Well this is her last update until her 2 year birthday. Sniff. I can't believe it. Fair warning, this post may sound like I'm bragging. I assure you, I'm not. I'm writing this post (as I do every post) for my own memory. So I can look back when she's in college and remember what she was like at 23 months. You have been warned.
Charlotte is a talking maniac. From the second she wakes up, to the moment she falls asleep, she never stops talking. There isn't a person who meets her that doesn't comment on how much she talks. I often get asked if she is 3, because her verbal skills are so impressive. I wish I could keep a little tape recorder (do they make those anymore?) in my pocket, just so I could record every little thing she says. She cracks me up all day long. I honestly can't remember a time when I didn't have a normal conversation with her. Everything is complete sentences, clear as day.
Here are some highlights:
She's recently been saying, "I need ____" which sounds demanding and rude. So I'm working with her to say, "May I have ____, please." She has it down pat, but gets a little confused sometimes. She was standing on her slide and wanted help getting down. Yelling at me, "I need down! I need down!" I ask her, "Charlotte, how do you ask nicely?" "May I have it down please?" Close enough.
I guess I don't wear makeup often because yesterday, I got ready for church before I got her up. I walked into her room and the first thing she said when I opened the door, "Mommy wearing makeup! Mommy wearing a pretty dress! So pretty, Mommy!"
In TJ Maxx last week she found a little baby outfit and pulled it off the rack. "This one is soooo cute, Mommy! We need to buy it for brother, it is soooo cute!" She then carried it around the entire store telling everyone how cute it was.
Yesterday I had them both strapped in the car ready to leave for church. I ran back into the house to grab my phone and couldn't find it anywhere. As a last ditch effort, I went back to the car and asked Charlotte, "where is Mommy's phone?' "Ummm... it's in my fridge!" I went back in the house, opened the play kitchen fridge door, and lo and behold...my phone!
I could go on and on and on, but what I really want to remember is what a joy she is. I love talking with her, singing with her, playing with her. She is really starting to get an imagination. She now make-believes things are there.
"I'll get Daddy's shoes!" She reaches down to the ground and pretends they are in her hand.
"I'll put them in Daddy's closet!" She runs and pretends to put them in his closet.
"I did it!"
She has so many books memorized, it's unbelievable.
She knows all her shapes (well, not all of them obviously, the basics like circle, square, triangle, rectangle, dome, semicircle. Thanks Eric Carle!)
She does not know her colors! "Charlotte, what color is this?" "Ummm...it's geen!" Everytime
She can count to 15.
She know all her animals, their corresponding noises, and their homes. (Birds live in nests, bees in hives, etc. Again, thanks Eric!)
When she gets out of the car she says, "I hold your hand, Mommy. Because there are cars and they can't see you and they hit you." (she doesn't say me a whole lot)
She still says, "Mommy, hole-lu" Which is "hold you" for when she wants to be picked up.
The other day I caught her eating dog food for the millionth time. I knelt down and firmly told her, "do not eat dog food." Her little face melted into tears and she said, "I need a hug, Mommy"
She is really bossy. "Mommy, sit right there!" "Mommy, open this!" She is always in charge of the games, and you have to play by her rules.
She plays in her crib every morning for an hour. She sings happy birthday to her dollies, plays with her monkey, and just zones out. One morning we had to be somewhere so I went and got her right when she woke up. She was lying there, with her feet propped up and her hands behind her head, I asked her, "What are you doing?" she answers, "I lounging..."
She loves her brother to death. We were out of town last weekend and she stayed with grandparents. When we got home, the first thing she said was, "Brother came back! Hi brother!" and ran over and gave him a big hug and kiss.
Ok, I better wrap this up. I love this little girl more than life itself, and cannot believe she is going to be 2 in three weeks!
