Emily Turns Two!!!

My baby is two!  I am still in shock.  I remember when Emily was little thinking that somehow, someway- I would get her to be two years old.  Surely, if I could just get her to be two, this 'mother of four' bit would be a breeze.  Um, yeah.  That was a silly little dream.  Sure- things are a lot easier in a lot of ways, but life is still bustling along and I am doing everything in my power to just keep our lives moving in the right direction! 

Emily is so ridiculously funny.  I have never seen a two year old with such a sense of humor.  She just gets everything!  She is always listening to things going on around her.  If I tell Claire to go to the garage to get a new box of cereal, she is already at the door by the time Claire can even turn around.  I have to be super careful with what I say around my beautifully aware little girl!  Sometimes she will respond, "What.  Seriously?" when I ask her a question.  Um, seems a little advanced to me!  Two going on ten!  She has a few different laughs.  One laugh she does is so guttural and hilarious!  We call it the crazy laugh.  She only does it when you tickle her or when she is trying to get laughs from people in the room.  She loves attention and isn't afraid to do what it takes to get it!

I have a hard time describing Emily.  People always ask, 'What is she like?'  I think it's appropriate to first say that Emily is the biggest love.  She gives me more love than I could ever dream of!  She loves to hug and kiss me and all of her family members and is so sensitive to anyone in need.  If I am holding her and Damien walks in the room, she will say 'just three of us' and she will hug us both and sing a song.  She hates when anyone gets hurt and is one of the first people there to help out!  Emily loves me so much and is always aware of where I am.  God forbid I leave the room without her knowing.  When she realizes I am gone, she will let out a scream 'Mom?'.  Mommy's Girl, for sure!

The reason it is hard to describe her is because as much as she is loving, she is equally intense.  She thinks she is ten years old and fights like it.  Poor Matthew bears the brunt of it, too.  She is just in a part of her life where she can't help herself!  I do see lots of improvement so I am hoping she can turn a corner and get more control of her actions.  She is only two, you know!  I think that once she is truly threatened by a time out or a punishment, she will get better! 

Emily is talking a lot now.  She is able, for the most part, to say everything she needs to say to communicate.  Most words that come out of her mouth are expected.  Some of the things that she says that blow me away are:  hot tub, dangit, diet (as in, 'i have some diet coke?), hum ere (come here), hold you (hold me), iPhone and iPad are in her frequent word list, what you eating?, have lotion?, oh my gosh, have lip gloss?, have coffee?, i told (i'm scared), Mom, you're the best, dee-doo (a secret word game with Michael), i go Costco?, and the ever sarcastic ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.?  What I am trying to point out here is that Emily doesn't talk about the things I imagine other two year olds talking about.  Her vocabulary includes words that come out of her siblings mouths.  While hysterical at times, it is also scary!

Emily's hair is heavenly.  Seriously, it is just the cutest thing ever!  Claire's hair was curly, but not this curly.  If I don't put Emily's hair in a clip or a ponytail, she looks wild!  I usually can tell how my day went by looking at Emily's hair at the end of the day.  If my day was crazy, her hair looks crazy.  If I kept things in check, she looks so cute!  It is hilarious.  I don't think her hair has really dropped much on her back in the last six months.  It just gets curlier and curlier in these precious little ringlets.  She is a big healthy 36 1/2 pounds and 38 inches tall.  This measured over 110% percent.  It is just crazy.  She is officially my biggest kiddo, yet!  The doctor said she is the size of an average three year old.  Holy smokes!  So much for Emily feeling like the baby! 

What else can I say about this girlie.  She is strong, fierce, loving, independent, and totally dependant at the same time.  She still sleeps in bed with me at night (gulp).  I know sleep training is coming soon.  It is just so hard!  She is really determined to do and get what she wants so I know this training is going to be rough.  One thing she does to calm herself down is to play with my ears, or anyone who will lend her an ear.  Bizarre?  A little.  But it is what she does to de-stress.  If anyone knows where I can get a little plush ear to let her sleep with in her crib, let me know :) !

Emily loves her baby who she named Baby Gina.  She loves to play with Claire's Littlest Pet Shops, loves being with Mommy nonstop, loves running around and jumping off things, loves climbing on the counter and breaking rules, insists on taking out the recycling, getting her own water from the refrigerator, eating popsicles, loves playing hide and seek and yelling yodel-ey-hee-whooooo, loves swimming and anything to do with water, she loves to run errands and see new things, she prefers to be as God made her- naked, she loves dogs, cats, and bugs (although she will stand over a bug and say I step?), she loves to try any and all foods, loves to disrupt whatever her siblings are doing, and just loves when people are around!

She does not like flying in airplanes (although she is good, take off and touch down scare her), she does not like Ursula the Evil SeaWitch from The Little Mermaid, she doesn't like it at all when Mommy leaves, she doesn't like it when you snap her carseat seatbelt (Emmy do it!), she is not a huge fan of car rides and is not a good car sleeper, and above all- Emily does not like to feel like she is missing out on ANYTHING!!!

My Emily is amazing.  She is so dynamic, hilarious, and incredible.  While she can be trying at times, she is worth all the struggle and more.  She melted our hearts the other night during dinner at prayer.  After two years of listening to prayers- she finally said her own.  "God Bless Mommy, Daddy, Michael, Claire, Matthew and Em-ul-ay."  God Bless you Emily and congratulations on your second birthday.  We all love you so, so much.