1. Weighs 23.5 pounds. In the 11th percentile for weight.
2. Is 33 inches tall.
3. Loves to sing songs.
4. Still loves Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse.
5. Didn't shed a tear when she got her 2 year old vaccinations. Say what?! No tears!
6.Favorite foods at the moment are grapes, green pepper and hummus, chips and salsa, raisins-especially yogurt covered ones, coconut milk ice cream sandy's and Annie's homegrown organic bunny shaped mac n' cheese.
7. Is wearing 2T clothing.
8. Shoe size is between a 5 and 6 depending on the shoe...that's what happens when you have wide chubby feet ;)
9. Always asks to go for walks on the towpath.
10. All the toys in the world playroom, and she'd rather play in a bowl of flour.
11. Rocks at being a big sister.
12. Loves to have her nails painted.
13. Has an incredible memory.
14. Can probably work the ipad better than Rick and I.
15. Loves to play in her sandbox.
16. Not a fan of dogs at the moment...even her own.
17. Love when she can do things on her own..."look Mommy, I did self!"
18. Loves to bake, mainly mix with me.
19. Loves to sit on Rick's lap and drive the truck in the back yard and driveway. smiles ear to ear!
20. Has the craziest bedhead in the mornings and after naps.
21. Says 'excuse me' if she toots.
22. Can run really fast and can jump high in the sky ;)
(I can guarantee I'll shed a few tears while writing this letter to you...)
I truly cannot believe that you were born two whole years ago already. Where did the past two years go...some days it feels like you were just born. You have changed so so much in two years. Your personality has blossomed into something extraordinary. You are sweet, loving, hysterical, beautiful on the inside and out, caring, and I can't leave out sassy at times. Not quite sure where the sass comes from hehe ;) You have moments where you are independent and moments where you still want to be held and cuddled. the cuddles never have to stop, keep em' coming Stella.
I admire your curiosity so much. Boy does it shine through on our towpath walks, and your food at the dinner table; things at the moment are like a science project. You enjoy picking apart, or peeling back the layers of anything and everything. Your sense of wonder makes me so happy and watching you play I can already see what an imagination you have, and baby girl it is just going to get better.
Stella, you are one smart cookie. The conversations that you have with Daddy and I just make me so proud. Your vocabulary and speech just blow us away every time something comes out of your mouth. You know your numbers up to twenty, your ABC's, your colors, your fruits and veggies, too many songs to list which you sing all the time. You love to sing songs, whether it is with Daddy and I, to one of your 'guys' or to yourself while you are laying in your bed. When I sing a song to you for the first time, your eyes focus right in on my mouth and you study with such concentration as you try your best to mimic what I am singing. It doesn't take you long at all to learn the words to a new song.
One of the best things ever is walking upstairs to your room in the morning, opening your door to see you smile at me. When you step down out of your bed you wrap your arms around me tightly, and right in my ear you say "Good Morning Mommy" I can't tell you how perfect it is....it makes being a Mommy that much better. Stella darling you make being a Mommy the best thing ever! When you tell me you love me all on your own....well that just makes. my. heart. melt.
The way that you have embraced Ricky and how you show him your love each and every day makes Daddy and I so proud. Your love for him (at the moment, until he starts stealing your toys and girlfriends!) is so so vivid. When he cries you run to him, when he is on his play mat you are right along side of him, when we are out in public you love pulling back the cover that is draped over his car seat to share your brother and tell everyone that his name is Ricky. You rock as a big sister!
Daddy and I can ALWAYS count on you for a laugh. This age that you are at right now is so much fun! I can probably write a book full of funny toddler tales and those toddler tales just make my days- sometimes!! Just the other day we were at the store gathering a few odds and ends for your little birthday party. I usually hand you the items and you throw them in the back of the cart because you love to help in anyway. Well I gave you the antibacterial hand soap to throw in the cart, and then began searching for the toothpaste that we use. By the time I found our toothpaste and handed it to you, you had the soap pump popped open and were applying a liberal amount to your hair saying "look Mommy oil for hair!"
One of your favorite things at the moment are our dance parties in the kitchen. There is no better way to get our days started than with a Mommy and Stella dance party!
