twenty four months

I can't believe it.  This is the last monthly post I'll write for Miss Ryann.  It seems like she has been a part of our lives forever, and yet at the same time I just can't grasp the fact that is has already been two years since I met her.  Crap.  I'm getting teary.  Moving on...

I'm late posting this monthly update because I wanted to wait until after Ryann's two year check-up.  Total lie.  I just hadn't gotten around to it until now, and thankfully we went to the doctor today.  My not so baby girl is 34 (55th percentile) inches tall and is weighing in at 27.8 pounds (64th percentile).  She is getting so big!  And now we  (hopefully) get to go another six months without a doctors visit.  SCORE.  Still hanging out in the 2T clothes, size 5 diapers and size 6 shoes.  Sleeping habits are still the same as well, about 10 hours at night, and a two hour nap just after lunch.

Now I can't say Ryann's eating habits have changed dramatically or anything.  She still favors peanut butter toast, pancakes, fruit and meatballs.  But she has definitely become much more open to at least trying new foods.  They often don't go over great, but trying is trying.  I'll take it.  Yesterday I gave her a hard boiled egg, she took a bite  of the yolk and I could tell in her face almost instantly she hated it.  I asked her "what do you think?"  "Um.  I need to drink my milk."  She furiously chugged some milk trying to wash the taste out of her mouth.  It was so funny, but again, just so happy she is actually willing to try other things sometimes.

someone was NOT into this photo shoot.  at all. 

Oh man.  Ryann has always seemed older than she is to me, simply because she can vocalize so well.  But in the last month she seems to have skipped two and jumped straight to being five or something.  She rarely speaks in broken sentences anymore, stringing 5+ words together complete with adjectives, pronouns and other various parts of speech quite well.  And no, not everyone can understand everything she says, but if you listen for just a bit you can generally figure it out.

Her gross motor skills?  Well, those are still a bit lacking.  This kid may know all the days of the week, all the months of the year, and can more or less count to 50.  But she can't jump to save her life.  And I about die from the hilariousness of watching her try to drink from a regular cup... somehow her tongue gets involved in the process, and it is just plain awkward.  We will get there of course, and quite honestly I like those little quirks because it reminds me that she is in fact only two.

Thankfully there has been a little more interest in the potty training department.  I can't say I think it will happen anytime soon, but maybe she will surprise me.  She sure as heck knows what she is doing, but the kid is just stubborn, and would rather be in control, and just keep doing what she is doing.  One morning she told me she didn't want to wear diapers, so I put her in a pair of underwear.  About five minutes later she wanted them off, I told her if she wanted them off we'd have to put a diaper on.  She said "No.  I don't want a diaper.  I don't want underwear.  Just pants."  Oh great.  My kid would prefer to go commando all the time.  That is just plain wonderful.  Right now we'll just go ahead and stick with diapers.

Sorry but one other funny potty related story.  On Ryann's birthday we were out to eat at Cheesecake Factory.  Ryann started telling us she needed to go poopy on the potty.  She needed to use the potty at the restaurant.  I of course thought she was just being a punk because she didn't want to eat the noodles (that she requested!), but took her to the bathroom anyway.  As I am hovering her over the toilet another lady comes in and uses the stall next to us.  As soon as she starts peeing Ryann starts cheering, "Oh hooray!  Good job girl!  Good job going in the potty!"  Yep, clapping and cheering on some random woman in the bathroom.  I'm not sure the lady was paying attention, we never did actually see her, but I hope she loved the encouragement :o).  The good news?  Ryann did indeed poop in the potty.

bribery at its finest

We are definitely still well into the 'mine' stage right now.  She is sure to tell everyone that pretty much everything is hers, and can be kind of aggressive about it.  Drives me a bit crazy.  Now we are also very much at the 'I can do it myself' stage as well.  I'm all for her becoming a bit more independent and doing things by herself, by ohmygawd it takes forever to get her dressed.  I just have to remind myself that this is part of her growing up, I can't always do everything for her or she'll never learn.  It is somewhat funny though, now she'll tell me, "I'm two now.  I'm big.  I can do it."  I get reminded pretty much every hour that she is a big girl now.  The other day she told me she is going to be 'bigger than mommy' and she can 'do anything everyday'.  Whatever that means :o).

Ryann used to be pretty timid and shy, not very adventurous at all.  Now?  Not so much.  She gets so excited when people come over, running up to the door to see who it is.  She used to be incredibly cautious while climbing and playing, and now I'm fearful she'll fall off of this or that every second.  She loves to see what she can climb on top of and stand on.  Tables, toys, random things, you name it, she wants to climb it and stand on it.  I'm glad she is becoming braver, but it sure is scary.  It has made the park a lot more fun (well, and scary, but fun) now that she likes the twisty slides and the tunnel slide.  She is constantly doing circles, up the steps down the slide up the steps down the slide.  She loves it.

What I most want to remember right now, are the things I can't really explain with written words.  Ry has become so enthusiastic about everything, there is constantly a little pep in her step.  Words flowing out of her to a little made up tune.  She cheers me on when I accomplish even the most simple tasks, or when I finish all of my meal :o).  There is just this certain thing about the way she talks and the way she plays lately.  It makes my cheeks hurt from smiling so much sometimes just watching her.  We still have our off days (duh, I'm pretty sure that will happen, oh, forever), but those good moments are just SO good.  Little giggle fests with my kiddo make my world go round.

Oh my little cheese ball.  Every single day is just a bit brighter because you're here.  Even on our toughest days I'm still so happy to be your mom.  Don't you ever EVER think otherwise.