25 months

Autumn, the first month of your 2nd year is now complete. It has been quite a rough month for you in different arenas - but you are none the less happy through it all! You are more compassionate, seem to understand prayer better and have made many cognitive and motor gains.

Firsts:
Independent prayer
Swimming with arm little swimmers
A more serious medical issue (you can read about your battle with MRSA in mommy's journal)
"Rock climbing" at Kua Bay
Reading books you've memorized
Sitting forward facing in the car seat - you've now puked 2x on windy roads, so although you have not maxed out the backwards weight limit - we turned you forward. You made it almost 25 months backwards.
Kona Carnival


Things you love:
Your babies Lily and Nancy
Outside play - beach or park
Running
Shoulder rides
Looking in the mirror
Ketchup (nuggets and homemade fries are really a ketchup delivery method)
Cow Milk
Puzzles
Reading
Singing
Cuddles
Brushing your teeth
Doing anything on your own - dressing, puzzles, toys...
Curious George and Dora

Things you dislike:
Getting in the car seat
Us talking to each other or others - you start shouting "Autumn talk to her mommy!"
Using the potty
Going to bed or nap - you say "It's not nap time" over and over when it coming soon
Saucy (spicy) things

Stories -
Logic - You had to take a lot of medicine this month and much of it was quite yucky. A couple of time you just didn't want to eat your medicine applesauce. After different attempts and a lot of time telling you is was important, I finally decided I'd try logic - I said "Baby, if you don't take your medicine your ouchies will get big and hurt more again, so you need to take your medicine to make them go away." You frowned and said okay and promptly ate all the applesauce right up.

One of your friends had an ouchie about a week after yours had healed up. I explained to you that she was having pain and needed us to pray for her. Everyday you prayed for her without prompting and you bring her picture to us off the refrigerator and explain that she has an ouchie and needs us to pray. At church on Sunday the pastor started to pray and you loudly said - "We need to pray for 'your friend'." She has been on your heart ever since we told you. Now you pray each night, "thank you for making 'my friend's' pain go away."

We went hiking with our friends and we spotted a large worm. You promptly wanted closer to look at it and then grabbed a stick. I didn't stop you because I was curious what you had in mind. You poked at the worm and it went crazy squirming furiously. You jumped back and scurried away. Although it was a bit scary - you still have fun telling us about the worm and how it went squirmy when you poked it.

We love you sweet girl!! You are full of life, love, curiosity, and adventure!
Mommy and Daddy