In Toddler News | Part 32

32 months.

I know eventually I will have to stop these monthly updates about my sweet Parker and Jolie

High School.

Totally appropriate, yes?

I am sitting here typing this out and listening to those sister girls play together in the front room and realizing how much change they've experienced this last month.  Jordan and I completely expected that the introduction of Baker would have rocked their world, but these 2.5 (plus 2 months) year olds have taken it with such grace.  Their personalities have shown through more than ever this month - and I don't know if its because we have a newbie in the house and their mannerisms show out much more distinctly in comparison, or if they really have changed that much in just 30 days time.

Toddler Talks

The conversations with us and between themselves have become really entertaining.  I cannot believe some of the things that come out of their mouths and the things they say - they are little sponges!  

I have become very aware of this sponge-factor recently as they say things I never taught or thought they even knew.

Parker: 'Mama, can I have some chocolate milk, pretty please?' 

Where did pretty please come from?

Jolie: 'I'm a princess!  I am so pretty!'

oh, well yes you are.

Parker: 'Where is Baker?? Oh!  Baker sweeping, shhhhh'

Jolie: 'Baker is so sweet, mama'

Just melt my mother heart, why don't you.

Parker: 'oh, sawee, Mama.  Let me help you'

Parker is still very aware of my recovery and my requests to 'be easy' when she's climbing in my lap.

Jolie: 'I need woook on compoota'

Computer.. and that would be her leap frog.  I'm still waiting for her to use the word blog.. I digress.

It takes one mention of a word or phrase and they remember it for the next time.  I name a new item or toy they have never seen and they know exactly what it is from then on.

As their vocabulary continues to grow, I have found that 'using their words' comes easier to explain frustrations and requests - which means there are a lot fewer tantrums and fit throwing.  These girls sure know how to throw a fit, but if we can get them to use their words to tell us what they need rather than losing their mind over whatever, it makes life a lot easier.

That works about 70% of the time.

The other 30% of the time they are a ball of tears and I'm all sorts of confused trying to figure out what is requested of me. 

Its a work in progress - and toddler life is just hard sometimes.

Toddler Play

Their imagination has taken flight this last month.   I've never witnessed them play so well than I have in the last month.  Prancing around announcing that 'I'm a princess!' or carrying their baby dolls and shushing and patting them to sleep is outrageously cute.

And so creative.  For Christmas we got them a whole baby care set - diaper bag, bottles, stroller, you name it, we thought they would be so ready for it.

wrong.

It wasn't until we brought Baker home at the beginning of this month that they took a hard interest in that stuff.  I don't know if its because its the age or if it is because they see both Jordan and myself caring for Baker so intently (I would guess its the latter), but they spend most of their days carrying around their baby dolls and pushing them in the shopping cart or stroller.  Parker has even started calling her babydoll  'Baker'.. which is so sweet to me.  

Other playtime things..

Puzzles, puzzles, puzzles.  All day long.  I am so thankful for Amazon Prime.  New puzzles on my door step in less than 2 days:) Parker is a whiz and will figure out a puzzle in no time- arranging the pieces by color before she works it - especially if she's never seen the puzzle before.

I know I've talked about her puzzle abilities for like the last 4 months, but she gets better and better.

My 32 month old does puzzles better than me.

Serious.

Jolie is just like me and has a creative brain. 

Make believe is her favorite.  Her play time with toys is much different than Parker's (who seems to be more like her daddy).  She doesn't take a ton of interest in the puzzles, but books, coloring and art has become a part of her everyday.

Who needs an iPad full of movies when mama brings the crayons and coloring books along. 

They both really love to color and have gotten pretty good at it.  

Parker prefers to color with one crayon per page (usually pink, blue, or purple), while Jolie will literally do her best to stay inside the lines of her color page, but use every color crayon in the box.  

It is so interesting to watch these two girls of the same age, in the same house, being taught the same way learn on a completely different level from one another.

We have recently discovered Nick Jr. (we have always watched Disney) and Paw Patrol, Bubble Guppies (I wish you could hear Jolie say Bubble Guppies- dying!), and Team Umizoomi.  

Umizoomi is ultimately their favorite.

They can both count to 20.

Name all their body parts, animals, colors, shapes, and actually interact when prompted on the television. 

 Their friendship has exploded this last month. They have always loved having each other around, but this last month they have really taken to being little besties.  I love watching them interact and engaging with one another without being made to hold hands or give each other a hug.  Really warms my heart to know the kind of bond I hope that will continue to grow. 

One thing is for sure, Being their mama is the most rewarding experience of my life.

Sleeps & Eats 

Sleep continues to be a night to night thing for us.  Some nights they will sleep the entire night through - and this can go on for days or weeks or even a month of heathy sleep habits..and then randomly it will be a week (s!!) of waking 2-3 (or five) times a night for nothing more than a mama sugar or a request for milk.  It has been this way since forever so we've sort of become used to the idea that they wake up here and there - but were hoping that it would magically be figured out by the time Baker arrived.  

No such luck.  They'll sleep eventually, but I've decided to come to grips with the fact that I will never sleep through the night again.

We have officially been in twin beds for a month now (we skipped the toddler bed), and they love them!  They have yet to fall out (knock on wood) and stay in their rooms until morning - that transition was much easier than we had imagined. 

--

Eating is good!  They still prefer to snack over eating three real meals a day - and if I can prevent so many snacks throughout the day, I most definitely do, but when they don't eat well at breakfast or lunch I give into offering them something small later.  When we do sit down for a meal if we can get a handful of solid bites into their bellies we call it good.  I do try to stop the snacks around 4:30pm in the afternoon so that dinner is relatively successful and they don't wake in the middle of the night hungry because they didn't eat well then.

Ultimately they eat until they are full, and thats good for me.

A few of their favorite foodie things..

popcorn (they love Boom Chicka Pop)

'chocolate milk' (8oz skim milk + 1/2 packet of chocolate carnation instant breakfast)

spanish rice

pinto beans

guacamole

peanut butter crackers

chips + salsa

grilled chicken (cilantro lime grilled chicken)

tossed salad greens (caesar salad)

grilled cheese (Sonic)

grapes (frozen, too!)

watermelon

graham crackers (teddy grahams)

chicken deli meat

swiss cheese

wheat thins (they call these 'chips')

English muffins with melted butter

sprouted toast with peanut butter and banana slices

Greek yogurt

daddy's homemade oatmeal (steel cut oats, milk, dried fruit, chia seeds)

I still cannot believe how fast time is flying.  I look back at my 'time hop' app every single morning, and cannot believe how much they have changed.

I have memories with these sweet girls from 2 years ago?!!?  Already!!

Parker + Jolie | 8 months

The days are long (and really long right now, I might add..), but the years are so short.

There isn't a greater truth than that.

32 Month Photo Dump

Costco trips - there are a lot of them.

 Sams, too!

 Love their new little sister so very much

 The last picture we took together before Baker arrived just two days later.

 backyard hangs.. its is so stinkin hot. 

clothes are optional - water hose is necessary. 

 Our last lunch with my gals as a family of four.

Sunnies are always required. 

 Meeting baby Grayson.

They LOVE him!

 No greater love than this one.  These two have become quiet close this last month. I cant even describe how I handle this on a daily basis.

 THIS silly girl! She has so much joy in life.

 Mommy daughter dating.

Daddy daughter dating

I don't even recognize these two.  

Jolie doesn't look a day over 12 months and Parker looks like she just graduated 2nd grade.

I love them.

 favorite.

When you think it doesn't get any better..

and then it totally does. 

Happy 32nd month, baby girls!!

XO!