Baylee at 2 1/2!

My crazy little chick turned 2 1/2 yesterday, so along with having a mini party for her (half birthdays are birthdays too!), I decided it was time to do a little update on the blog about how much she has grown. The rate at which she is branching from toddler toward preschooler is mind boggling, I just want to bottle her up and keep her this age forever sometimes! But it's been so amazing to watch her grow and learn, so I also can't wait to see how much more she blossoms before her 3rd birthday!

 

Baylee's language development over the past 6 months has blown my mind. She can hold a conversation and tell an entire story. It doesn't make sense half the time, of course, but she tries her best and has an amazing imagination! She loves to make her toy animals and Little People have conversations and do every day things in her little toy houses she has for them. She can count to 10 unassisted (sometimes making it to 14), sing the ABC's, knows all of her colors, and can point out squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, stars, and hearts. We just started working on letter recognition, and so far she is great at pointing out letter "B"! ;)

Baylee's favorite thing to do is draw, and she seems to have quite a knack for it already. She loves to use any medium available, but her dry erase board on her easel is her recent favorite. She can draw lines, zig-zags, circles, and dots, and she loves to tell us what it is that she is drawing. I think we might have a little artist on our hands!

This girl has personality for days, which is so bittersweet. She's absolutely hilarious (like her Daddy), and has us laughing on the daily, but she is also just as stubborn and quick-tempered as her Mama! (That Italian blood runs thick!) She is also very compassionate, caring, and observant, though, and it melts my heart. She gets so concerned when anyone is sad or hurting, and wants to help and nurture. During this week that I have been healing from my procedure, she has asked me every day, without fail or prompting, if my "booboo is feeling better". Bless her little heart of gold!

Stats:

 

Age: 2 1/2 

Weight: 28 lbs

Height: 35.5 inches

Clothing size: 2T 

Teeth: She has all of them except the top two "two year" molars. (Side note: Those molars have given her a harder time to cute than any of her other teeth. :( Poor babe)

Favorite foods: Well, when we can get her to eat *sigh* she loves noodles (of any kind, preferably smothered in butter), ground beef, chicken, broccoli, carrots, and french fries. She also has a sweet tooth just like her Mama and Daddy (sorry kid) and loves ice cream, donuts, candy, and gum. But the kid eats like a bird...so we have Pediasure on hand at all times!

Favorite Phrases: "Can I have some gum?", " You're my best fwiend!", "Baylee doesn't like (food, sleeping, etc) anymore." "Mommy, what are you doing/eating?" "I love dis song! Want to dance, Mommy?"  "Time for your checkup!" and "Baylee can do it herself!"

Favorite activities: Drawing on her easel or paper, singing songs, swinging and sliding on her swing set, playing "doctor" with her stuffed animals, putting on tutus and dancing around the house, pretending to cook in her play kitchen, and standing on her step stool to "help" in the "Mommy's kitchen"

Least favorite activities: Anything that requires her to stop playing. This includes but is not limited to: sleeping, eating, going potty, running errands, & bathing. However, she enjoys all previously mentioned activities when they can be done on her own time ;)

Favorite toys: Easel, swing set, doctor kit, Little People, toy animals, and play kitchen. She also loves to play learning games on her Kindle Fire and Leap Start.

Signature moves: Swimming in the tub like a mermaid or sometimes a flipping dolphin (thanks for the heart attacks, punk), taking one bite of food and declaring that she "doesn't like it anymore", running around the house begging for someone to "chase me!", and conjuring up the saddest, fakest crocodile tears ever when she doesn't get her way.

I miss her being a little baby, but I am loving having a "big girl" so much! We have bonded a lot now that we can chit-chat about the things we both like, and she is completely full of hugs, kisses, and "i love you mommy"'s. My heart is so full it could burst! :)

 

Happy half birthday, baby girl! 

Until next time! XoXoXo