Harlo has
almost officially given up naptime. I dreaded this day so much, but now that it’s actually here, it’s not half bad. I sort of like having some time with her in my afternoons. She usually watches Tinkerbell (or “tooth fairies”) while I
try and get some work done. That’s the downside… its cut in majorly to my editing time which means my editing time now cuts into my sleeping time. So I guess we’re all sleeping a little less around here.
She is still just so dang funny and so dang smart. She is constantly telling me things that has me rolling.
She has to wear a dress every single day, which has made dressing for winter a little on the difficult side.
Some days we can compromise better than others and some days she wears a tutu over her jeans.. what can you do?
She is such a mother hen, constantly telling me to be careful with this or that, keeping Stella in line… the other day i was cutting up some peaches in the kitchen and she says “mama, be careful with the knife. Knives are very sharp, they can cut your body.” haha.. How she says things kills me.
She is always looking out for daddy. She always asks him “Daddy, you don’t feel very good?” then she’ll tell me “Daddy needs oils on his belly, you get it for him, mom?”
It’s so true that little girls take care of their daddies.. even when they’re 2.
She has the best sense of direction. She will memorize her surroundings like you wouldn’t believe. Totally gets that from Brady… I can honestly get lost in my own neighborhood.
She started dance last month and is doing so well. She loves it, and is quite coordinated!
Itty has also taken a liking to Harlo recently. She’s always climbing onto her lap or wanting to snuggle up next to her. So cute.
She has a sudden phobia of putting a shirt over her head. As soon as you’re acting like it’s time to put on a shirt she starts freaking out saying, “It’s too tight! It’s too tight!”. I have to sort of corner her and slip it over her head as quick as I can and say “see, nothing to be scared of. It’s not too tight.” to which she always giggles and tells me “Harlo’s silly, huh!” but every single time, day in and day out she fights to put anything over her head. She always says “I wanna step in, mom.” Offers an alternative.. such a clever little girl.
Last week when I went to put a dress over her head she stopped me and I remembered to let her step into it and she says, “don’t do that, mom. You’re making me nervous.”
Tonight while we were in Old Navy she kept telling me “don’t worry, mom. I”m right here, okay?” over and over. “don’t worry, okay? I’m
right here.”
She is seriously a master negotiator. If I ask her to do anything, she quickly tries to figure out what she can wager and negotiate to make the deal a little sweeter for her. The other day she told me she needed to go potty so we hurried in and before she sits down she pauses and says.. “I want a marshmallow.” so I quickly agree so she’ll get on with her potty business then she goes to sit down and stands back up and says, “I want a marshmallow, and…. a chocolate chip.” and wont sit til I agree. I’m in trouble.
She’s so excited about Christmas lights and trees right now. I can’t wait for the holidays coming up.
She seems to be opening up just a smidge on the shyness. Tonight she told a stranger her name and how old she was which she probably would not have ever done before. I’ve noticed she talks more to people than before. But she still will tell them “that’s Stella!” or “Look at Stella..” when she wants the attention off of her. Such a funny little nervous thing she does.
I still wouldn’t consider her overly friendly, but it’s a definite start in the right direction.
Opposite from her shyness is her ability to not stop talking the entire time when warms up. She is SUCH a little story teller.
She continues to surprise me with how great of a sister she is. She is such a lovey with Stella. I constantly catch them snuggling up with each other, or giving kisses.
I’ll find Stella laying down in Harlo’s lap and Harlo tickling her back, or vise versa.
They really do get along so well. But of course, they’re sisters. They each try to bug each other like crazy. Their biggest thing is touching each other’s blankets, they both do it just to bug the other one.
Today she was holding a little green admission ticket in the back seat and she says “uh oh, mom, my ticket! The beast got it.” I look into my rear view mirror and
Stella is staring at me with green ticket in hand. Haha.
She is actually an impeccable sharer with Stella.
