23 Months

Next month this little girl turns two. I can't believe it. She really is becoming such a little girl. It baffles me. So here are some things I want to remember about this awesome stage in her life.

• Favorite song is "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man," or as Kate calls it, "Rock!"
• Loves to read books. Any of the Carl (the Rottweiler) books are a big hit.
• Can spot a "special treat" from a mile away. And by a mile away I mean whenever I try to sneak one into my mouth. 
• Favorite foods are fruit (especially bananas and peaches) and cereal. Pasta is another big hit.
• Favorite game is "Little Piggies". I need to get the way she says "Roast beef" on video. It's the cutest thing ever.
• Some of my favorite phrases she uses are:
• "Meesa peas" ("Excuse me please"). This is said as a command rather than as a polite request. 
• "Booboy Dee" ("Good boy, Deacon"). 
• "Mama". She just started using this the other day. Usually she calls me "Mom". However, the way she says Mama is just so sweet, and she seems to reserve it for when she is calling out for me, as opposed to when she is just talking about me. 
• "Do it again!" She said this for the first time while swimming in the lake with her uncle Kayle. He was doing something she found funny. It was also the first grammatically correct sentence she said.
•  Likes to "mess around". This is the general term I use for when she is procrastinating nap or bedtime. She quickly caught onto this phrase and now says "mess around" with an impish smile like it's one of the most fun things ever. I guess it probably is.
• Has a rapidly expanding vocabulary and sense of language. She has recently been using so many words I didn't even think she knew. This girl likes to talk. About everything.
• Will put her hand on my belly and smile, waiting for baby sister to kick her. 
• Can count to three. 
• Loves to be outside - walking, running, riding in her stroller, or even just to let Deacon out to go potty.
• The only thing she loves more than being outside is going on the boat. I don't think a day has gone by recently when I haven't heard about the boat. 
• Loves to swim, but sometimes has to be convinced to actually get in the water. 
• Loves wearing panties. This means we have just started letting her wear them out of the house. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
• Adores her family. And not just the people who live in this house. She talks everyday about at least one family member (though usually several). I hear lots about her G.G., Grandma, and various aunts, uncles, and cousins. 
• Went on her first camping trip on a floating campsite at Lake Oroville. 2 days, 1 night. Pure fun for Kate. It combined the things she loves the most (boating, swimming, and family) all into one. She was in heaven.  All she has been talking about since then is "Mary, Emma, Boat!!!".

On the boat at Lake Oroville, smiling at her cousin Mary