Month twenty three

Dear Stella,
It seems very weird for me to write "Month twenty three". You are 23 months old. Wow. You act as if you are 23 years old. Ok maybe not since I, your mother am 23 years old. But really, there is no more baby left in you. None. Sometimes it doesn't even appear that there is any sort of toddler left in you. You are a child, my little child. I feel like so much has happened this month, you have grown in soo many ways. Mostly your vocabulary. Full sentences all the time, and they are dramatic sentences. Your hair seems like it grew an inch, you like to wear it in a pony tail, like Aunt Colly.Your blue eyes seem to have gotten bigger and I swear you grew a lot taller. You like to eat lots of new things, and lots of them. Your imagination has become so vibrant. You will play in your kitchen and bring me dinner. You feed me just like I try to feed you, I can see how you don't want to be fed. You are grasping the idea of Halloween much more than you are the idea that their is a baby sister growing in my belly. But you have some idea that there is a baby taking over your world; all you want to do is be held, and I can't hold you every second. It breaks my back, regardless of how darling you are when you ask, "Mom, hold you please!" Everywhere we go you can't walk there, I have to hold you. By the end of the night I can barely stand up.
Another giant accomplishment this month is that you officially are potty trained. No more diapers, and no more accidents. Wow. As much as I love your new Elmo undies, and not having to change yucky diapers.
It sure was easier to have you in a diaper. You slept a lot longer at night. You took much longer naps, and I didn't have to be there every time you peed. Since you are my daughter the amount of times you go to the bathroom is not surprising, just exhausting. But I will say you being potty trained younger than all of the other kids in nursery has earned me some credit amongst all the other moms in the ward. Even though I really had nothing to do with you deciding to stop wearing diapers. It has really made up for the dreadful playgroup incident. Which is nice, since that was over a year ago.
Unfortunately you have also decided that being a bratty two year old is fun. Hmm. Tantrums, throwing forks and head butting is your new past time. I am trying to find a way to be more patient, but usually it ends with your father assisting me.
You can easily be talked out of the tantrum still so that part is nice. I am getting the feeling that it won't be that way for long. Then you do something really cute like say "I love you mom". Really? I mean its like a light switch you already know how to flip. You can go from yelling "No" at me to immediately getting the look and knowing you are busted to saying "I'm sorry Mom, I love you". I fear your teenage years.
Every night when we lay down for bed, we sing a song and you love it. But when in the car and I start to sing a song, you immediately scream at me to stop and turn the music off. But you love the strange lullaby's I sing in the dark. You ask me to sing it over and over again, I think you are procrastinating having to be left alone. Then when I leave, I will hear you singing the alphabet or twinkle twinkle. Dad taught you how to do the Hokie Pokie wrong and we couldn't stop laughing at him putting his left foot in. The communications level has been so much fun! Being able to tell you something and have you retain it. You will read "The very hungry caterpillar" to me instead of the other way around. Instead of counting the fruits that he eats, we talk about the colors of the fruits. It leads to lots of conversations about what colors we are wearing, and what color this is and that. You ask a million times until you get it, then you never forget. Just like someones name. You will ask "Who's that?" 15 times until you get it, then you don't forget. It makes people feel really special if they met you 3 months ago and you still know who they are. You are a people person already.
I can't believe next month you will be 2. But at the same time, it has felt like you have been 2 all along and you should be turning three. Most people can't believe you are going to be 2 instead of 3. I took you to the doctor for a flu shot and the new doctor was sure that it was written down wrong in the chart, there was no way that you were still just one years old. You just smiled and asked her what color her shirt was.
We love you June, and I'm so glad you are ours. We have been having so much fun! We can't wait to see what comes up next.

Love Love