Jillian At 2.5

So as I have been s-l-o-w-l-y putting together Jillian's baby book I realized how much of life's daily events I forget. So I am going to try to be more diligent with the blog so when I go to document her toddler years I have something. (I really have a horrible memory!). So this will be a current events post.

Jillian loves make-believe.

• She tells long stories about this and that - including some real facts but a lot of nonsense (plot and words).
• She plays with her Barbies (and Ken) and they have dialog and move about their mansion.
• She wants to pretend that she is a doctor and will listen to our heartbeat and give us bandaids.
• She switches our roles. Jason becomes the baby, I become the daddy and Jillian becomes the mommy.

Jillian still watches way too much TV!

• She has a gazillion favorite shows. Lately she asks for Angelina Ballerina, Go Diego Go, and she has returned to Dora the Explorer.
• Her vocabulary now includes the word iPad. She has mastered several puzzles.
• When we're out she'll ask to watch a show on my phone.

Jillian knows how to bargain and manipulate.

• Bedtime is awful! She asks for a million and one things to make us stay in her room longer. She needs one more drink, one more hug, one more book, etc.
• We have to be so careful what we say and what we promise her. She will hold us to everything! Yesterday I told her we could get some popcorn "at home" (we were at Legoland). She fell asleep in the car, was half awake as we took her inside and as soon as we got to the bedroom, "Mom, I want popcorn."
• Oh yeah, she calls me Mom sometimes. And Jason, Dad. It is pretty funny from such a small thing.
• If we ask her to do something she doesn't want to do (like go upstairs to get ready for bed) it is not surprising to have her reply, "How about I watch a movie first and then go upstairs." She is a wheeler and a dealer!

Talking

• She is still very communicative. We are so lucky. We've been holding conversations with her for a long time. We don't really notice new words (unless they're remarkable). We mainly notice new sentence formations or parts of speech.
• For example, she has been saying "because" and "so" and "but" for a really long time. And she uses them correctly!
• This past weekend she ran out to the backyard and said, "Oh! My! Gosh!" Hilarious.
• A few weeks ago she started on the ever popular toddler questions, "why?"
• She constantly wants to know why someone is doing something, what is their name, etc.
• She has begun to blame Jason and I for things that happen. It is amusing but we're trying to discourage it. If she sees a toy in a different spot, "Mom, why did you take my toy?" She is very serious when she says this as if we have wounded her.

Behavior

• Overall we're very fortunate. She doesn't have any standout issues. She does have tantrums but mostly minor. I haven't yet left a grocery store. We've never given a time out. She has had to apologize for yelling or throwing things. We're just trying to teach her to communicate verbally what she needs (and in a polite way!)
• By the way, Polite as a Princess is an awesome book for teaching good behavior. Jillian is all about the Disney Princesses and so she really responds well to this book.

Favorite Foods

• Waffles
• Yogurt
• Fruity Cheerios
• Chicken Nuggets
• Any kind of fruit

Also, she has been telling us she loves us without us saying it first. Let me tell you, that is just an awesome feeling. She is still a Mommy's Girl but is becoming more and more of a Daddy's Girl every day. We love our girl.