Time for Two

Wow, these last few months Anne has been growing up before our eyes.  Physically, she is getting taller and leaner.  Mentally, she is creating long, complex sentences and starting to do some exciting imaginary play, such as grocery shopping and baking cookies.  She is very good at pretending.  She even has her first imaginary friend: a small baby named Isla who fits in the palm of your hand.  This baby is often sad and needs comforting, or has to go to the potty.

Here are some of the funnier conversations with Anne:

Gramma (to Uncle Conor): Whenever Anne doesn't know the answer, she just says, "Ba!"  Watch.
Gramma (to Anne): Anne, where is Grampa?
Anne: I don't know where Grampa is right now!

Gramma: Anne, where is Daddy?
Anne: At work.
Gramma: What does Daddy do at work?
Anne: Playing poker!

Anne: Mommy!  Mommy!
Mommy: *ignores Anne because she is throwing laundry on the floor*
Anne: Susan!  Susan!

Anne: Where's Mommy?
Daddy: Where do you think Mommy is?
Anne (hearing Mom sniff in the other room): Sniffing... like a dog!

Heard over the monitor at night:

• Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, BLAST OFF!
• Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb (and lots of other songs, repeated over and over - see video below)
• Mommy's a girl, and Daddy's a boy, and Gramma's a girl, and Darywn's a girl (etc.)

Anne had her second birthday on March 26th.  We didn't have a big party, we just had family over for dinner.  She actually had two birthday dinners, one with each pair of grandparents.  She got all sorts of wonderful toys and clothes.

Anne had her two-year checkup at the doctor's office and passed with flying colours.  Luckily there were no immunizations this time.  She is at the 85th percentile for height and weight, and still has a giant, 100th percentile head.  If you follow the rule of thumb that her adult height will be twice her height at age 2, then her current 35 inches means she'll be 5 ft 10 inches tall!

Potty training.  Sigh.  It was going so well.  Sometimes she would go days without an accident.  But then she began to have constipation problems, which I think were causing her to have more accidents than normal and the whole process became very frustrating for all involved.  We finally solved the constipation problem, but the bathroom was becoming a battleground and we were having more and more accidents.  Finally, after about two months of potty training, we decided to give it a rest for a bit.  Anne has now been back in diapers for a few weeks.  We only put her on the potty if she specifically asks.  She usually goes once or twice a day in the potty, and it is a much more positive experience for all involved.  Also her naps are way longer again now that she doesn't have to get up to pee after the first hour.  We plan to try potty training again in a few weeks if Anne thinks she is ready.

A few weeks ago, our friends Jared and Lauren visited for the weekend with their 2-month-old daughter, Isla.  Anne was enamored (read: obsessed) with baby Isla.  In fact, when playing with her dolls she still calls the mommy Lauren, the daddy Jared, and the baby Isla.  Also, every other baby in the world is either named Isla, or Clara (Jeff's cousin's baby whom we have seen lots of photos of on Facebook).  As mentioned above, Anne even has a tiny imaginary baby named Isla who fits in the palm of your hand.

Anne helps Daddy open his birthday present

Anne opens her birthday present

New toy

Fancy new dress made by Gramma B

Eating birthday cake

Feeding the ducks

Fancy new hat made by Gramma G

Max and Anne with hats

Anne and Darwyn.  Chillin'

Anne and Max at the land.  Chair custody is in dispute.

Darwyn and a bunny at the market

Anne "smiles" for the camera

Anne makes a mess after eating a single cherry tomato

Pushing the stroller while wearing a snazzy apron.

Reading the bread maker instructions

Playing with the new water table in the front hall (it was too cold to go outside)

Anne gets kisses on her birthday, whether she wants them or not.

Kissing cousins

Anne kisses baby Isla

Anne is very proud to be holding baby Isla

Baby Isla

Vegging out on the couch

Swimming with Gramma B

Jumping off of the ladder again and again (and again)

And again

Lyn and Daddy

Anne by the pool, evading tickles

Anne loving the pool

Daddy throws high

Really really high

Anne and Mommy in the boat

Uncle Rob, Uncle Conor, and Aunt Lyn by the pool

Anne plays on the new playground Gramma and Grampa B put together for her

Whee!

Watering the flowers

Sitting with Grampa B

On the ATV

Playing with the new wagon (man, this kid is spoiled rotten)

Anne sings "Mary Had a Little Lamb" over the monitor at night time

Anne squeezes some katsup out of the bottle for Daddy

Surprise, it's a boy.  Due September 8th.
We're going to have to rename this blog.  Anne will be amazed to find out she is not the centre of the universe.