Gemma at 2

I did a more in depth post about each of the kids on their birthdays - I am losing my mind over here with everything going on, but I do want to remember our little Gemmabean when she was 2 years from now so, here it goes.


1.  She eats surprisingly better than William or Amelia at this age.  However, she will go DAYS where I swear she eats next to nothing.  Then, she'll out eat the other two kids and consume triple her body weight in macaroni and cheese.  For 2 days, she'll eat an obscene amount of grapes.  Then the kick is over and all grapes will end up on the floor for the next two months.   Some nights, I wonder if it might be more efficient to just dump her plate on the floor before dinner so the mess is somewhat contained.

Unlike the other 2, she has a few vegetables she will occasionally eat.  When she wants to, she'll eat peas, carrots and corn.  So, it isn't a great variety, but we'll get there!

2.  She adores her brother and sister.  She works very hard for their attention and then is totally elated.  They are not careful or easy on her though, despite my constant reminders.  This means she is a little rough and tumble girl.  She is regularly pushed, bumped and having toys taken from her.  Most of the time, she just dusts herself off and keeps rolling.

3. She loves to "ding dongs" (sing songs) and will request certain songs.  Then she will belt out the words.  Unless you have a camera pointed at her.  Then she will not utter a word.

4.  She had memorized Amelia's ballet dance.  She couldn't execute it perfectly, but she knew WHAT she was supposed to doing at all times.

5.  She loves to help.  When she sees me cleaning up, she will grab her own cloth and then slop water and soap all over the place. "wa" (wash) is what she'll say.

6.   She is fascinated by bugs.  She loves to watch them.  Somehow, she learned that all you have to do is shoo a bug away to make it leave.  If she sees a bug, she'll wave her arms and say "shoo, shoo!".  This week, a fly landed on her.  She waved and shooed and that mean bug just stayed on her arm.  She watched it for a heartbeat before screaming and running into my arms. (we have adorable video John should post)

7.  Yesterday, before I put Gemma in the tub, I sat her on the potty and she went.  This is very exciting for me!  I'm not putting any stock in this continuing or even working towards completion of this at this time.  But, I can see the promising future and it is so exciting!

8.  There were no concerns or anything important to talk about at Gemma's 2 year doctor visit.  Super boring appointment, just the way I like them.  We were surprised to find that Gemma currently has an ear infection going in her right ear.  Poor girl.  She got her last shot at this appointment until she is 5!

Her new stats are:

Height: 35.5 inches (94% for kids her age)

Weight: 28.5 lbs ( 73% for kids her age)

9.  She hates having her hair combed.  HATES IT.  We do a 50 yard dash every single morning.  She sees me coming and runs away.  I catch her and comb a little before she wiggles away, crying.  I chase after her and comb a little more while she screams.  She squirms out of my grasp and I chase her.  This continues until I comb her whole head.  She hates it and I hate it.

It makes me terribly sad, but I am certain that we are reaching the maximum length that we can deal with.  The screaming and tears each morning are just too much.  I will probably have to cut her hair before the end of the summer.  The idea just makes me want to cry as I love her hair SO much.

10.  Gemma loves pajamas.  Both William and Amelia have had a few pajama days this year and somehow Gemma noticed they were allowed to wear their pjs out of the house.  I do not want to admit to you how many times Gemma has gone to the babysitter in the last 6 weeks in her pajamas (I would estimate it to be around the 90% mark).  Luckily, our babysitter finds this endearing and doesn't mind that Gemma couldn't be bothered to get dressed.  Her favorite pajamas are anything with characters on them.  It doesn't even matter if she doesn't know WHO they are.  She loves them so much.

Happy Birthday Gemma!