two and a half years!

Dear Merit Fey,

A month ago you turned two and a half! Seems so old to me and definitely too old for my first baby girl. Your daddy thinks I'm crazy, but I like to celebrate half birthdays. Here you are on all of your half birthdays so far...

6 months old - 9.22.08

18 months old - 9.22.09

2.5 years old - 9.22.10

The last 6 months have been packed with all kinds of fun and momentous occasions in your little life - some of the most important so far. Here is a little of what you have been up to since you turned two.

APRIL 2010

Easter

your first camping trip

MAY 2010

the Great Flood of '10

a trip to Abilene

Your daddy and I left you for the first time to go to California. Nina and PaPa came to stay with you, and we were oh, so glad to see you when we got back!

JUNE 2010

lots of swimming

a baby shower for your baby sister

Nina took us to your second movie in the theater - Toy Story 3

JULY 2010

The biggest thing that happened in July was that you slept in your crib one last time...

...and got a big girl bed!

AUGUST 2010

On our last little outing just the 3 of us, we took you to the fair and you rode your very first fair rides! You had the greatest time ever (even though it was like 100 degrees that day).

Let's see...what else happened in August...oh yeah! Your world changed for the better when you finally met your baby sister, August Rose!

SEPTEMBER 2010

lots of loving on baby sister

a trip to Pigeon Forge with Grammie and Popsy that included more fun rides

yogurt at Sweet CeCe's on your half birthday!

So here is what things are like these days. I am so amazed by all that you are learning, remembering, saying, and doing at two and a half years old. 

You love to paint, color, or draw.

  You have been really into drawing happy faces for the last few months. One day in April, you drew this and told me it was a "happy face."

Since then, your happy faces have started to actually look like happy faces, and you are completely obsessed. Any paper you color or draw on will have no less than 10 happy faces on it before you move on to something else. You have also started putting arms, legs, ears, and hair on your faces.
(By the way, you said that the picture in the top right corner is a picture of all your "grand-daughters".)

 You are also into:

• what you call "my TV" - favorite shows being Dora, Diego, Max and Ruby, and Yo Gabba Gabba
• books before bedtime with Daddy - some of your favorites right now are "Mine-o-saur", "I'm a Big Sister", "Roar of a Snore", and your Eloise Wilkin storybook
• playing with your baby dolls, dollhouse, and ponies - favorite being Baby Lisa, the baby Nina and PaPa got you when August was born and all of your My Little Ponies
• singing - your favorites songs are Twinkle Twinkle, ABC's, Jesus Loves Me, Wonder Pets, and making up your own using the end of a broom as a microphone. You've also got a thing for Lady GaGa and Glee songs. :)
• dancing - you'll dance to anything, but you really like to do ballet. You actually do it pretty well, too!
• going to the park - you could swing for hours, and always find a new friend while we're there.
• friends - you LOVE it when you get to play with Audrey, Ava, Jake, Liam, or your "new boy" Jack. You also love your cousins Macy and Zoey.
• people in general - you'll talk to anyone. Sometimes if we are in a store or somewhere, you don't understand if you say hi to someone, and they don't say hi back. And you don't just say hi, it is usually, "Hi, I Merit!" 
• snacks - you love a good snack. Your favorites are "fwoot snacks!", goldfish, apples, and cookies.
• talking - some of my favorite things you say/have said lately:  
-"Merit's pwetty...August's pwetty...Mama's pwetty...Daddy's pwetty. (pause) He boy pwetty." 

- "Miss Candy says 'No No No'." (Miss Candy is your Bible class teacher - wonder why she was saying that??)

 - After getting a yogurt parfait at McDonald's on a random day, you said, "Thanks for the Hadonald's, Mama. This the best birthday ever." (You call McDonald's "Hadonald's" because you relate it with "Old McDonald HAD a farm". Pretty cute.)

- "muse-kit" - music

- "Mama, you my best friend." You have also told your daddy this a time or two. :)

The main thing I will remember about you at two and a half is that you are now someone's sister. Although it hasn't been the easiest transition for you, it has been an honor for me to witness you go from our only baby girl to our oldest daughter. 

You're a great big sister, baby girl.

The first few weeks with August were tough, on you and me both. You would love on her, then give her a little slap or poke before you walked away. And fits - big ones - were a daily occurence for a while. You spent a lot of time here. :(

But you are finally adjusting to life after baby sister, and you are actually very protective of her now. You'll tell other people not to touch YOUR baby. You go on and on about how cute she is and love to hold her in your lap and kiss her cheeks. She'll be your best friend someday, I'm sure of it. How incredibly blessed y'all are to have each other, and how blessed August is that YOU are her big sister! I pray that she learns to how to be friendly and love people like you do. You'll teach her things and be things for her that your daddy and I simply won't be able to do or be. Someday you'll realize how incredibly special that is.

So, Merit Fey, happy half birthday. I love every sweet, stubborn, hilarious, loving, frustrating, determined, kind, thoughtful, smart, and beautiful part of your two-year-old self. You'll be three before we know it, and with that will come new adventures and milestones. I can't wait to experience them with you. One of my greatest honors in life, sweet girl.

much love, 

your Mama