Hellobee

We officially have a two year old in the house!

This past weekend, Little Oats celebrated her second birthday; her favorite thing right now is anything to do with birthdays, so she was extremely excited. We held her birthday party a few weeks ago, on a beautiful Saturday where we could all be outdoors. Though I’m always tempted to amp up my party-planning skills and create a Pinterest-perfect event, at 35 weeks pregnant in the middle of the summer, it just wasn’t happening. Thankfully, all that Little Oats requested was chocolate cake and balloons; really, the best part of any party.

Her actual birthday was acknowledged and celebrated a little, but it was a whirlwind day (my younger sister got married). So instead, we’ve had a birthday week (or two), celebrating all over the place.

So what does Little Oats, the two-year-old, look like?

Height: about 30 inches, though we haven’t measured her since her 18 month check

Weight: 25lbs

Sleep: She’s sleeping through the night in her Big Girl Bed, which is terrific, and still having about a 1.5-2 hour nap each afternoon

Favorite Foods: waffles, smoothies, yogurt-covered raisins, beets, granola bars, and anything with ketchup

Common Sayings: “It’s an emergency/It’s a big problem”, “What’s next on the list?”, “Of course!”

Favorite activities: playing with her water table, watching Paw Patrol or Team Umi Zoomi, dancing to Shake it Off or Uptown Funk (girlfriend needs some newer songs), colouring, climbing her play kitchen.

Challenges: the tantrums are real. Especially because her language is so good, she can express exactly what she wants, and throws a massive fit when she can’t have it. She is also a bit of a slave to schedule; if we throw off bedtime or naptime too much, sleep is a problem for the next few days. We also need to work on her listening skills; she gets a LOT of time outs because she doesn’t listen to what we ask her to do.

So far, two is an absolute blast. Yes, she is incredibly opinionated, and if we deviate from routine too much, it is nearly impossible to reason with her. But she is talking up a storm, she has a killer sense of humor, and she is aware of her surroundings enough to be able to make observations (ex. “Everybody has noses, Mommy.”) While she works on establishing her independence, I find myself needing a lot more patience, but I know that ultimately she is just developing her own style and personality. The more she grows, the more excited I get to see her interact with her baby brother (who is due in less than a month!)

So far, knock on wood, the twos aren’t that terrible!