johanna maria: January 2017

I was watching a video from almost a year ago and it was incredible to see the change in you! In that video, you had poop in your diaper and you were talking words that I could understand as your mom in the moment, but couldn't understand now. Now, you talk up a storm! all the time! and you have such fun thoughts. It has been so fun to watch you learn to express exactly what you're thinking and feeling. You say the funniest things sometimes... like "Hey lady! Where's my fries?" to our waitress at Red Robin before we had even ordered- I was so embarrassed, but it was hilarious! You ask all sorts of questions- really good questions! Today, daddy wasn't wearing anything under his pajama pants and you asked him "What's that bump in your pants? Why isn't it flat?" and he quickly changed the subject and left the room- awesome! We started discussing boys vs girls a few weeks ago at The Children's Museum because some of the dolls had penises and you were asking all about it. Sometimes, I am not sure if I should actually explain things to you. Like...Gramma Sandee's dog, Louise, just passed away this Christmas Eve. We knew it was going to happen and I was trying to prepare you for it...but I think I just confused you. and even after she died, you would keep asking me "Let's talk all about Louise" and then you would just listen and make me tell you more and more. You are SO smart! You really take everything in and then you remember everything. You will bring up little details from a conversation days later. and you have such an incredible imagination! You make up whole stories and act them out with your dolls. It is always party time when Johanna is around. You will bring out ALL of your stuffed animals (I keep saying I am going to get rid of half..) and then get out a bunch of food from your toy kitchen and then a bunch of toys for your dolls to play with- it is such a big mess! we are really working hard on picking up your toys ;) You are fully potty-trained except for naps and night. you still really like your little potty, but I have you trained to at least poop on the big potty! I took away your little potty completely because I was so sick of cleaning poop out of it and you had a big regression, so I gave it back for pee ;) You love our little routines and they really help you to get going on something- otherwise, you would just play and play and play. You never sit down for meals unless we let you eat by the TV. You will be playing and will just run over for a bite and then go right back... 2 year old thing? Not sure. Someday, I know you will sit and have family meals with us so I think the serious play is ok for now! Anyway, in the mornings we get dressed and brush our teeth and do your hair then you want a spray of hairspray and a spray of perfume and then you say "pretty as a peach" and you always want your vitamin- you love the kitty ones best of all! I think all the kitty ones may be gone soon and you will have to start eating the lion ones that you dislike so much ;) You are a great eater- tonight, you had 3 bowls of this soup I made. but that is because you skipped breakfast and lunch.... so maybe not the best eater haha. You are trying to assert your independence with food a lot. You know what foods you like (you will even ask "Can I have something sugary?") and will ask for them- mac'n'cheese, hot dogs, butter, salt, sugar hahahaha. every time I put butter or salt on your sweet potato, etc. you ask for some on your hand and you are picky about your food being warm (not hot because ow! and no way you'll touch cold food). You always ask for "snick-snack-patty-whacks"- so cute! you still enjoy milk now and then, but no longer drink it several times a day and actually go without quite often. you are a chocolate lover and I am to blame! You are obsessed with birthday parties! You decided way ahead of time that you want a rainbow birthday party this year, so that is what we are doing! I am excited- I already have it all planned out and can't wait to get the invite sent out. You are wearing 3t clothing...you just moved into 3t pants, but have been in the shirts for a while now because you are so tall. I think you will move into 4t shirts within the next 3 months or so. You love to be warm and at least during the winter can usually be found in front of a heater. You will ask dad to double layer your socks. You still LOVE baths and will easily spend an hour playing in the bath each night. We got you some rainbow FUN (like bath slime/playdoh that turns into bubbles and smells like heaven) for Christmas and you have been waiting until June is out of the bath and then playing with your FUN every night! so fun! You just started sharing a room with June this past month and it has been interesting...she is in the closet so she can have her white noise with no lights and you are in the room, finally officially in your toddler bed. You were upstairs for a while and would just sleep on the floor in the hallway so you could hear us hahah so sad. You are sick right now and were up every hour or so crying and I went in to get you at like 1:30am and you had thrown up on yourself and your blanket and I found more all over the carpet and a stuffed animal in the morning. So, I took you to the bathroom to clean you up and you threw up all over the rug- just choking on snot though poor baby. and then you got to sleep with us- you cuddled up with your daddy and we had to leave the salt lamp on so I didn't sleep great, but it was pretty special. We don't get many cuddles from you any more because you are on the go all the time. You don't even want to sit in our laps when we read books to you- you just want to stand next to the rocking chair haha nerd! You still love reading as much as ever- now that we are reading longer books to you (like Beranstein Bears) we only read you 2 before nap and 2 before bed. We hit up the library frequently and visit the "Little Free Library" to exchange books as often as we can! You love new books and will have me read the same new ones over and over to you for like 3 weeks and then you want new ones! I don't mind because it is really boring reading the same book over and over again ;) Anyway, you are just a JOY to us! you are so so much fun and bring so much adventure and laughter into our lives! I thank God for you daily! Love you so much my Jo <3