My 2 1/2 year old

On May 24, Caroline turned 2 2/1 years old. The last few months, her independence and energy levels have skyrocketed. Most of the time I feel like she is at least one step ahead of me. She is always wiggling, squirming, jumping, scheming, and bouncing her way through life. I grew up loving horses in Kentucky, so forgive me if this illustration doesn't make sense to you. As we were walking into the grocery last week, I was trying to hold Caroline's hand. Trying, because she was pulling against me, skipping and hopping, and tossing her hair. I felt like a plodding lead pony escorting a spirited 2-year old filly on the racetrack. This may sound even more corny, but I think God gave me that picture of her to help me love her better and appreciate her boundless energy. Her energy levels way outlast mine most days and I often find myself frustrated and exhausted just trying to get her dressed or fed when she is literally bouncing off the furniture. It helps me to corral her more gently and appreciate her zest for life. It will be fun to see how God uses that energetic personality for good as she grows older.

We had a big setback with potty-training about 5-6 weeks in. All of the sudden, she gave up trying to pee in the potty and just had accidents in her pants, or on the floor, or the side arm of the couch (she is a climber, remember). She is super fast at undressing herself, so I guess she just figured it was less of an interruption in her play to pee on the spot and then whip the wet clothes off. Thankfully, she has stayed consistent with going #2 in the potty. Much easier to clean up wet than poopy clothes. I have had to start duct-taping her diapers because she will get out of her bed at naps and bedtime, take the diapers off, climb her dresser, change into underwear, and then wet the bed! I am glad she likes wearing her underwear, but would like to master dryness in the daytime before we tackle night time. I had to bring the little portable potty back to the living room, start setting the timer again to take her to the potty, and brought back the jelly bean rewards. I was really hoping to have her reliably trained by the time we traveled to KY at the end of June, but it is not looking so good right now. I know we will get there eventually, but it sure is frustrating to take such a giant step backwards.

Caroline is a great sleeper, going from 8pm-~7am and taking a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoons. She loves her big girl bed, but sometimes takes a while to unwind and fall asleep at night. When I check on her one last time before I go to bed, I sometimes find surprises. One night she drug her laundry basket out of her closet, on top of her bed and filled it with toys and books. If I lay out her clothes on her dresser for the next day, she will try to change into them.

We have been enjoying pool time lately and Caroline has taken to the water like a fish, aside from the one awful "chuking" incident! She will put her face in the water, wiggle her body and attempt to dive although she can't get her entire self submerged. Even when she goes under accidentally or seems to be coughing up a lot of water, I have never seen her get scared or discouraged enough to want to get out.

Caroline alternates between being shy with strangers and very outgoing with people she recognizes. She knows her favorite teachers from MOPS and church and will smile and greet them with lots of excitement. We have had a few playdates with little girls close in age and she will call out their names and wave when we see them again. So cute!

She knows how to melt her daddy's heart by giving smooches and saying in her high-pitched voice, "Kissy, kissy," Her vocabulary is growing daily and sometimes I hear her repeat phrases that Rylan says. She is very independent and wants to do lots of things by herself, like getting dressed, putting shoes on, and buckling her car seat.

Some things Caroline hates: thunder; any other really loud noise like the food processor; holding still; having Daddy leave for work... I have seen her get really frustrated when she can't make a toy work the way she wants and she can be whiny and demanding when she wants something and I won't give it to her. Overall, she is a pretty happy girl and doesn't stay upset for long unless something is really wrong.

Some of Caroline's favorite things: singing, her pretty white church sandals (she would wear them everywhere and anywhere); sparkly things; necklaces; pancakes and waffles; catching and playing with ladybugs; climbing anything; Jesse from Toy Story, Rapunzel, princesses in general, Tinkerbell, Dora, Diego; fruit snacks (crazy about them); drinking anything out of Mommy's cup; playing with any of brother's toys; hot showers after swimming; riding her tricycle; playing puzzle game on Daddy's iPad; her brother (most of the time); juice boxes...

So, here is a little snapshot of my girl at 2 1/2. I know I won't remember these little details of her life and personality later, so I am glad they are written down. I am so thankful for my joyful, sassy, beautiful, and healthy girl!