2 Years Old!

On February 24th, 2010, our world changed more than we could ever imagine. 

But what a wonderful world we have now.  Our little Madilyn Rae has grown into such a little lady.  I cannot believe she is 2 years old already!

It is incredible to see how much she has changed and grown.  She is so independent, wanting to do everything for herself, saying "my turn" all day long.
 
Here are some of the things that make me smile everyday about my daughter:

• Our regular conversation every morning to preschool involves Madilyn pointing out every bus on the way.  She exclaims, "Bus.  Yellow bus.  Bus.  Bye-bye, bus.  See you later!"  Then she moves on to cars and repeats the same dialogue.  So adorable.
• Her vocabulary has increased so much.  There are days that she will say a word and I have to double take because it is a new word that just popped out of her mouth for the first time.  It catches you of guard, and yet, you are filled with such pride.  Our little baby is growing up.  She is forming two- to four-word sentences.  I love watching her face as she tries confidently to communicate with us.
• She loves songs -- dancing to songs, singing songs.  And she requests that we sing her a song before we tuck her into bed.  What song is it normally -- the yellow song, The Beatles, "Yellow Submarine."
• Her favorite Sesame Street characters are Elmo and Abby.

• Her favorite food is fruit and fries on special occassion nights.
• She loves books and our nightly bedtime reading routine.
• Madi is such a good "helper".  She says "My helping.  My helping."  I am learning how to use this to my advantage.  Although I have learned that many chores are so much easier and faster to do without my little helper.
• She is very interested in action verbs right now.  Everyone and everything is "running" or "walking" or "jumping".
• Her favorite color is yellow.  Everything is yellow, even if it is not.  This has created quite a few toddler tantrums and frustration for us all.  For example, one morning she asked for her "yellow" shoes.  She doesn't own any "yellow" shoes, so we start through the offerings of available shoes.  She wants her "yellow" shoes.  We have no idea which are the "yellow" shoes and she cannot describe the shoes in any other description.  She is in tears and we are frustrated and struggling to get any shoes on her feet so we can leave for preschool.  Uggh!
• She enjoys swinging outside on her playset.
• She does not enjoy getting her picture taken anymore.
• She enjoyes jumping, especially when her brother is jumping in his bouncer.  She jumps and jumps alongside him screaming "Jumping, jumping, jumping."  So cute!
• Madi has a crush on a boy.  His name is Keaton.  Everyday she asks about Keaton.  We try to schedule as many playdate with Keaton as possible.  Here they are on the swing together:

• She substitutes "-er" instead of "-ing" onto the back of many verbs.  For example, "No touch-er, Aiden, no touch-er."
• She can recognize the parts of the body.
• We have begun daily teeth brushing.  I think she enjoys eating the toothpaste more than the action of brushing her teeth.
• She enjoys coloring and drawing with chalk outside.
• She is drinking from a big girl cup.
• She has an entourage of dolls/friends:  Baby, Doll, Puppy, Elmo, Abby, and Monkey.  They are carried all throughout the house.  And they all sleep in bed with her.  Also, it is a major catastrophe if one of them is to go missing.  Just this weekend, we ended up tearing the house apart in search for Puppy, just to realize that we left her at Grandma's.  We had to get Madi on the phone with Grandma so she could promise to deliver Puppy back to Madi the next day.  It was a disaster!
• She is "binky" free!  We used the concept of the Binky Fairy who delivered her an Elmo doll in the middle of the night in exchange for her pacifier.  So far (knock on wood), it has been successful.  The only major tantrum occurred the first nap after "Binky" was gone.  Since then, she only asked for it a couple of times and last night and tonight went to bed not asking for it at all.  We are very proud of her.
• Madi is busy, busy, busy!  Constantly on the move ... I am not sure how I am going to keep up with two movers.
• She is a great big sister.  She points to herself and says "Sister!"
• She loves jackets!  Here is how much.  Everyday when I pick her up from preschool I have to make sure that she has her *own* jacket on.  There have been several times that she is wearing another child's jacket.  She is so passionate about the jacket that she even convinces the teachers that the jacket she is wearing is actually her own jacket.  I hope this is not a trend.  I call her my little klepto.

Here are Madilyn's stats from her well visit at the pediatrician's office this past Monday:

Weight:  27 pounds, 4 ounces (72nd percentile)

Height: 34" (49th percentile)
Head Circumference: 18.75cm (62nd percentile)

It is not as easy to visit the pediatrician with Madi anymore.  She is not a big fan.  I am told it is the age.  She had a complete meltdown when the nurse wanted her to get on the scale to be weighed and measured.  She didn't want the nurse or the doctor to listen to her heart and lungs.  This trip included several tears and many "Home, Mommy, home."  However, when it came to the big finale, the part I dreaded the most, she received her vacination shot without any tears whatsoever.  I don't think I will ever get toddlers.