Indie's two and a half year update!

This crazy head is two and a half.  I will add that (cliche-ly) she has grown so much!  She has dropped all her binks, her naps, her diapers, basically she's not a baby anymore.  Cue the nostalgic 'where has the time gone?!' tearing up. 

Indie can count to 11 and knows her ABC's, or rather the song.  She can Identify 'I'-for Indie, 'D'-for Daddy, and 'M'-for Mommy. She has a hard time pronouncing 'C, G, Q, L' sounds. So, sometimes, I'll tell her 'KA-Ka-KA, Cat' and she'll watch my mouth and repeat 'Ta-Ta-Ta, Tat!'  Anyways, when she is learning a new word or trying to tell me something I'm not understanding she will try telling me the word multiple times, 'ma-ha, ma-ha, ma-ha!' and if I'm still not getting it she tries: 'Mommy! Ta-Ta-Ta, Ma-ha' haha! Not helpful.   

Indie loves to comment on the stop lights as we drive. 'Red means stop, green means go'  She will remind me when to stop and when it's okay to go and when I need to wait my turn.  Once while stopped at a red light waiting for a clearing to turn right, I broke my child.  I turned. On a red light. Red means STOP! Indie was mortified.  I've never heard her be upset/disappointed. Her tone was very hurt and incredulous. She's not a loud talker, but she exclaimed, almost yelled... 'MOMMY!? You no go on RED! RED mean STOP!' I tried to explain the rules of turning right on a red light.  Didn't work. She was heartbroken. I think it's the first time she'd witnessed me break a rule.  It's rough to realize at the ripe old age of 2 that your Mom is a rule breaker. I ended up just apologizing and saying that she was right. Red does indeed mean stop. She may need therapy. 

 Indie's conversational skills have really taken off this past month.  She will use complete sentences off and on.  She will present original ideas, and develop a story line in her imagination play or hold a conversation about her day. She listens to what you say and tries to find a way to connect or relate and respond. So big!

When someone is bothering Indie, she has decided the best way to deal with it is to turn them off.  A new very common phrase in our home is: 'Pew! I turn you off!'  This exclamation is accompanied by an outstretched arm and a hand directed right at you.  Dancing too much? Pew! I turn you off!  Unwanted hug? Pew! I turn you off!  Singing not to her liking? PEW!   Unwanted tickles? PEW, PEW, PEW!  You know she's had it if you just get a 'Pew.' Tragically, this method does not work in reverse.  I have yet to have her respect the 'Pew, I turn you off.'  

When concentrating very hard on a task. Indie will stick her tongue out. Cute little habit, she's done it since I can remember. She also likes to rub the corner of her baby blanket to help her fall asleep.  There are so many little Indie-isms that I don't want to forget and probably have already forgotten. 

 Indie LOVES to play pretend.  Her imagination has really jump started.  When we are sitting down at the table to eat she will use her fingers as little people. They talk and dance and want to be friends with my fingers. They have hopes and dreams, fears, and tasks to accomplish.  She cracks me up with the things she'll come up with.  She also has an imaginary friend named 'Ellie the Bee.'  She is a bee that often sits on Indie's shoulder and will encourage her to be hyper. 

 Bedtime is becoming a bit more difficult.  There are lots of, waits and one mores. We are getting better at being extremely structured, communicative and consistent. Obviously that helps it go smoother, a lot of nights though she still ends up fake crying on her bed for about 2-10 mins before finally succumbing to her fate.  I hate it. I wish our final moments of the day could be spent just being happy and on a peaceful note. We've come a long way though and it's getting better.  Now lets throw in moving to a different state and adding a new baby and see if that doesn't cause some regression. (boo.)  Indie still will not get off her bed until we come get her.  Silly face. 

I work a lot with Indie on emotions and talking through things. She is a very emotional little one.   I mean hey, being two, a little girl and my daughter...it was bound to happen. I do, however, love how emotional she is. While it can be very trying at times, it's also pretty awesome. It makes her very compassionate, perceptive, tender, and loving. Sometimes I'm not sure if all our talking about emotions does more damage than good. While I absolutely want to validate and help her identify her feelings, no matter how small...I also want her to learn that sometimes its okay to just get over things. Baby steps. Right? Anyways, right now everything is either- 'that makes me feel sad!' or 'That makes me feel happy!'

Indie likes to identify and copy all of the most emotional characters or situations in her shows. Which is so fun (sarcasm). 

Sometimes the emotions are just too much!  For a break and our sanity we will tell Indie that it's okay to be sad, but that she needs to go be sad in her room and can come out when she is ready to stop crying at talk about it.  This doesn't happen a lot, but it happens. Indie has started to take matters into her own hands.  Sometimes when she gets upset and before she's even started crying she will go run to her room only to re-emerge mins later announcing that she is happy now, or is ready to talk about it. A few times I haven't even realized she's been upset and put herself in her room until she appears at my side and announces she is happy. Also, a handful of times, she will put herself on her bed and I'll go and try to talk to her about it. She will declare to me, in a rather dramatic fashion, that she is too sad to get off her bed and that I need to go away til she's ready.

Purple is her favorite.  She loves everything purple.  I went maternity bra shopping and Indie HAD to try on this purple bra she found.  She was shocked it didn't fit...

Indie LOVES to be involved in helping me cook.  Anytime I am about to make anything she drops everything she is doing and rushes in to help. I love it. Some days its a little frustrating, because lets be real. It takes a lot longer and is a lot messier.

Speaking of messy. I'm just going to leave this here. (She was 'helping' me organize the bathroom cupboards...) 

I have given Indie a bowl on occasion when she complains of a serious stomach ache. I want it handy in case she throws up. (She never has) Which is probably why she is confused as to the function of a bowl in correlation to her stomach hurting.  Sometimes she will randomly grab a kitchen bowl. Hold it on her stomach, and tell me her stomach hurts.  She will walk around with the bowl on her stomach for an undetermined amount of time.  Then she will toss it and declare her tummy fixed!  I wish this too worked for pregnancy grievances... 

We love our Indie Bug!  In all her sweetness, imagination, emotions, caring, helping, and Indie-isms!  Here is to two and a half!