The Jones Crusade: Happy 2nd Birthday Lyla Elizabeth!

ETA: I apparently never posted this after I wrote it several weeks ago...oops!

I can NOT believe she is 2!!!! Every other time I have had a baby turn 2, I was pregnant (or knew I was going to try to be soon) with another baby. Yesterday (on her actual birthday) I was so sad and I have figured out that is the reason; I really and truly am leaving my "baby years"! It is also exciting, because she is so sweet and funny and I LOVE watching her learn new things, figure life out and see more of that crazy little personality come out each day. I was talking to Kristin on the phone yesterday and she told me to tell Lyla happy birthday, I did and Lyla turned her little head sideways and smiled and said "awwww, thank you"...what barely 2 year old says that!? She also says things like, "no mommy, I got this" (if i am trying to help her with something). And you gotta love the "attitude" that can come from that tiny body, for example: I asked her to go find her shoes, she looked at me like I was stupid and said "you go find them!"....really?? That is her, a 12 year old in a tiny 2 year old body; I dread her teenage years :/

She seems very little to me (but I haven't weighed or measured her lately), her feet are tiny, still a size 5, but some size 4's still fit. She is wearing all of the same clothes from LAST summer, most of her stuff is 18-24 month, but lots of her 12-18 month stuff fits too and she is still in size 3 diapers. She is still nursing once a day or so and I THINK potty training is close. It actually probably could have already happened, but I am lazy and am in no rush for her to be potty trained. (another ETA: the day after I wrote this, she came up to me and took her diaper off and told me "pee pee potty now" and she did and has ever since. She has had a couple accidents here and there, but she even wakes up in the morning with a dry diaper, she totally potty trained herself, crazy!)

She is a good eater, she loves most all foods we give her, I guess some of her absolute favorites are : black beans and sour cream, rice, (well, any kind of mexican), toast, baby oranges (little clementines), pizza, oatmeal, blueberries, yogurt, fruit smoothies, eggs and fried ham, and I'm sure there is more but I can't think right now.

She LOVES being outside, and anything that goes along with "outside" like bubbles, sprinklers and ride on toys. She loves baby dolls, playing kitchen, and coloring (mainly on the walls/tables/herself). She loves to copy Ella when she is doing her gymnastics, she can almost do a split and has a mean little somersault and is close to doing a bridge (which is a back bend) she even does the little "salute" at the end of her tricks, it's slightly adorable. She will do really well when we start her in gymnastics when she turns 3, I think she has the natural talent that Ella has (good balance, flexibility and strength), but she does not have the "fear gene" like Ella has; in other words she is CRAZY! She also loves the pool and ocean and has little fear of both.

She adores her brothers and sister, and likes to copy everything they do and say...which is not always a great thing ;) For example: the other day Cade lit a match (under Tripp's supervision) and Lyla looked shocked and said "holy crap!!"...not super "age appropriate". She has an AWFUL temper, much worse than any of the other other kids at this age (unless I have blocked it from my memory). She is very possessive of me and does not like the other kids to talk to look at or especially touch me....ESPECIALLY after I have worked a 12 hour shift. Good thing she is so stinking cute!

She also LOVES shoes, mainly flip flops, she always has a pair on, they rarely match and they usually do not belong to her. She wears Ella's a lot and sometimes mine and if we go to someone's house, she takes hers off and will put on any she sees laying around the house. Crazy thing is, she can walk in them all just fine (even if they are several sizes too big) and she NEVER gets them on the wrong feet, ever.

She LOVES to dance, and she has serious rhythm and moves for a 2 year old! She goes crazy dancing every single time music comes on no matter where she is or what kind of music it is. The kids all love to have dance parties in the living room with her!

She LOVES to talk on the phone. A real phone, a toy phone, a tv remote control, doesn't matter, she will walk around the house and talk away. She will often sound like she is really having a conversation with someone, the other day it went something like this: "hello....what doing....uh uh....funny (insert fake laugh)....got go, love you, bye bye." She is so serious about the whole thing I sometimes will check if she has had my phone to see if she really WAS talking to someone. She's also slightly obsessed with FaceTime, so anytime someone wants to FaceTime/Tango, please call!

She likes to be the center of attention among people she is close to, and acts very crazy making faces and dancing and just being goofy. "watch meeee" comes out of her mouth A LOT!

She can NOT sit still and do the same thing for more than a few minutes, she has NEVER sat and listened to a whole book be read to her. That is a first for me, the rest of the kids could all sit for hours and listen to me read to them at this age (and younger). She also does not sit and watch TV, which kinda sucks, because sometimes it would just be nice to be able to sit her in front of the tv and have a few quiet minutes! She is Miss Destructo and can mess up a room in seconds flat; I think it is a special talent. But she loves to be a "big helper" and will gladly help clean up or help water the flowers or put clothes in the washer and help unload the dishwasher.

She seems to be an extrovert, she LOVES people and will freely give out hugs, kisses and "I love you's" if she likes you. She also gets embarrassed easily and gets very upset if people out in public see her fall, or get in trouble. She seems AGES older than she is and she definitely understands everything you say to her (and has for a long time). She can also follow directions well (when she wants to). I have friends who have either never seen her in real life or only a handful of times, who say that just by looking at her pictures they can tell she has a TON of personality and that couldn't be more true! You can tell exactly what she is thinking by the look on her face, she has some of the craziest facial expressions of any kid I've ever known (maybe besides Jaxon!) She will already roll her eyes in disgust when we annoy her and if she is mad at you she can make you feel about 2 inches tall with her "stare down".

I feel so blessed that she was sent down to complete our family, I thank Heavenly Father for her daily and I hope she will always know how much she is loved!!