23 Months

Our baby girl is almost two!  The last monthly post is always bittersweet.  They aren't changing so fast anymore and I don't feel obliged to document new developments, but it also means they really, truly, aren't babies anymore.  It's too bad.  Heidi was a super awesome baby.

The child is utterly delightful and totally insane.  Right now she's sitting on the couch with her legs crossed, browsing a copy of Southern Living, and talking to herself -- "ooh, like those!" and "looks delicious!"  In two minutes she'll probably lose her mind because she'll realize she despises the pants she picked out an hour ago.  Toddlers.  I love 'em.  

Heidi had been my very own teddy bear for the last 23 months.  I doubt Karl had put her to bed more than a dozen times in her life.  So there was a bit of a fight when I had the baby and Karl and his parents took over her care, but it was short-lived.  We had three or four days of crocodile tears and "want mama" at nap and bedtime before she rallied hard and forgot that I even existed.

Otherwise, she has been phenomenal with the baby.  She hasn't shown any jealousy or significant impatience (beyond normal levels for a toddler) when I can't attend to her right away.  Heidi wants to hug him and pat him all day long.  At first, she asked a million times a day, "Who dat guy?" while poking him in the eyes or nose.    She initially loved saying Baby Fwedwik but has since reverted to calling him Baby Wodwik, birth certificate be damned.

She's still enjoying having all the family around.  Grandpa Dave is the coolest right now.  In other Minnesota news, she likes snow in small doses (like touching it as we walk to the car) but the one time we attempted to take her sledding, it was a trainwreck.

30 minutes of bundling, 30 minutes of walking, 30 seconds of sledding.

Favorite activities right now are painting and coloring, playing with the new toy kitchen that Santa brought, and reading stories.  We've been reading a lot of Curious George, Big Snow, Olivia Claus, Cat in the Hat, and the EyeLike Nature books.  She isn't eating as well as she used to; she's both pickier and consumes much less.  I'm afraid she's going to lose all her adorable toddler softness way too soon.  Costco's bagged dried cherries and blueberries are her mainstays.  She loves her bow leggings, her bunny rabbit shirt, and has super intense but wildly unpredictable opinions about pajamas.  Also enjoys running around like a maniac.

After Henry's party, Frederick's birth, and Karl's birthday (with DQ ice cream cake!  yay Minnesota suburbs!), she is very into birthdays and is fully aware that hers is coming up.  We talk about it all the time and she is very careful to verify that THERE WILL BE CANDLES on her cake.  The candles are essential.

Heidi made us get these out for Karl.

If you ask her how old she will be, she tells you five or six or seven, but never just two.  If you need a visual, she's turning thismany: