I haven’t done an update in so long, I don’t think I can fit all 3 kids in the same post. So we’ll start with the most recent addition to the family. F is coming up on her 2nd birthday at the end of the summer, and is full on toddler.
Independent and full of opinions, she’s quick to tantrum but also super sweet and cuddly. She loves to be carried around and to lie with her head flopped on your shoulder. She’s constantly studying the world around and figuring out what our processes are and where things go. If you leave a door open or forget to put something away, she’ll be the one following behind you putting clothes in the hamper.
I think she’s hopefully almost over her biting phase. I haven’t had to sign an incident report at daycare in weeks, although she did bite me while I was trying to get her in the car seat a few days ago. That’s become our recent struggle. I’ve been through it with the other two, so I know it will be temporary, but whoa does it give me a workout every day. That little minion is strong!
Speaking of teeth she has a pretty full mouth, except for all her canines/eye teeth. All 4 of those are still missing, which still makes her look a bit like a baby. When we hold her next to the grandbaby across the street who just turned one, they look similar. (It doesn’t help that he’s about her size)
She’s still pretty funny when it comes to talking. If you ask her a question, she’ll look at you and give you a full babble response, sometimes going for a while complete with hand gestures. I’m not sure if she realizes we don’t understand her or not. She still gets all of her needs communicated, though, with two bigger siblings falling over themselves to help her get whatever she wants. She completely believes she is as big as them and can do whatever they can do. She loves to say “TOO!” all the time. If they get a serving of food she screams it until she gets the same thing, even if her plate is full. If they’re doing something, you bet she’s going too. Not to be confused with her shouting “SHOES!” when she sees someone leaving and lets you know that she’ll be accompaning you. Probably with G’s old yellow crocs which are way too big for her, but she can put them on herself, and will wear them all over.
She loves getting tickled and will walk up to someone and ask “ti-ckle?” and will not let you stop. She has a few toys that she prefers - baby doll Al, a stuffed frog, and some little animals from a polly pocket type toy. She still loves the kitties and petting them is the best.
She’s recently changed her favorite person from Tom to me, which brings its own set of complications, but she’s opinionated enough to make it clear if the right person doesn’t read her a book before bed, she might just scream in her crib until she gets her way the next day (hypothetically of course). Although her real favorite person might be one of the next door neighbors, who has been coming over to play recently. It’s hard to explain to people just how rough and tumble our little third child is, so sometimes it can only be explained by showing her tackle the 12 year old from next door while growling at her like a tiger (in a loving way of course…)
As long as she doesn’t think she’s being left out of something, she’s mostly happy and excited about whatever is going on.
