2.5 years, 30 months, 907 days...

Ellie, you are TWO and a HALF YEARS old today!  (Please don't double check my math on the days in the title...I never claimed to be a whiz in that department.  Plus, leap years can make the process a little tricky...he he).

Blog content has been less than interesting lately, but I did think that turning 2.5 was worth a post!  This has been an "interesting" stage in little Ellie's life, to say the least.  She is still talking, playing, singing, and doing all and more that the normal 2 year old should.

 Everyone always warned me about the age 2 and the difficulties and tantrums that were bound to follow.  Quite honestly, I didn't really listen and had no clue what they were talking about.  Yes, we had our fair share of trials and tough days, but I still never EVER considered E to be a "difficult" toddler.

Until this summer...

Heck, if I was 2 years old and had a fun school that I was comfortable in, friends I was familiar with, and a church nursery that looked identical to my school room, change would be hard for me too!  Not to mention a small little room with a cozy crib that I'd  had my whole life and a diaper to do all of my "duties" in (along with someone to clean them up for me!) life would be pretty awesome, and easy!

So needless to say, her world  has been rocked.  No more "school".  No more familiar friends.  No more church nursery.  No more small, cozy room with a crib to feel safe in.  No more diapers.  One of these obstacles is a lot for any toddler.  For our sweet girl, she was thrown all of these changes at her all at once.  New room, new bed, new nursery, new sitter, and potty training.  Bless her heart is all I know to say!

She has been a trooper, she really has.  But she has definitely been "off".  So now, she sleeps with us.  And we are lucky to get her down before 11.  And I am okay with that.  She deserves the patience and attention that all of these changes deserve.  I keep telling my self this is just another phase, and that it won't go on forever.  I'll be wishing one day for her to beg me to pick her up, or to ask to snuggle or for her to say "Momma, I want to hold you".  I know I will.  The days are long, but the years are short, so we are trying to savor every second.

Ellie, your funny little personality hasn't gone anywhere.  You LOVE to sing and watch You Tube videos of VBS songs.  You are all about teaching lessons to your animals and bossing your babies around.  You are into art, and painting and coloring.  You are my little assistant.  It absolutely makes your day if I ask you to be my helper.  You help with the trash, dishes, cooking, and even laundry!  You take directions very well and understand exactly what I ask 98% of the time.  You are too smart for your own good a lot of the time too.  You are a little trickster.  If you want to get out of bed or if you want an extra M&M or feel the need to distract me from working, you immediately shout "I gotta go potty!" so I will come running to your rescue.  Still gets me every time:)

You are an EXPERT procrastinator.  You will talk nonstop for hours to put off bedtime or to get out of something you don't want to do.  You love to climb into the car and buckle yourself into the car seat.  We have discovered the aweseome-ness that is Facetime and you love it.  It is great for getting our "DeDe fix" and makes that 2 hour drive seem not so far.   You can also be my little shy one.  People all over town seem to know who you are and they constantly come up to talk to us.  Most of the time you cling tight to me and shy away and other times you will talk their heads off.  You are a good mix of both of your parents!

You are our life, our joy and our little angel.  We sure would be bored (and sleeping a whole lot better!) without you here.

We love you sweet girl and can't believe you are halfway to THREE!

We can't forget to wish our DeDe a very happy 6_th birthday, too!  We love you DeDe!!!!