twenty-three months

Yesterday my precious little girl turned twenty-three months old.  As in there is only one month left until she is two.  And this is my next to last monthly update (not sure I'm sad about that, they can be a bit of a challenge to put together... and pictures with the chalkboard are getting really old!).

Ry is wearing anywhere from 24 month to 3T clothing (although that is just in the leggings.  Some of those suckers are tight!), sporting a size 6 shoe, and size 5 diapers (because she HATES the potty now.  ugh, fail.).  She is usually in her crib for the night at 8pm (and no later than 9), and generally up between 6:15 and 6:45am.  I try and put her in her crib by 1pm for nap, and she'll sleep until 3 or 4.  Occasionally longer, but I have to wake her, or she isn't ready for bed.  She never has figured out how to sleep past 7am, but since she generally gives me such a good nap, I'll just go with it.

Speaking of the early morning wake ups.  I swear this kid starts singing as soon as her eyes flick open, possibly before.  This week I've been woken up with rather loud renditions of Row Row Row Your Boat, This Old Man, and a few other songs that I'm pretty sure she just made up.  A lot of her 'songs' seem to be just a stream of conscience.  When I finally make my way into her room she'll smile real big and say, "I was singing Mama."  Why yes dear, I most definitely heard you :o).  Sometimes she throws in I think a verse from London Bridge.  Really I have no idea, we've tried to figure out the whole thing, but we hear something about 'sticks and stones, xylophones'.  Maybe it is another made up song, but it is to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down.

Our daily menu still consists pretty much of peanut butter toast or waffles, fruit, salmon sticks, and meatballs.  She asks for meatballs for dinner EVERY SINGLE DAY.  No joke.  I have got to convince this child to eat a wider variety of food, her selection is way too boring.  But if I try and switch it up the meal usually ends in tears.  Even though the variety isn't there, I feel like she still gets all the nutrients she needs, so I'm trying to pick my battles.  Someday she'll be more adventureous in the food department, right?  I did manage to get her to eat some pasta by getting the alphabet noodles.  Unfortunately I made the mistake of mixing meatball pieces in.  She wanted to eat the meatballs, and the pasta, but not at the same time.  Go figure.  I sorted out every last little piece of meatball.

One of my absolute favorite things this past month has been listening to Ryann 'read'.  Obviously she has just memorized what we've read to her, but she is good.  She can 'read' several books the whole way through.  And if she can't remember the exact words, she spits out her own modified version.  We've overheard her read Silly Sally, Llama Llama Mad at Mama, What's Wrong Little Pookie and Jamberry.  It is beyond cute.

This month Ryann has also began to distinguish between boys and girls.  I don't know exactly what sparked it, but we'd be walking out of the gym and she'd point to someone and say, "That's a girl.  That's a boy," almost always correct.  Eventually I started quizzing her, "Is mommy a boy or a girl?  Is daddy a boy or a girl?  What's Ryann?"  And so on and so on.  She rarely answers incorrectly.  Randomly she'll ask me, is so and so a girl or a boy.  So I'll repeat the question to her.  Then she'll say to me, "More people mama?  Say more people mama?"  It is a fun little game.  I was impressed that she even correctly labeled several movie characters.  Some of them are a little tough, but for the most part she gets it right.

Another crazy thing Ryann has figured out this past month?  How to count to nearly 50.  Yes, 50.  Now she can't just do it straight on her own.  We usually are saying the numbers back and forth.  But she has picked up on the pattern.  It is just a matter of learning 30,40,50, etc in the correct order.  A lot of times when we are driving in the car I'll just start with 1, she'll say 2, and we'll got back and forth until 40 or 50.  She regularly skips 16,17, and 27.  Not sure why those numbers get slighted, but they are the ones she always forgets.  Sometimes she also jumps straight from 19 to 21, but not always.

I think one of Ryann's favorite parts of the day is when Daddy comes home.  She has started this little thing where she hides in the kitchen as soon as she hears the garage door go up.  When he open the door she jumps out and says boo, runs up and gives him a hug, and then generally is off and running yelling back at him, "Daddy play chase?  Daddy play chase!"  One time we were still sitting at the table having a snack when the garage door went up.  She freaking flipped out.  "Mommy I have to get down!  I am stuck!  I have to get down I have to hide!  Mommy GET ME OUT!"  I of course was laughing so hard I could barely function.  It was awesome.  The really funny part?  Apparently Melissa's little Alice does almost the exact same hiding routine :o).  If only there was that much excitement when I got home... Ha.

Ryann asks me multiple times a week if we can go to Grammy and Papa's house.  Or to Georgia.  Either one, I'm pretty sure she just doesn't want to hang out at home with me.  No really.  On Tuesday my parents took us out to dinner, because they were staying in town to be close to the airport.  When we left the restaruant Ryan was sad she couldn't go with them.  This is the conversation that followed:

Ryann:  "Go to the airport with Grammy and Papa?"

Me:  "Well honey Daddy and I aren't going so you'll have to stay hear with us."

Ryann:  "I want to fly on the plan with Grammy and Papa."

Me:  "But what about Mommy and Daddy?  We'll miss you too much.  Don't you want to stay with Mommy."

Ryann:  "I don't want to stay mommy.  I want to go."

We'll, alrighty then.  Apparently I'm no fun.  :o)  Then she said, "You know what?  There is no Christmas.  And no Mickeys."  Hahahahaha.  It was dark outside, and she was really referring to the fact that the Christmas lights aren't up anymore (or inflatable characters), but it seriously sounded like the saddest little conversation.

Ryann's imaginative and pretend play gets more and more fun to watch everyday.  She takes care of her stuffed animals and baby dolls, talking and singing to them all the time.  She carefully covers up her sea horse with somewhere around 12 blankets, making sure each one is precisely lined up.  She'll put a crayon in a stacking cup and tell me she brought me a drink with a straw.  Her counting bears are always having conversations with each other.  I'm so tempted to give her the play kitchen and stuff before her birthday, because I just think she would have a blast with it.  But I'm trying to refrain :o).

Other random tidbits to mention...  How on Earth Ryann picked this up, I have no idea, but whenever Chris and I kiss Ryann acts like a little grossed out teenager.  She scrunches up her face and makes a completely disgusted noise.  It is hilarious.  Seriously.  Who taught her that?  If you pretend to be sad Ryann will run over to give you a hug and a kiss to make it better (which is surprisingly great for distracting her when she is sad).  She hardcore stalls when I am putting her to bed, asking for just one more song, or trying to talk about her day, or what we are going to do the next day.

Things that Ryann loves right now:  Mr & Mrs. Potato Head.  Laying in her crib with a million stuffed animals and books.  The Land Before Time (but only the happy parts).  Kung Fu Panda 2 (still).  Putting the soap in the dishwasher.  Starting the laundry (woot! keep enjoying the chores girly!). Her 'juice' (flavored water).

Things that Ryann hates right now:  Having her diaper changed.  Coming inside after playing outside.  Putting on shoes and socks and a jacket to leave the house.  Getting dressed in the morning.  Being stuck in her stroller.  Being carried when she wants to walk.  Vegetables (except raw bell peppers).  Pretty much the typical stuff hated by toddlers :o).

Oh my sweet complicated crazy little girl.  I love watching you grow.  But stop it.  Stop growing up so fast.  I LOVE YOU.