Ella at 28 months

While I was editing & blogging about France, my baby girl turned 28 months old & wow, someone please tell me who this little girl is running around my house?  She changed so much in the week we were gone.  I think her face has changed drastically.  Particularly, she looks older with her hair back from her face.  We've made huge strides with the potty recently.  I'm potty training extra hard though, so that may have something to do with it.  And Ella truly is over it too, she insists on wear panties like sissy & has for some time.  So I knew we'd be getting there soon.  Of course, we still have some accidents, but I'd say she's good 90-95% of the day.  We still, also, are not close on night time, but that will come!   She is thankfully a better sleeper than she has been.  The teething has subsided for now, the lower 2 year molars are in, the top are not, but I'll take some piece while I get it.  She loves anything her sister does & she wants to do whatever Jessica does.  Which makes for some rather long days for me.  Because as any mother will tell you a 3 & 1/2 year old can do things that a 2 & 1/2 year old just can't physically do....meaning I have to help Ella try or else!!  She's my happy/ friendly little girl.  No one is ever a stranger & she genuinely likes other children.  She's rough though, sometimes I feel she's rougher than her older sister.  Baby school is going well & they were very impressed she told them she needed to go potty & did at school.  She emulates whatever her sister says & has an absolutely astounding vocabulary for a child her age.  She's done great being in with sissy at night.  They are proud of their "princess" room & beds & do great at night.  It actually seems like they both sleep better now that they are in together.  She must have really missed us while we were gone, she's told me about 1000 times that she missed me while I was in France & she's glad I'm home.  Ah, the pacifier situation.....I know of all people, you would think my child would/should not be using a paci anymore...but with our week long absence I knew she'd need it in order to go to sleep for grandma.  Our deal is that the Great Pumpkin is taking it & giving her candy in return for her beloved paci.  She seems excited about it, we will see.  She's more & more interested in art projects.  The girls & I almost always do an art project related to a bible story everyday.  She loves to swing in her big girl swing & loves to wear jewelry.  Her favorite foods: pasta, fruit, bread, pretzels, for a treat she'd rather have yougart.  She also loves cheese, but yougart is her favorite dairy right now.  She's a very big girl for her age, easily larger than some 3 year olds.  She's in a 2T or 3T for clothing depending on the brand & how much it's been washed.  She can wear a size 7 shoe.  She really enjoys being the only child when Jessie is at school & likes to have little jobs to do around the house.  She loves to dance & sing.  I'm trying to get her enrolled in a beginning ballet class, like a creative movement class or something.  Favorite sayings: "Whoops, spaghettis"--when she drops something, "I hungy, no "r", for when she wants to eat, of course, the "Luv u mommy", gets me every time.  She also is constantly singing to herself.  Probably, the funniest, is this potty song that she sings to herself as she's running to the potty.  She made it up to my knowledge, "Go potty, right away!"....over & over again & until she actually goes.  It's kind of set to the tune of a song Daniel Tiger sings about the potty, funny, right?  Those eyes, used to be grey, now I believe hazel would be what most would call them.  I think she has my OCD, she's always organizing things based on size & color.  That's about all I can think of for now, I'll do a better update at 30 months!