2.5!

Dear Evie,

    Time is really flying by . . . you are halfway to being 3 years old! I feel like you were just born but I think that will still be the case even when you are a Mommy one day.  You are just the light of our lives! We love you so much and cannot imagine our lives without you in it. You are funny, beautiful, precocious, a little bit stubborn and most of all so sweet.

   You love to wear shoes of any type - sandals, heels, tennis shoes! They are all fun to you and we love to see you sashay around the house in your fancy dress-up shoes with your shiny purse dangling from your wrist while pushing your grocery cart. You have a sudden interest in wearing your floatation devices around the house as part of your dress-up routine. It's pretty funny to see you with your pink float around your belly. Sometimes, you even take your pink float with you in the van as if it were a lovey. Evie, you love all things "wimming" and spend a lot of time "jumping" in pools that you make out of pillows and blankets. You are just as thrilled to play in a real pool too.

    We love how you have started telling us that you love us! It is so special to hear those special words from your sweet little mouth. I love hearing you say it and it will never get old. Maybe, Daddy should record you saying it so I can replay it for myself on those days you are not so sure that you love us even though we will know that you really do.

   You call me "Mama" a lot now. I asked your Daddy where you got that from and he thinks it's from Caillou. It's pretty cute and much better than just plain mom which will happen soon enough.

    You just became a big sister to your brother, Henry and you are doing a fantastic job loving him. It warms our hears to see you kiss him, worry about him when he cries and it shocked us both when you shared your Raffi with brother. Henry cried this morning and apparently Mommy was not fast enough getting to him. You started saying, "Mama, he crying. Help" and then before I knew it you were both crying. Sometimes when Henry cries he sounds like a cat so you begin to imitate him by meowing. We want you to always love and protect your brother!

      I remember when you came to the hospital to meet Henry and it looked like you had grown two inches since I had put you to bed the night before. You are such a big girl now! Your hands still fit perfectly in my hand. I used to carry you around on my hip like you were weightless although that is much harder to do now. You are really growing before our eyes. Sometimes at night when I am up feeding Henry it feels like just yesterday that I was up late at night feeding you. I try really hard to remember how you looked as a baby but it's so hard. You have changed so much! I am so grateful that we have so many wonderful pictures of you that I can look at to remember you as a baby!

    Your manners have really blossomed. It's so cute to hear you say bless you when we sneeze or excuse me when you are trying to squeeze by in a tight space. My favorite is when you say, "I sorry Mama" when you do something wrong. Apologies can be hard to make but it helps everyone feel so much better. Manners will take you where money won't so it's very important to always treat people with respect and kindness. Someone told me that when I was in college and it has stuck with me as an important guideline for life.

 Evie, you never run out of words and talk all day long! Sometimes if we tune you out for just a second, you look at us with a pitiful little face and say, "don't hear Evie." You are very sensitive yet spirited! It can be an interesting combination because you are not afraid to try new things but sometimes you need a little extra encouragement if you are sad or worried about something. Discipline can be tricky with you and you respond best to redirection or explanations. It's so funny to see your mind working.

       You take after me with a BIG sweet tooth! Dessert is your favorite part of the day. You call it "zert" and sometimes begin asking for it at breakfast.

    You weigh about 31 pounds and are about 37 inches tall. You wear a size 5 diaper but are super interested in using your potty. We let you use your potty when you ask but will start working with you on it more in the next few weeks.  You like to eat veggies with dip or anything with dip! Yogurt with sprinkles with your shiny spoon and you still drink lots of "tea". That's chocolate milk! You still nap three hours a day and go to bed about 7:30. I love that you are beginning to sleep until around 8 on most mornings that helps me out a lot but Daddy sure misses seeing you in the mornings.

   Evie, you LOVE your Daddy so much! You have so much fun with him and he loves to be silly with you. That makes you his perfect partner in crime. You two are beginning to have lots of inside jokes and have really gotten closer since Henry was born. I love seeing you love your Daddy so much!

   Evie, we both love you so much! You will always be our best girl and we feel so grateful to have you as our daughter. You are such a blessing and we continuously thank God for your presence in our lives. We are so lucky to be your parents! Love Always, Mommy and Daddy