Life is Wonderful: 31 Months

Another month has passed for Sophie. Here is what has been going on in her life:

- Sophie's double ear infection that she had earlier this month is gone. I'm glad that these didn't linger like the last ones she had. It seems like every time she gets a runny nose a double ear infection is right around the corner. Poor kid. I hope that tubes aren't in her future.
- Those 3 molars that she sprouted this month are still working their way to the surface. They don't seem to bother her that much, thank goodness. I have been checking to see if the 4th molar has made it's appearance, but it hasn't yet.
- Sophie's new favorite book is Froggy Gets Dressed. Not only does she love when we read it to her, but she also loves 'reading' it on her own. I get a kick out of watching her read the book. She flips through each page, focusing on the pictures and tries telling the story. She does pretty well since the story is basically about the clothes Froggy takes on and off. She also will call out "Frrrrrrooooggggggy" and "whhhhhhaaaatttt," which is repeated multiple times throughout the story. I love that Sophie not only likes hearing stories, but also wants to read on her own.
- Josie is still adored by her big sister, getting daily kisses, hugs and head rubs (which has taken away some of her hair-eek). I love watching Sophie with Josie.

- Sophie's personality keeps getting bigger and bigger! I crack up over her on a daily basis. Her facial expressions, the way she says things, and the random things that she does cheer me up when I am exhausted. I need to catch her doing and saying her funny things on video!

How can this not make you laugh?!

- Sophie is still a very helpful little girl. There are some days that I wouldn't be able to get things done (like shower or fix a bottle) if she wasn't around to help put a paci in Josie's mouth when it falls out or to make goofy faces at her. I love her for that! (and many other reasons, of course)
- My strong willed girl continues to test her limits this month. While she is extremely helpful and loving, she also has selective hearing. It takes multiple times of me asking her to clean up, not throw things around Josie, not to play with blocks around Josie, not to scream, etc. All normal things for a toddler, but still. I've had to put her in time-out multiple times this month. (You know you've put your kid in time-out a bunch when she starts telling you, "Mommy, go to time-out!" Bah.) I try not to over use the time-out thing, but some days I am just too tired and don't have the patience to work with her on her behaviors. I think it is good though that she has to go there from time to time. As a teacher, I see way too many kids who lack discipline. I've vowed that I would never let my kids be that way. I think the time-outs are working though. I've caught her putting toys away without me asking and she is listening more.
- When Joe took Sophie to the doctor's this month she weighed 18 pounds. That means that in the past 6 months she has only gained 8 ounces. Eek! She eats (she grazes all day long) and we offer her food all of the time, so I don't know why she has gained so little. Maybe because she is so active? I just don't know. Joe and I have talked about taking her to see GI again. I know that she is growing height wise at least (those 9 month pants are too short now, as are some 6-12 month ones), but she is still a skinny little thing. I wish there was an answer to why she isn't gaining. I've read an article about how being IUGR changes the metabolism of babies. Maybe that is it, but I haven't found any other articles or research to back that up. I just want a concrete reason and I doubt I will ever get one.
- Sophie talks in her sleep. I've never really noticed it before, but this month it seems to happen every night. There have been times when I've been downstairs on the couch and I'll hear her talking loudly (I can't make out the words though). I go to check on her and she is fast asleep. I've also heard her having basically a conversation in her room. Again, when I check on her she is sleeping. Crazy!
- Speaking of Sophie's sleep habits, sleep is starting to become an issue for her. We have been napping together on the couch a lot this month (bad habit I've started, I know). Towards the end of the month she started to fight against napping in her room. It doesn't happen every time, but it is becoming more frequent. She is doing this at night time, too. She has generally been a great sleeper, so I don't know what is going on. Some days when I lay her down she will complain that her stomach hurts. I don't know if this is a real ache or if she is just saying it to try to get out of sleep. I just don't know... I hope this ends soon though.
- Sophie loves to sing. She is constantly singing some song. It might be a theme song, like Mickey Mouse or Doc McStuffins. It might be a classic like twinkle twinkle or the itsy-bitsy spider. Or it might be a random pop song, like Taylor Swift.
-Sophie is starting to really identify shapes. She likes having me draw them so that she can identify them. The hardest one for her is a square/rectangle though. She likes drawing shapes for me to guess, too. Of course the only shape she draws is a circle, but still. Sophie is also starting to identify letters of the alphabet, too. (when they are out of order) She doesn't have many of them down yet, but we will keep working on that. I love though when I draw the letter 'B' and she says 'butterfly!' (Her alphabet flashcards have a butterfly with the letter 'B.')
- Sophie has started to hide when she poops now. We'll find her in corners, upstairs when we are downstairs, under blankets, etc. This awareness hopefully means that potty training is right around the corner (or that she will at least be more open to it than she has been). She refuses to sit on the potty to poop though. I did catch her as she was pooping one day and got her to sit on the potty in her clothes while she pooped in her diaper. If I can get her comfortable pooping sitting up on the potty while dressed then hopefully she will try it out without clothes on. I am going to start really working with her as soon as school is out for the summer. I'm pretty sure I said the same thing last summer, but I think she is actually ready now.
- Sophie has done great without her pacifier this month. She will still ask about it at times, but knows that they went 'up in the sky.' (She often wants to see the video to remember it going in the sky.) Sometimes when she asks about it she will answer herself by saying, "I not need a papi, I a big girl!" We gave Josie one of Sophie's old pacis (we were in a bind and plus we wanted to see if she would like that kind at all). As soon as Sophie saw it she screamed, "That is my papi!" She calmed down though and didn't try to take it. Overall she has done wonderfully without her pacis. I'm proud of her for giving up her comfort object.
- Sophie is like a tape recorder. She will say things that Joe and I have said to her repeatedly. When she climbs into a chair she will say, "Be careful." When I am changing her poopy diapers, she will say, "Honnnnneeeyyy!" (I say this when there is a huge mess in there.) When Josie is crying she'll say, "It's okay. Quiet...quiet." After I take a picture she'll say, "It's cute!" I also watched her one day 'change' her baby doll's diaper. She was using a wipe on it and was saying, "Ew gross. Baby pooped. You have poop in your gyna. Clean it up. That nasty. Stinky stinky." (I don't remember ever telling her that her poop is nasty, but the rest I have definitely said to her.)
- Sophie has become even more affectionate this month. Everyday Joe, Josie and I are told how much she loves us and are showered with hugs and kisses. I love hearing, "Mommy I loves you." It is so sweet. When Joe comes home, Sophie often tells him that she is so happy to see him and that she missed him. This girl melts my heart!

Here are some pictures from this month: