"I be 2"

Cannot believe this girl is two.

Some things she's into right now: 

1. Laying on my boobies. And I don't mean on my chest because if she means that she'll say, "Lay on chest." If she says "lay on boobies, Mommy." I have to pull up my shirt to reveal my bosom and bra and she wants to lay her cheek on my bare chest. This started a little while after she stopped nursing. I think it's sweet, but I'm not always able to comply. I loved it when I was in the dressing room at the store the week of her party and she was just completely overcome with the need to do this. So we sat in the dressing room and I nearly cried because she just wanted to be as close as possible to me and my heart.

2. Obsessed with rubbing my skin tags on the left side of my neck. I know, it sounds a little gross. Not sure where this came from, but she does it daily. She either lays on my chest, puts her right hand up to rub and her left thumb in her mouth or she lays in my lap and reaches up. And she rubs and rubs and rubs. Sometimes it's irritating. It usually happens when she's tired or fussy. Oh, and if my hair is in the way, then she yells at me, "Mommy, fix the face." Which means, move the dang hair out of the way and be quick about it. She yells "Fix my face" all the time in regards to herself. It's when her hair is in her face, which she can't stand. I love that she says "Fix my face" instead of "Fix my hair." Ha!

3. She loves to sit in corner on the counter.  She likes to watch me do things, help me with fixing food, eat up there. It's her little perch. My dad said he used to sit in the same spot with Nina. 

4. She says "Right der" (right there) or adds it on to the end of a sentence. 
Example: 
Stella: "Mommy, Horsey!" (pointing)
Me: "Yes, baby, I see that horsey."
Stella, "Horsey, right der."   

5. If we have an empty toilet paper or paper towel tube laying around or if I ask her to go recycle it she HAS to yell, "Cock-a-doodle-doo" into it. I did this once. ONCE! And now it continues.

6. She likes to call people on phone. She pretends to call on the fake phone we gave her. Or if something is shaped somewhat like a phone she will put it to her ear and say, "I calling Daddy." Then she says always, "Hey ____. Whatchu doin'? I eatin' lunch." Sometimes she throws in a "Hold on." But the lunch bit is always there. I'm convinced all she thinks we do is eat. But she always says "lunch." Never breakfast or dinner. Just that midday meal.

I took these photos few days before her 2nd birthday. I used my cousin/neighbor's backyard. I've been wanting to take pictures on Stella in this yard for years. I just love the barn and it went so well with Stella's barnyard birthday bash theme. 

"Put your hands in your pocket." 

Umm....ok. Those aren't your pockets, but whatever.

Kinda getting fed up with my picture taking and the mosquitos. 

Or "skeetos" (rhymes with Cheetos) as she calls them.

I finally got her to do her "I be 2" finger pose. Yes, it looks like the "L for Loser" sign, but technically it's two fingers and that's how they count in ASL. 

Plus, it's a lot easier for kids her age to do with their fingers.

I had a few more things and poses I wanted to do (moo cow headband if I'm naming names), but overall these turned out great and I'm happy. 

Everything went great when you consider she nearly got carried away by mosquitoes. 

Unfortunately, they find her very, very tasty. 

I found myself very emotional over this birthday. Way more than with the first which seems a little odd. I think it's because she's more of a real person. We have conversations. She tells jokes and we can truly play together. At one, they are still babyish. 

Happy 2nd Birthday, La La. My perfect, beautiful, spunky oh-so smart little moo. 

Oh how I love you so.

Mother's Day Weekend 2015

So Friday was day 2 of Stella refusing to nap. However, around 5:15 that evening, she crawled up on the couch with me (after drawing on herself in marker as you can see) and passed out on me. I didn't realize it at first as I thought she was just watching TV with me, but it happened quick. She slept for an hour and a half and that was with me trying to wake her several times. Bedtime happened late that night for obvious reasons.

Saturday was the Marietta Gardeners Club annual plant sale. We all headed up together around 8 am. 

Stella insisted on pulling her shirt up and tucking her hands into her pockets and walking like that. 

Then she wanted to take a picture of all of us resting in the shade. 

Donald and her walked over to the Farmer's Market around 10 am. They "shopped" for gifts and food for Mother's Day.

It was pretty hot in the sun and standing on the asphalt and Stella tired quickly since we had gotten her up early. Donald had to carry her and all of their purchases back and she ended up falling asleep for a few minutes.

On Sunday, Stella brought me a few things she and Daddy picked out at the Farmer's Market the day before: A beautiful handmade card, lavender soap (which she proceeded to bite into) and gingered pecans from the market.
He got her to say "Happy Mother's Day, Mommy" which was the best.thing.ever. She was hesitant about it at first, but she finally said it. He said they had been practicing. So sweet.

Donald fixed cheesy eggs, thick cut bacon from a local butcher and this skillet biscuit thing we like. 

That afternoon I left the two of them and volunteered to serve a Mother's Day dinner at a senior rehab center.

When I returned, I put her in a cute dress, fixed her hair and forced her into taking pictures with me. 

How sweet! She shared her thumb with me.

Donald grilled pork chops (from the farmer's market), zucchini and polenta for dinner. For dessert we had an apple and blackberry cobbler he picked up from the market. The next night we had pecan pie for dessert that was also purchased from the market. He sure knows how to satisfy my sweet tooth! The weekend was just fantastic. I am such a blessed Mama!