My Awesome 2 YEAR OLD!

EXACTLY 2 Years ago today I was lying in a hospital bed waiting (but not for too long) for Ainslee to arrive. We didn't know if she was a boy or a girl, and how fitting cause apparently the public still doesn't know if she is a boy or a girl. I was SHOCKED when I was told she was a girl! I am even more shocked by the way she has changed my life. She is such a joy to have around, she is such a lovable, fun, happy, funny, sweet, energetic, and most of all EASY baby! Not a day goes by that she doesn't surprise me, she makes me smile and makes me a better person. I am sure I have aided in the fact that she is such a momma's girl, but I still love it! I love that she wants me (instead of daddy or anyone else) and cuddles with me all the time!

(above pictures were all taken at Ainslee's birthday dinner with Marcus' mom and sister, and family friend)

I searched and searched for a website that had a Happy Birthday Ainslee song (like I found for Kaylee) but I came up empty handed. So I decided to list a few of her recent accomplishments and newest behaviors.

Her favorite words are "self" and "own". As in "I want to do it myself" and “I want my own”. These words get used frequently throughout the day. Most of the things she is actually able to do by herself, but when this next particular situation began unfolding I was a bit skeptical. She announced that she had to go to the bathroom, so off she ran while I trailed behind her. She immediately pushed the stool over to the front of the toilet and pulled down her pants, that's when I came to her "assistance" like I always do, to put her on the potty. She looked up at me and said "self, self". She then proceeded to push me out the door saying "out out momma, SELF". I was crushed, she didn't want my help, but she NEEDED my help. So I stood there outside the bathroom door watching as she climbed up on the stool with her pants around her ankles. She tried to figure out the best way to actually get onto the potty, her way didn't quite work out so I stepped in to assist (and i am confident she was ok with that since she was basically stuck). So now almost every time she has to go to the bathroom she wants to do it by herself, that makes me kinda sad.

She was determined to make her last meal as a baby 1 year old a big one. Last night, unlike the past 3 nights when she had about 3 bites for dinner, she ate 2 HUGE plates of food, 2 bowls of applesauce, and dessert. She probably would've eaten more had I offered it to her. I'm telling you this kid must be going through some sort of growth spurt because she can put away more food than me most days, I swear she has a tapeworm!

She decided to be the first to rise on her birthday. She wanted to enjoy EVERY bit of her special day! She woke up a good hour before her usual time, but I was happy to spend some cuddle time with her in my bed before we started the day.

She is able to put together all the puzzles we own. She LOVES puzzles!

She knows at least 25 body parts

She has her favorite books that she asks to read nearly every night before bed, and she has memorized them!

She still is very attached to her mana (blanket)

She loves and admires her big sister! While I am usually 1st on her list, sister is a close 2nd, Ainslee is very concerned when they are separated.

She loves watching TV and probably wishes I let her watch more often, Dora and Curious George are all she watches. Although I have saved the Oprah when Sugarland was on and she LOVES watching them sing "All I want to do". She usually sits on the couch and dances/moves around while watching intently. I don't think she even blinks throughout the entire song.

She does the "we did it dance" after each Dora and it is super cute

She still goes to bed about 6 every night, some nights it is a little later depending on our schedule. And she still wakes up after 8 nearly every morning (except on her birthday) I'm not even alarmed anymore if she sleeps past 9.

She eats a RIDICULOUSLY large breakfast EVERY morning. Actually she eats solid for about the first 2 hours she is awake. When I say ridiculously I mean ridiculously! She puts away more food in the morning than most children eat in 3 days. Like this morning.....she had her usual bowl of oatmeal which is 1/2 cup dry oatmeal (when cooked is more like 1 cup) with 1/2 cup mixed berries mixed in (because I don't add sugar to their food, the berries are a good way to sweeten in up). Then she had 2 decent sized bowls of cereal, a glass of OJ with prune juice mixed in, and a clementine. This was all before she even wanted to get down from the highchair. About 30 minutes later she was asking for more food! My dad says he is going to start charging me when she comes to his house because all she does is eat all their food!

She loves putting on chap stick and Aunt Mary has given both of them a 6 tube chap stick set that gets applied about 4 times a day. She says "Yip Yip" when she wants some more

She had her 2 year check up and she is 34 inches tall (58th percentile) and 28.6 lbs (73rd percentile). So basically she is short and fat. HA! just kidding, she is perfectly proportional, unlike her giant big sister who was always off the charts in every category.

When the doc asked me if she had at least 50 words in her vocabulary I stopped and thought for a second "man 50 is a lot, does she have 50 words? I have been a bit worried about her speech. She does vocalize a lot, but does she have 50 words. Are there 50 words that anyone besides me understands?" I told the doc I thought she did have 50 words and that evening we were at my parents house for dinner. As my mom, sister, and I were preparing the table I nonchalantly asked them "Hey how many words do you guys think Ainslee has in her vocabulary?" They both stopped, thought, and looked at me like "crap I don't want to say the wrong thing, I wonder what the answer she is looking for is." Then I explained why I was asking them and was wondering if she really DID have 50 words in her vocabulary. Mary looked at me like I was crazy and said "Michele she says 50 FOOD words, that's not even counting all the other words she says!" Then it hit me, she TOTALLY has 50 words, she has WAY more than 50 words, and they are getting clearer and clearer as each day goes by.

She has cut teeth number 13, 14, and 15 in the last week.

She is NOT a fan of the snow. As in could not care any less about any snow experience at all!

She is still rear facing in the car, and I have no intention of turning her around. She likes it that way and she is safer too......win/win for everyone

Anytime she wants something to eat she says "bowl bowl," for us to put said food in bowl that she gets out of the drawer by herself

Her kisses are the sweetest thing you can find ANYWHERE around! If you dont pucker up and make the smack sound she puts both hands on the sides of your face and pulls you in. She kisses until you kiss back. And she isnt stingy at all with her kisses!

She can be very shy and she definitely is NOT a performer. When I ask her to show daddy her lastest accomplishments she almost never does.

She counts to 5 and is very proud of herself

I am sure there are more that I am leaving out, but this post is mighty lengthy already.

(pictures taken below are from her combo birthday celebration with my dad whose birthday is the 15th)

Big Girl eating her own bowl of YoLo for her birthday dessert

Thank you daddy for my YoLo

She even shared hers with Kaylee