28 Months

Hello Darling.

I'm a little behind this month. Our computer has been in the shop...and still is...so I'm using Dad's work computer early in the morning before he heads out. All our pictures are on the home computer so hopefully it will be done soon and I can post some recent pictures. You are growing up! Saturday Dad and I got teary all over again watching you play when you and I went to visit him at work. You aren't even 1% baby anymore. You're all little girl and you show us this through your words, play, and how you communicate your thoughts. We still stay up most nights, after you've gone to bed, and look at pictures and videos. It's amazing to watch your transformation to this little peanut not even 6 pounds to our energetic, curl-bouncing, happy princess girl!

You're quite funny. I am enjoying watching your humor come out even more as each month goes by. Last week we were driving and suddenly you yell out, "Mom! A farm!!!!". I'm looking around....uhhh...we're in the city, hun...? Then I look to my right and see Ace hardware. I ask, over there? "Yes!!!!" you excited yell. They had some plants out front so I'm thinking ok, maybe we need to go back to the farm to make sure we know what that's about when you yell out, "I want a farm. A pink farm! No. Uhhhh a blue one! YES!!". Ha you really had me cracking up, girl.

One Sunday we had some time together as a family and we decided to watch some National Geographic show about animals. They had all kinds of animals on there but one really seemed to stick with you, apparently. The next morning I get you out of bed and you're all sleepy and snuggly when abruptly you sit up and say, "I want to watch a show about a lemur!". Haha I'm laughing even at the memory. It was adorable. So now we have found lemur's hiding in two of your books we already have- your favorite Noah's ark book and another small animal board book. Your memory is getting sharp like that- you seem to be remembering more, for longer periods of time. Watching you develop has been fascinating and continues to strengthen my testimony of our creation and our Heavenly Father in so many ways.

Or the time last week I'm sitting on the floor in your room with some toys waiting for you to join me when you walk in all funny with your feet together and your arms at your side with your hands straight out and you are absolutely beside yourself giggling you can barely stand up. I started laughing and asked what in the world you were doing. You said, "I'm a penguin!" and literally fell over laughing so hard. Such a silly girl. It's these moments that I love you being two!

We have had a short summer. These wildfires have been devastating to our state in many ways. For our family personally, it's been a challenge because there were weeks at a time that we could not let you outside because of the density of the smoke. Ash was on the cars in the morning and the one time I did try to take you out because you were acting cooped up, I got a headache after 45 minutes and you developed a dry cough so that was the end of that. Well one day the smoke cleared a bit and I took you up to our favorite blueberry farm not farm from our house. We are up there having a nice time when suddenly you yell, SNAKE!!! I didn't even blink. You were going through a phase where you didn't know the difference between a snake or a worm...or a stick. But then I hear a woman yell out and two other people started quickly making their way towards the exit and and another say loudly and nervously, ...is there really a snake?? I realized I should be kind and I said, no there's no snake, it's just a stick. But secretly I gave you a big hug and thought it was pretty awesome! ;)

You have been our fearless girl for over two years. Nothing, it seemed, could phase you. Well, for whatever reason, you've changed. Now you get nervous when you hear a loud noise or think someone might be at the door. In a way I am a little sad to see the fearlessness fade but in every other way I am grateful. Now you are afraid of the oncoming traffic, for example, and stay much closer to me. It was always a struggle to keep you close...as you didn't want to be close...and juggle whatever else I was trying to get in/out of the car. Plus when you do get this nervousness you run for me and leap- not kidding- leap into my arms. I will take the snuggles any day!!!

Lately you are into the 'look and find' type books. Not Where's Waldo?, but the same idea. You have several of them already I've picked up over the last couple of years but we've been using them mainly as picture books. Now you realize they're look and finds and you are eager to play. You're adorable as you hold one finger on the object you're looking for and search with the other hand. That way, if distraction occurs along the way, you can still look back to the first finger and remember what you were searching for. You're really good at it and last night I laughed as you actually found the object before me!

Sweet girl, these next few months will bring a lot of change. You will be getting a big girl bed, changing classes at school, and potty training- just to name a few! It will be a busy season before Christmas. I anticipate a lot of sleepless nights leading to exponential growth upcoming. I'm excited to see how you react and change.

We are thrilled to be able to take you back to the coast next week and to see family. Your memory is incredible around people- even if you haven't seen them in a long time. You still ask about Jennifer, and she moved in June. You ask about Ev most every day as well as grandma and grandpa, papa, and aunties. Your Book of Family I made you seems to help and you enjoy looking through it and naming people. I need to make an updated version now that I see how often you pull it down and look at it.

We love you so much, sweet girl. You have our hearts and we love being devoted to you!

oxoxoxox
Mommy