Irelyn {April 2015}

In no particular order :)

-April 21st- pooped in the potty for the 1st time!  You totally acted like it was no big deal.  So funny.  You aren't potty trained yet but we do sit on the potty to practice, and sometimes you happen to go.  I'm pretty sure you recognize the sensation.

- Whenever we ask you to do something you don't want to do you say "I don't" or "I didn't".

-Daddy asked you the other day, "Irelyn, do you live in Kansas?"  You replied, "No, I'm right here daddy!"

-You love to request princess songs at bedtime when I sing to you.  Usually it's "Elsa" ("Let it Go" from Frozen) or "Belle" ("Tale as Old as Time" from Beauty and the Beast).

-You will eat anything if I say "It's a BABY carrot!" (or insert any food item).  You like little (baby) things :)

-When you talk about things in terms of size, big things are "daddy" and little things are "baby"

-Some days you say "I no go to preschool tomorrow Mommy" and some days you are ready to go.  Overall I think you like being with playmates all day, but those drop-offs are sure heart-wrenching most mornings!

-You are very polite and use your "please" and "thank-yous" with very little prompting from me.  You also ask "May I be excused please?" when you are done eating.

- You like to serve everyone in the room when you are playing kitchen, you are good at offering everyone something "Want some Daddy?"

- You have had this thing with "The Moose" and being afraid of "The Moose".  We don't know where you picked up on a this, but you talk about it often!  Grandma had to carry you around their backyard the other day because you were scared of "The Moose" in the woods.  You like to talk about foxes too.  Lately you have wanted to read any book we have that talks about foxes.

- When we are in the car, you often point out what all the buildings are: "Daddy's work" (sometimes it's Daddy's house!), "preschool!", "Church", "my house" (or "Irelyn's house").

- You have started to separate yourself from your blankey the last couple months.  We no longer carry it everywhere we go.  You just don't need it.  The one time we do need it is every morning at preschool.  It helps you transition at drop-off.

- You like to sleep with your Elsa doll at daycare and your "Tickle-Horse" at home (he has a tickly tail that you rub on your cheek.  He's a little frazzled looking!).

- You like to pray and you can say the "God is Great" prayer all by yourself.  In the mornings on the way to work and daycare we say a prayer in the car, you have started insisting on saying prayer first "I pray mommy!"  and then when you say your prayer you say "Mommy pray now".  At meals you usually request the "Bum-Bum Prayer" that Mommy taught you :).

- When we drop Daddy off at work he asks if you want a kiss or a high five, sometimes you want both!  So sweet.

- You get TONS of compliments on your hair everywhere we go!  I don't blame people, I sort of wish I had your beautiful curls too!

You are getting SO big little girl, you don't even look like a toddler anymore!

Can't believe you're old enough to start Head Start next year, oh my!  

Love my curly-haired spunky little girl!

Great-Grandma

This afternoon I got a call from my mom that my grandma was not doing very well.  She has been a little up and down the past couple weeks, but yesterday seemed to take a turn for the worse. We're hoping things start looking better but it is hard to tell.  She is one strong gal!

I went back and forth on whether we should drive up to visit tonight.  I told my mom that I might come after I got Irelyn down for bed.  I picked up Irelyn from daycare and we drove to Dillons to get gas.  

Before I got out of the car Irelyn said to me "Go to Goessel Mommy?"  

Thinking I might have misunderstood her I said "What did you say baby?"  

"Goessel Mommy.  Great-Grandma."

I was floored.

I hadn't mentioned anything to Irelyn about Great-Grandma not feeling well or about going to Goessel to visit.  She was in bed yesterday evening when DJ and I were talking about it.  The only time Irelyn has ever mentioned going to Goessel is every Sunday morning, because we always go on Sundays.

She decided for me.  I took that as a sign that we should go see Great-Grandma tonight.

We stopped by the house to get diapers and pick-up DJ.  

When we got into the car Irelyn said, "Drive fast Daddy."

It was obvious Grandma wasn't feeling very well when we got there.  I'm glad we went to visit, and I'm glad we all went- we cherish every moment we have with her.  It is such a joy to watch my baby girl and my grandma interact.  

Irelyn was not fazed by the fact that Great-Grandma was lying down, not sitting up, or the sounds of the oxygen machine.  She saw her great-grandma, the person who gives her undivided attention and the occasional cookie, plays pillow-catch, and allows her to slather her with copious amounts of lotion (because nothing is quite as fun as squeezing lotion from a tube)!  Irelyn even fed Great-Grandma some blueberries after she had some trouble grasping them.  Love their sweet relationship.

We are praying she gets better, but I do not know what tomorrow holds.  I have a feeling God was speaking through my little angel tonight.  

Irelyn {2 1/2}

Sweet Little Girl,

You are 2 1/2!  

Which is exciting and sad.  You are moving up to the Preschool room at daycare and out of the toddler room in January.  Can I still call you a toddler please?!  

You are getting to be such a big girl in so many ways.

Exerting your independence... meaning you tell us "NO!" a lot more than you used to, even when we know you mean "yes".  Giving two choices or re-directing you is still working pretty well most of the time- unless you're overtired from refusing to nap (yes, you are starting to FIGHT sleep... didn't we sleep train you once already?!).

