Ella Grace {2.5 years}

Dear Ella,

I can't believe we are already halfway to another birthday of yours!!! I'm not quite ready for this whole "threenager" thing, so if you could stop time immediately, that would be terrific!

We actually haven't been to the doctor for you since March, but you insist on stepping on that scale every time we are there for Lucas...so I know you're right around 30/31 pounds. As far as height, I haven't measured you but I'd say you're 35 or maybe even 36 inches? After last summer's major growth spurt, I bought mostly 3T stuff for you this summer. Well guess what?! Most of it is too big for you! You are still pretty solidly wearing 2T (and the Lilly dress in these photos is a 2T...I would have thought you'd have outgrown it by now!). Looks like we'll just have to save that 3T stuff for next summer!

I'm happy to report that since your last update (your birthday!), you are now potty trained! We chose a weekend in April to knock it out and you actually did really well! You seemed to "get it" right away and haven't looked back...even when Lucas was born (we thought you might regress then, but you didn't!). You still sleep with a pull-up on because Mommy is not quite ready to change sheets on a daily basis ;)

Speaking of Lucas, you are a wonderful big sister! Because he was at the hospital for the first 12 days of his life, you kind of thought he lived there. But since he's been home, you've adjusted terrifically! Sometimes you love him so intensely, we have to remind you "gentle, gentle, gentle," but at least you aren't trying to shove cheese in his mouth anymore. Now you know that Baby Lucas can have "only milk from Mommy" (and you tell everyone this)! You are a great helper, and I can always depend on you to get a clean diaper or a wubbanub for your little brother. 

Since Lucas arrived, you have gotten much better at sleeping in!!! {Insert all the praise hands emojis} I partially give credit to your wake up clock that turns green when you can get up. Going to bed at night is a whole other situation. We put you down around 7:30, but most nights it is at least 9:00 or 9:30 before you are asleep. What are you doing in your room?? Ohhh, singing, dancing, playing with your animals, reading books, jumping on the bed....you name it. Honestly, as long as you're not crying or super tired, I'm good with it. But man, does it entertain Daddy and I when we watch the monitor to see what you're up to in there! We've tried putting you down later, but the party in your room happens no matter what time you get to bed! You sleep until 7 AM, when your clock turns green (but sometimes even later!). Naps are generally 1:00 until 3:30, but lately you've been taking some 3-3.5 hour naps! I wake you up at 4:30 regardless. 

You still love Daniel Tiger, the Sesame Street characters, Thomas the Train, and Curious George, but your new OBSESSION (and let me tell you, you are one obsessed little girl) is Paw Patrol. You LOVE those pups. Personally, I find it kind of funny (Where did Ryder get all of these dogs from? Does anyone else wonder that?!) and Daddy says it reminds him of Power Rangers, but thankfully with significantly less violence. But you are so into it. You have told me you want to be Marshall for Halloween; he's your favorite. We'll see...

You also love Mickey Mouse! Not quite as much as Paw Patrol, but he's definitely up there. You do the "Hot Dog Dance" pretty much everyday; you get a placemat and put it on the floor and then start dancing like they do on the show. It. Is. Hilarious. 

In a little over a month, you'll be going to preschool two times a week! So, we have been getting ready. Sorry girl, that's what happens when your mom used to be a teacher. We spent all spring working on your colors (we did 1 color a week) and now we are working on letters and numbers. You can spell your name ("E-L-L-A...ELLA!") and know that Lucas's name starts with L, Mommy starts with M and Daddy starts with D. You also associate the letter N with the hospital (Novant, whose logo is a big N); I think we've spent too much time there! You can count to about 13/14 before you get confused and say 16 three times in a row... ;) 

Some of my favorite things you say:

*Any time someone is hurt (or crying): "Uh oh, they need a band aid!"

*Something doesn't work: "Gotta change the batt-trees." (Even if it doesn't have batteries...like when the doorbell was broken)

*"Mommy gotta pump da boob" 

*"Oh {Mommy/Daddy/Lucas}, you're so cute!"

*Anytime she sees an airplane: "Hey! Where that plane going? Going to Fahm-veal, pick up Cook!" (Cook is my dad, and yes he lives in Farmville)

*"Paw Patrol on a roll! Go go Marshall! Go go Chase! Go go Rocky!" (you actually go through all of their names...and you say this during the most random times...like when in the bathtub, during dinner, when you should be asleep at 9 PM...)

*Anytime you see the recycling symbol with the 3 arrows in a triangle: "Hey that's Rocky!" (that's his symbol on Paw Patrol)

*Anytime we are out of something: "Oh, gotta go get some more at Target/Harris Teeter!" (And you know what types of things we get at each store...like we buy strawberry bars at Target, but milk at Harris Teeter)

You love music and you love "the down-down song," "the snapchat song," "My House," and of course anything by your girl Taylor. You also love Snapchat to see what your friends are doing and to do "Ella AH!" (the face filters...omg you love them). 

You did gymnastics this last spring and loved every second of it. You are really good at doing "flips" (somersaults/forward rolls). You loved watching swimming and gymnastics on tv during the Olympic Trials and I'm excited for you to watch the Olympics starting in a few days! During swimming, you would almost narrate it for yourself: "Oh, what's this guy gonna do? They on the blocks...oh! They jump in! Do a little backstroke-y. Oh, they underwater!" It's so funny. You also love to watch basketball and pretty much any other sport with Rameses involved. Oh and golf! How could I forget golf. You love watching golf and are always on the lookout for the Snoopy blimp! You want to do either soccer or dance in the fall; we are still deciding! 

My sweet BIG SISTER Shim! You have been such a joy in our lives, especially during the past few months when we were going through some hard stuff with your baby brother. You have the ability to make everyone around you smile and laugh. You are so fun! You're my best girl and we love you to the moon and back!