2 1/2

Baby girl, you are 2 1/2 already - can you believe it?  I must say I miss updating this blog with your monthly updates and celebrating every month - it seems that went by slower that this does.  I think I could probably write something about you every single day on this blog, if only there was the time.  You are constantly making us laugh at your silly personality.  You have such a vocabulary for a 2 1/2 year old and the things that come out of your mouth make us laugh all day long.  Just now you were playing with your Little People nativity scene downstairs and you took the angel and brought her to Mary and kept saying over and over again "don't be afraid Mary, don't be afraid".  Apparently you are listening to the Christmas books I have been reading to you and to your teachers in school.  Ha! 

You are such a sweetheart and you really are a joy to just about everyone you meet.  Mommy likes to call you a show stopper because there are so many people that will stop us when we are out & about - especially at church and tell you how beautiful you are.  You will very politely say "thank you" when you are complimented and then you will often start to act silly knowing that you have a complete stranger's attention.  Often I will tell you to say hi to someone and you will repeat after me "hi to ___".  You like to leave the "to" in there.  It makes me laugh every time.  I definitely think your name fits you perfectly - you really are a "gift of happiness" to everyone you meet. 

Potty training is welll..... kind of on hold.  You do not want to go on the potty and refuse to tell me when you have to go.  So, we are taking a little break.  I put you on every few hours, but don't force you when you don't want to do it.  You get it, but really are pretty adamant about not doing it yet.  In time, in time....

The silly things you say that are "Kenna-ism's"
    -"her-she" - instead of saying "she did this" you say "her-she did this"
    - "just" - you use the word "just" all the time - as in what are you doing Makenna "Oh, I'm just pooping"
    -"I'm all better" - I have to post the video I took of this the other day.  We are doing a little "Love and Logic" parenting and it is all about using a key phrase when your child is doing something wrong or throwing a temper tantrum which leads to a consequence (we usually put you in your crib 'for a minute').  Ours is "Uh-Oh!"  Any time I say it you can be crying your eyes out and you instantly stop and say the fakest "I'm all better!", usually still with tears running down your cheeks followed by "I don't need a minute". 
    -Your v's sound like b's so I love you is "I lub you"
I'm sure there are a million more, too....

We had your first parent-teacher conference a few weeks ago and your teacher had nothing but very nice things to say about you.  They really love having you in class and when I pick you up after school your after school teachers get a kick out of your sweet and silly personality.  You had a bit of a rough stretch a few months ago in school when you learned to push other kids but I think we are (hopefully) growing out of that stage.  We even got a call from the teacher one night to let us know that you were a little bully.  Thankfully we haven't gotten another call since.  I do know that you still push from time to time because every time you do it, you feel the need to tell me right before bed.  "Mama, I push Jianna today".  You know it is naughty and you have been working hard on "gentle hands" but yet you keep telling me when you do it.  You are learning so much in school - you know the letters to most of the kids in your class' name and if I draw an M you will sing "M for Makenna Mmm, mmm, mmm" and then proceed to do that with all the other kids when I draw the first letter of their name.  Your teacher tells us that you love art and music and we can certainly see that as well.

Our house is all decorated for Christmas and you were so very excited to see the Christmas tree all lit up and decorated.  Mommy decorated it while you were sleeping and when you woke up you saw it and said "it's beautiful mommy!"  We are very excited to celebrate Christmas with you this year.  I love this time of year & I think daddy is getting to be less of a grinch now that we have you in our lives.  He is already listening to Christmas music with us:) 

Mommy put together a book to share your "special" story with you and you are really enjoying reading it.  Although I will admit the first 3 times I sat down to read it to you you wanted nothing to do with it.  Your story talks about how mommy and daddy wanted to start a family but couldn't and were very sad and then they prayed and God brought you to us from some very nice people in Texas as a snowflake baby.  Then it goes on to tell about you being in Mommy's belly and us seeing you on ultrasound and mommy's belly growing and then us meeting you.  Your favorite part is when I tell you that we went to the doctor's office to see a video of you in mommy's belly - you keep asking me if we can go to the doctor to watch the movie of mommy's belly.  Ha! 

You are a DADDY'S girl!!  Big time!!  Whenever you get hurt or are sad, you want daddy and you want him now.  Today we were at the Pirate Park and you tried to jump on a swing and you flipped over it and landed on your belly and you SCREAMED "I just want my daddy!"  We finally had to call him at home to give you a kiss over the phone to get you to stop crying.  The other night he worked late and when we got in the car you kept telling me you just wanted to go and pick him up from work.  Daddy of course eats this up:) 

We love you Makenna Lee!! Happy 1/2 birthday!!

Muah!