23 Months...Growing up fast!

Pictures and videos to come...
I started to use a cup this month!  Miss Bruna let me use one and I did really well.  I just needed a little help getting it to my mouth correctly.  At home though, I really needed a reminder to slow down.  I got soaked the first night!
I am starting to be silly and tell more jokes.  I like to ask people to cry so I can give them a hug.  I also told a knock, knock joke.  "Knock, knock"  Who's there?  "Apple"  Apple who?  "Applesauce!"  OK, so it's not totally sophisticated, but neither are my sister's jokes yet!  One day, Mommy let me have fruit snacks for the first time.  She told me they were "chewy."  I had a giggle fest saying the word "chewy".  It's not as funny anymore, but I keep saying "chewy-eat" now.
I have started to name the kids at Miss Bruna's.  I get really excited to talk about them.  I also can count to 10, even though I consistently skip #7.  One evening, I started saying "Go I-E (Ellie), Go Mommy, Go Daddy, Go Em-ly!"  That's right, I said my name!  I also like to help Mommy spell my name before she puts me in bed.  I really like this new show called PJ Masks.  There is a character named Gecko and I constantly say "watch Gecko" over and over and over all the time.  I also love to repeat "Daddy at work" and "Daddy at home" even though I know where he is!
I got a yucky cold this past week.  I was really congested and woke up a lot at night.  Most nights, Mommy slept with me in the chair for a few hours just so I could breathe.  I think she really just liked the snuggles.  Well, I ended up with 103 fever and a little bit of eye gunk.  I went to see "Dr. Prica" and he said I had a slight ear infection in my right ear after he checked my birdies.  I am really good at taking my medicine.  I stayed home with Mommy the next day and had a snow day the next!  We all went outside and even though I thought sledding was fun, I didn't really want to do it.  I was ready to go back inside.  It was a nice 5 day weekend.  All this time with Mommy, I decided to tell her "I yuv you Mommy!"
23 Months Old

 It SNOWED!!!

Ready to go outside

 Walked around a little, and...

...ready to go back in!

Mommy talked in into sledding just one time though

And we played a little

 Photo op with Daddy

I learn so much at Miss Bruna's

 White day!

 Playing in the rice

Spaghetti day!

 I wore this milk ring on my head for hours

 I'm pretty sure it was my birthday crown

 Who knew fruit snacks were so funny?  I think it was the word "chewy" that got me every time!

How old am I going to be?

Sledding with Mommy

Fun with the balloon

Go Mizzou!

1 Year, 10 1/2 Months...Christmas was a Blast!

Family time was so much fun the last two weeks!  After I got over being crabby from my cold, I had so much fun and showed everyone what I know.
We spent a lot of time visiting with family and friends.  Our family paid a visit to Mr. Kenny.  He was so happy to see us!  He had up Miss Annie's Christmas village.  I didn't really understand why it was important, but it sure was pretty!
We had Christmas with our family, then at Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Tom's the next day, and Great Grandma Rose's and Papa Ron and Nana Carol's the next day.  We took a day off from celebrating to stay home and play with our new toys and rest before having our last Christmas at Nana Arden and Papa Rodney's.  Santa brought me some "Oaf-off" (Olaf) and Anna and Elsa pj's and a rocking horse.  Mommy and Daddy got me a slide and I really love playing on that!  I was really thrilled with all of my toys!  I got a "Barbie book" for Christmas and I take it everywhere I go, even to bed!  I have had it read so much to me that I can finish a lot of words in it!
I am really talking a lot more!  I know a lot of my colors-pink, white, blue, green, purple, yellow, red, black, and some shapes-circle, oval, heart, star.  I also like to say "A-B-C" when I see letters.  I am even starting to sing the alphabet song.  When people ask me what my name is, I say, "Me!"  I like to make sure people know I am a "big girl!"  Daddy went back to work a day before we did, and I said, "Daddy at a football game?"  My first 4-word sentence!
I think I got hooked on TV.  I love to "watch Gecko" every chance I get.  I say it over and over and over again.  Too bad they only let me watch it in the morning and before bed.
I also showed a streak of meanness over break.  I like to say "go away" and swat at people or Twist.  They don't really like it, but I love the reaction I get!
After Christmas, we had more visiting and family time.  Our cousin Corinne spent the night one night.  We took down our Christmas tree and decorations.  That was a little upsetting to me.  They let me play with "Elmo", the ornament that looks like our elf and I hid it from them.  They already put away all the boxes, so I get to carry him around!  Stacey, Harrison, and Jaxson came for a visit too.  Ellie and Mommy went to a play date and I got to hang out with Daddy.  That happened on New Year's Eve too.  Auntie Heather, Uncle Sean, Ashley, and Ian visited us too over break.  Our family went to a Mizzou women's basketball ball game with Papa Rodney and Nana Arden, Uncle Otto, and some of my cousins.
It was so much fun being with everyone I love over break!
Ready for Santa!  (Ignore the knives behind me!)

 Merry and Bright snuggles

 Just checking out this catalogue

 I like to carry my step stool into the living room and scare the life out of my parents!

 My new jammies!

Ellie gave me her old princess Little People!

 Our Paw Patrol Matching game!  (I know all the characters!)

 I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to color!

OMG!  Santa brought me this?

 A rocking horse!

 And this slide is for me too?

 Wheeee!

 And of course, I have to stand on it

 Taking a little Christmas snack break on the kitchen floor

 Playing with Twist's laser toy

 Christmas snuggles with Daddy

 Eeeee!  It's Marshall!

It really is!

 Santa's Got Nothin' on Grandma!

 Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse!

 Reading my Barbie book for the first of many, many times!

 A princess Little People castle!

 And a car ramp!

 Mickey Mouse House

 My Frozen shoes and purse from Great Grandma Rose

 I think she is worried I am going to break an ankle in these!

 And we have to try out the stairs too

 Christmas picture with Great Grandma Rose

 Mickey Mouse shirt!

 And a farm animal puzzle

 Nana Carol helping me open my present

 This doggie book is so funny!

 Animal Lego's!

 Snuggling up with "Midnight"

Hugs for Uncle Duane

All tuckered out!  I didn't even make it out of the neighborhood!

 Ready to go two days later-bring on the horses!

 "Bay-oh"  (Belle) from Nana Arden

 More Lego's and horses!

I made these all by myself (well, sort of)

 Playing with my new toys

 And Ellie's old toys from about 5 years ago!

 Only Ellie can get me to smile this big!

 Playing in the carpet displays at The Home Depot (They can't take us anywhere!)

 More family snuggles

Showing my feelings...
Happy

 Mad

 Sad

 Scared

 Snuggles with "Midnight" again

 Bringing a stick to Simba

Getting my hair done at Miss Bruna's

 Dancing and having fun

 I love my horses!

 Drinking out of a big girl cup!

 Oh oh, a balloon hanging from the fan?  Don't mind if I do!

 Crazy time!

 Snuggling with a few of my closest friends

 I make up all kinds of games with this slide!

 Princesses have to get around somehow!

 Kisses for Ellie

 Mommy was feeling left out

 The MU men's basketball game

 So tired after a long visit

 The group picture with Ashley and Ian (I wasn't on board with this)

 But looking at the princess book together was pretty cool

 Dancing to the drums

Me on Christmas morning!

Going down my new slide-it was a hit!

And they thought they bought this toy for Twist!

Putting on a performance

Playing on the stairs with Grandma Kathy

Running at home

And at The Home Depot

With my farm animals

Mommy is trying to eat me!

Making a shot

Still love to dance (The Chopper Dance)

I have some serious moves!

I had to get out my energy at the MU game!

Ice Ice Baby