How can Ella Claire (or as she says, "Ella Cwaire") be 2? I'll admit that when I was pregnant with her, I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to love another baby as much as I loved Grace. As soon as she arrived, however, I knew I was wrong. God instantly transformed my heart, and it doubled in size. It was love at first sight again.
10 days
6 months
1 year
18 months
2 years
Ella is sweet, spunky and smart as a whip. She's also tough. She plays hard, but she also falls hard and doesn't cry much. She's always quick to recover and isn't afraid of trying something over and over until she gets it. I love her persistence, even when it translates into stubbornness. People always call her a tomboy, and I think it's because she's so adventurous and not nearly as cautious as her big sister. But, she's very much a girly girl, too. Each morning when I'm getting ready for work, she comes into the bathroom, tugs on my leg and says, "Mommy. I need makeup." She's gotten quite good at eyeshadow and lipgloss. And, she adores jewelry and shoes and playing dress up.
She recently tried ballet. She calls it "ball-ette." We did a Mommy and Me class, and I think her favorite part was the outfit.
The class was from 11-11:45. At about 11:30, she started saying, "Let's eat. Go home now." She even got her bag and brought it to me. We toughed it out until class was over, and this is what happened after less than 5 minutes.
Ella is very verbal, which is not surprising. What is surprising is how much and how well she speaks. By watching and hearing Grace, she's already mastered her ABCs, counting to twenty (and to ten in Spanish), her colors, her shapes, and her animals. She loves to sing Twinkle, Twinkle and Itsy Bitsy Spider. She's very picky about what music she likes. When we get in my car, she demands "Lord has maaaade"--her favorite praise song. When we get in the Accord, she wants, "Old Ballgame" ("Take Me Out to the Ballgame"). If we try to listen to the radio or anything besides "kid music" CDs, she'll say, "No. I no like it. No like that one!" She's definitely not afraid to voice her opinion.
I absolutely love her little voice and toddler talk. When Grace was this age, I was always quick to correct her when she said something wrong. As a result, she's always sounded "older" than her age and speaks very well. I'm now grasping for those moments when she doesn't speak perfectly, and I've realized that I should really cherish the toddler talk. So, with Ella, I'm not so quick to correct her. Some of my favorite words/phrases:
Biper = diaper
Bankie = blankie (the silky pink and green lovie she sleeps with)
Raffie = giraffe (the stuffed giraffe/blanket she sleeps with)
Racie = Gracie
What doing? = what are you doing?
Ameer = come here (as in, "Ameer. Play toys. I show you.", which we hear all day)
Hold you = hold me
Help you = help me
Dollipop = lollipop
Tandy = candy
Pock-corn = popcorn
Yuv you = love you
Cickle = tickle (as in, "Cickle me! Cickle me! No! Stop! No cickle me!"
Choc- wit = chocolate
Ere-where = everywhere (as in, "Ooh. I have choc-wit erewhere!"
No want you = I don't want you (unfortunately, Travis hears this a lot because she's a mommy's girl right now, just like Grace was at 2)
Big o mess = big ole mess (when we went bowling last weekend, she said this every time she knocked pins down, "Oh, no! Big o mess!")
Chee-os = Cheerios
Kool = school (each time we pass it, she screams, "Racie, look! Kool! Hi, kool! Bye kool!"
Bitsy pider = bitsy spider (she loves the song, and she calls all spiders this)
Gwoss = gross
Right ther = right there (another one used constantly; "There's Chee-os, right ther. That's a bitsy pider, right ther. There's 'kool, right ther.")
She's also recently starting saying "yes," although she tends to say "no, thank you" more :) At least she has good manners. She's also learned the difference between "yes ma'am" and "yes sir." Actually, she says, "no man" and "yes man." She's also quick to correct people. If Gracie does something she's not supposed or or that Ella doesn't like, she'll shake her finger and say, "No, no, no 'sita. Not nice. No man!"
It warms my heart that she loves Grace so much. She copies everything she does and mimics everything she says. I know this is why she's so brave. She just wants to be like her sister.
She also adores Sutton (now called "Sutton James"), and she is quite the big sister. She's very protective and loving. I suspect they'll have a very close relationship as he gets older. I also suspect that he'll be her partner in crime.
Here are Ella's 2-year stats:
Weight: 21 lbs 2 oz (less than 5th %)
Height: 34 in (55th %)
Head: 18.5 in (40th%)
No surprise. Long and lean.
I feel incredibly blessed to be her mother. We always say that it's hard to be upset with her because she's so funny and joyful. She brings a smile to our faces every day, and we're so thankful that she's ours!
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