Olivia update

I don't know where to start. Olivia is so much fun to have around. She always has me laughing or pulling my hair out. One second she is saying the funniest things then the next second I want to scream because she gets into everything. My patience is really being tested and I hate the days when I lose it. She deserves more and she is only 2 but heaven help me when she doesn't listen!!

I'll just make a list of everything and add stories here and there because there is so much to say about this little girl. 

It blows my mind that she is only 2. I honestly don't remember my life without her. I often forget that she really is only 2 because she is my best friend and someone I rely on and  truly enjoy being around.

I know every mom says their kid is so polite but I really think that Olivia is the most polite child in the world. I was telling Michael her most used word in a day is mommy followed by thank you then it is "danng" or daddy. I wipe the hair out of her face and she says "thank you, mommy!!". I pick up toys while she is eating and she says "thank you, mommy". Things that don't need thanking for she will say thank you. I always laugh thinking about when I she learned bless you. We put her to bed and I thought she was asleep. I was feeding Walt in the room next to hers and I sneezed. I hear her say loudly "bless you, mommy!!". She also says "your welck!" Ever time we say thank you to her. She really is so polite. She also just started saying "mommy, help me?" Any time she needs something. It's so helpful to be able to communicate with her.

Her new thing lately is referring to herself in third person and she calls herself Ollie. It is kinda funny. 

She loves pointing out all the horses as we drive around town. Oma got her a fun little horse to ride around on and he plays with that a lot or she uses us as her horsey. She pets our nose and says good horsey. 

No one can make Walt laugh like Olivia! She is so funny! Olivia use to make him laugh then would go back to playing with her toys but now that Walt crawls she gets a little annoyed with him always taking her toys. So we have entered the "mine" phase. We are working on replacing toys for Walt when she takes something from him. 

In typical two year old fashion she repeats EVERYTHING a million times as if I didn't hear it the first thousand times. It's funny except at 7am after being up all night with Walt. 

It's so fun listening to her talk. She puts so many words together and makes connections. I can understand most everything she says. 

She doesn't know her letters or colors (everything is purple) or shapes. I was really stressed about it because I have friends who's kids are younger than her and they know everything but I think she is developing just fine. When I try to teach her letters she wants to do other things. She is a smart girl and when she decided she wants to learn her letters she will master them. 

Potty training is coming soon but is still so far away. She knows when she has to go but is nervous about the toilet and will only sit on it for a few minutes. For now we are just acting excited about the potty in hopes she gets excited about to too. The things you do as a parent!!

Speaking of being nervous, when she turned two she started to get nervous about things that didn't phase her at all. She wouldn't walk on our deck or any bridges. Then she started getting nervous about shiny floors. She is nervous around dogs sometimes and they are usually the dogs we see a lot.

Olivia is such a little girly girl! She always had her Cinderella dress up shoes on with a purse full of junk and lots of jewelry on. She is always asking to dress up with blankets or her old Halloween costumes.

Any time she sees a bug she says "eewww!! Buuuuggaa!!" 

She loves to help me. I taught her how to fold towels today. She loves helping unload the dishwasher and the laundry. When I tell her to take things to her room she dumps them in my room.

She loves her friends and is always asking to play with them and go on walks.

When she plays pretend she always pretends to play with Oma, Opa, Emmy, and ray ray. It melts my heart. I hate being so far away from family.

When she gets hurt she always says "I'm ok!". 

I love when we put her down to bed and she pats her pillow for me to lay down with her. Then she cuddles up close to me.

She is such a joy to have around. I especially love when she tackles me and gives me a big unexpected kiss! She is so forgiving. She went through a month of having some pretty intense 2-year-old tantrums and Michael and I were really worried that the terrible twos were really going to be terrible but she only had a tantrum every once in a while which is such a blessing.

Olivia is such a good example to me. She is always pushing me to be better. Every day she asks to go on a walk to see the temple and is constantly talking about the temple. She is really good at finding the temple when we drive around town. She teaches me the importance of the temple. She asks to pray in the morning when I forget (which is most mornings). She gives me the best kisses that are honest and full of love. She loves to hold my hand when we go shopping. She kisses her brother and hugs him lots. She always is asking about her daddy and he is her best friend when he gets home from work.