Adelaide Is TWO

Our sweet Adelaide just had her second birthday on December 21st. She is such a joy in our lives! I vividly remember being in the hospital two years ago. I was so excited to be having a baby girl! I had had weekly tests at the hospital for several months during the pregnancy and each one included an ultrasound and it was really neat to get to see her each week wiggling around in there. I have loved the last two years with her and am so glad for the new dimension she has added to our home. Adelaide is a very happy, lively little girl. She loves to sing and dance and jump around. She loves to play on the piano and it is so cute to hear her sing while she plays. She turns the pages on the Primary Children's Songbook as if she knows exactly what she's looking for, then when she finds it she'll play and sing some more. She loves to wear shoes and change them often and especially wearing an older girl's shoes. Adelaide is often very happy all day long. Seldom does she get down or grumpy. One of my favorite things about her is that you can always always make her smile or laugh. It doesn't take much silliness or just a genuine smile yourself if she is having a hard time before she busts out laughing. She loves to help and has become quite the playmate for Gorden. He says that she is his best friend. I think she definitely feels the same way about him. Gorden has had such a special love for her ever since we brought her home from the hospital. Its wonderful to see the love they have for one another and that they are such great buddies. I love it when he calls her the cute pet names that Spencer and I call her!




A lot has happened for Adelaide lately. She has proven again to be such a brave girl and very positive. A week before we left for Arkansas she was sick. Right when she got better, Gorden got sick and then Spencer. Spencer had strep throat. Everyone was well while we were in Arkansas for the holidays and then towards the very end Spencer got very sick again. Adelaide seemed to be not feeling well the last day we were traveling. After going to the doctor we found out that Spencer's strep had relapsed and Adelaide had strep throat as well. The pediatrician said that it will live on a toothbrush for at least a week and to throw everyone's toothbrush away after three days of being on the antibiotic. Well I figured we had to throw away the pacifiers as well if we were going to get rid of the bacteria everywhere. I wasn't sure how that would go, especially with just three days' notice! I told Adelaide in the afternoon, that since she was two now she didn't need a pacifier anymore and that we were going to throw them all in the garbage. They were just for babies and she's a big girl now. She did get several baby dolls for Christmas and some of them have pacifiers so I knew she'd understand what I was talking about. She seemed totally fine with it. That night when I was putting her to bed I didn't say anything about it and she didn't ask, but during the night she woke up a few times. She would sometimes ask for it (as well as drinks of water and whatever else) but I'd just tell her that they were just for babies and she didn't need one anymore because she's two. She'd repeat me and say, "just babies!" and lay down anyway. I told her that she could fall asleep without a pacifier if she was really still and really quiet and to close her eyes. She would giggle as if that were a fun challenge and lay there squeezing her eyes tight and not moving. It was so cute! I am so impressed that she was so okay with everything! The second night I did actually give her a pacifier during the night at some point because she was having such a hard time not sleeping because she didn't feel good. I figured that the more antibiotic she got in her body the better she would feel and maybe by day three she would be sleeping better anyway. I was right. She did fine. She hasn't asked at all and sometimes when she's playing with her baby doll and giving it its pacifier she'll tell me, "pacifier just for babies." I would have never guessed that transition would go so smoothly!

Also she is no longer in a crib! We bought a toddler bed very soon after the whole pacifier situation (which obviously wasn't a "situation" really b/c she did so amazing) and took the crib down the next day. She has only gotten out of bed once or twice since Saturday night! She just lays there like its no big deal. When we put it in her room and got sheets and everything on it, her favorite blanket, etc., I told her it was all ready and she yelled "Yay!" and got right on and started jumping! I guess that's what she used Gorden's bed for actually, and hers is identical to his so that makes sense.

Finally, she doesn't wear diapers anymore! She is constantly telling me when she needs to go to the bathroom and I take her to the potty and her diaper will be dry every time. I figured since she was recognizing it before she needed to go then we were ready! She is doing amazing with using the potty and has only had one accident all week. I don't even worry about going anywhere or anything. We've done all our normal things all week and she's totally fine with going in public restrooms or whatever. She's pretty much amazing! I've always known she is fine with transitions and change and new things and all that, but I guess since we're kind of doing all this big girl stuff at the exact same time is why I'm so surprised. I just assumed it was all one at a time type stuff. As similar as Gorden and Adelaide are though, they definitely have different personalities. I also kind of thought it was normal for kids to resist a little and not want to "grow up" but she isn't that way at all. I wonder if its because she's the second child and she sees Gorden already doing all these big kid things. Either way, she's made a lot of progress lately and is doing wonderful. She continues to be very very talkative (and she talks very loud!) and learns a handful of new words every day it seems. She is clear and easy to understand and its so fun that she communicates so well. Spencer and I have to remind ourselves that she is only barely two and not expect too much out of her or be too hard on her because she seems so advanced for her age. She's definitely got a mind of her own and does her own thing quite a bit, including walking off and looking at or doing whatever it is she wants to do. We really have to be on our toes in public because she can just forget we're all together or something and totally be in her own world stopping to look over here or there and taking her sweet time. I find myself often reminding her to please be obedient. For some reason on most days it isn't until I do say that that she responds and comes along. She's a funny girl. It makes me laugh that she is so in her own world of thought. Gorden is very aware of his surroundings and sticks right to us and typically comes immediately when called, so its so interesting to see such opposites. They are both great and both so much fun. We are so happy and feel extremely blessed to be parents and especially to these two sweet kiddos. Its hard to believe that Adelaide is two years old now. My goodness time flies. These are some pictures from her birthday party while we were in Arkansas.

She wasn't sure what to think when 23 people sang "Happy Birthday" to HER! Celebrating with us were 4 grandparents, 5 uncles, 6 aunts, and 5 cousins! We're so glad so many people were able to be together for her birthday. We have a great family!

Happy Birthday sweet Lady! We love You!