It seems like just yesterday that we were counting down the days until the arrival of "Baby Sister." The scheduled c-section was on the calendar more than a month ahead of time unless she decided to make an early appearance, giving us the chance to do a final countdown as our family of three became a family of four. We were anxious and nervous, thrilled that Paul would finally be a big brother and so excited to have a baby girl in the house. While we thought we knew what to expect since we weren't first time parents, we really had no clue how much this little one would change our lives.
Right from the start Paul and Eliza have had an indescribable bond that makes us so happy to see. They love each other completely and totally, even when tussling over a favorite toy. LP is always watching out for Eliza- telling her he's the big brother and will take care of her forever. He even told me that one day he's going to marry her... When I told him he couldn't marry his sister he said, "well, then I'll marry someone else and have a baby girl and name her Eliza." True love at it's best!
Eliza was an easy baby, much like Paul was. She ate well, slept well, and was never terribly fussy.
She learned to sit,
to crawl,
and to walk, all on the same timeline as her brother...
As Eliza has gotten older though, her personality has grown faster than the rest of her. She's still a teeny tiny little thing with big drama, huge smiles, and even larger tantrums.
At two, Eliza is happiest when she's playing with Paul. Their favorite game is to chase each other around the house, yelling "I got you! I got you!" She's the only one who can get away with calling LP "Paulie," and he knows how to get her to do things that we can't get her to do (like get dressed in certain "unapproved by Eliza" outfits).
If Paul isn't at her side, her lovies are. We've graduated from one lovie to two identical ones, both equally bedraggled and beloved. They are chewed on at times but usually held in one fist while the thumb of the other hand is in her mouth.
Eliza adores playing outside. "Run! Run!" she yells as the kids streak back and forth across the yard. She loves the swing and the slide and has bravely conquered the "big slide" at the playground.
She's a spitfire, full of sugar and spice. If you ask her if she's sweet or spicy, she now responds with, "EXTRA spicy!!" She's extremely stubborn and can easily throw a tantrum for twenty minutes at a time over the littlest of things. Unlike her brother who was quick to snap out of a bad mood or tantrum, Eliza prefers to carry on until her nose is running, her eyes are red, and she's completely exhausted herself with all the yelling and screaming. While Paul would sit nicely in timeout on the steps and pop up after a minute with a smile and an apology, Eliza throws herself on the floor and screams, never giving in.
Like her brother, Eliza is a chatterbox. Unlike Paul though, she's really only a chatterbox at home. Out in public she's pretty quiet, not talking to people, even friends she's known her whole life. When it's just us though she's pretty much non-stop. She talks to herself, to us, and to the dog. Her current favorite phrase is "What's that Mom?" as she points to something. "Where'd it go?" and "I want more juice Mom!" are other favorites. On special occasions where she gets to have chocolate milk she insists on calling it "chicken milk."
Eliza loves Minnie Mouse, Paw Patrol, and Cookie Monster. She likes to play Lego with Paul (they're all called Lego Ninjago according to her) and with her play kitchen. She loves to help with chores and has her own little broom and dustpan for sweeping. When putting laundry in the washer she labels each piece of clothing: Paul's Sock! Daddy's pants!
The master of the stinkeye and the dirty look- Eliza knows what she wants and how to get it (as long as Daddy is around- he's more of a sucker than Mommy is). She's quick tempered but also as sweet as can be, full of hugs and kisses. At bedtime she kisses Daddy, Paul, Gabby, all her stuffed animals, some of her books, and Mommy goodnight.
Two years ago we had no idea what this little one had up her teeny tiny sleeves. She's spiced up our easygoing household big time- and we love her more and more every day...
Happy second birthday to our beautiful girl!
Comments
Post a Comment