Stella...may you always let your confidence shine, always love and believe in yourself and you will soar. You can achieve anything you put your mind and heart into.
What if I fall?
Oh, but my darling,
what if you fly?
-e.h
As sad as I am to see these two years come to an end, I am excited to see what the next two years hold for us. I am so proud to call you my daughter and these past two years have been simply amazing because of you. Stella, you have rocked our world like no other <3
We love you to the moon and back,
Mommy, Daddy and Ricky too ;)
xoxo
P.S: Mommy and Daddy stayed up way too late blowing up balloons and hanging more streamers than ever before just to make your birthday morning oh so special!!
We are loving these cool mornings! Hello September almost October! This is my favorite time of the year for so many reasons! Pumpkin everything, the fall colors and scents, apple picking, pumpkin picking, and colorful mums, football Sundays and there is nothing like a warm bowl of soup on a cool night! I am ready to welcome back Soup Sundays again very soon. Did I say that I love these cool mornings too?! We have been taking morning walks on the towpath and Stella loves them. When she wakes up in the morning, somewhere in our morning conversation she asks to go for a walk on the towpath and then she says to me "i see the bikes and I side( which means I get to the side)...or squish me like a pancake!" We have shared some awesome times on the towpath with Ricky so far. Sometimes he rides in the stroller and sometimes in he cozies up in the sollybaby wrap; either one the fresh air knocks him out and he is guaranteed a good snooze. Stella collects everything in sight.. flowers, rotting apples, rocks...we have quite a collection by the time we get back to the truck. yes...I am that Mom who tosses the pile while distracting her so she doesn't see. ;)
some good times with the littles on the towpath...
Stella is officially in a big girl bed! It as much easier than I was anticipated. I honestly wasn't exactly sure what to expect but maybe something along the lines of getting out of her bed to play at night, lots of rolling out onto the floor, crying at the door...
Once again she amazes me.
The other night after her new BIG GIRL sheets were washed, Rick and I decided it was the night! After we cleaned up our dinner mess we headed upstairs- with the entire tribe. Rick had the idea that if she helped turn her crib into her big girl bed, it may make the transition a bit easier since her crib was her safe zone and we were kind of taking it away.
We spent a good deal of time in her room that night so she would feel comfortable and new what to expect when it was time to walk up to bed. We turned her crib into a toddler bed, put on her new swan sheets, hung some new BIG GIRL things on her walls to add a splash of color to bring out the sheets. She was so excited about her pillow. The rest of the night all she talked about was her big girl bed. We were so happy to see such excitement from her.
After her milk cap for the night, her exact words "I go night night in my big girl bed!" We both walked her upstairs, she climbed right into her bed and kissed us goodnight. The rest of the night was like every other night. There have been two nights that I have woken up to feed Ricky for his
2 a.mish feeding and saw Stella in the monitor- in the praying position. She didn't totally fall out but rolled her legs out. So she was kneeling on the floor, with her head rested on the bed sleeping. Both nights I was able to creep in and put her whole body back in her bed :)
A few new items hanging in Stella's big girl room....
I am by far no perfect Momma. I have flaws. I have imperfections, limits, and impatience. All three are breaking my heart lately. Sometimes I go to bed feeling guilty about how I let my impatience show it's ugly face, and perhaps more than once that day.. But when I look into the eyes of my two babies I know they know that they are loved, cared for and cherished. But even with all of my flaws, I am their everything, I am their enough and I am pretty damn sure that's enough.
It's so crazy how at the end of pregnancy (for me at least) I couldn't say "i was ready" enough. I was ready to pop, I was ready for him to be here, I was flat out ready because I was so uncomfortable. My belly was so much bigger this time than with Stella. But, as ready as I was, I find myself missing being pregnant with my little man. It is also crazy how I forgot just how 'big' my belly was until I saw these family maternity photos. About 2 weeks before our scheduled surgery my Mom (Kubicke Photography) took these photos of us and I am so thankful to have them. I love so much looking back and remembering these kinds of moments. What makes them even more special and close to my heart is that we included Mabel's tree. She is and always will be a part of me and I love how I have things like her tree and my necklace to remember her by and make her a more visible (for a lack of better word) part of us. So without further adieu here are is a collection of our family maternity photos...
