Happy Birthday, Lainey Girl! You are two! Time sure is a thief and yet the stage you're at is so amazing! Every stage seems to be my favorite but toddlerhood is magic! I am so blessed and thankful to have spent nearly every minute of your second year with you! Thanks be to God for allowing us to make this work!
We all have had such an amazing year with you! Your Daddy and I talk about you every time you are not with us, and I cannot wait to start our morning together each and every day! You have been growing and developing in so many amazing ways, and I wish I could freeze time so I could remember every single detail of all these precious memories with you. Here's my best attempt to document you and your big personality at 2 years old!
You have the best heart! You always try to include others, are always sharing, and you show a lot of affection! At the park, the lake, our driveway. To family, to friends, to strangers. Even when you don’t have anything to share, you’ll pick up a leaf or grass and offer it as a means to include and welcome others. Your heart is so big and soft too! You cried when telling Auntie Amy that her stuffed animal, Brownie, lost an eye. You also started crying then Mack vomited in your room.
Your love for the USPS is unreal! We try to meet our carrier for the mail every day. He has learned your name and adores you as well! You scream with excitement as you see his truck come onto our street!
You are very direct and are a very good communicator! You will grab our hand and make us follow you to the place you want to go. You also say “excuse me” if you want us to move or “bye-bye Mama/Dada” if you want alone time with either one of us. You make the cutest face and are very direct (and persistent!) in telling me when you don’t have to go potty - “all done, all done, all done”. You tell us when we should take a drink or have something to eat with you - “Mama, eat”, as you hand me part of your snack.
You use both spoken language and sign. You love using sign and you pick up new words as fast as I can learn them and teach them to you!
You love popsicles and music. They go hand in hand in this house.
Dogs and training are in your DNA. You have quite the pack, your favorites being Puppy, Duff, Muffin, Ollie, and newly added Twix (all stuffed animals). Ollie is a cat but I think you think he’s a dog. They are all called by name. You put them all on leashes, make them heel when they walk, and they go pee and poop on the potty with you!
You love helping Daddy feed the dogs and you especially love finding and picking up their poop!
You know so many of Mack’s commands. When you want him to come with you, you yell “heel”! He’s also the first name you call every morning.
Speaking of Mack - he’s your guy! He is hands down your biggest comfort. If you get hurt, you cry in my arms but will stop crying as soon as you can cuddle with Mack. When tired, you run to him to lay your head on him. I don’t even get offended. I know how amazing he is too, Lainey!
You have a sweet tooth! You love cookies, ice cream, chocolate, and popsicles. You also love Dot’s Pretzels. Though you have a sweet tooth, you have an extensive pallet and love green vegetables like peas, green beans, edamame, and broccoli.
I love how you know we pray before every meal. You fold your hands and say “pray”. In the mornings, you make your puppies pray before getting out of bed.
You slap your back and say “be back” when you’re leaving a room to go get something. One time you told us “Be back!“ and you headed out the front door! You have also recently started to say "Bye bye!" as you wave and blow kisses before exiting a room.
Your favorite phrase right now is “run, run, run”, which you scream as you run everywhere!
You are such a great helper! Assisting if finding my shoes, picking something up off the ground, etc. I can’t wait to see how you help with your Baby Sister!
You are such a tease and love getting reactions out of us! You especially like to tease Grandpa about your thumb-sucking. You purposely put your thumb in your mouth and say, “Grandpa!”, all so he will come and try to pull it out! I can tell you love being the center of our attention!
You are also an amazing story-teller. You recall events from months ago like how Auntie Amy scared away the squirrel at the park, how Grandpa forgot his glasses at our house, how Mack “Uh oh” vomited in your room. You also like to repeatedly tell the story, and I simply don’t mind!
You prefer to play in your undies - no pants. And you have an infinity for wearing boots and crocs.
I love how how when I ask for a kiss, you put a little hand on my shoulder to lean in and kiss me.
You love men! Dada, Grandpa, Uncle Timmy, & Uncle Jake are among your favorite!
You love playing in the car, and especially in Dada’s truck bed with all the kennels and training equipment. You love gathering collars and bumpers and pulling them around in your pink wagon. You also know what color collar each of our client dogs wear (“Blue collar. Goose.”).
Alaina Tyler
Born: 10/21/2019 at 2:38 pm at the Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital
Height: 33.75 inches, 42nd percentile (at birth: 20.5 inches; at age 1: 28.75 inches, 34th percentile)
Weight: 23 pounds, 7 ounces, 27th percentile (at birth: 8 pounds, 11 ounces; at age 1: 19 pounds, 4 ounces, 40th percentile)
Your Second Year Milestones:
Fully weaned, 14 months (last breastfeed was on 12/20/21, the day before she turned 14 months)
First steps, 14 months (but still preferred to crawl)
Told us your hearing aid battery died, 15 months
Told us when your hearing aid was not in properly, 16 months
Found out you were going to be a Big Sister, 16 months
Transitioned to one nap, 17 months
Started eating at the table with us, 17 months
"Mama", 17 months
Started giving "over" and "back" casts to Mack, 18 months old
First camping trip (sort of), 19 months old
First flying vacation (Hilton Head Island, SC), 19 months old
First time in the ocean and bike ride - all while on vacation, 19 months
First time dining in at a restaurant (also while on vacation, Skull Creek Boathouse), 19 months
Found out you’re going to have a Baby SISTER, 20 months
Started and completed potty training, 20 months
Started identifying colors (red, orange, purple) with either sign or spoken words, 20 months (blue and black are now included, 23 months old)
Watched part of the NBA Finals, Game 6 (BUCKS WON!!), 20 months old
First sleepover & first time Mama has every been away overnight from you (Grandma & Grandpa's), 23 months old
Lainey, you are my world, my purpose, my absolute happiness. I am so blessed and thankful to be able to spend every day with you! I will cherish these memories my entire life! Keep being confident and bold. I am so proud of you, and I love you more than I could ever explain! Happy 2nd Birthday, my sweet girl. Love, Mama
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