3T. Not everything is 3T, but enough. You have a long torso and small waist.
You have big feet. You wear size 7 - and maybe, soon 8. Who knows!
You're definitely over 3' tall and probably somewhere around 30 lbs.
You're a big girl now - no baby here!
We've started potty training and you're doing awesome.
We've had our challenges too - with accidents and messes, but that's to be expected.
Overall, you're making progress and you are so proud of yourself. (And we are very proud of you!)
When you are sitting on your potty you shout, "look I'm peeing!" It's quite funny.
You are still in your crib.
You love your crib. And you still go to sleep really well. You sleep about 11 hours each night. And you nap a couple hours every day too.
Eventually, you'll be in a big girl bed - and eventually, you'll be out of diapers while sleeping but for now we're taking our time with it all.
We took the baby gate off our stairs - and you walk up and down them like a pro!
You still love to run, skip, jump and play.
You are Miss Active. Always on the go. Always moving. Always wiggling.
You like music - singing and dancing. Though, you are shy about it at times too.
You like kids - love playing with other children. Even the older boys who are wild at the playground. You keep up with them!
You're tough. You rarely cry or fuss when you fall; get knocked over by others, or pushed. You're very brave.
You do love to whine though. We're trying to talk you out of it by using your "normal" voice.
You love watching your "shows." Oops. Is that good or bad? We do limit your TV watching though, for sure. One or two short shows a day is plenty.
You play with many toys but would honestly rather run around outside than sit inside playing with a toy.
You love your sandbox, chalk, bubbles, balls, and tricycles.
You love taking "walks" outside with us. We walk around the neighborhood gathering goodies on our adventures. The other day our porch was covered with acorns and pine cones that you collected.
You are a snack eater. Holy moly. Constantly asking for a "crunchie" or raisins, etc. I try to limit them for when we're out shopping or in the stroller on a walk/jog.
You love to bake with me. We've made cookies, muffins, brownies and a cake together.
You love going on Mommy's iPad to watch videos of your cousin, Jackson. He makes you laugh!
You love talking about all of your family - even those who are far away and we rarely see.
You are an animal lover. You love cats and dogs, especially.
You even love your stuffed animals. Always hugging them (and sometimes throwing them).
You have to be tucked in every single time we put you down for sleep. You have to have your animals in your arms and your "blankies" just right. You won't let us leave the room until you are situated perfectly. You fall asleep listening to music.
You give the best hugs and kisses! You aren't really a snuggler though - too wiggly for that.
You love when Daddy is home and you love when Hannah and Emillie come over too!
You are a big helper. Always wanting to help!
You are kind of bossy. You tell Daddy and I to "stop it" and you say "can you please not do that?" Ha ha. It's funny but hopefully this is short lived.
You love Tater, our cat. He puts up with you but he's not affectionate. You chase him around and bug him so much - he tolerates you. He's starting to let you pet him sometimes too...finally!
You still eat really well. I never worry if you are getting enough food. Ever. You are picky with some things but overall, I can't complain.
You love corn dogs. I bought them once and it's funny because if I ask what you want to eat (no matter what time of day) you say "corn dog!"
You brush your teeth and wash your hands like a big girl - standing on a step stool.
You get dressed by yourself pretty much - sometimes you need our help still with shoes or if a shirt is on backwards but for the most part, you handle it.
You talk all the time. With us, anyway. In public you can be more shy and quiet but usually it's because you're too busy doing something else. You'd rather move and run around than sit and talk. But at home - you talk. A lot.
You say the prayer "God is good, God is great, and we thank Him for our food" before we eat. You love saying it for us!
You love books, still. We went through a short phase of you having to read the books before bed. Now, you are asking me to do it again. Many times you want me to read it and then you read it afterwards. It's so cute listening to you interpreting a story.
You like to run. Sometimes you imitate the way we jog...with your hands and arms folded in - it's funny.
You are a copy cat. This is the age for it. You repeat us, mimic us, and follow us.
You still have an occasional tantrum but it's slowed down so much (thank you, Lord).
You do still test us and we're always counting. You know that at "3" you're in time out or something is taken away, etc. So far, counting works!
You are independent. You don't need Mommy or Daddy around you at all times. Often, you run away from us and don't look back. It's scary when out in public.
You do have a problem with listening. Again, it's the age. But we're constantly asking you to listen. "You need to listen!" is all I say sometimes.
You're serious, stubborn, intense, and strong willed. You keep us on our toes!
You're also very smart, sweet and loving. And, silly. Yes, you are a major goof ball.
You say nice things and your smile is contagious. I love when you say "Mommy, you look so pretty" when I just rolled out of bed. Or you say "good job, Mommy!" when I'm done using the potty. Or, when you randomly say "I love you, Mommy." It's all very sweet and encouraging - please keep this up. Forever.
My life has forever been changed, for the better, since you came along.
I've learned a lot about myself - and I've realized I too am not laid back (just like you) and that patience is a weakness of mine.
Being a mom is so challenging but so rewarding too. It's not always easy but you really complete us.
Daddy and I are so happy with you and love you deeply. You're our little "bug" and you always will be.
Happy two and a half years old, Riley!
Love,
Momma
aka