My mom watched them the other night while Brady and I went on a date (When mommy is a princess and Daddy is a prince, Harlo would say.. referring to our wedding day as a “date”) but my mom commented on how Harlo was sharing her little packet of fruit snacks with Stella so well.
If something is kind of messy or I know Stella can’t do by herself (like fruit snacks) I can give Harlo the bag and she’ll make sure they’re evenly divided. One for Harlo, one for Stella.
She is also quite the picky eater.
Peach yogurt, oatmeal and beans and rice. Only things we can get the child to eat.
I guess they could be way worse, right?
She now likes to pick out her own clothes.
Whether in the store or at home.
She’s quite particular!
She enjoys coloring or painting of any sort.
She can make decent circles and has been able to for quite some time. She’ll draw straight lines up and down and tell me it’s an H for Harlo, and she likes to pretend to write her name a lot.
No matter what she’s coloring, painting or writing, she’ll want to trace her hand.. then my hand.
She is such a good helper and such a good big sister. I am so lucky to have her.
Stella Tidbits
My little Stelly Bean… Where do I even begin?
She has mastered the art of fit-throwing.
She will throw herself on the ground, cry and cry and cry…
I have to say I kind of love it. I get a total kick out of her.
She is also a total bull-dog.
Constantly taking toys from Harlo, pulling her hair, telling everyone “no, no, no!”
Needless to say, she completely runs this household.
She is so FREAKING cute, though.
She has been talking so much.. new words all the time.
She is in the repeating stage which is probably my favorite ever.
I always over hear Harlo telling her to say things and Stella repeating her.. followed by a “Good job!” and a huge applause
She is quite the little mama’s girl (again) which I am so happy about!
She loves her daddy, but she insists that mama is always near.
If I even think about leaving her, she throws a fit.
(Harlo on the other hand seems to have completely given up her separation anxiety.. great timing now that Stella is just starting into it!)
She still says “thank you” after she’s given anything. It basically is just too much cuteness to even handle.
She is the hammiest little thing ever.
Constantly being goofy and showing off for anyone who will watch.
She has FINALLY really taken off with walking.
Forever she would crawl most the time, walk a little bit.. then she’d walk more at home, but not if we left home.. but now she’s mostly all walking.
I’m pretty sure walking is my favorite milestone.
I’m also pretty sure I say that about every milestone.
But walking is really so fun.
She knows where her belly button, eyes and nose and hair are.
She loves her back/belly/face/arms/legs tickled.
She will stay completely still if you just softly tickle her skin anywhere on her body.
When she’s tired, I’ll catch her tickling her own belly of face.
She hums all day long and hums herself to sleep.
She loves when I sing to her, as soon as I’m done she’ll say “la… la…” to have me start another song.
She knows how to “look up” in the bath so I can rinse out her shampoo, and has been good about that for quite a while now. I remember it took Harlo forever to tilt her head back and trust that I wasn’t going to pour water on her face.
She knows what a bear, cat, owl, puppy and cow say.
She’s learning more animal sounds by the day.
She is such a lovey girl, always laying hear head on my shoulder, giving me pat-pat’s, loving on Harlo… she’s a snuggle bug for sure when she’s not too busy.
Her hair continues to thicken and grow as the days go by.
I always catch her trying to comb it, or put a bow in it or a hair tie of sorts..
Like her sister, she’s taken an interest in lipstick.
I have the girliest girls.
Today at lunch Stella swiped a sliced onion off my late, and when I noticed it, she had put it around her wrist like a bracelet. haha
Oh, I love that baby. She is head to toe absolute deliciousness. From her furry little blond hair to her sweet brown eyes, her deliciously squishy cheeks and her rolly neck that is almost always damp with a bit of slobber. She’s got the best pot belly and the creamiest, softest skin. Her squishy legs that are always just a kickin’ and squirmin’ to her tiny, petite little piggies. Oh my goodness, I love ever single ounce of her.
