30 things about Big Sis

Today Leighton is 30 months or two and a half! Remember how when you were little that half of a year seemed like a really big deal? Well, as a parent that half of a year is an extremely big deal...as in STOP GROWING UP SO FAST kind of big deal. Every month we inch a little closer to three (which is full on little kid age) and bits of my "baby" slip away for good. She's a little girl, a big sister, a student, a comedian, a princess, a DIVA, the list could go on and on. I don't want to forget anything about this age. While it is definitely tough at times with the tantrums and moodiness, it is also pretty dang sweet.

1. Calls Gracen "Gray Gray" or "Sissy" and is a great big sister.

2. Sleeps in her big girl bed every night by herself. We bought her a super comfy memory foam mattress and we like to call her the princess & the pea because her bed is so tall and she is so little :)
3. Is the queen of stalling before bedtime. She has to go potty, brush her teeth, get a glass of water, read a book, brush her hair, she will do anything to stall going to bed. This is exactly like her Daddy! Ha!
4. Loves to give big bear hugs and kisses when she is happy about something. If you are reading to her or playing with her she will just look over with the sweetest face and wrap her arms around you and pucker up, lol.
5. She is a brute and often doesn't know her own strength haha. She is quite fond of giving "Sissy" big strong hugs and we often have to remind her to have gentle hands :)

6. Loves going to school and loves her teacher Ms. Trish. She says she is her best friend.
7. Loves to do arts and crafts at school and the teacher says she is almost always the first to finish her work. Girl gets down to business like her Mama.
8. Loves to play her guitar with her Daddy. She holds it so cute and goes around strumming and singing. Rockstar in the making? ;)
9. Is about 3/4 of the way fully potty trained. She wears panties all day when at home and a pull ups for naps, when we go out in public and for school. When I picked her up from school Thursday her pull up was still dry and she said she used the potty all day. It was only the second day she had worn a pull up to school so I was quite proud.
10. Loves to help in the kitchen. Likes to help with dinner and will constantly say, "Me do, me do."

11. Independent. Likes to pick out her own snacks and lunches. Goes to the potty by herself. Also loves to carry the water tray from her humidifier to fill up before bed.
12. Has watched her first movie from beginning to end. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" the Jim Carrey version. The first time it was on she kept saying, "Dat Ginch is scaring me." But, she couldn't take her eyes off the movie and before we knew it she had watched the whole thing. She is especially enthralled with the Baby Grinch and says, "Look Mama dat baybee Ginch grows UP!" Now she would like to watch it everyday. I usually let her watch it in 30 minute increments over a couple of days.
13. Knows all her shapes and colors.
14. Know most letters by sight and can tell you things that start with the letter. Working on completing the "ABC's" song. She always starts strong but get a little lost around "L, M, N, O, P" haha that always tripped me up as a kid too since I thought el-a-min-o-p was its own letter!
15. Still learning numbers. Knows 1, 2 & 3 but that's about it. Got some number flash cards for Christmas!
16. Holds up two fingers and shouts "Two!" When you ask her how old she is. Immediately follows with "LYLA is free!" Talking about her cousin and bff who is three.

17. Loves to play hide and seek and will stay put until you find her. Most recent hiding spot is under her new bed.
18. Still obsessed with ALL things baby. Has recently been using all of Gracen's "equipment" for her own children. I often find her baby dolls in the exersaucer, swing, bumbo, etc.
19. Likes to play with these little dinosaurs at my Mom's house and loves to watch Dino Dan.
20. Has a love for all things "Koo-Kay" or UK. Likes to cheer on the CATS with her blue and white pom-poms and wear her UK shirts. I think she really likes to match Mama and Daddy. She'll say, "We match!"
21. Goes to bed between 8:00 & 8:30 and wakes up between 7:30 & 8:00. Since sleeping in the new bed she will wake up from time to time and creep into our room (totally freaks me out when I am deep in sleep). I usually just walk her back to her room and turn on her lullabies and she goes back to sleep until morning.
22. Writes in a little notebook and will talk as she scribbles writes saying what she is writing. It is usually "mama, daddy, sissy, taytay (what she calls herself) and Amie." When she writes out numbers she always says "225."
23. Can be bribed with candy or cookies on almost every occasion. Not that we would ever do that or anything ;)
24. Is a very neat eater. Doesn't like for her hands or eating area to be messy. Feeds herself so well and asks for help if things get too messy. Loves to eat oatmeal, cereal and french toast for breakfast; yogurt Nurtigrain bars, hummus, string cheese and yogurt for snacks; hamburgers, green beans, mashed potatoes and mac n'cheese for dinner; and oreos or chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Will always ask with a little smirk on her face for "one more cookie please." We don't usually give in :)
25. Got a vanity for Christmas and loves to do her hair or play with/brush mama or Daddy's hair. Such a little beauty.
26. Loves lip gloss with a passion. I have to keep it up above the shower in her bathroom so she can't put it on all day. Same with nail polish. Sweet little girly girl.

27. When I take her shopping she will always ask to walk and when I tell her to hold my hand in the store she will quickly fold her hands behind her back and say, "no touch ANYting mama."
28. Loved Christmas and all the family time she had. Really loved all the baby Jesus' in the nativities.

29. Loves to talk about puppies and carries several around the house. Pretty sure the obsession came about after we talked about how puppies were baby dogs. Anything baby somehow becomes an obsession.
30. Lights up our lives daily and really keeps us on our toes!