Life à la Moad: The Toddler Update | Lucy at Two Years Old

I started to write this Lucy Update post like... 3 months ago.
Oooops.

Then every time Lucy says or does something new or hilarious or impressive or surprising I think.... I need to write all this down! That's why I started this blog in the first place!

So, allow me to get back on the bandwagon and update about Lucy... now that she is almost 2.5 years old!

How did that happen?
I mean... how!?

Honestly, going back to the newborn stage reminds me that I do not want to return here with Lucy... but I am still nostalgic about her baby-hood and how fast it disappeared.

Those days are hard... but they do go fast... once you are no longer in them! ;)

So my little or not so little 9 lb 2 oz baby girl has grown into a total toddler! She is active, she is chatty, she is funny, she is loud, she is energetic, she has a personality all her own, a voice and a laugh that is enough to make you melt and an adventurous spirit that I envy. And I have had the blessing to watch these character traits develop and grow over two whole years with this little munchkin.

JOY.

Now going into her third year of life she has a LOT going on - this little peanut has gone from one living situation; the only one she has known, to a whole new house, a whole new room, a whole new bed (big girl bed as she likes to constantly tell us) a new member of the family giving her a new status of "big sister" instead of "only child". We thought years 1-2 were a whirlwind, but it just got crazy real over here.

But she has risen to the challenges. She has embraced the change. She LOVES her room, her home, her big-girl bed and adores beyond compare her baby brother.

What a blessing! She is a rockstar and I'm so thankful for her!

So here is the official Lucy 2-year (and beyond) Update!

T O D D L E R

T A L K

Her vocabulary and ability to communicate continues to explode!

Her voice alone is enough to make me just laugh out loud! This cute little high-pitched squeaky thing. Especially when she really wants to get your attention... or she's saying "bye" like... a hundred times, so no one misunderstands that Lucy is leaving to go somewhere and she is telling you "bye". You better respond... and even when you do... she'll still repeat it another 20 times.

Love this kid!

She has some fun phrases that we've been laughing at lately. One is basically just a repeat of mommy and daddy. When she wants you, or her doll, or anything to come to where she is.

"Come! Come here! Obey!"

She demands obedience just like her parents ;)

Other fun phrases over the past months:

"Hi insert name what doin?
She never really waits for an answer though.

While watching Gretchen change Jack's diaper:
Lucy: Look! He has a tail!

She has gotten to describing things using adjectives like : pretty, cute, sweet, delicious.

She likes to line up all her markers in a row and exclaimed, in that loud, squeaky, voice:

"It's so pretty!"

Or when she puts on a dress, or gets her hair in a ponytail - she will exclaim for all to hear:

"I so pretty!"
As she grabs your face to be sure you are looking at her :)

She refers to her baby doll as "so sweet" as cradles and rocks her. She sings to them, and has this little voice she uses to communicate with them. I can't describe it and I have no idea where she picked it up! She scrunches her whole face in the process. So cute.

When she has a boo-boo "mommy kiss it"

If we go somewhere and she wants to come along "You come with me"

When she shares, or when someone just takes something from her: "Lucy sharing"

When she has something to show us: "look at dat. you see? you see dat?"

And you best look too, she won't let it go until you do!

We died laughing. For days!

She loves to look for "bus" when we are in the car and immediately breaks into "The Wheels on the Bus" and immediately asks
"Mommy sing wheels on the bus, please"

She loves to look through her Bible and point out "Jesus" Even if it's not Jesus. Or she looks for "David" and "Goliath or "Jonah and Goleth" Not sure why she links those two. But pretty much every night before bed we must read about "Goliath"... not David, just Goliath. Not sure if I should be concerned about her intense love for the villain of the story. But... anyway.

She loves to say one thing then change her mind and then change it back!
For example:

L: I all done in the tubby.
M: Okay, let's get out.
L: I'm not all done. I still playing.
M: okay. I walk away
L: Mommmmmmyyyyy! I all done!!!

or

L: I no want this toy.
M: Okay, give it me.
L: I want it.
M: okay, then keep it.
L: I no want it.

Oh my word.

She loves to hide something behind her and then say "oh no! What happened? Where it go?
she will of course then show it to you and declare "here it is!"

"Ohhhhh KAY" - Not sure where she picked this up, but she says it for everything.

SO much of what she says is repetition of what she hears from us! Which is a little scary. But she talks to her baby-dolls, or to her friends or other adults using phrases we say all the time. And when she pretends to talk on the phone I realize how I must sound when I answer the phone. haha. How embarrassing.

Okay okay... I know. You are over it... enough toddler phrases.

