Here Come the Terrible Twos!

Has it really been almost a month since I last posted? It really is crazy how fast the time goes by.

Maddie just got over a bout with strep throat, which wasn't fun for any of us. She was one sick little girl -- definitely not her busy self. She LOVES getting her temperature taken, and as you can see from the picture, she also likes to do it herself. She is getting to be such an independent little girl. She likes to get herself dressed (although she has a much better time taking her shoes, socks, pants, and diaper OFF), feed herself, and pretty much do everything herself. A couple weeks ago we took her to get her first hair cut. This was a big step for Mommy and Daddy because Maddie has had her long, curly tail since the day she was born. But it was time, and we didn't get that much cut off. We're happy with the result because her hair is a lot easier to work with now. AND she still has her curls! That's the main thing I was worried about.

Still no new words. She does a LOT of babbling and can say pretty much every sound there is to say, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before she starts forming those sounds into meaningful words.

Right now, she's in a hitting/throwing phase. She hits people in the face, arms, chest, wherever, and she throws pretty much every toy she picks up. We're trying everything we can to get her to stop, but as most of you know, she's quite stubborn and just throws a fit when we tell her "no". We're trying a few different things, so hopefully SOMETHING will work. Her new favorite activity is coloring. She will sit and color all day if you let her!

A week from today we're taking Maddie on her first big trip! We're heading down to Cocoa Beach, Florida, with my mom, Anthony, and my brother. It'll be Maddie's first time on a plane, so I'm hoping she does ok. (I HATE flying and have been known to have a panic attack upon takeoff, so I need to keep myself calm for her sake.) I'm a little bit worried about her ears since she's had so many problems with them, so if anyone has any suggestions on how to keep her comfortable on the plane, I'd love to hear them!

Can you believe she's going to be two in just a month and a half? Where did the time go! I remember when she was still wearing preemie clothes and slept 21 hours a day! Now she's running around, almost talking, and getting her own little personality. What a big girl!