Grace is 2 years old!

I'm posting this almost two months late, but here are some facts about Grace at this age:

• At 24 months, Grace weighed 27 lbs (60th percentile) and in the 70th percentile for height.
• She is generally happy. Although she likes things a certain way sometimes, she is at the age that she does whatever you ask and when we explain something, she is listening and understanding. So, that is helpful when she gets upset over something. 
• But, other than just happy, she is the sweetest, most loving little girl! She LOVES to snuggle and cuddle and be held and some of my favorite things about her are when she puts my face in her little hands or wraps her arms around my neck when she pretends to be scared. I love that little tiny girl!
• As far as her speech, we have been going to speech therapy for about 5 weeks now. At her 2 year appointment, I voiced my concern over her minimum vocabulary and mostly the fact that she wasn't saying anything without prompt. Although we only go to therapy once per week and she just plays with the therapist for the 30 minute session, I think it is helfpul to me to watch how the therapist talks to her and repeats words and focuses on vowels. I am trying to do it at home on a regular basis and overall, things are definitely improving. She says a few more words now: wa-wa (water), pease (please), different forms of Grace such as jashe and ga, ca (car), WHOA! (whoa), sky & chase (from paw patrol), and many other forms of "ba" and "pa" that reference one thing or another. I'm noticing more sounds and I just keep encouraging the words. So, progress is happening!
• She goes in and out of squealing phases that are SO high pitched, my ears are ringing by the end of the day.
• Currently, she loves playing with her paw patrol toys, the kitchen, and even recently Atticus's animals and dinosaurs, if he lets her. She has also, with Atticus and myself playing with her, plays with her baby dolls! Hooray!! I love playing baby dolls with her, but she is just now interested. She likes puzzles and loves books. She LOVES to be outside playing and will find any ball anywhere to pick up and throw. She loves hide and seek and playing any games with me and Atticus. She also has no fear of animals so far. Grace really likes all of her other toys too - she is happy to just pick up somethign and play. But, one thing she does not stand for at all? ANYTHING except her pillow and two blankets in her bed. Keep in mind, this is the opposite of Atticus who needs no less than a dozen stuffed animals in his bed each night. Oh and one of her favorite things to do is dance. Each evening, if there is any music on the TV (singing or dancing competition shows), she wants to spin and dance and really wants us to join her. It is adorable.
• Not having a reason to move her out of her crib (meaning no new baby at our house yet), she still sleeps happily in her crib.
• Grace goes back and forth between needing afternoon naps or not. Sometimes, if she is happy and playing, I let her skip them.
• She has a definite bedtime routine. She only wants me to put her down if I am home. She closes the bedroom door, motions me to sit in the rocking chair, grabs her blanket for me to hold, and then chooses one book at a time for us to read. When I am done reading, we turn the lights off, turn her CD player with her little "Grace" lullaby CD on, and we rock for 2 or 3 songs. Then, while she typically does not fall asleep in my arms anymore, I then lay her down in her bed and cover her up. Depending on the night, she either stays tucked in and goes to sleep or other nights, she stands up to cry for a couple of minutes to express her anger towards me not rocking her longer. :)
• Her favorite TV show is Paw Patrol and she still loves Frozen and now likes the Tinkerbell movies. 
• She is in 2T clothes and just this week started to cut her final molars. 
• Her hair is kind of a mess sometimes - so fine and getting longer, but not very thick. It's cute and soft though and looks really cute up in a ponytail. 
• The best part of Grace's hair? She lets us put bows in it! And by let, I mean, she demands them each morning and after nap and wants to choose them herself. I usually have to switch what she picks out with the correct matching bow before we leave the house. But, I always let her pick the first time.
• She also has a love of shoes. She has her favorites and I have to find ways to convince her to try new pairs. She loves shoes!
• She is kind of a picky eater, off and on. She likes granola bars and toaster strudels, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (no crusts), chips, apples, oranges, goldfish, sweets (of course), chicken, porkchops, black beans, green beans, ground beef, spaghetti type meals, tortillas, cheese, rice and cheesesticks. She still only drinks water. And on any day, she will decide she doesn't like any of the above. 
• She loves to brush her teeth. EVERY time we walk into the bathroom, she will say "teeth" and want to brush. 
• She loves going into Atticus's preschool to drop off and pick up. This makes me happy for her to go to a summer camp this year for a week and then to school this fall!
• She is just at a really fun, cute age where she will do what we ask and loves to help and play and cuddle and snuggle and giggle. She is independent but still very much in need of her mommy time. We just love her so much!!