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That’s right, Mary Elizabeth is officially 2 1/2 years old today. I am not sure where the time has gone or when she grew up into this little girl she is… but none-the-less it happened.

She may not go on the potty yet but she’s up to a lot of things….
She pretty much knows her colors, she knows some of her letters too- especially the letter M (ya know for Mommy and Mary Elizabeth!). She can string beads or make a pasta necklace well, follows directions and understands concepts like first we do this and then we do that. Her evaluations put her more towards a 3-year old level developmentally (despite speech/eating). She is a petite little thing weight approx 25 lbs and is 31 3/4 inches. She loves to play with her Mr. Potato Head, do craft projects with Grandma, bathe/dress her dolls and cuddle them, she likes to pretend to suction Mommy and put gauze on her belly (stuff we have to do to her), her favorite foods are ice cream, whip cream, chocolate, lolipops- oh wait that’s not really food- um peas, corn, soup, rice, pasta & meatballs, oh and definitely CHEESE! She seems to like things in multiples of 2 (sing 2 songs, read 2 books, bring 2 dolls in the car etc), She loves to Dance and though she has trouble with her speech she animates the song as if she’s singing, tossing her hands around and mouthing the words. She likes to play the drums with Daddy, she likes to be tickled and to tickle back. When 2 people are hugging, she has to join in and have a group hug. She can be very mushy and gives nuzzles, squeezy hugs, big kisses, and butterfly kisses too if she’s feeling lovely. She’s a toughie when she wants to be, she knows what she wants and can be stubborn- but mostly well behaved. She does expect attention and will get into things if you dare use the phone or ignore her in some way. She is loud when she talks and very expressive so though you may not know what she’s saying- you get the picture. She does use many words and if you are around her long enough you know what she’s saying- some are clearer than others though. When she leaves the house or you are leaving – she says bye about 10 times and blows kisses, just to make sure you know she cares.

She loves animals and thinks all of them want to be hugged & cuddled. She’s a great sleeper, though has a hard time falling asleep- she’ll stay in bed with her books/dolls and she never wants to wake up – the little sleepy head she is! She is very friendly and loves people- though prefers that she come to you -rather than you run to her and bombard her, it’s always on her terms. If she decides to play shy it’s only for about 2 minutes.
She delights everyone she comes across -even waitresses and cashiers when we are out, with her charm. She loves children and will do anything to join in on some playtime, loves to hold hands and run around with kids.
She does not like it when other kids are fresh or push/hit and will back away, I just don’t think she can understand why they are being that way as she tends to be a lover not a fighter 😉 She also is very compassionate if a person/child is crying, she will be very concerned! As we are in drs offices and hospitals a lot – she points out "boo-boo’s" in concern for those who have them. She loves to bow her head and fold her hand to pray at dinner with the family- she will definitely remind you if you forget!!! She is becoming more well-behaved in church as she goes on it seems and gets excited when we go up for communion and loves to have her Pastor pray over her! Anyway,
I could go on all day, but to know her is to love her and you just have to be around her a lot to appreciate her!

All in All- Andy and I are very blessed with this adorable, beautiful, wonderful child we had. She brings true joy in our lives and I’m sure in many others!