Jana: 2 years, 1st Month

Unfortunately, this month hasn't been terribly exciting. Why? Because at least one of the girls has been sick since Jana's birthday. It started with Kara getting the Croup and passing it on to all of us; however, she was the only one that ended up getting the horrible cough. Next came a nasty virus that has been rampant around here which knocked both girls pretty hard. Kara ended up with a 102.5 fever and double ear infections. Jana didn't spike the high fever, but was snotty and down for a few days.

She had been heading in the direction of potty training, but once we all got sick, that wasn't a focus.

Here is one of my favorite shots that she'll hate us for when she's a teenager. She wasn't feeling great and wanted to have a binkie, but she absolutely insisted upon having my sunglasses.

Then she needed her blankie. I was so bummed that my timing was off and I missed the picture with the blanket over her shoulders, binkie, and sunglasses on.
This was the first day she started to feel yucky. You can just tell by the look on her face that she was a bit off. Those eyes just make you want to give in, don't they? Ahh, we're in so much trouble when she gets older.

Her hair has gotten so much longer that now we have a few more options for doing it. We're not ready for a hair cut (we don't want to cut bangs), but we have to put it up to keep that hair out of her face. Doesn't she look like such a bigger girl with her hair like that?

And then she really started to feel worse. This was how she spent an entire day. She insisted on keeping her Dora fake crocks on (as she does most days), but didn't want to get off the couch.

You can see how unruly the hair gets if I don't put it up. She decided to use one of my exercise headbands to keep her hair out of her face. She still doesn't feel very good, but had at least enough energy to play with Play dough with Daddy.


Once she started feeling a bit better, she was back to her old tricks and coloring on her easel again. She really loves to draw with colored chalk on her blackboard.
I also have to say that I love that she is the wonderful combination of girly-girl and rough & tumble kid. Here she is pushing around her big truck. Notice that her bear is in it. This is Daddy-bear. She also has Mommy-bear and Baby-bear.


She loves all hats, but was so excited that Daddy's been on his bike again - this means his helmet is accessible and she LOVES to wear it.


Now that she's feeling better, she's back on her game - keeping Mama on her toes. I went to put Kara down for her nap and when I came back I found this.

I apparently left the top of the Cheerios bag sticking out of the drawer and she managed to pull it out of the drawer, even with the baby latch. At least she knew she needed wear a bib to eat breakfast. :-)

When Kara didn't fall asleep and I went up to get her, I found Jana in the bathroom with soap dispenser in hand and soap dripping from her other hand. I swear I was gone for less than 20 seconds. I just wish I had gotten a picture of that one too. It felt like it took us 5 minutes to rinse all the soap off of her hands.


And finally, Auntie Meg was hanging out with the girls one afternoon while I was working and Jana let her do her hair. I wish I had a better picture of it, but she has her "bangs" pulled back in a rubber band and then her hair is in two pigtails. She loved it and was so stinking cute!

It seems like Jana has become such a big girl this month. She knows her shapes (circle, square, rectangle, and triangle) and her colors. She can almost count to ten (one, two, three, four, five, seven, eight, nine, ten), but still only has part of her ABCs. Her sentences are getting longer and more complicated and we're really starting to be able to communicate with her - more than just her basic needs.

She started saying "I wuv you" unprompted this month. There is really not much more wonderful than to hear those words out of your child's mouth.

She also says, when you leave or come back, "I miss (or missed) you sooo much."

The other day we had this wonderful conversation in the car.

J: See Daddy? (As we passed the turn off to go to his school."
Me: No, baby. But we're going to go see Grandma and Grandpa. Are you excited to go play with Grandma and Grandpa?
J: Yeeees. Mama, I wuv Gama and Gapa sooo much.
Me: I know baby.
J: I miss Gama and Gapa soo much.
Me: I know, but we'll see them soon.
J: Jana a go a Gama and Gapa's house?
Me: Yes. Mama has to work, so you're going to have lunch with Grandma and Grandpa. I'll only be gone for just a little while and then we'll come back home for our naps.
J: Okay. I'll miss you much, Mama.
(Then she caught sight of a beautiful cherry blossom (?) tree in bloom.)
J: Ooooo, Mama. Pretty tree! Oooo, pretty flowers. Stop and smell flowers?
Me: We can't stop and smell the flowers now baby. I'm sorry.
J: Okay, Mama. Jana and sissy a play with Gama and Gapa.

It sounds so lame now, but it was so neat to actually have a conversation with her.

The other adorable exchange. I have video of it, but I've been having trouble editing my videos to upload.

Jana pushed a chair up to Kara's high chair and climbed up. She started taking handfuls of Kara's cheerios and shoving them into her mouth.

Me: Jana, are stealing sissy's Os?
J: Yeeees.
Me: Why are you stealing sissy's Os?
J: 'Cause I YIKE 'em!
Me: (stifling a laugh) Can you please give sissy some of her Os back?
J: Okay, mama. One.
(She pulls one cheerio out of her clenched hand and feeds it to Kara.)
J: (looking at Kara, in a perfect mimic of my look when I'm waiting for Jana to say thank you.) Sank you, Jana. (Changes the look on her face to an expression of being quite pleased with herself.) You're welcome, Sissy.


Life is so wonderful!