2 1/2

Anna Riley is 2 1/2 now and she is growing so fast!!  I can't believe how much she has already changed since she turned 2.  Here are some things I want to remember... and well maybe a few I would rather not remember about this age! :) 

-Anna Riley can wear some 2T clothes but is moving closer to 3T.  She will be all 3T in the fall.

-She is fully potty trained!  She only wears a pull up if she is sick or is taking medicine.  She usually doesn't even wake up during the night/ nap to use the bathroom. 

-She is a great sleeper most of the time.  She goes to bed around 8 and wakes up around 7.   She takes a nap everyday at 1 and will sleep until 3 or 4.  I wake her if she isn't up by 4. 

-Even though she is girly, she loves to be outside!!  She likes to ride anything that will go!

-She loves going spending time in Berry and riding 4 wheelers and golfcarts!

-She is really learning her manners and says "please" and "thank you" "ma'am" and "sir" most of the time. 

-When she gets in trouble, she starts screaming "yes ma'am!" which often leads her to more trouble!

-She is such a cuddler!  I hear "Mommy, I want to hold you" all the time!  She is also very affectionate...she loves giving hugs and kisses.  She will call us back after we put her to bed for just one more kiss!  How does that not melt your heart?!  She also tells Riley to kiss me! Haha!

-Recently, she is so particular about what she wears.  She wants certain shoes or accessories.  She changes clothes a couple of times a day...which I hear this only gets worse since my sweet 6 year old neighbor changes about 12!  She insist on taking a nap in something different.  She wants a shirt on and even though she might already have one on, she has to change.  I pick my battles and this isn't one! :)

 

-She has learned quite a lot this summer.  She can count to 10 great and to 20 on a good day or with help and can identify all her numbers.   She knows all her colors and shapes including oval, hexagon, octagon and crescent.  (Thanks Ipad app!)  She points out shapes wherever she sees them...windows of house, paint can lids, etc.   She can sing her ABCs and can identify most of the letters.

-She LOVES singing songs!  She always comes home from school singing songs.  And we sing them in the car with one of her CD's. 

-She is left handed like her Daddy.

- Anna Riley is very girly! She has always been fascinated with my makeup, jewelry, fingernail polish and high heels and now she loves dress up clothes and crowns and princesses and Barbies!

-Her favorite color is...you guessed it, PINK! But she says "Paink."

-She is in the "band aid" stage. She thinks you have to have a band aid on everything! For a week straight, I had to put a band aid on a bruise I had on my leg!!

-She loves the water!  She just finished swim lessons and there is a big difference in the way she is around water now compared to the beginning of the summer. 

- Anna Riley is not the best eater anymore! :(  She has her moments but she ALWAYS loves cake, cookies or ice cream!  Who doesn't?!

-She loves her sister but they terrorize each other.  They already fight over everything.  But they can be really sweet to each other too!

-She gets on to Ava Kate a lot.  She will tell her "No Ma'am sissy!!"

-Anna Riley can be so sweet at times and while the terrible 2's have calmed somewhat, she definitely still has her moments.   She doesn't have much patience and she gets frustrated pretty easy (yes she gets this from me not her Daddy...I have been told this quite a lot!) So when that happens a meltdown is usually in the works.  She is getting better. :)

- She still has dark brown eyes and blond hair.  She tans so well.  Many people say she looks just like her Daddy or her Nana's (Riley's mom) little girl pictures. And according to Mimi (Riley's grandmother), She acts just like Mrs. Cindy when she was this age!

- We have joked that she is just a tad bid OCD.  We have to read the same 3 books before bed/nap. It was 4 and I hid one (Bed time routine was taking too long! Sorry AR!)  They have to be in the same order every time.  And you have to lay the book a certain way back on the table! haha! 

- After reading books at night we always say our prayers and she will tell me who she wants to pray for and she usually starts with "baby Dunc"- her cousin Duncan.  The other night she said "I pray for "Baby Dunc, Aww he is SO cute!"  It is so sweet to hear her praying for people and talking about Jesus.

-She loves to help with everything right now!  She wants to help wash dishes, cook, load and unload the dishwasher, put clothes in the dryer, put the groceries in the cart and on the belt to checkout, etc.   I LOVE that she wants to help and I hope she remembers this when she gets older! :)

- Anna Riley likes to stay on the go.  And if we go somewhere and come back...the  minute we turn in the neighborhood, she will say, "I don't want to come home!"

-I must say though, she is a great traveler! 

We are so blessed with this little girl! 

We love you, Anna Riley!