I am still waiting on someone to explain to me how my "baby" is two years old. I still get the updates from babycenter.com on Payton that tell what should be going on with her development and such. I remember last year I freaked out when the title changed from "your baby" to "your toddler." Today, I got the email that said "your preschooler." What???? They must have somehow gotten my email confused with someone. As I'm still coping with the fact that I have a two year old, I'm also overwhelmed with the joy she gives us every day. I've been thinking about what I could write for her two year old post, but I just can't put into words how much she blesses our lives daily. Sure, there are moments where I am tested to the limit and I could just scream, but then I am quickly reminded of how precious she can be a few seconds later. She talks non stop these days. There are times when we are riding in the car and she talks to herself for 10 minutes straight. These are the times when we just turn off the radio and listen. I love to hear what her little mind is thinking. Being able to really communicate with her and carry on conversations has been one of the most exciting parts of this age. She is starting to identify letters, and even notices them on on signs and things. She knows all of her vowels, and about the first 10 letters of the alphabet. She can count to 13 or so as long as you don't consider 8 a necessity. For some reason she skips it almost every time. We are still working on that! When you ask her what her name is, she replies "Payton Owivia Wood." She can also tell you when her birthday is, and can sometimes identify her right and left on her hands, feet, etc. She has been speaking in complete sentences for a few months now, but has really picked up lately. I wish I could recall all of my favorite phrases and sentences right now, but I just can't remember them all. We moved her into her big girl bed a week or so after Christmas and she has done surprisingly well....hopefully I didn't just jinx that. I was so anxious about this transition, but it really couldn't have gone any better. I actually think she likes it better than her crib since she doesn't feel so confined. She is pretty much wearing 24 month or 2T clothes right now. We go to the doctor on Wednesday, so I will post her stats then. She still loves her milk, and we have recently switched her off of the whole milk. She still loves broccoli, green beans, any type of fruit, granola bars, cheese, and chicken. She has already cut one of her two year molars, and I think we have one more right behind it. So far, it hasn't been so bad, just a few diaper rashes and minor irritability. Hopefully that will be the case with the other three. She loves to talk about her "baby siser" and kisses on my belly as she says "I wuv you baby sisser." Talk about making a mama's heart smile! We have started talking about sharing toys and how much her baby sister is going to look up to her. Hopefully it will all help when she arrives. Payton is still my adventurous little monkey. We have loved getting outside to swing and play the past few days. She does flips all the time, and I am often asked if she takes gymnastics. She still loves to climb on anything and everything. Lately, she has been adding a little speed when she tries to run. I will often hear her say, "Payton run. Payton run fast." She's a ticklish little thing, and even sometimes lays in front of her daddy and asks him to tickle her back. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is still an all time favorite. We don't watch too much t.v. but she knows in the mornings she gets a little down time as she wakes up. My determined and independent child is known to throw a few fits every now and then. "Payton do it" as I hear about 20 times a day. I have to remind myself that one day the independence will pay off. Disciplining is still one of the hardest things as a parent, and I know it will only get harder. I often feel like a complete failure even when I try to do everything right. I am half way through the book Shepherding a Child's Heart, so maybe by the end I will have some kind of insight as to raising a child with a kind and loving heart. I know all of this seems so random, I am just trying to document as much as I can while it's fresh on my mind. I am constantly reminded, "It won't be like this for long" and I know how quickly it passes and I often forget the details.
I am still working on sorting through the 250 pictures that were taken at the party. In the meantime I will share with you other events from the weekend. We got up Sunday morning and headed to breakfast at Waffle House. Payton normally eats a grilled cheese, but we decided we would try a waffle. The waitress offered to make it look like Mickey Mouse, and we just couldn't turn down the offer. Of course the chocolate chips on top didn't hurt either!
After filling our bellies, we headed to the zoo in Montgomery to enjoy the continued beautiful weather and spend some quality time with our little monkey. Payton hasn't been to the zoo since she has really been able to identify the animals and get into it. Although she was still a little sluggish from all of the excitement on Saturday, we had a blast. I think the highlights of the trip for her were all of the waterfalls ("like on Mickey Mouse") and the train. Any way about it, it was a great way to spend time with just our little family of three.
This morning before school she decided she needed to take her baby doll on a cruise around the kitchen.
For her last birthday treat, we headed to Bruster's tonight for a little ice cream date. It was definitely a hit.
Happy birthday to my fun-loving, independent, adventurous, strong-willed, smart, talkative, ticklish, milk guzzling, silly and precious baby girl. Your daddy and I love you more than you will ever know.
