22

In honor of having only 2 more months before I have a TWO-YEAR-OLD child, I wanted to record a few things about 22 months.

To my girl, 22 things about 22 months:

1. You are full of personality and spunk. You LOVE an audience and happily show off for anyone who is willing to give you attention. You are not shy.
2. While you are not shy, you do enter into activities and relationships on your terms. You fearlessly climb to the highest slide at the park, but only once you have checked out the scene. You take your time making friends but are a lovebug once you have taken things in for a bit.
3. Your vocabulary is taking off more and more. Dad spends lots of quality time doing flashcards with you and you are getting better and better with pronunciation. Though you do make us laugh with a few words that you refuse to pronounce even remotely correctly. ex: pizza is "fa-fee" (this cracks your dad up to no end) and medicine (which you love) is "wa-wee."
4. You are cutting all 4 eye teeth at one time. While previously super excited about your new brother or sister, this week has reminded me what the first sleepless weeks are like. We have new little baby to thank for the fact that I am not consuming absurd amounts of alcohol this week. I am tempted, however, to try a little bourbon out on your gums!!
5. You love Mack. You love to chase him, taunt him with food so he will chase you, call him "wack" and ride him like a pony. He needs a halo.
6. You are definitely in a mommy phase. Since it took about 20 months to get here, I relish that you love me. I sometimes wish you didn't love me so much you don't want me in the next room, but I think that's teeth. I'll take it either way.
7. You are super affectionate. You dole out kisses and say "awww" as you lay your head on my shoulder, or put my hand on your cheek.
8. You are finally showing interest in baby dolls and walk around with your baby, loving on her and hugging her. You still prefer a ball any day though.
9. Your favorite foods include hot dogs (ott dog), squeezable veggies (sauce), and peanut butter right off the spoon. Pizza (fa-fee) is easily in your top 3. You also still love anything that happens to be on your dad's plate, from shepherd's pie to sausage burritos to soup.
10. You still hate the car. I mean, seriously kid.
11. You love music. Your fav song by far is "abba, abba father." Dad sings it to you at night and despite my best efforts to get you to sing my favorite (gentle woman), abba wins everytime. You also love "I, I, I" am the vine and I've got the joy down in my heart. You sing and sing and sing some more. It's precious.
12. Your favorite activity at any playground is the slide. "siiiiide," you yell.
13. You know the baby is in my tummy and pat my belly and kiss it all the time. You tell yourself "easy, easy" with my tummy the same way you do with Mack.
14. You still love to be "ou-side" more than anything on the planet earth.
15. You love to hold any of our rosary beads and hold the cross and say "Jesa, Jesa" and give Jesus kisses. I know the sisters taught you this and it lights up my world to see you understand that we love Jesus.
16. You're in a bit of a train phase right now. You love choo-choo's and love going to friend's houses like Brady's where trains abound. 
17. You love to take a bath and run yelling "fa-fa, fa-fa" when it's bath time.
18. We may have a water baby on our hands. While I have yet to get into the pool, you have been in with dad a few times and LOVE it. You completely trust him (rightfully so) and love swimming with daddy.
19. You definitely know your family members now and can point out "sha sha," "mema," "pops" and "roo." You are starting to get Ray Ray and granddaddy though I think his name confuses you since it sounds like daddy.
20. You do a pretty good job of independent play. Whether in your room with your toys or in the pop-up choo choo train, there is a good bit of every morning that I can count on you to entertain yourself. Please please keep this up come fall!
21. You love to read books yourself and to be read to. We no longer have a "go-to" tv show or movie that will calm you down but books do it every time. I hope you are a life-long reader! (Though I wouldn't mind you attaching yourself to an ace card movie for when I'm nursing 18 hours a day again!)
22. You are equal parts sugar and spice and not a day goes by that I don't stop, hold you a second longer, and wonder how dad and I got so stinking lucky.

teething. clutching my legs. begging "up, up, up". crying incessantly. big belly too!

no teething here- just a happy girl and her roo doll having a muffin

church bulletin family photo a few weeks ago

being silly at MOPS!

terrible photo quality but accurate portrait of poor Mack's life!