23 Months

What We've Been Up To:

Photo Shoot for our family Christmas card * Thanks Auntie Rach for taking such beautiful pictures and braiding Aurora's hair! She had 3 big obstacles: we were all sick with colds, I was using crutches, & it was Aurora's nap time.*

 The winner! :)

 Aurora fell asleep in the car after the photo shoot

* This blog from now on will still update you on my precious daughter, Aurora, but will also include some details of her parents' lives too. :)  *

1. We all came down with colds.
2. I sprained my right ankle.
3. Dave's work merged with another large company: PSAV.  Business has gone as usual.
4. Aurora's latest:

• Fascinated with dollies, anything to do with princesses, and singing at the top of her lungs.
• Incredible memory for everything- especially music lyrics, conversations, and books.
• Very affectionate giving lots of eskimo and butterfly kisses, hugs, love pats, and cuddles. :D
• Quite determined in everything: knowing exactly what she wants to eat, wear, watch, listen to, etc.
• Fantastic imagination (just listen to any conversation she has with her dolls).
• Loves blankets like you wouldn't believe- drapes it around her neck or head, hugs it next to her body, cuddles with several for naps and bed time.
• Is thrilled when her clothes have pockets so she can put her hands and other items in them.
• Some times cleans up her toys without any reminders.
• Dances with her little people and dolls singing "la la la" and "Ring Around the Rosy" and tells them to "think about it" and to "hold hands in the parking lot" (amazingly enough she conveniently forgets this at times when we are in parking lots ourselves :0).
• Can build with her Duplos without help.    
• When asked what color something is, it is most often green.
• Says I'm exercising when I use my crutches (or ladders as Aurora says).
• Will run to the bathroom when we say it is bath time yelling and giggling.  
• Attempts to jump; she does all the motions but just has a hard time getting those cute feet off the ground.
• Has about 10 teeth. I don't check often. Watch out for those chompers ... ouch!
• Prefers to eat at her princess table vs. her high chair.
• When I print papers she grabs the papers from the printer and brings them to me.
• Tells me when she wants to wear necklaces and bracelets.
• Getting better at puzzles.
• Helps me sweep and load the washing machine.
• Reminds me to feed the fish and Yoshi.
• Cooks and serves us and her dolls and stuffed animals food several times a day.

I can't believe my baby is a toddler and turning 2 in less than a month!          

20, 21, & 22 months

What I've Been Up to:

 

 First Hair Cut

1. First hair cut- 21 months
2. Molars coming in- she now has 10 teeth
3. Swimming in the tub
4. Blowing bubbles in the tub and pools
5. Requesting to listen to specific songs such as: Bare Necessities, Puff the Magic Dragon, Be Our Guest, Thumbellina, Gummi Bar. She sings some the lyrics too.  Sooo cute!
6. Playing well with others- she is doing better sharing with her friends and listening when we ask her to do things.
7. Speaking in sentences often
8. Loves giving eskimo and butterfly kisses- she has been known to give eskimo kisses to puppies and her stuffed animals
9. Loves everything to do with princesses- especially Princess Aurora, Cinderella, and Ariel.
10. Gets excited when I sweep because she gets to sweep with her mini pink broom and dust pan
11. Has tea parties with her dolls, stuffed animals, and us
12. "Cooks" in her Princess Ariel kitchen quite often
13. Reminds me to feed the fish and Yoshi almost every day
14. Asks to put on her "walking shoes" daily to go for a walk
15. Sits and reads books in her Dora chair
16. Feeds, puts to bed, and changes her dolls' diapers
17. Pops bubbles with her feet
18. Says "tut, tut.. it looks like rain" and "boing" for Tiggers hopping
19. Sings and does the motions for "This Little Light of Mine", "Jesus Loves Me", and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" 
20. Enjoys putting several puzzles together every day
21. Identifies the Bible characters she learned about in church: so far God, Nehemiah, Adam, Eve, Noah, and Abraham                 

18 & 19 Months

What I've Been Up To:

 Playing Outside

 My first backpack

 Mountain baby

 Learning to climb

 We made it!

These past two months have been super busy.  Aurora runs around, climbs, sings, dances, counts, sorts shapes, does puzzles, feeds herself entirely, plays music: keyboard, drums, tambourine, maracas, whistles, & shakers, has full conversations with others, talks in complete sentences much of the time, swims with floaties, digs, and so much more.  She keeps us guessing what she will do next.  Aurora is an incredibly smart, adorable, fun child. 

Firsts for these months: going on a backpack, closing herself in the turkey pen & fed the goats and horses when we visited Aunt Dana and Uncle Rich's farm, feeding her baby dolls and reading to them and wrapping them in blankets and putting them to sleep, feeding herself entirely, sleeping (sometimes) in her princess toddler bed.

Other developments: using a fork or spoon for most meals, sorting shapes in record time, putting her puzzle together by herself, singing along with songs, recognizing when foods/drinks are hot or cold, requesting foods/drinks, helping more in general- especially with cleaning up, asking to watch Dora and Move It (from the movie Madagascar) frequently, and saying "please" and "thank you" more often.