2½!

Tomorrow Clara turns 2½, but since we have a lot of weekend plans, I wasn't sure I would have time to get the pictures done so I did them today. I feel like she has changed so much in the past six months and is such a big girl now. I think most of this change has been verbal and cognitive. She talks very well and in sentences now and she has better reasoning skills. This has really helped with her behavior because now you can say, "Clara, if you eat these three more pieces of steak on your plate, you can get down and go play." And she understands what you are saying and chokes them down and goes on her way. If you tell Hannah that, she throws them, which is where Clara was six months ago, so it's a really great change. Clara is a really sweet and nurturing girl. She is always very concerned about her siblings if they are upset and loves taking care of her babies and stuffed animals. She is independent and likes to do things herself when possible. Don't try to put this girl in a stroller. She is so over it. She likes jumping and running and climbing and also babies and coloring. She dislikes messes and sand and dirt and also not getting her way. She is much easier to handle now that she's older, but she still doesn't always handle "no" well. We have started potty-training and it's going pretty well so I plan to get a little more serious about it in the very near future because she's doing well and I think she's ready. I hope I will have two potty-trained kids by the end of the summer, but if I only have one, it wouldn't surprise me if it's her. She's still pretty tiny, and I am quite curious what her height and weight will be next week when we go for her 30-month check. She has graduated from receiving services because there is literally nothing for them to do except say, "Wow, still small" so she is progressing normally in all ways except that. We love her so much and it's so much fun to see her grow up into such a sweet and unique kid.