It seems like the amount of stuff she’s learning is at an exponential rate. Over the past month, she has picked up so many new skills that I’ve almost given up trying to keep track. Here are some highlights of her first month as a two-year-old:
- She went to Hawaii for the third time and conquered her fear of Mr. Ocean. She had so much fun this time around and it was extra special having her pals Andrew and Keenan around too.
- Reading and Counting: She recognizes and labels all the letters (uppercase) of the alphabet with the exception of H, I, J, L, and V. She’s also recognizing some lowercase letters but I haven’t tested her. She’s also understanding the concept of 1-to-1 correspondence and counting objects. Her favorite thing to do is count her crayons when she’s coloring.
- English: In Hawaii, she said her first complete sentence: “I want GG.” Now she’s saying “I want___.” all the time. She also said “Thank you Mama.” and it just melted my heart. Other common words she’ll say are: bib, pillow, blanket, Big GG, animals, crayons, outside, scooter, tricycle, and many more than I can’t remember.
- Spanish: Vamanos (Let’s go). Her understanding of Spanish is also beyond my comprehension. Tia Patty tested it out last weekend and confirmed my hunch. Mirian also taught her that if you ask her “Cuantos anos tienes?” (How old are you?) She’ll answer “dos” (two). If you ask the same question in English, you just get a confused look back.
- We’re starting to have small conversations with her. One day I asked, “What does Mama say?” and she replied, “No.” Then when I asked “What does Dada say?” She said, “Up.” Funny girl.
- People: Instead of calling people uncle and auntie, she’s beginning to say their names too. This all started with labeling Uncle Dayantha, then she picked up Uncle Jason, Auntie Joy, Auntie Jia, and Uncle Johnny. She’s also naming her pals Andrew and Keenan when she sees them. The other day she also said Vivian.
- Gross motor: She went on a waterslide for the first time this month. She also received a scooter for her birthday and can really get going if she has enough space to go in circles. She hasn’t quite mastered steering or going straight yet but she can really make a mean counter-clockwise circle. Janie has also learned how to jump off a small step and gets some clearance off the ground now. She is also much better with holding our hands out on the street lately. Taking her on the train has been a little easier now too.
- Fine motor: I was amazed when I saw her cutting her food with the side of her fork the other day. She has pretty much mastered drawing a circle and stops without a continuous scribble around and around (when she’s in the mood). If you draw a big circle, she will scribble what are supposed to be eyes, a nose, mouth, two ears, and hair.
- Habits: Janie now officially sleeps on the sofa bed out in the livingroom every night. So far, she’s fallen off only once and it was when she was coughing and confused in the dark. Otherwise, she hardly moves all night.
- This past month, we also learned that Mirian is expecting her second baby in December. So, we have the rest of the year to find new childcare for Janie. Will it be a new nanny or daycare?? We don’t know yet but we’ll keep you posted.
What an awesome month. Our little toddler is a real kid now and it’s so much fun seeing the world through her eyes. Happy 25 months, KK!! Love you.