Two and a half

My first baby is on her way to three years old...crazy!

After one long, exhausting summer for all parties involved, I think we've hit our stride again.  Finley had a tough time adjusting to having another sibling.  She's never held any grudges against Fiona, but Fin gave me a run for my money.  We seemed to butt heads most of the time I was on maternity leave (lack of sleep, hormones, adjustment issues, jealousy, toddlerhood, etc) - it was wild and I often wondered what happened to my sweet little girl. 

Well, time has healed some of these issues and I'm learning to be way more patient with her and am approaching most situations with the thought "she just wants my attention/love" or sometimes "she's really freaking tired".  This usually sums up most of the outbursts and I'm learning solves most of them when I address her needs.  THANK GOD!

She is quite the talker and most of what comes out of her mouth absolutely cracks me up!  Some examples:

She mixes up her adjectives - "Close your eyes really deep, mama".  "Papa, spin me around really loud".

She says the Sp sound as an F - It's a Fider, apple Fider, a fork and a Foon, that diamond is Farkly

The Ch sound is Sh - Marsh (March), Mush (Much), Cash it (Catch it)

Other funny phrases where she mixes up 2 words - Bandaids Halloween, Pop Cake

She has a steel trap memory.  There are no empty promises around this house because she will call us out.  Especially when it comes to activities or foods she loves.  She will never forget when you say she can go to Grandma/Grandpas, have a treat, go swimming, or to the park. 

She knows pretty much all her shapes, animals, numbers, and letters

She loves to sing songs.  Some of her current favorites are The Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle Twinkle, You are My Sunshine, Rock-a-bye Baby.

She can't get enough of Doc McStuffins or The Lorax.  She knows every part of The Lorax and has probably watched it over 30 times. 

Audrey is the main girl on The Lorax and her friend is Ted.   For the last few weeks she's been Audrey.  Some days she will only answer if you call her Audrey.  And she speaks in the third person about it - "Audrey's going to drink her milk."  She calls Pat Ted, I'm the Onceler, and Fifi is the Lorax (she speaks for the trees!!!!) 

Finley is still pretty picky, but just in the past few weeks has she started to actually try a bite of some things we're eating.  Her favorite foods are: corn dogs, any cereal, apples and oranges, yogurt, cereal bars, raisins, macaroni, chicken nuggets, pasta, garlic bread, and chocolate milk.  She just recently discovered caramel apples - mmm.  Of course, she will eat any sweet, any time. 

She is such an independent first child.  She will play by herself for hours at a time.  I think I was the same way as a child.  She has a strong imagination and doesn't usually play with her toys the way they were intended, but collects (hoards) random household objects and turns them into pretend objects.  She was never so happy as one day when I gave her a baggie of farfalle noodles. 

Due to Doc McStuffins, she is obsessed with doctors, check ups, feeling sick and making it better, looking in ears, mouths, eyes, and listening for heart beats.  This honestly made going to her 2.5 year check up so much easier. 

Finley weighs 30 pounds

She talks in baby talk anytime Fifi gets attention for her cooing.  This annoys the heck out of me.  Her baby name is Binky and she, again, talks in the third person about Binky.  Binky's go night night, goo-goo, gah.  Drives me nuts!!!

She is still napping 2-3 hours in the afternoon and needs it most days!  She goes to bed around 8 and sleeps until about 6:30 or 7.  Bedtimes have been getting longer lately as she now knows how to procrastinate and says in her cute little voice "snuggle me" everytime you get up to leave.

She can make Fiona giggle like no one else and last weekend on the way home in the car they were both giggling at each other and I got a glimpse into the future of these two girls loving each other and having a blast. 

Finley's in swimming lessons until mid-November in preparation for our trip to California this fall.  She asks every night if we can go to swimming lessons.

Oh, the potty.  The sourse of many of my frustrations and tears.  But, honestly I think we are turning a corner.  She is just finally starting to poop on the potty and initiate telling us she has to go without going in her undies first.  She would always go evertime you took her there, but didn't show the initiative to go without the prompt.  And, we had a few weeks of undie pooping and that just plain sucks.  I was ready to give in multiple times, but then she would do something positive and we'd be back on track.  Maybe by 3 she'll have it all figured out. 

She loves to say "Hug and a Kiss" before saying goodbye and "I love you this mush" with her arms open wide!

She is such a shining light in our world.