Bethany 2.5 years - spring 2012

Bethany you are growing up so much!  I've been transitioning 2T clothes to 3T and the bigger clothes make you look so much older.  I can barely remember when you didn't talk anymore, we carry on so many full conversations and I wish I could capture all of the funny things you say.  We measured you on the post in your room and you are 36.5 inches tall!  Lots of people think that you are already 3 because of how tall you are and old you look and how well you talk to others - interacting with adults is completely comfortable for you.

Right now your routine at night is to take a bath with April, get into pj's (after your bath you say you are "so shibery"), brush your hair and teeth and crawl into mommy and daddy's bed for snuggle time while April eats.  We talk about what we are going to "go up to bed as" which we started a few months ago.  It is always a challenge to get you to go up the stairs willingly, so we made a big deal out of walking up the stairs like Kevin Love one night.  Recently you've told us you are going up to bed like a porcupine, April is a polar bear, daddy is an ant and mommy is a spider.  Who knows where you got all of these random animals together, but it was over 4 nights in a row you had this line up!  We all sit on your bed while you grab your Bible (if we try to set it out for you, you start over in the process).  You stop at the easel to draw a little (practice your B's) and then jump on the box spring on the floor so you can get on the bed and choose a Bible story.  You have been wanting to read Noah's ark so many times that I pretty much have it memorized now.  You pray (Dear Jesus, thank you for the food, amen (only prayer you do!)), Daddy prays about the day and the next day and you give us all kisses and crawl under the covers.  We are so proud of you that you fall right asleep and wake up after 7 (more mornings) - we hope the trend continues!

You have such a joyful spirit and get excited for whatever we have going on.  You look forward to seeing cousin Charlie, friends at church and Koala Bear, family, whenever we talk about what we're going to be doing.  You say "oh, thank you!" for everything... very cute and nice that it comes so naturally for you to thank people (please, please continue!)

You love to talk to April, and sometimes if I'm busy doing something around the house I hear you sit down next to her and tell her a story "April, I had a good nap today.  Now we are going to Carson's birthday party."  or "April, I hurt my finger.  Yeah, it is owie, can you kiss it and make it feel better?"  I just love how cute they are together and how April adores Bethany.  We play peek-a-boo with April and Bethany puts a blanket over her head and April slowly pulls it down and we all say peek-a-boo while April belly laughs.  She thinks it is funny when Bethany puts the blanket over her head too.

When we are driving you really enjoy looking out the window for buses, cranes and "dark bridges".  It took me awhile to understand what you were talking about, and you would tell me "oh, it is a baby bridge, what is next mommy?"  Then we'd come to a slightly bigger bridge, "oh, it is a mommy bridge, is the daddy bridge next?"  Then in her low voice, "It is a BIG one mommy, its a daddy bridge!".  I think it is so cute that you do this almost every time we are in the care - you love repetition.

You can count to almost 20 now and are working on drawing a few letters.  You can name all the letters and numbers too when you see them.  We have been teaching you our address and today you told daddy where we lived perfectly!

I'm not sure why, but you say "my mommy daddy" when you don't know what else to say.  People will talk to you, or around you and you'll just enter in by saying that.  I think it just makes you comfortable to talk about us.  We know you pay a lot of attention to what we say, because I'll hear you tell others about not wanting a "time out" or that you had a good day and you were nice to your friends (share, not bite etc).

You care so much about others though, and still get concerned if someone is hurt, sad etc.  I love your empathy Bethany!

We love you so much and can't wait for summer to long days together with you.