Together Again in Heaven: 22 Months

This month just flew by. Before I sat down to type this post, I was a little worried that the running list of Lucy quips that I keep by my desk for each month was a bit short. However, now that I am actually drafting up this past month's stories, it seems that there is plenty of Lucy material!

Here Lucy is below playing in her favorite spot in the house - her parent's bed. She loves to play tent, where you put the blanket over your heads and giggle a lot, and she loves to play with her favorite doll Simone, also pictured below. Her enthusiasm of our bed doesn't seem to be diluted at all by the fact that she hits her head on the head board at least once during each play session.

Lucy also loves to play baby. She does this by asking to be wrapped up "snug as a bug", and then will proceed to fake cry.
That's about all she does that's even remotely baby-like these days though. She is talking in complete sentences now when she feels like it, and cracks us up with her response to things. When asked something along the lines of "Lucy, are you going to let me put your socks on now, or what?" She will look us straight in the eye, and say as serious as ever: "What." This is preferable to another frequent response to our requests by yelling, "NO, NOT!" Will pointed out to her once that this was in fact a double negative, and did that mean she actually was saying 'yes'? She responded by yelling louder, "NO! NOT!!!". Okay then!

Lucy is of the personality where she loves all things equally. In the morning when picking out what to wear, she isn't content with the two choices of shirts I give her - she pulls open the drawer with the rest of her shirts, and says "All of those!" She then proceeds to get upset when I try to explain to her that she can't possibly wear all of her shirts at the same time. The same goes for jammie time. She has three sets of different Elmo jammies. Each night we go through the same routine - she wants to wear all three of them, as if the other two pairs of Elmo jammies would have hurt feelings if she didn't. When packing up a bag to go on a day trip, Lucy spreads her arms wide and indicates that the entire contents of her crib - the piles of 'favorite' blankets, beloved stuffed animals and dolls all must come. "All of them!" She yells as we begrudgingly add one after the other of blankets and toys to the bag.

Lucy has also become fluent in singing some of her favorite songs, including Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Ring Around the Rosie. When singing the "ashes, ashes, we all fall down" it is impossible for Will and I not to laugh because it sounds remarkably similar to "ah, sh**, ah, sh**, we all fall down." Lucy also loves explaining to us whenever we can't find something we are looking for that it is "hiding." Most of the time, she is the one that hid it too.

And then there is her favorite phrase of the month, "DRY AND CLEAN!" which she proudly shouts for anything. Her Elmo jammies are dry and clean as I pull them out of the dryer. Her Mickey Mouse spoon and fork are dry and clean as I pull them out of the dishwasher. And best of all, her pants are dry and clean when I get her out of bed in the morning and after naps. That's right, she is officially potty trained. No more diapers for little Miss Lucy! And she would have it no other way. The best is when she tells us to clap after she deposits something in her froggy potty. She is definitely the one calling the shots around here, in case you hadn't picked up on that. Ah, yes. And she has also intelligently discovered that pee pee time and poo poo time can get you out of most anything. Your crib, a dinner that is less than appetizing, and boring church sermons. Pee and Poop time is the ultimate wild card in Lucy's deck and she doesn't hesitate to use it. Once Will decided that she was just stalling bedtime, and refused to get her out of her crib to use the potty 'one last time'. Lucy then proceeded to proudly pee the entire contents of what seemed to be a gallon sized jug of lemonade. When Will told me that she did it on purpose, I told him that was impossible, a child her age doesn't understand "on purpose". Flash forward a couple of days, and she tried getting out of a nap by telling me it was "Poo poo time." I told her she just went (which she did), and that she could hold it until after her nap. I thought I had nap victory when the baby monitor went silent for a couple of minutes - until I heard her proudly yell "POOP Momma! POOP!" I ran upstairs to her room, and sure enough, the little angel had pooped her pants!!! On purpose! The icing on the cake of wild cards though, was this past Sunday in church. We had already left for "pee pee time", and she did a great job. No sooner did we make it back to the pew when she started telling me it was "poo poo time". I told her no, we just went, and she could hold it until after church. She then started frantically yelling at the top of her lungs "POO POO TIME!! POO POO TIME!!!" at which point we made a huge scene as my pregnant belly and screaming toddler complete with a diaper bag slung over my shoulder shuffled back through the pew and over people's feet and left red faced and embarrassed. And no, she didn't go poop when we got to the restroom and I missed the entire sermon. Will and I still haven't figured out how to trump the pee and poop card Lucy keeps pulling. For now, we will chalk it up to the price of her new found potty freedom and hope it is a passing phase.

As you can see below, the froggy potty also travels. Who would have thought I'd have a roll of toilet paper and a pink and green froggy potty riding in the back seat of my sport sedan?

Lucy has been having a growth spurt this past month. She is finally tall enough to open door knobs and climb up on most anything - including her car seat and booster seat, which has been a great help as Emma continues to strain my back with each passing week. Lucy also got her last tooth (until her two year molars) and has a full set of teeth flashing back at us when she grins. Thank God we get a little break now of teething pain. Probably when Emma starts cutting her first tooth, Lucy will start cutting the two year molars. But we will enjoy the peace while it lasts! And probably the most exciting physical achievement of her little growth spurt this past month is enough hair on her head for me to put pigtails in! Finally!

When not walking on snow, as seen below...

Lucy loves playing with her silly face magnet set given to us by my Aunt Bridget. She called me into the office the other day where she and Will were playing and showed me a portrait she did of Will and I. Can you guess which one is Will and which one is me? Don't laugh too much, or you'll be her next subject!