But really... she is just so verbal it's awesome to listen to her! I want to write down every cute thing she says. I just want to record her 24/7 so I never forget her little voice, her little phrases and the way she says things! It seems to develop and grow every day and she is becoming a little girl, not a baby, barely a toddler... but a little girl.

excuse me while I cry.

T O D D L E R

A C T I V I T Y

Girlfran is busy!

It is go go go from morning until nap time and then until bedtime! She loves to be busy. She loves to play. And she has such a great personality to go with it!

Her favorite activities include:

Playing with her dolls:

This is probably what she spends the most of her playtime doing. She will push them in the stroller, buckle them into anything she can find; Charlie's car seat or bouncer or the swing! She will rock them, feed them, sing to them, wrap them, unwrap them, put them to sleep E V E R Y W H E R E.

I find babies "asleep" all over the house, constantly. It's sometimes creepy, but almost always hilarious.

She turns on their sound machines and turns off the lights for their nap times. She has gotten so good at make-believe. She doesn't need the actual object, she will pretend it is in her hand or pretend it is there and keep going. This is new. She usually needed an object to play with but she pretends with all kinds of things and it's super cute! I love to play along!

Speaking of playing along, she loves to have someone play with her! That has been hard with a new baby because he is a bit time consuming so she is always asking me to come play with her. I need to make a conscious effort to make that a priority in the day... the dishes / laundry / sweeping / cleaning / organizing / unpacking / etc. is sometimes a temptation if Charlie is asleep and I have a few moments... but it means S O much to Lucy to have others join in with her as she plays, so I need to be disciplined to not do house work and to play with my sweet little girl and her harm of baby dolls.

Other things she enjoys include:

Babies: Every. Single. Baby. All of them. Everywhere. Always.

Make-believe cooking: Her friend Elsie has a play kitchen and Lucy bee-lines it for that thing spends hours "mixing" and "making".

Swings and Slides : she loves to be pushed on the swing or go down the slide.

Going "bye-bye": She loves outings. We don't take too many these days, but she loves to ride in the car; especially if it's daddy's truck!

Daniel Tiger: hands down her favorite show!

Pushing things or riding on things.

Swimming : She especially loves the "hot pool" at Grammy and Pappy's house. (The Jacuzzi")

Reading: This is something she enjoys, but it's definitely on my list of things to really amp up! She is very selective about the books she is willing to have read to her, and loses interest on some immediately... and others she wants you to read to her 4,678 times in a row. So my goal is to be intentional about reading time with her. I so want her to love books as she grows!
Sometimes, when she is over having us read to her, she'll take over and do the reading... It's gibberish, but it's cute!
"Once upon a time... gibberish" :)

Her current favorite books include: "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie", "Children's Storybook Bible", "That's Not My Puppy", "Find The Duck", "Olivia", "Someday", "I'm a Big Sister".

She really is so much fun! I love to watch her play and see how she creates and imagines all day long! Love her goofy, bubbly personality!

T O D D L E R

E A T S

There isn't much that Lucy doesn't like. The only thing I can think of is tomatoes. It's the one thing I think she legitimately doesn't like. There's things she will not want to eat, but she forces down when she is told to. But tomatoes... she hates them! But there are some things that she absolutely LOVES to eat:

Corn on the cob
Which she always accompanies with "yummy in my tummy" :)
mellon (any and all!)
"shanwiches"
cucumber
fruit snacks

She always knows when I have snuck myself a treat. What is with Toddlers and their 6th sense? I have already put the m&m in my mouth, and am quietly, and subtly chewing it.... inevitably:

L: "Mama what's that? What's that in your mouth? you eating candy!?"

Busted.

T O D D L E R

F I R S T S

She's had a lot of firsts since she turned 2. Such is the life of a little person I suppose. There are always new things to experience! How fun!

First time in a big girl bed.

This really was a sad transition... as it universally means she is not a baby anymore! But it has been SO helpful! Now when we are away, or at friend's houses she can nap / sleep in any old bed and I don't have to drag out and set up the pack n play. She loves sleeping in "Big Girl Beds" wherever she goes! :)

First time as a big sister.

Which as I mentioned she is totally awesome at!!

First time being away from mommy AND daddy for an extended period of time.

Lucy had a 4 day sleep-over at Grammy and Pappy's when Charlie was born. And then had another

week-long sleep-over when we were in the hospital with Charlie for Meningitis.

She did great! She seems to love new scenery and new experiences. And she LOVES being at Grammy and Pappy's house!

