Madeline is TWO YEARS OLD!

How can it be that our sweet girl is two already? It seems like just yesterday that I was asking the nurse in the labor and delivery room exactly what she meant by "push", and now our little 7 pound baby looks like this:

Madeline keeps me on my toes with her spunky little personality...she's a book lover, a people lover, a fashion diva, an opinionated tot who knows exactly what she wants, a bossy little thing, a rule follower, and a lover of the outdoors. Madeline is definitely a girly girl as I have mentioned in previous updates never leaving home without a purse, a necklace, a bracelet, a baby doll, and a toy of choice. Luckily, she will leave most of her items in the car when we go into stores, the gym, and other places because she seems to understand that she could lose them.

Madeline loves to play dress up, play with her babies, play in her new kitchen, "fix" Mommy's hair & make up, roughhouse with Daddy, and play outside. Of course, a day wouldn't be complete without reading her books and coloring. We've moved all of her toys and most of her books into her big girl room, and she LOVES to play in her new room. Rolling around on the big girl beds, reading books, and playing with her Little People keep her busy in her new room.

Over the last month, Madeline has really seemed to come to understand and respect us as her parents. I can't quite put my finger on what light bulb seems to have gone off, but I feel as though she knows that we love her to pieces, but she's figured out that we mean business when we speak to her firmly, give her "the look", put her in time-out, or give a spank. It seems as though our consistency in discipline has really paid off for us as we've had a few of those really proud parent moments. Of course, things are far from perfect, but the tantrums, obvious testing of rules, and telling us "NO!" have decreased dramatically.

Madeline is still a picky eater, but she's making progress. She's learning that she has to eat some of her sandwich first then chips or that she has to eat a good dinner in order to have a "treat". Her favorite foods fluctuate, but she continues to love milk, yogurt, cheese, applesauce, French fries/any potato product, chicken, mandarin oranges, blueberry waffles, Goldfish, eggs, and toast with cream (cream cheese). Madeline loves to eat a treat ~ Popsicles, ice cream, cookies, chocolate, chips, popcorn, or candies. I am proud of how well she can eat with her fork, spoon, and drink out of a regular cup. She loves to use a napkin at each meal, and she can be quite particular about picking up crumbs around her plate.

Madeline's two year old well visit went well. She received a clean bill of health,"met" all of the developmental markers, and hated every second of the toe prick and shot. She weighs 26 lbs. (42%); is 35 in. tall (80%); and her head measures 48 cm (64%). Madeline chatters NON-STOP! She has an awful lot to say, and I find myself cracking up at her constant commentary and questions. She's really gotten into asking me, "Whatcha doin, Mama?" or asking to go look out the windows to see what's going on outside, "What's dat out there?" One of my favorite moments is at the end of the day, when she tells us about her day. While much of it is still jibber jabber, we can make out most of what she's telling us complete with sound effects and hand gestures.

We love our little Fancy Girl to the moon and back. I'm looking forward to this second year of her life ~ she has so much to look forward to ~ starting school, becoming a big sister, moving to a big girl room, & potty training. Ultimately, I think she will adjust beautifully.