23 months old!

Over a week ago, our baby girl turned 23 months old. I don't get too sentimental about all the little month birthdays, but this one hurts a little. In less than a month she will be 2....not a baby at all. I am not an extremely emotional person, and yet several times in the past week I've found tears in my eyes thinking about her birthday. I was ready for one...I'm not ready for two... If this is how fast the birthdays go by from now on, I may turn in to a basket case!
She talks constantly, and any of you who have been around her at all, know I am not exaggerating. She talks about everything, to everyone, all the time:) She tells every worker at every store thank you, and says hi to each and everyone we pass on our walks. She's hilarious; and will often tell you, "I funny!"
She coaxes smiles out of random strangers, she rarely walks...she dances, but we say she's like the Iowa weather....her mood can turn on a dime! I don't know if it's her age, gender, or personality, but she can go from giggles to fits and back again like nothing!
She's an outdoors girl like her mama and the very first thing she asks in the morning when she gets up and after her nap is always, "I pay outsiiiide?"
Her current favorite song is BINGO, and can be heard singing, "Clap, clap G-O, clap, clap G-O" about 13 times a day:) She was introduced to chocolate milk recently and it's her favorite special treat....even trumping m&m's;P
We had several days of potty time success where she started telling us she had to go and sat on her potty chair to go, and we got super excited:) But the excitement seems to have waned and she stopped telling us when she had to go:P Little stinker! But I told myself long ago that I would not push it or even bring it up before 2. So I'm not going to get upset about it yet. I was planning on waiting till summer anyway and we can wear lots of skirts for easy "access" and maybe even just go pantless for a couple days and go cold turkey. We shall see! All in time!
Today we are going to see the Easter bunny and we had to have a countdown to keep her from going crazy asking every hour, "I see Easter bunny?" She caught a glimpse of him last time we were at the mall, but said she was scared. We of course took that to mean she didn't want to sit with him and headed home. We've had many meltdowns since.... so back we go!
We are meeting RJ's parents there too and they are taking Emma home while RJ and I meet up with my family to see Tim Hawkins! I can't wait! It should shape up to be a fantastic weekend!

Well Happy (almost) Easter everyone!

22 month update: I remembered pictures this time!

I'm so excited that spring is almost here! And regardless of the nice winter that we have been blessed with, I'm SOOOO ready for nicer weather. We have a mama and a little girl who really need some outdoor time again. Cabin fever has struck and the grumpies visit far too often:P
However, I seriously cannot believe that in (gulp) less than two months, I will have a 2 year old. I remember this time last year being almost giddy with excitement over her upcoming birthday. The 1st birthday party was so exciting and I was loving her getting more mobile and independent. I have loved year #2 almost more, and so this year is much different. I would like her to stay at this age for a few more years... Almost every day during some point I look at her and think, she's a big girl now:( Even if it does mean getting her own snacks without supervision:P
Emma is a very sensitive little thing, she is super busy all the time, and talks as much as she plays! She does very well with her please and thank-you's (especially in public..I think she's a good actress too:) and she loves to entertain. She is a hard-core colorer, and does pretty good with markers too. We tried finger paints last week and she didn't like getting her fingers so "dirty" and we spent most of the time wiping them off:) And if she's not coloring or singing, she is probably playing mommy to her zoo of stuffed animals; tucking them into bed and rocking them♥
She's still obsessed with animals and can count to 10 easily....she has picked out a few of her colors correctly lately too, but not consistantly. We're still working on the ABC's.
She goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 and usually gets up between 6 and 7. Most nights she wakes up a time or two just long enough for mommy to come to her room and give her some cuddles.
She has had several sleep-overs in the past couple of months (Nana's, Grammy's, Auntie's, and Lacie's) and I have mixed feelings over how much easier she lets me leave... She has so much fun and it gives mommy and daddy some nice time to ourselves, but of course we're always anxious to get her back:)

Things that Miss Em currently loves:
Barney
Caillou
Dora
Fruit snacks
Cucumbers
Mac N cheese
Pizza
flashlights
trying on shoes
and getting her haircut:)!!!!!