Finley is now officially 2 and half months old! It's incredible how much she is growing in all areas right now! I love to have a little photo shoot every 6 months. Last year, Beth took some great ones of her at 1 and a half, but we haven't been able to schedule a shoot yet for this year. Beth and Kenny are keeping her for a few days in July though so maybe she'll be able to take some then! Regardless, Finley is looking more and more like a "big" girl these days. I love the chubby cheeks because they make her still look like a baby! =)
Size Matters: Finley is wearing mostly 2T in everything. I bought a lot of her summer clothes in 3T though because some of the 2T things that I bought her ended up too short on her after I washed them and even though the 3T stuff is a bit big, it works. She is still in a size 5 diaper and wears a size 6.5 or 7 shoe! I don't know for sure how much she weighs, but around 28 pounds (25-50 percentile) and 37 or so inches tall (75 percentile).
Food Junkie: She still loves milk and her favorite food is probably cheese pizza. She still likes her usuals, but it depends on the week/day what her favorite favorite is. She usually latches on to one particular food and eats it until she is totally sick of it. I'm glad summer is upon us and fresh fruit will be more readily available!
Fun Facts To Know and Tell:
- She can now climb the rock wall on our playset.
- She has started saying "Thank you so much" which I think is so funny!
- She loves to march and anytime I need to get her to the car, out of the store/church/school, or just pick up the pace a bit, I'll ask her to march and she loves to comply.
- She can recognize a few letters and as previously reported, can spell her name!
- She loves to be in the driver's seat of our cars and if she gets the chance to climb in, she usually heads immediately to the steering wheel.
- She puts her sunglasses on upside down.
- She wants to snuggle in our laps during prayer time now.
- She has an amazing memory... it's usually a little too good! Ha, ha!
- She sometimes will let me know that she's just gone to the bathroom in her diaper so we're getting closer to maybe being potty trained. I think we'll offically start trying to potty train again in a month or two.
- She has learned to sing "Ring around the Rosie" and "Row Row Row Your Boat".
- She loves school and wants to be the last one to leave because she LOVES to dance to music.
- She is beginning to learn emotions. I'll ask her if she is sad and she'll say "Finley happy now!" She knows if she makes a pouty face that she is showing that she's sad.
- She's a natural "teacher". She was pretend reading the other day and said "Momma, What is Elmo doing in this picture?" I kid you not. I cracked up!
Toys R Us: She has been playing with her dollhouse quite a bit these days. She didn't really play with it much until we went to a birthday party where the little girl got one and now she loves hers as well. She really likes to spend a lot her "free" time singing/dancing and reading books.
Can’t Live Without’s: Getting out and about. She really loves running errands. She has started asking to go to the mall lately which makes me laugh. We go to Target a lot and she kept saying "No, Mommy, green one" when I would pull up to our usual Target. I couldn't figure out why until we went to another Target and the doors were painted green on that one. I've now figured out that our usual Target also has green doors on the grocery side which isn't the side we ever go in. I was so relieved that we could go to the "green" one all the time now.
Can’t Live Withs: A lot of help. She is fiercely independent as I'm sure most 2 1/2 year olds are. She wants to do everything her way and on her own. "Finley do it!" is her favorite phrase these days! Ha, ha! She is also incredibly particular about even the most random thing. I'm thankful that when we can't give her what she wants the way that she wants it that she adapts really well. I'm also hopeful that she will continue to be secure in who she is and what she wants and how she wants it. I really do want to raise a confident daughter!
Trick or Treat: Well, obviously her newest trick is being able to spell her name. She has also gotten even better at putting her shoes on and is starting to dress and undress herself some. She is also very good at locking and unlocking all of our doors. She's locked me out of the house more than once! A lot of mornings, I'll go start the car before we leave to go somewhere or sometimes I'll just run to throw a dirty diaper in the outside trash and find myself locked out. Fortunately, she can unlock the door as easily as she can lock it and is able to let me back in.
Little Miss Personality: Finley is just a laugh a minute. She is constantly cracking me up. Discipline is going well. She doesn't like time-outs or being spanked now so we can usually get her to cooperate by letting her know the consequence of what will happen if she doesn't. I'm really trying to be consistent with giving her a warning and then sending her to time out because it has been working well and she is definitely understanding what she's done. She isn't always as remorseful as I'd like, but I think that just comes with the territory. So far the "Terrible Two's" haven't been so terrible. She is so much fun and just a sweetie pie. She is high energy and always on the go. She is the definition of "spirited" and a constant joy to be around. I love, love, love, love that she is so full of life. Her teachers tell me that she gives them hugs all day long and is really cuddly with them. I'm just a bit jealous although the other day she said "Momma, snuggle me!" and I melted.
All in a Day’s Work: She's still on the same schedule as last month. Bed between 7:30-8:00 p.m. Wake up around 7:30-8:00 a.m. Nap from 12:30-2:30 p.m. She is more flexible though so I can usually get her down for a later nap if I need to. I'm thankful for that because it allows for more play groups and errand running. =) Devin and I swore we would never let bedtime be a battle and lately it has been so we are truly trying to get back to getting her down right at 7:30 p.m. When we don't, meltdowns are inevitable and it's just not fun for anyone!
I’m Loving It: I just love her. I can't even explain what all I love because it's just the whole package. It's Finley. She is so completely lovable. The past few months I have seen her grow into a much bigger girl than I have wanted to see. ;) I love seeing her as a big sister. I've seen a more compassionate, caring, protective, and doting side to her that is very sweet and endearing. I love spending time cuddled on the couch with her. I love hearing her tell me "No, Momma, sit here..." I love the days that we don't have to be anywhere and we just hang out together. I love when she wants me to pray even when I just prayed two minutes before. I love that she likes me to be a part of her bedtime routine and that she would rather me read than Daddy. =) I love that she is mine.
