2 Years Old!

Today we went to see Dr. Elzie for Kate’s 2 year check up. He was impressed with her speech (pronunciation) and complimented her on her coloring (motor skills). Dr. Elzie also liked the “puff dance” Kate did while she was patently waiting for me to hand her some puffs to snack on. Overall, Kate was a perfect child during our visit today. She said “please” and “thank you” (with some reminders from me) and was very cooperative during her physical examination (weight, height, ears, nose, mouth, etc). There weren’t any tears until the shots were given, so I was a very proud momma.

Stats from this appointment:

Head Circumference: 33.5 inches (35 percentile)

Height: 46.9 cm (35 percentile)

Weight: 25 lbs 15 oz (38 percentile)

One of the biggest growths Kate has had since her 18 month appointment is her ability to communicate. Every day she says things that make me smile. Anytime she hears a bird chirping or a puppy barking, she gasps, puts her hand to her ear and says “Hear the birds?” or “Mommy, I hear a puppy!”. Mom said the other week she had some tummy trouble and when she tooted, she gasped and said “Hear the birds?”! Some additional phrases she says are “All done”, “Where are you?”, “I did it!”, “Ta-da!”, “I watch (tv show name)”, “I feed Nemo”, “One more time” , “I go see Au-dee” “I show kitty” and so many more to choose from.

One of her bedtime routines is to drag out saying “goodnight” as long as possible, even at this young age. We have to make sure her “pinkie” (pink blanket), “blanky” (pink and green blanket), “b” (her small taggie blanket), “kitty” (her kitty cat blanket), “one soccer ball” (stuffed princess ball), “two soccer ball (stuffed princess baseball), “minnie” (Minnie Mouse), and her pillow are all in the crib. And let me tell you, she notices if something is missing from her inventory. It would easier if these items stayed in the crib, but every morning, the first thing Kate does is (try) to gather everything up and carry it into the living room. So every night we have to take roll and make sure everything gets back into the crib.

Her favorite activities include coloring (she loves markers, crayons, colored pencils), stickers, watching TV shows (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Jake and the Neverland Pirates), putting together puzzles, cooking in her kitchen, having a tea party and strolling her baby dolls. Balloons, bubbles, and straws are also some of Kate’s favorite things. Bath time is another favorites of Kate’s and since we have discovered tear-free bubble bath, it’s a must have at the Evers house.

We haven’t started potty training but Gaga bought Kate the fanciest toilet I have ever seen for a toddler. It’s a hand painted throne that plays music, and comes complete with a magazine rack and a toilet paper holder. At school they encourage them to sit on the potty but we haven’t tried it at home yet. I’m still waiting for that moment when I’m tired of changing (or buying) diapers and it just hasn’t happened yet – maybe it never will.

Kate is still a very picky eater, but every now and then she will eat an unexpected thing like broccoli. French fries, chicken nuggets, turkey, ham, applesauce, yogurt, cheese, grapes, mandarin oranges, pickles, fruit snacks, cheerios, puffs, raisins, pizza and more continue to be her favorites.

As for Kate’s schedule, it is basically the same as it always has been. Wake up between 7:00-7:30 am, eat breakfast, leave for school around 8:00 (or later if Daddy is taking her), nap at 12:30 (usually 1.5 - 2 hours) Daddy picks her up from school around 3:30 or 4, dinner between 5:00 and 6:00pm and then bedtime between 7:00 and 7:30pm.

Kate is a smart, funny, creative, happy, friendly, well behaved, beautiful little girl and I am so thankful for her!  Mommy and Daddy love you Kate!

My little zebra girl from head to toe.