Michaela

I just want to post about my amazing 2 year old, Michaela. I do keep a journal but have not written in awhile and I want to remember some of the fun things about Miki right now at this stage in her life. There are so many changes coming up for our little family. Matt and I have talked about this but, we almost feel guilty for making Miki "share" us with Lucy when she has only ever known us as "her" mommy and daddy. The thing that makes me know that everything will be ok is the fact that my siblings are the most important people and friends in my life. I can't imagine my life without them. I guess that makes sense since I am the 3rd one and never had a life without at least some of them but you know what I mean. Pretty soon, Miki won't even remember what life was like without Lucy. Right now, I am really trying to cherish the times that we have together. She and I are buds. I love how much she still needs me. She loves me and she shows it every day with hugs and kisses and sweet words. She tries so hard to listen and do what she is told. Sometimes she acts very "2" and challenges everything I say or ask but she is such a good girl it's hard to complain. She has also been not taking naps very well lately which makes for cranky evenings and not great nights of sleep. We are gonna try some new things to see if we can help that.

Coloring with Chalk

Anyway, right now, she is soooo funny. Matt and I love the way she says some of her words. Here are a few examples; "Foop" is food. "Popsiple" is popsicle. "Erybody" is everybody. "Apple pine" is pineapple. "Fring cheese" is string cheese. "Good girl" is a common phrase she uses for either good girl or big girl. She tends to say "good girl" after we do something that she likes. She will say "good girl daddy" to Matthew when he help her with something or does something she asks him too. It's so cute. She also has to refer to Matt most of the time not just as daddy but as "my daddy." She'll turn to me and say, "my daddy get me a carrot!" Her daddy is very special to her and she talks about him all the time. Her day revolves around where he is at any given time. Whenever he leaves she always has to give him kisses. She went through this stage where she wanted to kiss us on our backs whenever she was saying goodbye. She would say, "I need to kiss you baaaaaack!" and she wanted to kiss us on our back. Yeah, we have no idea where that one came from. If she wants us she says, "I need you." So we started to say "No, I need you" and she would get all excited and say, "you need me?" To which we would reply that of course, we would always need her. She is so sweet. If I had a dollar for every time during the day that I hear "Mommy!!!!" I would be rich. Can we find someone to keep track and pay me for it? She is also very observant. She describes everything that she sees. If she is watching a cartoon or movie, she will tell me what is happening and it's always right. She has a fantastic memory. She will talk about things that happened before she had the words to describe them. Now that she has the words it just amazing me what she remembers. She knows all of our family members by their faces and the voices. She knows characters in books and shows and such by their names once she has seen them once. In fact, we were just talking about how smart she is and how we need to look for ways to challenge her more. She is more than a sponge, she sucks information in from all around her. We paint and color and read and play pretend. We dance and play outside and do bubbles. She knows all of her letters and colors and she can count to 10. Well, almost. She tends to leave out the number 4. Who ever needed 4 anyway? So, we are going to start some more projects like beads, glue, finger paint, play doh. Any other great toddler ideas would be awesome. I'm gonna start working more on letters, pictures and numbers and colors and shapes and such and writing and all of that. I would love for her to be able to go to a Montessori school or something a few days a week but it's not in the budget right now so we will be doing as much as we can at home. She is seriously so smart I know she would learn anything she is taught.

Playing at the fountains on her 2nd Birthday

Some of the things she likes. She loves Rapunzel from the movie "Tangled." She like the show "Wonder Pets" and she is also kind of into "Yo Gabba Gabba" because of the music and dancing. (Much to mom's chagrin. It's sooo annoying.) She loves her baby dolls and is a great little mommy to them. She feeds them, burps them, changes their "britches," puts them down for a nap and walks them around in the stroller. She gives them hugs and kisses. She is such a nurturer and a little love. She loves to snuggle. Right now mommy and daddy's bed is the best place to play. She will jump and she loves to lay on the pillows and read. She also loves to pile up the pillows and fall into them like a pile of leaves. She is definitely getting more and more energy. She has never been a huge climber but she is now climbing all over the furniture and beds and she looooves jumping and running in circles. Dancing and spinning happen all day at our house. She also loves to wear her princess dress and her Dora dress and shoes and dance and play. She has play earrings and rings and necklaces and she likes to wear those too. When she does watch tv she likes to have a pillow, blanket and her Winnie the Pooh or Rapunzel doll to snuggle with. She likes to sing and always pulls out the hymn book at church when we sing on Sundays. She loves going to her nursery class at church. She can't wait for it to start every week.

Adventures in Chattanooga with mom and dad

She is also very social. It takes her a minute to warm up to new people and places but she loves to play with other kids and adults. She will say her own prayer at night after we say a family prayer before bed too. It's so cute. She will also join in on the blessing before dinner.

Daddy and Miki try and keep cool at the Rockies Game in Denver

She likes to go swimming and put on her "fwimming soup" to run through the sprinkler. She is a talker. She talks to me all day long.

Playing in her "fwimmin pool"

She isn't super into sweets. She loves jelly beans which she gets after she goes potty on the potty. (Yes, she is potty training and doing really well!!) But for the most part she likes fruit, cheese and raw vegetables to snack on. She likes chicken and she loves bread. She loves pasta and cereal. Oatmeal with applesauce and cinnamon and fruit snacks. She likes popsicles. Daddy loves Otter pops and got her into them. She isn't a huge fan of ice cream though. She will have a few bites and then she is done. She likes cake but not too much at once. I am so glad that what she asks for to eat are things like carrots, strawberries, grapes and oranges.

Daddy and Miki read a story before bed

We are getting ready to move her into sleeping in a toddler bed. Matt is going to pick one up for her today actually. We are hoping she will be 100% potty trained and sleeping in her toddler bed by the time Lucy comes in 7 1/2 weeks or so. The potty training, like I said, is going really well. She rarely has an accident and has been in panties now for 2 1/2 weeks. She even wakes up with a dry diaper every morning and so we are going to start trying panties at night too once she is in her toddler bed. Like I said, she is smart. I am so proud of her.

Ready for her first daddy daughter date night to Chick fil a for Princess night

I don't know if anyone is still reading this but I wanted to get all of this down so we don't forget any of these fun details.

Mommy and Miki in Chattanooga

I feel like it is the greatest blessing I could ever ask for to be a mom. I never felt so special as I did when I gave birth to Michaela. She has completely transformed my life for the better. She has taught me the meaning of love. She has helped me learn how to sacrifice and serve. She shows me every day what it means to have patience. She lets everything roll right off her back and rarely gets upset. Even when she gets in trouble she just stays so calm. It calms me down to when I get upset at her. I love her more than anything else and there is nothing I wouldn't do for her.

Miki, looking good after a nap

I can't wait to have Lucy join our family and start developing a relationship with her too. And with the girls together. Miki knows who Lucy is and she talks about her a lot. She even kisses my belly and pats it and says "Oh, baby Lucy. Her sweeeeping" (sleeping.) She will be an amazing big sister. We are so blessed.

Easter 2012 Hunting for eggs