You are:

Size 4 diapers

Size 5 shoes

24 month-2T pants

2T- 3T shirts 

Your hair is down past your shoulders and is still curly but it's not as tightly curled as it was when it was shorter.  You love having long hair, and you usually have an opinion on how Mommy should style it for you (bow, no bow, pig-tails, braids, "Mommy brush it" or "I brush it").  

Things you love:

Milk (you would live off of milk if we let you)

Cheese Crackers

Applesauce

Pancakes

Boots 

Dresses

Accessories (earings, necklaces, bracelets, bows, etc... everything girly!)

Horses- you basically adore animals in general, but horses still seem to hold a special place for you.

Books-  your attention span is amazing when we read.  I can read a 5-10 minute long story and you will sit through it enthralled, and then pick out another book right after!

Blankie- Thankfully, you accept any soft blankie.  As long as you have a blankie- you are set.  You have two light cotton blankets we rotate for daycare and home that you love to wear around your neck like a scarf (accessorizing!).

Your vocabulary has exploded the past two months!

We have loved to hear you learn new words- I have stopped trying to keep track of what words you know, because you are constantly surprising us when you say things.  You have several phrases that you use constantly.  These are a few we hear frequently:

"I got it"

"I hold it"

"I run fast!" or "Run fast Mommy!"  You are going to give your daddy a good race one of these days.

"Put a bandaid on it!"  Usually followed by... "All better" or "Mommy kiss it!"

"Mine!"

"There it goes!" You like saying this when you see the garage door go up and down

"Aster did it."  Already blaming the cat for things! 

"Mommy I hold you."  I love that you say this, you want to hold mommy not the other way around :), melts my heart every time.

"The li-birdy, books!" You say this every time we pull into the parking lot in the morning, since our building is right across from the library, so cute!

"Good morning Mommy!" You say this when I come get you out of your crib in the morning, you are a morning person.  Go figure.  Daddy and I are NOT morning people!  If I have to wake you up you will literally bounce up from your sleeping position and give me a smile!  

"Princess Elsa, pretty-pretty hair (insert: braid, dress, necklace, etc)"

You LOVE Princess Elsa.  You sing "Let it Go" every day and ask to watch the Youtube video on the computer.  You dance around with your arms spread out, you actually know a lot of the words though you mispronounce some of them.  Recently you've branched out into "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman".  You've never seen the movie- just the singing clips- but you are in love.

In general you say "pretty-pretty" when you see something pretty.... because pretty things need more emphasis.

You are starting to remember things really well, especially people and places.  You like to ask about your aunts and uncles and cousins.

You learned this past weekend that Easton and baby Ellie live in Oklahoma, which you pronounce "'lahoma".

We also talk about the kids in our daycare class and the teachers.  I love that for the most part you look forward to going to daycare every day and talk about the people you are with there.  Sure makes this mommy feel better!

Cute conversation at bedtime:

Me:  Okay Irelyn, it's time to lay down now and go to sleep.

Irelyn: No (whispers)

Me: Why not?

Irelyn: I'm scared

Me: What are you scared of?

Irelyn: The moose

Me: Where is the moose?

Irelyn: Moose (whiney voice)

Me: You don't have to be scared baby

Irelyn: Cuz Mommy's right there.

Me: That's right baby, Mommy's right here :)

Irelyn {15 Months}

Here's what happens when a stay-at-home mama starts a job.... blogging just doesn't happen.  Hopefully I can play catch-up with Irelyn's monthly posts over the holidays!  15 months... finally :)

15 months, October 5, 2013

Sweet baby girl,

You are 15 months!
Stats from you 15 month check-up:
Weight: 20.2 lbs.
Height: 30.7 in.
-You got four shots at your appointment which went okay, but then they had to do a blood draw to test for iron levels and that was NO fun.  SO many tears!  You cried as soon as the nurse came in the room!  I think you subconsciously remember all those heel pricks you had as a newborn :(.
Here's what you've been up to this month:

- You've learned three new signs this month: "water", "ball", and "fish"!

-Started piking your body like you're about to do a somersault, and you peek between your legs!  The world looks so different upside down! (Sept. 9)

Using Dan as a backrest... he really didn't mind :). 

-You have started wanting to wear your ballet slippers, you get SO excited when you have shoes on your feet.  The problem is you kick your little feet together (like Dorothy) and the shoes come flying off!

*Twinkle Toes *

-I took you to the library to check out books for the first time (Sept. 10).  You were kind of upset that Mommy didn't put you down to crawl around, but you did like looking at the other kids in the children's section and trying to socialize with them!  The librarians thought you were pretty cute- especially when they were checking out the books and every time the scanner made a beeping sound you got SO excited!  When we got home you would have NOTHING to do with the new books from the library and only wanted to read your own books (which Mommy has all but memorized)!  Such a goofball! 
-You have started trying to talk more.  You say "hot" when you see a coffee mug and "up!" when you want to be held!  It is so fun to hear you talk!  You always whisper your words and jabber loudly :).

Peek-a-boo... someone likes to hide behind the curtains! 

Playing with magnets

Someone LOVES Barney :)  TV distraction while Mommy makes supper.

"Where's baby's eyes?"  POKE!

-You have never been a super snuggly baby, but you have started giving really good hugs!  You even patted mama's back while hugging me, it was so sweet!
-You got your 3rd tooth (2nd on bottom) (Sept. 24)
It's been a busy month baby girl!
We love you bunches Ladybug!
Love,
Mommy