Tate is 2 1/2

(lecturing mommy from the stairs)

My sweet, sassy big girl - You're 2 1/2 and the days just fly by. You are such a joy and I love your spunk and love of life. You're very busy and most days, I'm completely exhausted, but you have such a zest for life and it's infectious. You're a sassy little thing, too, and many times I get attitude from you complete with hands on hips and all. I try to be firm but it's just so darn cute that sometimes a smile leaks and that's all it takes for you to know you've won. I haven't kept up on my monthly updates as I had hoped but I'll try to capture all that I can from the past few months. Where your energy comes from, I have no idea but you have A LOT of it! You're always on the go and into everything. I can be in one room cleaning up a mess you've made only to find you in the next room into something else. You love to get into my lotions and make up and many times I find you with lipstick and whatever else all over your sweet little face. You always tell me 'I'm a princess' and yes....that you are. You talk up a storm and your vocabulary is pretty impressive for your age. You learn constantly from your brother and I'm convinced that your vocabulary comes from him. Then again, I'm probably biased. You also sing all the time and make up songs about anything. Your bubba is your hero and you're always wanting to be with him. Each night, you want to sleep in the top bunk with him - which most of the time he agrees to - but he also agrees that you're a crazy sleeper and makes you sleep on the bottom bunk. You're fine with this - you just want to be near him. School is one of your favorite places to be and you love Ms. Marci. You also love your friends and the fun activities you do 2 mornings a week. At pick up, you always want to go home with Ms. Becca and when I don't let you, you cry all the way to our house. Bottom line is you're very dramatic. Pink is your absolute favorite color followed closely by purple. You want the pink cup, plate, fork, you name it. Y-Y is still around but you're limited to nap time and bed time. I figure we'll work on that after the baby shows up. You also can spell your name. The biggest news is you're potty trained!!!! We're so proud of you! It look some princess stickers and princess panties and voila! Bubba helps you go potty in the morning and whenever you do go on the big girl potty, you're make sure anyone within earshot hears the news. We still have pull-ups on at nighttime but again, that's something we'll tackle after baby shows up. You're going to be such a great big sister. You tell me you want a sister and you want to name her Alice. Funny thing is - that's one of the girl names being considered because your great grandma's name was Alice. You sing to my belly and give the 'new baby' kisses each night before bed and I wonder if you realize the change that is coming. You'll know soon enough and I'm excited to watch you with your new baby. Sweet girl, know that I LOVE YOU! I love our times together and love watching you explore the world around you. I think you're growing quicker than your brother and I just try to hold on to the special moments and memories we have. I look forward to the next few months together as I continue to watch you grow and develop into a big girl. I love you always. Mommy.