It’s with bittersweet emotion I bring you Piper’s final monthly update! I started these when she was an infant, mainly to chronicle and track her milestones and growth for myself but they became pretty popular on the site that I kept them up. Now that Piper’s a real big  2 year old girl and not a tiny baby I think it’s appropriate to stop — plus I’ll have a whole new set of infant updates to start in December :)

Read ALL  of Piper’s previous updates here!:23 Month Update,  21 Months, 19 Month, 18 Month, 15 Month , 12 & 13 Month Update, 11 Month Update,  10 Month Update, 9 Month Update,  8 Month Update,  7 Month Update,  5 & 6 Month Update, 4 Month Update, 3 Month Update, 2 Month Update, 1 Month Update. 

LENGTH & WEIGHT

Going in for her 2 year old check up today so I’ll update this section then, thinking she MUST be 30lbs by now but I’ve been saying that for a while!

SLEEP

I’m happy to say Piper is still on her normal sleep routine! Waking up between 6/6:30am and going to bed between 7/7:30pm. She takes a nap at 1pm for 1.5hrs (sometimes 2). We are in the process of trying to figure out when to transition her to a toddler bed. I already have the bed picked out that I want (you can see it right here).

FEEDING

We seem to be entering another picky phase! Most nights Piper will try what I serve her but I’ve firmly not been giving her any other options if she doesn’t like what she gets. As you may recall we’ve been trying to limit snacks now for months with some success. Her favorites haven’t changed too much and include carbs in all forms (bread, crackers, bagels, waffles, pancakes, quesadillas, rice, quinoa), fruit (any and every type), cheese, yogurt, eggs, mac & cheese, certain vegetables (peas, sugar snap peas, zucchini, spinach). As you may have noticed we are lacking protein in a big way and I’m currently trying to figure out more ways to integrate it into her diet! I’m also looking for new lunch ideas, in preparation for having to start packing them for her in the fall when she starts school!

DEVELOPMENT

Piper’s developing with leaps and bounds and it’s so amazing to watch as her parent. She’s speaking in full sentences, and I’m pretty certain she understands most of what we are saying even if she doesn’t act like it! She’s definietly showing more and more independence and very strongly wanting to do things on her own without our help. She’s very strong willed and can be stubborn. She’s got a pretty good handle of going up and down stairs on her own but we still use a lot of caution and have our gate up. She has a great temperament throughout most of the day, though after nap time around 3pm is when her pretty routine ‘cranky’ hours start. They typically peak as I’m trying to start cooking dinner and she wants my undivided attention and I’m pretty nervous about how I’ll handle these hours with an infant, too!

Piper’s started showing a lot of signs that she’s ready to start potty training and we are going to start the 3-day method outlined in the book Oh Crap, Potty Training (which has come recommended by dozens) when we get back from our vacations at the beginning of August.

We are still working on colors but she’s getting a better handle on them and continues to love to count, all the time!

WHAT WE ARE LOVING RIGHT NOW

Piper got so many great Birthday gifts that we are all enjoying right now! We’ve been outside as much as possible but it’s been so hot and buggy in our yard the past few weeks!

Bucket Swing: This swing has changed our lives. Piper loves it so much and requests to go for a swing every few hours. It will cheer her up when she’s in a grumpy mood and relax her at the end of the day.

Crabbie Sandbox: We love the built in seats and easy to put on cover with this sandbox! And of course that it looks like a Maryland crab :)

Elmo’s World First Word Flap Book Library: Piper LOVES this set of books, I think mostly because they come in a little box and have flaps but also cover topics she’s interested in: babies, balls, puppies.

Melissa & Doug Mixer Set: This is the most adorable addition to Piper’s kitchen!

Coleman Kids Chair: We gave Piper this for camping but it was easily one of her favorite gifts, she loves it so much and I know it will get a ton of use over the next few years!

Matching Doll PJs: Another birthday highlight was these super soft matching PJ’s that fit her Bitty Baby. I took a gamble with these on Amazon but was so pleased with the product and plan on getting her the holiday set, too!