Rooney, 24 Months

Loves to watch videos of herself
Rarely shows emotion, except to a select few who are closest to her
Doesn't go far without her sleep sack in her hand
Went to the zoo and loved the fishes and rhino
No longer wants to sit in a high chair at home (prefers a booster seat or normal chair)
Can count to 10
Got a little potty seat and was interested in it for about 24 hours
Learned how to jump
Had her very first ice cream cone

Growth

Clothing size: 2T-4T
Shoe size: 8
Diaper size: 4

I have started to involve Rooney when picking out her clothes some days. Sometimes she will walk right over and say "Dis one!" and then I'll put it on her. Other times I'll give her a choice and she'll stare at them for a veeeeeeery long time and then grab the one she wants. I love seeing her have an opinion and making decisions.

We have her 2-year checkup next week and I'm excited to see her official height and weight!

Eating

Rooney's appetite has definitely slowed down, although she loves "nummies," which she calls snacks. We've been talking a lot lately about listening to our tummies when she's full. I'm really trying to not say, "Please take one more bite of chicken!" and really train her to trust her body to tell her when she's done. For whatever reason, this has always been a trait I've had, and I want to pass it on to her.

Roo’s favorite foods right now:

Mac and cheese
Queso
Sunbutter
Strawberries
Scrambled eggs with salsa
Sausage links
Yogurt
Bananas
Popcorn
Donuts
Applesauce
Water

Does not like:

Milk
Bread
Sandwiches

Something that really surprises me is that she rarely asks for drinks of what we're drinking (which is usually pop if we're at a restaurant). She has asked a few times and we've let her try, but she doesn't like the taste.

She is very particular with how things are served (she wants a plate like us and not a kid bowl) and will only drink out of certain sippy cups. It is cool that she has opinions but can be frustrating to meet her demands. She will ask for Sunbutter but will not eat it if you put it in a separate bowl first (she likes it straight from the jar on a spoon). She loves muffins but prefers the bottom of the muffin only. Then she wants a new muffin. Crazy kid!

Favorite Activities

Drawing, coloring or stickers
Feeding her babies and putting them to bed
Puzzles
iPad apps
Music and dancing

Counting: Doesn't always get all the numbers right, but she has done 1-10 correctly before
Singing: No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, Ring Around the Rosie, ABCs, Wheels on the Bus, I Just Wanna Be a Sheep
Baking muffins with mommy
Outings: We went to the zoo a couple weeks ago on a Wednesday morning with our friends

photo via @mama_missy

Words

She has said up to six words in a phrase and it has just been amazing to watch her grow. I love being able to talk with her! One thing we are working on is not whining and to use our words instead...but I realize it's hard to be 2 when you can't communicate all your ideas.

Here are a few of my favorite things she says right now:

Supper
Uppa-side down
I wanna go bye-bye nana papa
Sunbutter
Fire off (I had just turned the fireplace off)
Why not working?
I so funny
U.S.A.! (We were definitely all very into the Olympics)
I wanna see daddy (when I get her up in the morning or after nap)
Mommy sit down right there

Health

She has had a cough and runny nose for several weeks now. We use a lot of essential oils on her (daily) to support her immune system.
We bathe her twice a week. She really likes baths now, even when we dump water on her head!
We all still get adjusted at the chiropractor every week.
Teeth: 16

Sleep

Bedtime: 6:30-7:00 pm
Night sleep: 10.5-12.5 hours
Wake time: 6:30-7:30 am
Nap time: noon - 1:00 pm
Nap: 1.5-2.5 hours

Night sleep has still been good. Naps have not been consistent, but I would much rather have the night sleep, so no complaints. Our ideal bedtime for her right now is 6:45 pm.

We finally got her another sleep sack (they were sold out for a while), which is identical to the one she loves, and she figured out we have two, so now she likes to wear one to bed and hold the other one. Her obsession with that thing is crazy.

Parenting

This has without a doubt been the most magical month of parenting so far. There are definitely moments when I'm frustrated (like when she asks for a muffin so we give it to her, but then she doesn't want THAT muffin but a different one, which is exactly the same) but overall it is FUN.

Looking forward to: the "firsts" ahead of us. I can't wait to take her to a movie or go roller skating or see her ride a kiddie roller coaster or dive into a pool. I don't get sad when she turns a year older...I get so darn excited for her to be bigger and smarter and more independent!

Not looking forward to: The potty-training process, weaning her off the pacifier and transitioning her to a big-girl bed.

And, here's a little photo collage I like to call "thank God for cousins":

Roo’s Past Monthly Updates

My original goal with Rooney's monthly updates was to make it two years (especially since we'll now stop counting her age in months!). I'm happy to say that I did it! These posts are getting harder and harder to write as she does more things. I just can't keep up! So, this will likely be her last monthly update. Maybe I will move to a three-month update or something. Not quite sure yet, as I know many of you do enjoy her updates! Thank you, as always, for reading!

Rooney, ToddlerKelsey WilliamsMarch 3, 20145 Comments