now you know your ABCs...

Never knew a kid that loved learning about letters so much...

From 2012_4_23 - Alphabet Video

Zoo with Mommy and Daddy

Our ZOO membership runs out April 30th and we probably won't renew until fall 2013, so we've been trying to cram in as many trips to the Zoo as we can while the weather holds out. One particular Sunday was cool enough and we decided to go do everything we have never done before - like pet the Stingrays!, and ride the camel!, and ride the carousel (okay that one we do alllllll the time). It was a great time together.

Imagination

Liberty's favorite toy had really got her imagination going. I drop in on her playing in the playroom to ask her about what she's been working hard at: moving the human family out of the doll house and turning it into a dog/cat house. 4 min video... Liberty playing with her "new dogs and cats"

From 2012_4_17 - Imagination wdogscats & ABCs

5 min video... Liberty was busy in the playroom with her dogs/cats. She shows me around.

From 2012_4_17 - Imagination wdogscats & ABCs

Butterflies at Desert Botanical Gardens

A morning spent with 1000+ butterflies and friends. Not too shabby.

..."now you know your alphabet"...

Miss-letter-obsessed has started to sing her ABCs. Pretty cute.

From 2012_4_17 - Imagination wdogscats & ABCs

Thanks Uncle Thom!

Liberty's great-uncle Thom sent her a CHEW CHEW train dining set for her birthday. It converts from a serious train to a cup and plate etc. for mealtime. She likes it a lot!

Our 2 year old

Some family notes in lieu of writing in the baby book...

Liberty - 97% height at 36.5 inches, 87% weight at 30.4 pounds. Wears 3T-4T.
Cameron used a height prediction website and came up with this: "Your girl will likely be 5'11". This prediction is a "best guess" but it's still just that -- a guess. Based on the formula we used* there is a 50 percent chance that your girl's full-grown height will be within 0.7 inches (above or below) of this prediction, and a 90 percent chance that it will be within 1.7 inches. (That means shortest she could be is 5'9"!)

Food dislikes: mushrooms, tamales, bell peppers.

Has just started singing songs! Favs: 5 little monkey's jumping on the bed, Hey Lolly Lolly & Zoom-e-o (from music class), twinkle twinkle, rockabybaby, happy birthday, a very funny version of the ABCs, and a few others.

95% potty trained. She tells us, she goes on any type of potty (very familiar with Chipotle, Target, Home Depot and Trader Joe's potties), and she has earned all 24 poop in potty rewards (dogs/cat figurines). It was a 3 month process for us - but now she only has maybe 1 accident a week and has been keeping her nap/night pull up dry too.

Into: Elmo, caring for babydolls, her dog/cat poop on potty toys, building tall towers, drinking out of a "real, big girl cup", playing in the sand at the park (making sand birthday cakes), the neighbor girls, Kindermusik weekly class, borrowing from the library, the alphabet.

Best party tricks: counting to 14, knows all letters (upper and lowercase) and the sounds, "reads" 17 sight words (Mommy, Daddy, Elmo, Baby, Cat, Dog, Go, Milk, Car, Murphy, Rusty, Jump, Hi, Bye, Mom-Mom, Grandma Jo, Poppa, Pipa, Andy)

Sleeps 1:30-3:30pm and 8-7:15am.

Talks so much - 6+ word sentences - but still pronounces her own name as YENNY. ? What's your name? "YENNY ANN IAT"

From 2012_4_8 - Easter

Easter!

A very special Easter indeed. After Mass we headed up to Fountain Hills for an Easter Brunch at my mom's house. Joan, Ted and Andy came too - so it was really special to have my entire two families there together. Kelly, Doug, Charlie and Lilly were there too! Even Patrick is home for good. My dad is away spending time with his mom in Georgia, but we skyped with them. We ate, had a great Easter egg hunt, visited and then said our goodbyes. Took Andy to the airport and Liberty to a nap - and then we woke her for Easter round 2 with our friend-family - the Heppner's and Marti's. Another feast of a potluck and a wonderful Easter Egg hunt! It was gorgeous outside, and so relaxing to spend a holiday in the company of great friends.

Liberty's 2nd Birthday Party!

What a party! Elmo, bounce house, all our family (except my traveling dad), and tons of friends...it was such a special party! Liberty was so happy all day long - she woke up to Uncle Andy and ended her day going to the park via her new scooter. And in between we felt the love. My personal favorite part of the day was Liberty enjoying the singing of Happy Birthday to You. We actually heard her singing it to herself on the monitor right before she fell asleep that night. Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate Liberty on her birthday.