Looking back over the past year, there have been amazing changes in this little one! Eliza went from being a pretty laid-back baby to a very feisty, stubborn 13 month old! I think a lot of her stubborness came from not having the words to communicate with us. She had her cleft palate repaired just after she turned one, and has made up for lost time with her talking! It was a slow start to get the sounds that she hadn't been able to make, but now she is talking in sentences, singing songs, and asking all kinds of questions. When Eliza was just a baby, Joe noticed how intently she would look at us and listen to what we were saying, just taking it all in. The doctors told us that she would most likely need some speech therapy after her surgery, but this little one is bright and determined, and she would watch our mouths make sounds and then try them out herself, and pretty soon, she was a little chatterbox :) She loves to sing, and makes her request of specific songs in the car. Her favorite is still the Chipmunks singing "All the single ladies", but she also loves the "fast Christmas song" and her CD of nursery rhymes, with "Happy Birthday" and "Wheels on the Bus" being favorites. Eliza loves to run, jump, or gallop everywhere she goes and can always make us laugh with her silly faces and silly names that she makes up for everyone. She still has a stubborn streak, but switches back to her joyful personality pretty quickly when she realizes that the answer is no. She tries her hardest to keep up with her big sisters, copying anything that they do. She loves to do everything "all by myself" and pretty much potty-trained herself at 22 months. She's been dressing herself, including her socks and shoes since she was 20 months old. I overheard her about a month ago, counting animals in the playroom, and she counted to 20 without missing a number. Lately, she's expanded that to 30, usually counting houses with Christmas lights with her sisters. This spunky little girl seems to just soak everything in from around her, and amazes us daily at what she is learning, saying, and doing. We sometimes find it hard to keep up with her, and she makes her fair share of messes, but we are enjoying her so, so much!!!
Here are some recent favorites of our spunky girl...
Loves dressing up with Hannah...
Carries this step stool EVERYWHERE, so she doesn't miss out on the action...
And to get into all kinds of mischief!
LOVES her sisters!!
Gets creative with her yogurt, giving herself a pedicure...
then tasting the finished product!
Loves playing with her Daddy when he gets home...Eliza calls him "Daddy Deedee" when she is telling him how much she loves him, and will sometimes call me "Mommy Meemee" when she is snuggling :) If you tell her "I love you", she now says "I love you too, Mommy" or "I love Daddy and you both!"
Let's Mommy do fun hair styles!!
And always has a silly face for the camera!
I've been writing down some of the fun things Eliza has said lately to remember..."I'm going potty, be back in a little while!"
"Hannah nigh-night is making me sad"
"Mommy, come on, right now! Put your coffee down and come on, okay?!"
If you ask her to give you something, she'll often say "Just 2 more minutes, okay?"
"What you doing next, Mommy?"
"Daddy, remember you did horsey rides?"
"I brush my teeth!" You did? "Uh, huh! Tops and bottoms!!"
More dress-up
Eliza started out her birthday morning by climbing in bed with me when Joe left for work and snuggling and going back to sleep! I enjoyed every minute because I know she is growing up so fast! I love how she cuddles up against me and always tucks her arms in underneath me. She does the same thing when I rock and sing to her at night, she lays her blankie out on my shoulder, rests her head on it, and then tucks her hands underneath her body and snuggles in. Eliza loves to sing along to her bedtime songs, and knows the words to at least 20 different songs (including lots of Christmas carols now!). Soon after waking up, Eliza pulled her step stool over to the counter and started her breakfast with her "teeny tiny" knife and a lot of fudge! She also has a "horsey tail" sticking out of her underwear!
Her look of "am I in trouble for this?"
No, not on your birthday! ;)
We got some surprise snow this morning, and all 3 girls were so excited to get outside in it! They made snow balls and jumped in the snow on the trampoline, then came in for a warm bath!
What a fun start to being 2!!
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