Two? Where Did 2 Years Go?

Olive has been 2 for a week now, and honestly it has been pleasant! I had heard horror stories from friends that the day their child turned 2 it was like a monster joined the family. Now, don't get me wrong, Olive has her fair share of tantrums and "ugly" moments everyday, but there was no scary transformation. (yet) She has actually started using her manners regularly and it makes my heart so happy everytime she says "thank you Mommy" without being prompted! I am so blessed that I have gotten to spend so much time with her this summer and I am looking forward to spending even more time with her this school year. It blows my mind how much she has changed as well as what she can do!

I still think of this...

the day she was born! We were so excited to embark on this big adventure of parenting and so happy our baby girl came into the world happy and healthy. That year was full of joy and firsts, moments we were thrilled to experience, but will never experience with her again. And our hearts grew bigger and more full of love than we ever thought possible!
A whole year went by...
and we celebrated her first birthday! She was still an unsteady walker with chubby little cheeks and what we thought was a lot of hair! She said some words, but hadn't developed into the constant chatterbox that she is today. And our hearts grew bigger and more full of love than we ever thought possible!

And a second year went by...

She has blossomed into a fun, free spirited, wild at times, chatterbox of a little girl! I sit and look at her and just wonder where our baby went! It seems like overnight she developed the ability to talk and she hasn't stopped using it! She is so full of life that it makes even dark days seem bearable! We went to the doctor this week for her 2 year check up and she passed with flying colors. She weighed 22.6 pounds (17%) and was 33 inches long (21%) and despite her refusal to eat, she seems to be progressing just fine! She still loves to be outside and this is where she would prefer to spend her time, but as she has told us everyday this summer, it is "sooo hot" so we typically only head out in the evenings. She likes to "read" books. She likes to hold the book and turn the pages as fast as she can, she really isn't into listening to the story right now. The only books she will actually look at with us reading are her "ABC" book because she points to each letter to identify it and "Jingle Bells" because we sing it as a family every night before bed. She mastered jumping some time ago and loves using this skill. She is a speedy little runner and has mastered going up and down steps on her own. This still makes me nervous because she looks wobbly, but she insists on doing it herself. Her obsession with numbers is still around and she will point to and identify numbers no matter where we are. She loves counting out loud and can go to 13 on her own, then she needs a little help to get to 17 and then she can take it from there to get to 20. She has a big vocabulary that continues to grow daily. I think my favorite word she uses is "emergency" it is just so funny to hear that big word come out of her mouth clearly and in the right context! She is quite the little singer and can be heard singing in her crib instead of napping, singing in the bathtub, the backseat, pretty much anywhere she is. Her favortie songs are Twinkle, Twinkle, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, He's Got the Whole World In His Hands, Jingle Bells, The ABC's, and This Little Light of Mine. I love hearing her sing! She is very into drawing and coloring right now. She likes to "write" her name which is really just scribbling as she says "O-l-i-v-e". She likes to have us write her name on her creations as well. She thinks everything is funny and likes to laugh hysterically whenever she can. One of her favorite phrases right now is "silly ____(fill in the blank with whoever is nearby)". She is a big ball of energy who never slows down!

We never realized how much we could love someone else until she entered our lives! We are incredibly grateful for the past 2 years and the change that has happened in us because of her and we can not wait to see what the next year holds! Welcome to being 2 Olive Kay! We love you more than you will ever know!