2 Years Old!

My sweet girl, Zoë, you are 2 years old today! It's hard to believe we are already here, celebrating this milestone with you. You are such a joy to be around -- your smile, hearing you talk, your curly locks-- each of these things make you so very dear to us! Here's what you're up to at two:

Celebrating Miriam's 3rd Birthday! 

- You communicate well! You can say so many words and phrases I can't even venture a guess to number how many. You're recently transitioning from "Mama" to "Mommy", Levi is still "Bubba" as Levi is a bit difficult to say, and you're grouping more words together. It can still be a bit difficult for others to understand what you're asking for, but with context, we're communicating pretty well around the house.

Legos! 

- You love your brothers very much and they love you right back. Levi can be very protective of you. You want to go where they go and do what they do, at least for a little while. Then you might venture off on your own.

First time playing with Barbies

- You are such a joy to be around! Your smile is contagious and you laugh easily.

Movie time with Miriam 

- You are wearing 18 month and 2T clothes, size 4 diapers, and size 6 shoes. You let me leave a ponytail in your hair best, but have recently stopped messing with your barrettes for most of the day -- hooray! You really need your hair clipped back because it is past your eyes in the front, so I'm trying to train it to go back or to the side instead of giving you bangs. You are starting to help get yourself undressed at bath time and like to help gather and put on your shoes before we go outside.

Celebrating Amelia's 1st Birthday

- You typically sleep from 9 pm - 7 am and take a 2 hr. nap from 1-3 pm.

Mother's Day 2017

Mother's Day 2017 

- You like to help me bake, unload the dishwasher, and can follow instructions fairly well, such as "Put your book in the bookcase." You often cover your ears when the vacuum, coffee grinder, or blender are on. You enjoy helping take care of our new chickens. And you still love Dora! You seem to be very aware of the animals/nature around you. You enjoy looking for bugs and let me know if a "spider" is on you, which is your word for most any bug, usually an ant. You are not afraid of much.

Making coffeecake for Mother's Day 

- You like watching movies with dogs in them, such as "Up", "Bolt", and a new favorite (on VHS) "Lady and the Tramp". You are pretty easy-going and will take up whatever someone asks you to do. You haven't complained much about all the bug bites you've gotten this summer. You're still wearing links as bracelets, currently 4 reside on your wrist, including one you can see in the picture below :) You have begun taking swim lessons with your cousin Miriam at the YMCA. You are brave and I really have to follow you closely around the pool because you'll just keep walking straight into the deep end. When I ask you to close your mouth, you open it and stick your tongue out to lick the water. You are a stinker!

Girls' Breakfast with Grandma 

Zoë Kayte, you are so loved! You are a beautiful girl with your big blue eyes and curly brown hair. I love snuggling with you at night and reading books with you. You love to point out the dogs. You'll keep repeating "Momma, Momma, Momma" or "Dada, Dada, Dada" until we stop reading and you show us the dog on the page. You have learned and grown so much in the past year. You are saying numbers and counting just a little. You like pretending things are phones, including a favored domino, and talking and taking calls. I'd say you eat as well as the boys did at this age and continue to love your morning juice. You like singing songs from "Sing" and "Moana" and will occasionally just walk around asking for "Moana" which is why we chose that as your theme for your party! You are a great jumper, both on the ground and on the trampoline and enjoy dancing with us in the kitchen. I can't wait to see what you'll learn in the year ahead as we begin school with Zeke and you absorb what he's learning. Happy 2nd Birthday sweet daughter!
Love, Mommy