Maria is 2!!

Time certainly is flying! So hard to believe that I have TWO toddlers! Where did my babies go?? 

For Maria's birthday celebration we had friends come to Jumpin' Kritters! It was a great day filled with catching up, fun on the bouncers and all the other toys, and celebrating the life of my little peanut!  

Maria is growing and developing right on track...always trying to keep up and do ALL of the things that big brother does, and of course, on her own. She is very strong willed with a mind of her own, and has issues receiving help from others...sorry, Maria...you are your mother's daughter...

 *Maria weighs 26 pounds (40th percentile) and is 34 3/4 inches tall (70th percentile).

*She had a great 2 year check up and is progressing and developing right on track. 

*She had two shots, and although cried for a few minutes, quickly returned to her normal self. 

*She is in a size 4 diaper, but has showed major signs for wanting to go on the potty. We are waiting until after our trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras to pursue this further. 

*She is in size 24 months clothes, but will be moving into 2T as we purchase things for the spring. 

*Her shoe size is 6.5. 

*She loves hats and sunglasses! 

 *Maria continues to be a great eater! Her favorites are ALL fruits, pizza, chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, cheese, and pepperoni. She does not like ice cream because it's too cold. She likes to drink juice...but really it's a tiny bit of juice with water. She loves water! She gets Sprite or Root Beer on special occasions! 

*She still naps once a day for about 2 hours! She is great sleeper. She puts herself to sleep and when she wakes up, she just plays in her bed until I come to get her. 

*Maria falls asleep around 8:00/8:15 every evening and is usually awake around 7:30/8:00 am. 

*Maria loves to brush her teeth. 

 *Maria loves bath time! 

*Maria holds her own with Greg. She lets him know when she is not okay with him not sharing or taking things from her. 

*She uses her nails to scratch him when she is really angry. We are working on this...

*She is very pathetic in Time Out. She just cries and is so sad...when we get her out, she is all hugs and love! And the tears quickly disappear. 

*Favorite toys: baby dolls, baby doll accessories, stroller, grocery cart, cash register, stuffed animals. 

 *Maria loves to help with chores. Her favorite in unloading the dishwasher. 

*Maria loves Kindermusik class... a lot! She is always singing in the car and loves to dance. She also loves to clap! 

*She likes to play with play-doh and draw with Mommy's pen! 

 *Maria plays pretty well with other kids her age. 

*She can go up and down stairs without a problem. She loves climbing. At 19 months old, she was able to climb up the rock wall on our play gym with no assistance. 

*She is very dramatic and can turn on and off tears like no other! 

(She has also been known to throw herself down on the floor in distress when not getting her way.)

 *She calls herself "Mia." Apparently, Maria is difficult to say. 

 *She is pretty good at riding her scooter, but still needs some help peddling on her big girl bike. 

*Favorite TV shows: Little Einsteins, Mickey Mouse, Sesame Street (she only watches an hour or so of TV or movies!) 

*She likes being outside, but gets bored after a little while!

 *She likes to be on my phone, and flip through the pictures. 

*She travels very well in the car. She has gotten better with plane rides! 

*Over the past year she has been to CO three times, PA, LA, and AL.

 *Maria has excellent receptive language. She understands everything you say to her or ask her to do! She expresses herself very well. She talks and is intelligible to most people. She still is working on enunciating more clearly, but for the most part does a great job talking and expressing herself.

*Maria is capable of a scream that pierces your ears and causes headaches. This is usually caused by Greg. She speaks mostly in short phrases. 

*Maria can point to and name most all of her body parts.

 *Understands the concept of "later"

*Maria loves to have books read to her. She loves to point and tell you about every.single.picture in the book. 

*She likes to jump and run, but is not as coordinated as big brother yet! 

 *Maria does not have quite the imagination Greg did at this age. She pretends well, but needs to be directed by Mommy or brother! 

*She likes to respond to me with "what" She has quite the attitude with this..we are also working on this. :-) 

*She eats with a spoon and fork very well. 

*She will have her first dentist visit in March.

 *Maria has a very sweet personality.

*She still sucks her thumb, but only going to bed, or when she is tired.

Maria, you have brought so much joy to our family. You are so sweet and it is so hard to see the "baby" in you go away. You are becoming a very sweet big girl who has such a big heart who loves to take care of your own babies. You are precious and a gift to us beyond words. We love you so much and are so proud of the beautiful little lady you are becoming!