Jessica's Journal: The original baby

is now officially 2 1/2 years old!! Y'all probably thought I had forgotten about my firstborn, eh? Since this is more of a personal journal since I have only like 1 reader (Hey Ashley!) I've only been using this as a baby book of sorts. So, I thought I would make sure Sophia felt loved and not forgotten and update on what she's been up to lately!

Sophia Faith you officially turned 2 and a half years old on December 23 and I cannot believe it!! You are an absolute JOY to be around and you bring smiles to everyone's faces.

*You are a petite little thing! You weigh approximately 28 pounds but I have no clue how tall you are. Your clothing size is a bit difficult. Your tops are mostly 2T but your bottoms are tricky. You wear a size 18-24mos for the waist, but they are too short on you. We tried 2T with the adjustable waist but those were a no-go so you are pretty much living in 18/24mo leggings and skinny jeans tucked into boots so that length doesn't really matter. You wear a size 7 shoe.

*You are potty trained!!! It was a rather easy process, too. We decided we weren't going to force you to get potty trained because ultimately we knew you wouldn't until you were ready. Starting around 18mos old your Memaw got you a toddler potty that you loved to sit on, fully clothed, and read books. We tried putting it in front of the TV, giving you the iPad, books, etc to use it but you didn't Just sat on it. I figured that I would really get serious with the potty training once Olivia was born because I would be home for maternity leave and then summer break. Well, that didn't' work either because Liv was colicky and I could never put her down long enough to work with you. You would occasionally want to sit on the big potty and go, but nothing consistent. We got you an insert thingy for the big potty and you much preferred that over your toddler potty. Around 25mos old you started to take more of an interest in the potty so we got serious about it again. In October I pulled out a cookie jar with a witch lid and filled it with treats such as fruit snacks, Halloween candy, Smarties & Tootsie Rolls and told you that the witch said she would give you treats every time you went potty. It worked like a charm! I introduced the witch on a Saturday morning and by Monday morning when we were getting ready to go to Ms. Cain's you asked if you could wear big girl panties & you did and haven't gone back!! You completely skipped pull-ups...went straight from a size 3 diaper to a 2T panty. Another victory: you've been in panties for a little over 2 months and you've only wet the bed 4 times and had 1 accident out in public. We're so proud of you!!

*Your vocabulary astounds us. You were an early talker and have always had an extensive vocabulary and that hasn't slowed down a bit. People are constantly asking us how old you are because of this and making comments about talking to a teenager rather than a toddler. Some of the things that stick out for your talking abilities are: when we ask you to do something you tell us "Just a minute. I'm busy right now." When asking what you want for breakfast you say something like "Uhm, cereal bars. No, actually, pancakes please." "Mommy/Daddy, I'm talking to you. Look at me!"

*You use manners so well and we're very proud of you for that. You don't even need prompted and you say: please, thank you, no thank you, bless you, excuse me, yes sir, no sir, yes ma'am, I'm sorry, and thank you very much!

*You are the BEST big sister EVER. period. You adore Olivia and are her biggest cheerleader. Whenever she rolls over/sits up/tries to crawl/etc you tell her "good job! I'm so proud of you!" If she's crying, you immediately tell us and run to her side to see what you can do to help. You help her sit up, roll over, lay down, get toys, hold her bottle, feed her snacks, and so much more. Although we love that you love her so much, we're trying to get you to ease off a bit. You see, Olivia has you to do everything for her so she's in no hurry to learn to do things herself! ha! You still give her random hugs and kisses all throughout the day and it melts my heart.

*Some of your favorite things are: your sister, your Lambie, Dora the Explorer, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, "kitty" (the iPad), Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Monsters Inc "kitty and boo", all things Christmas/Santa Claus, helping me bake/cook, cereal bars, blueberry pancakes, bananas, yogurt, applesauce, fruit snacks, milk, sweet tea (oops!), coloring, your cousins, boots, playing outside, and I'm sure there's more.

I can't believe you are on your way to being three! Time is soaring by! Like I already said, you are a JOY to us and my heart just swells whenever I watch you loving, learning, and exploring. You are destined for great things, sweet girl. We love you!!