And she's 2!

I didn't realize how full our day was until I gathered all the pics and video. Her big party is on the weekend, but her day had to be special too. I think this chiquita is getting the idea behind this whole birthday thing!

2 year stats:

Height - taller than most of her friends.

Words -
The new addition is "mine" (not mami's favorite).
She says "pleeeeaaaase" with both eyes closed and her hands clasped in front of her.
She's also learning how to apologize - the words aren't there, but she gently pets your cheek if she's sorry.
She also has little Ripley-isms: Num-nummies = food. Beep beep = car.
The rest are a mix of one word spanglish. She'll string together things like "Mami no", "ready, set, go!" or "where'd he go?" but no full sentences yet.
Her favorite phrase: Where's grandpa?



Fave toys:
Mimi bunny - first thing that she's actually named.
Harmonica - and she's so good at it!
Any type of ball.
Any type of hat.
And the newly discovered baby doll.

Art:
Chiquita banana loves to color or paint or draw. Lately she's begun to copy what mommy does. Circles, straight lines, zig zags. It's one of our favorite activities.

Affection:
She's begun to hug and kiss her friends goodbye. It's too amazingly adorable.

Screen time:
Her first favorite movie was Hotel Transylvania. New faves include: The Lorax, Tinkerbell, Curious George, Caillou, Yo Gabba Gabba and Monster's Inc. She'll sit intently if she likes what's on - if she doesn't, the screen won't even grab her attention (sand for the boys when they're trying to watch their shows and she only wants them to play).

Music:
She loves everything! And she loves to have dance parties!

Silly-ness: She's a copy-cat. One thing that's constant: when she sees someone fall, she lays down and grabs her knee while saying "ow, ow, ow" (all with a smile).

Walks

One and a half

This morning at breakfast the chiquita banana ate a full kid's meal. One scrambled egg, bacon hashbrowns, avocado and wheat toast. The whole time she was giggling and saying "mmm, yummy!" It was fantastic and only one smidgin of the joy that she is at a year and a half.

Our days are a haze of the park and grocery stores. She loves water and the sandy beaches. She smiles and waves at everyone and is so very excited to see animals. The neighbors down the hall love how she squeals at their pet bulldog, "doggie! doggie! doggie!" she exclaims!

She is such a busy and curious girl. All day she plays and dances and sings and smiles. There is an absolute light that radiates from her and commands attention from so many strangers.

Her brothers may occasionally get jealous of her toys, but they still adore her and play every chance they get. They love to show her off and are so proud to introduce her as their sister. And she is equally thrilled with them. They are her own private jungle gyms, her comedians, her protectors. She has learned to quietly say goodbye when they leave and she jumps for joy when she hears them return.

Food is great fun. She is a snack-o-holic, eating all day long. We let her try everything, even the salsa when mama makes it spicy. Occasionally she makes a face or spits it out, but her palette is impressive. I'm sure there will be a day when asks for chicken nuggets and macaroni, but right now she's at my mercy.

Leeloo is so excited about the world that she doesn't want to miss anything. She is never really happy about having to sleep. Sometimes we're lucky to have a three hour nap during the day, but our night time ritual starts at eight and sometimes lasts until ten. Luckily she sleeps in (but so does mami).

Our house is overflowing with things. Most recent purchases (from a Craigslist shopping spree) include a mini play kitchen and a Tonka truck (which I have always wanted!). I swore up and down that I would never spoil her with material things, and here she is, spoiled with everything! I can't help it. Hopefully I can teach her generosity and kindness and help her to appreciate everything. If she becomes bratty and overindulged - I am in for it!

A year and a half! I am so lucky and thankful. I am savoring every second of our lives and enjoying it all.

At breakfast this morning - look at that empty plate!

She love to dance and spin (note the awesome Tonka truck!).

Bruiser

The chiquita falls quite often. She's a toddler - that's what they do. Wander, wander, wander, fall, wander some more, fall, fall, fall. At this point she falls, and as a parent I pause to see if she cries or fusses before I move. She's a tough one too, so sometimes I find scrapes and bruises when I have missed the fall completely.

When she became mobile I made sure we baby proofed and padded everything. Luckily we have carpet, so most of the spills are cushioned, but there are edges and corners that pose a threat. Of course the girly figured out how to detach all the foam barriers as soon as she started standing. I tried and tried to re-adhere them, but she would just pull them off again. Babyproofing: 0, Baby: 1.

The other night I wished I would have been more tenacious. She toddled and fell right into the corner of the TV stand. There was a terrible thud that no mother ever wants to hear, followed by a silent baby laying face down. It was one of those super slow motion mama moments that really only lasts a second. By the time I reached her she was crying. When I lifted her a thick glob of blood had already formed and was dripping down her face. Two towels, a band aid and ice pack later she was fine. 

Poor chiquita - I'm sure there are many more falls to come...

First band aid.

She makes her brothers so nervous! Boo immediately found the corner protectors and put them back on. This is what she did:

Rub a dub dub

We don't have a lot of routines around here, but the ones we do have we're pretty good at keeping. The nightly bath ritual is one of those staples. By 7ish chiquita is a crank monster. It's at that time that she has had enough of the day and wants, or needs, to sleep. Fortunately for us, no matter how whiny she is, it all subsides as soon as we undress her for her nightly bath.

When her clothes come off the fussy baby vanishes and she is all smiles. Chick-a-dee loves, loves, LOVES the tub. Bath time is definitely a favorite for all of us! :)

Hear Me Roar!

You know those quiet, docile little babies that coo and gurgle and only can be heard when they cry? They're the polar opposite of our girl. Chiquita has a voice, a loud voice, a make your ears ring kinda voice. Lately she sees how loud she can get and smiles at the results. Super funny and quite the head turner in public. Gotta love that girl.

One month video