Lexi at 23 Months

Oh Lexi, you are sneaking up on age 2 faster than we can keep up.  You just wrapped up month 23, and here are all the new things you are up to this month. 

You started off the month by saying "don't cry" whenever you started to get fussy.  I think it was like a little pep talk to yourself, but it usually made you more emotional the more you said it.  Little did we know it was just a hint of things to come.  More on that in a moment....

You are starting to refer to yourself as "I" and "me" now instead of just using 3rd person all the time.  Big girl!

You ask for music now,  and ask "what happened (to the) music?" when a song stops.

Coloring and drawing have become your new favorite past times, especially as soon as we sit down at a restaurant now.  You also love stickers and ask for them. 

You ask to go upstairs often.  You enjoy the game room, and since there are toys up there that you don't play with all that often, it calls to you. 

The weather has warmed this month.  So you are now asking to go outside, to the back yard, and the park. 

You starting saying "silly goose" and "fiddlesticks" this month.  I'm still not 100% sure where all that came from, but you are entertaining us!  You are also saying "sounds good" and "sounds fine" in response to things we tell you.  Your vocabulary has just exploded again this month!

You have started investigating things this month.  You often hear a noise, and then say "Let's take a look see" or "Let's check it out", and you are serious.  You want us to go investigate things.  So we do. 

You have started calling me "Mom" instead of "Mama" now.  It's not all the time, but enough that I've noticed it. 

You are playing with the neighborhood kids now.  You call them "friends".  When they see you come outside, they all come running to see "Baby Lexi". 

You definitely teethed again this month, but I think the worst of that is past us now.  Your i-teeth cut through last month, but it was just the pointy tips.  So when the big part of the teeth started pushing through this month, they bothered you again.  You were asking for your frozen keys every day. But they are all down now, and you have a mouthful of teeth.  All you are missing is your final set of molars, which usually also come in around the 2-year mark, so those will be next (and last).

You want ice every time we get any out of the fridge.  And then you always ask for a piece of ice for Izzie too.  Sweet baby.  

Starting on the night of 3/17, you woke up in the middle of the night throwing everything out of the bed and followed up with major crying wanting it all back, same at nap times.  Nothing has really helped but having one of us sleeping nearby.  That seems to be what you want/ need right now.  So we have temporarily set up an air mattress in your room so either Daddy or I can sleep "with you" for the time being.  This has continued through the end of the month so far.  There are a number of issues at play that I think have contributed to this regression- teething, lots of new development, and some separation anxiety.  After lots of reading, it appears that the 2 year sleep regression is very common for all these reasons, but should be the last major regression.  There are sure to be other hiccups when we move you to a big bed and when we start to potty train.  It's just a big time with lots going on. And it's ok.  We are here for you, Babydoll. 

You count everything now, all the time. You count your eyes, your ears, your fingers, etc, etc, etc.  You can also recognize numbers.  For example, you know when you see this: "4", that it's a four.  Same with all the other numbers up to 10.  One day we were at the park, and you were swinging.  You started couting, and got up to 16 when another kid heard you and started counting too.  Only she couldn't get past 9.  We looked over and it was a much older girl- like 4 or 5 years old.

You are quoting lines from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse now, and asking for specific episodes.  You also know Huey, Dewey, and Louie now.

We spent Easter in Evansville this month.  The weather was beautiful and you were adorable on Easter morning with those eggs in the yard.  

Right about the same time as the sleep regression started, the "no" phase came back in full effect.  At least you aren't screaming it or throwing fits (yet).  You just answer "no" to everything, for now. 

You are also holding your pee a lot more now and saying "poopy diaper" before you actually make one.  You have successfully gone on the potty a few times now, though we haven't started potty training in earnest just yet.  

And finally, this has been the month of the animal sounds.  You know them all, and you are really good at them too.  My hands down favorite is your "elephant".  You make such a face, and just trumpet out that sound.  I really must get a video soon. 

Alrighty, so that's the update.  All is well.   You are healthy and happy, and we are doing just great. This sleep regression will pass soon enough, likely by the time I write next month's update.  Until then, we are thankful as always for our beautiful and smart baby girl.