30 months

And suddenly you're 2.5, Chicken.  This morning I told you it was your half birthday and then you started telling everyone you were 2 1/2.  It's true.  I like that you and your brother are 18 months + exactly 1 week apart.  We can celebrate half birthdays, as needed.  You do have a tiny bit of jealousy sometimes but I really couldn't ask for a better sibling relationship at this point.  It's a joy to watch you two interact.

So what are you like these days?  Chatty.  Super chatty.  We talk the entire time we're in the car.  Actually, we talk pretty much the entire time you're awake.  You are very verbal and we have conversations.  You have a great memory.  Earlier this week I couldn't remember the incident that led to a comment.  When I was telling Daddy the story, you piped up with the part I couldn't remember.  Amazing.

You mostly know your ABCs.  For a long time you missed "TUV" but now you usually get them.  Instead?  You miss "WXYZ."  What is that about?  You know lots of opposites and colors and counting to 13 (which is followed by eleventeen).  You know your whole name.  And your brother's. 

You're very personable and really well-behaved outside of the house.  You know the neighbors and their dogs and which houses they live in.  You say hello to them by name.  You aren't terribly shy with strangers.  You're very good with their names, too--a trait that must have skipped a generation.

Everyday you say something crazy and funny.  You told me the other day that your poopoo comes out of your pupek.  You repeat a lot of what other people say (especially me).  You have told me and your brother that you love us.  Unprompted.  I about cried the first time you said it.  But it was just as sweet to hear you say it to him. 

You're potty trained!  Holy moly!  After MONTHS of kind of half trying to teach you, we did a potty training lockdown over Memorial Day weekend.  I had to leave on day 4 to go to California for a week for work.  I thought surely everyone would stop.  But they pushed through!  By the 5th day, you had no more accidents.  Since then, you have had two.  Both have been first thing in the morning when you just couldn't make it to a potty in time.  You do still sleep with a diaper but I'm totally ok with that.

Sleeping...  This has been hit-n-miss your whole life.  You now sometimes get out of your toddler bed.  Not good.  But you don't play in your room or anything.  You just come get me.  This can be soon after we've put you to bed or in the middle of the night.  Sigh.  Sometimes you go to bed without an argument (we're in that phase now) and sometimes you cry and cry and cry.  I tried to make y'all have an earlier bedtime but summer doesn't help with that.  We're back to about 9:00. 

Sometimes you have a good appetite and sometimes not.  You love fruit the most.  Lately you've been getting a little juice and you like strawberry milk.  You also like these Pediasure shakes but you prefer everything to be at room temperature.  No cold drinks for you.  You also like mac n cheese, sausage, chicken, and yogurt.  When we go out to eat we don't usually get a kid's item--you get quesadillas, etc. 

You love to be outside.  You enjoy swinging, sliding, swimming, playing with your brother, playing in the play house, watering the plants, following me around, walking Maggie, blowing bubbles.  You love bathtime and reading and singing songs.  You enjoy school and your friends there.  You love your cousin.  You still love animals and have been to the zoo a few times. 

You love princesses and high heels.  Still love jewelry.  You wear dresses almost every day.  You like to have your hair fixed but don't necessarily like the fixing part.  You love pink.  And then purple.  And then all the other colors pale in comparison.

In short, you're pretty awesome.  You make me happy every single day.  You also test me every single day.  But I think that's part of the deal.