2 1/2!

Two and half, how can it be?! I feel like you've grown up so much over these last six months. It amazes me to see such an independent little person walking around our house! :)

Another big change that will be coming up will be preschool -when you turn 3- and you are SO excited!! We won't know for sure until March whether you got in (I hope so, otherwise you're going to be so disappointed), but you talk about it like you've already been. You're always telling Daddy and I things that you did at preschool. You play games there, you eat with your friends, you use the potty, watch TV, play outside, etc. You have an amazing imagination!

You've been good, but you're getting better, at entertaining yourself. You'll go into your room and just talk away and play for a while. Of course you love when we play with you, but it's nice that you can play on your own. Together, we build puzzles, play with Play-Doh, play Candy Land, Hi-ho Cherry-O, and read books. You also love to sing! It's typically more in the car, but sometimes at home too. If you hear a song you like, but don't know the words, you mumble right along pretending you do. :)

Oh Anna, most days you're so easy and so fun, but those "terrible twos" emotional moments are slowly starting to come out. Along with your yearn to be independent, comes with wanting things your way, all the time. Most days we can negotiate, but sometimes in your mind, it's your way or no way! You cry over little things and are sometimes over emotional about stuff, but we always get through it - even if it's at 3am and you're throwing a huge fit because Daddy turned the bathroom light on instead of Mommy (yes, that just happened a couple weeks ago).

You have such a mix of your Daddy and my personalities, it's cool to see them meshed together into one little person. You definitely took the independence one from both of us, you've got my OCD and need for organization (you love loading/unloading the dishwasher because everything has it's own spot), and you are definitely absorbing Daddy's creative nature which makes me so happy. You love to help Daddy work on everything (especially measuring), you love to draw and color, and you have such a creative imagination. You're also very silly, which you get from both of us!  :)

*You're fully potty trained!
*You can complete get yourself dressed/undressed which is so helpful, and usually pick out your own clothes!
*Just last week you learned how to zip your jacket!! :)
*You know at least 15-20 capital letters, know a few lowercase, a few sounds, how write an O and A (even though the A is upside-down)
*Your vocabulary is expanding by the day! You LOVE to talk!! You're also listening when we don't think you are and tend to repeat things you shouldn't - which is kind of funny!
*You will randomly start dancing at times and it's hilarious! You'll say, "look at these dance moves!"
*Daniel Tiger is still one of your favorite shows, even though Daddy & I are over it!


**I wrote this entire post before we lost your brothers, and debated deleting this section, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

You love to do everything yourself and often say things like, "I a big helper!" I cannot wait for you to become a big sister!! You already love these little babies so much, even though you have no idea the chaos they're going to bring into our lives in a few months. As soon as we found out I was pregnant, you would walk around saying that you had two babies in your belly, too. Now that I'm getting bigger, you'll stick your tummy out, pat it and say, "these are my two babies, they're growing". You also love to pat my belly and say, "Hi babies!" The other day, you were even patting my belly and singing "You Are My Sunshine" to them - it was so adorable!!! I can't wait for you to be able to see/feel their movements, so that it might help you understand a bit that there really are babies in there. You've had to try out all of their things - car seats, stroller, rock n play, any toys we find, etc. You love looking through baby clothes - whether it's sorting through your old stuff, picking clothes at the store, or just staring in the boys' closet.

We hope that some day you'll still get to be the best big sister we know you'll be. Unfortunately, it's just not going to happen as we imagined, and that's okay. You still walk around saying that you have babies in your belly, and sometimes ask where our babies are, and I have to tell you that they're gone. You definitely don't understand what death means or why they're all of a sudden gone, but you've accepted this last tragic week very well.

I am SO proud of the little person you are growing up to be. I love how you love your family and friends; I love how excited you get over the little things; I love that you have a sense of humor and love to laugh with Daddy and I; I love your sweet, caring nature; I love how polite and well-behaved you are; and I love that you are our daughter. You are the perfect fit for Daddy and I and we could not love you more, little Peanut. :-)