That's all I can think of... which is why I should update this more frequently. My memory cannot be trusted! :/

T O D D L E R

B E H A V I O R

Lucy truly is a well-behaved, sweet little girl! I am so thankful for her sweet disposition, her caring and gentle spirit and of course her firecracker personality.

That being said, no child is perfect :)

Our biggest struggles with Lucy are in her frustrations. She gets easily frustrated with things and will throw a fit about it. We are working on better responses to difficulties.

I mean... even as an adult I do not handle frustrations in my life well so... I can understand where Lucy is coming from!

As a whole discipline has gotten less than it used to. That's not to say there aren't some days where it feels like we have taken 100 steps backwards, but over all we have seen improvement and growth. We continue to desire and strive to really bring it all back to God's Word and what He has required of us. This is a challenge, one that I really hope to improve on as time goes forward! Raising and training up a child is probably one of the tallest orders I have ever faced. There is so much I want her to understand. I never want her to feel as though her spirit is broken but that her spirit is renewed and made new in light of what Christ has done for us. That even in our disobedience and discipline, His Grace and hopefully my grace towards her as well, abounds! I need lots of prayer to be able to do that. Because I too often tend to be reactionary, and that is not always helpful!

This is turning into more about MY behavioral issues than Lucy's! haha I need disciplined as often, if not more than she does!

Thankfully, the Bible assures us that God disciplines those he loves. :)

But she is a tender girl who is easily concerned for others. Having a newborn in the house I have had my fair share of tearful moments. And she is faithfully by my side, comforting me, asking me "What's wrong mommy?" "you okay?" as she pats my back and gives me hugs.

We are continually working on "Others first" and "be kind one unto another". Toddlers are so quick to be possessive and selfish.

oh... and adults too!

So I want to work on with her the importance of allowing others to be first and more important than ourselves.

yup... I need this reminder CONSTANTLY too.

Parenting a toddler is a process in personal growth. I tel ya, it's crazy!!! I sometimes wonder how I can expect behavior form Lucy that I am a poor example of in my own life.

But for the Grace of God!

Some current goals in behavior:
first time obedience.
responsibility with toys / objects : basically don't throw them, put them away, etc.
honor mommy and daddy
GENTLE with baby brother!
Ask sweetly trying to get out of the "I want I want" and into the "may I have please"

We are thankful to the Lord for this sweet, precious little life. She is growing in beauty every day and her personality is coming out more and more. It's hard to believe that my little baby is transforming into her own little person right before my eyes.

How Marvelous is this little Image-Bearer of my Lord.

And how High a calling to be charged with her little life.

T O L U C Y

F R O M M O M

My sweet 2.5 year old. There aren't words to describe the love we have for you. It puts me into tears sometimes just thinking about it. Your name means "light" and you are anything but dim! Your personality and energy truly shine and illuminate all that is around you! Watching your unique traits and personalities throughout the day is sometimes too much for my frail emotions. God has created you so, so unique! He has created you with talents, abilities, passions and exuberance. Our prayer, daily, is that these things will be used for the Glory of His name! We wonder how we can instill this in you. How can we teach this to you. We pray for God's grace and mercy in us to be able to do so. But you are ultimately HIS, for that we are thankful. I love when you ask me to play with you. It breaks my heart at the same time knowing that I am often so busy doing other things that you maybe feel neglected. I never want you to feel that mommy doesn't love you and that mommy and daddy don't find such joy in playing with you. Some of my favorite moments are sitting on the floor with you while we feed, change, cuddle, and tuck-in your baby dolls. I love to see your face light up when I make-believe with you. What wonder! I mourn the 2.5 years that have past because I know I can't get them back. But I anticipate the years to come, Lord willing, where you will continue to grow, develop and become the little girl and woman God has ordained for you to be. Never forget how much we love you, cherish you and are cheering for you!

With all my heart, sweet Lucy.

Love, Mom

I'm going to warn you.... this Photo Dump is gonna be like no other photo dump... I have 6 months to make up for! So really... you're gonna have to be really committed to seeing the cuteness of Lucy to scroll through all of these! :)

hashtag: sorrynotsorry

I'll start with a few photos from her 2nd birthday party... back in April.
tee hee

She was SO excited to have he best friend Elsie come to her party!

Ripping in to those presents like a champ!

She was all business about blowing out her candle! As soon as Greg lit it she blew it out... so we had to tell her to wait until after we sang... this is her waiting. :)

And we had birthday party number 2 back in Bucks with my side of the family. We celebrated Lucy and Daddy since their birthdays are so close together!

It was a great time celebrating Lucy! Birthday parties are fun! :)
Now to the rest of the photo dumb!