Hi everybody, I’m a big two-year-old girl today!  At my doctor’s appointment I measured 35.25 inches tall and weighed 31 lbs with a 20 inch head circumference (90th percentile for height and weight, and still enormous on the head size).

I’m a very sturdy, bubbly, engaged toddler with an infectious laugh and a desire to do everything my big brother does.  I’ve learned to mimic his attitude a bit, too, and now I’ll let you know when I’m displeased by crossing my arms and saying “hey!” or “stop it now!”  I’m very eager to communicate, although Mommy and Daddy have to admit that sometimes they can’t understand 100% of what I’m trying to say.  My brother is slightly better at comprehending me, and he steps in as my translator on occasion.  I have recently learned to say “s” noises, although I pronounce them all as “sh” (for example, socks = shocks and please = piesh).  Mommy only recently noticed that I have a cute little under bite, which may be contributing to my difficulties pronouncing certain words.  My smile sure is adorable, though!

I can do all of my shapes and numbers correctly.  And while I can sing the ABCs and count to 10, I don’t show any interest in visually identifying numbers or letters yet.

My favorite foods at the moment are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, and bananas), macaroni and cheese, cheese in all its forms, yogurt, and pirate booty.  My absolute favorite food in the world is pizza, and I ask for it regularly.  Eventually Mommy and Daddy figured out that “pisha-pisha,” which I state emphatically over and over, was my way of asking for a piece of pizza.

I still nap at school (most days), and I’m ready for bed around 8:00 p.m.  I don’t like being left alone in my room, and I frequently ask Mommy to “rub my back!” as I’m being put to bed.  I’ll also always ask to “sit in chair?” just a bit longer after we finish a book to get a little extra time rocking and brushing my teeth.

I had a great time at my second birthday party.  Highlights included cake, bubbles, and having my friend Nina bounce in the bouncy house with me.  I also got some great presents, including some baby dolls with a stroller and pack-n-play, all of which I insisted on taking to bed with me!

Current likes: Cookies with sprinkles, or any dessert accompanied by the Birthday Song

Current dislikes: Waiting a year for my next birthday

Happy Fall, everyone.  This has been a great month so far, including a cool trip to Syracuse during which I visited the Great NY State Fair.  That trip also contained my very first video game experience (pictured below), Plants v. Zombies with Opa.  I see some serious gaming in my future – just look at how intently I’m focused on that screen!

Screen time continues to be my single greatest desire as a small human.  I absolutely love Disney Junior TV shows like Lion Guard, and the fact that my parents restrict my ability to watch is a constant source of frustration for me.  I’ll sidle up to my Mommy and very sweetly ask “can I watch something?”  When she says no, I’ll then stomp my foot and say “that’s not fair, Mommy!”  I think a lot of things are unfair when they don’t suit my purposes.  Sometimes the things I’m protesting are, in fact, the very definition of fair, but that remains my standard complaint.

The Jewish Holidays have arrived, and I enjoyed lighting the candles for Rosh Hashanah this past Wednesday, September 20.  Mommy taught me to say “Shana tova, Happy New Year!” and I’m really loving that phrase.  Lena, too, although hers sounds more like “Ah-tobah, appa yah-yah!”.  Now every time we say goodbye to someone, we add this phrase on to the end.

I’ve been to a number of summer birthday parties this past month (most recently for my friends Paige and Liliana) and they have all featured a bouncy house.  I’ve really grown to love this particular house, so Imagine my surprise and delight in learning that we would be renting it for Lena’s upcoming birthday party.  I can’t wait!

Current likes: equity as I define it (getting what I want when I want it)

Current dislikes: Mommy and Daddy’s version of fair

We recently headed up to Syracuse to visit Mimi and Opa, and had a lot of fun at the zoo.  We especially loved the penguins, and mining for “jewels.”  A great time was had by all!