Two and a half is…
Looking too grown up for her own good.
It’s all things pink and dressing herself.
It’s stickers and crayons and fairy wings.
It’s big girl haircuts…
and then messing it up it the rain with Daddy.
It’s playing with friends…
and borrowing their awesome dress up clothes.
It’s branching out and doing things on her own…
and savoring the pride that comes with the accomplishment.
It’s about mimicking mommy.
It’s long walks on secret paths and stopping for a turn on the ‘swing go higher.’
It’s reading books to her dolls and outgrowing the crib.
It’s watching her sing her ABCs to her bedmates while she lines them up before sleep.
It’s crafts at the kitchen table
and loving books of all kinds.
It’s about her being unashamedly herself.
Two and a half is
running around naked and giggling before shower time
asking for hugs and kisses between bites of food during meals
always wanting ice in her water
asking mommy to please rock, just one more time
clapping and saying YAY school when we pull in
having mom go to bed flat out exhausted every night, and still (usually) being eager to get up and do it all over again the next morning
saying proper sentences like ‘I ate my snack’ and mom and dad savoring the improper ones, like ‘where Koda is?’
saying sorries and hugs after time outs
singing made up songs with the only words being ‘pizza dough’ (pizza dough, pizza doughhhh, pizzzaaa dooooough)
it’s stories like this…
Hailey started crying about 45 minutes after we put her down one night, which is very unusual. I ran up the stairs and into her room. She showed me there was still a small part of her thumb nail that we had clipped earlier attached. I gently pulled it off and she sniffled, said thank you (tank cue), kissed me on my nose and laid back down. I heard her softly say ‘ov you momma as I left her room.
Oh my heart.
And two and a half is…
well, it’s about mommy crying happy tears and wishing time would sometimes just STOP.
Can life ever possibly be this sweet again?
Kate says
Love her taking pictures of her food! I have a 4 month old little girl and reading all of these things makes me so excited for what’s to come . Especially the “ov you momma”
Karen says
OH EM GEE!!! She is just too precious!! She’s going to be a wonderful big sister!! Wish we lived closer because I think H & K would be great little friends!!
Corinne says
Simply adorable!
Parita @ myinnershakti says
AWWW!! She’s so sweet. Two and a half is adorable!! 🙂
Lauren K says
I can’t believe she is 2.5! Wow, time is flying. Hope you have many more fun memories in the weeks to come before baby girl #2 makes her arrival!
Millie Jones says
Such a sweet post! What a beautiful sweet little girl! She will be a great big sister and you will be even more amazed by her. Just wait till you see her for the first time after you have the baby, she will really seem GROWN UP!!! Sweet sweet girls!
Shari says
Oh, this is just so sweet!
Brittney says
Ugh, you are making me teary! I am starting to see glimpses of this future age in Allie now that she’s “a toddler” (WHAT??!!), and it’s hard to imagine all this, but I can sort of see it coming too the more I see her learning and growing. It’s amazing…
kathy says
SWEET!!!
Katie @ Pick Any Two says
Brittany, I am a puddle on the floor right now! Hailey is the sweetest!
Meri says
Well, I am a mess right now! Such a sweet post and this age is truly the best! 🙂
Jennifer says
Tears….! I have a 6 month old daughter and time seems to be flying by, it makes me so emotional. Reading this makes me excited about what’s to come but so sad time goes by so fast. Hailey is beautiful!
Nicole says
this is too sweet!! i don’t know if you wrote about this before (i think you maybe touched upon it) but how do you feel about the spacing between your girls? when are you going to try to tackle potty training? we’re not ready for #2 yet, but I always think about the spacing between kids.
Heather H says
I feel like I am in much the same position as you! My daughter is 2.5 and we are expecting our second in the next few weeks…I get so teary and emotional watching her grow up, but at the same time, I am so proud of her and I love the person she is becoming. Motherhood is emotional but it is SO amazing too! (It might be less emotional without all the pregnancy hormones too ;)). Beautiful pictures of a beautiful child!!!
Katrina says
Oh my heart… this is too precious! Enjoy your girlie, she’s absolutely beautiful (inside and out!)
Tori L says
I die from how sweet & precious this is! Now I want one asap 🙂
Heather says
Ha ha, the picture of her taking a picture of her food made me laugh. One of my favorite things about my son at (almost) 2 is how much he copies everything. It’s endearing and adorable watching them learn and try new things and gain independence.
Staci says
This is too precious. I am pregnant with our first child and this makes me so excited for what the future may hold for us with our little one. Thank you for sharing.
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries says
What a sweet post! I just love her pink tutu and all of her cute photos!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
I LOVE the picture of her taking photos of her food!! That is too cute! 😉
Kimberly @ Healthy Strides says
Love this post. It’s so sweet, and she is such a doll!
Michelle says
She reminds me so much of Livie at 2.5! SOOOO sweet.
Kathleen Ojo says
She is just so lovely! Posts like this made me excited about all that lies ahead with my 19-month-old.
jodi says
Great post this morning! Hailey is such a sweet girl I can see why you want to freeze time! Since Avery went thru the no more naps transition, my sweet girl has her moments these days ( as you witnessed…) so trying to savor her sweet moments while praying for a quick transition on the whiney/tired/cranky/making everyone miserable moments… ugh!
Jen says
So, so sweet!
We have had a rough week — Wyatt just doesn’t listen to me at this age at all. But it’s also such a sweet age. He realized I had no “sprinkles” in my yogurt this morning and picked some out of his and said “here you go, mommy. Hooray now mommy and Wy have some too!” I love it.
jodi says
Jen, I am guessing Wyatt is about Hailey’s and my daughter Avery’s age. Isn’t funny how at this age they are either so sweet and make you want to melt or push your every last button and you can’t wait for them to grow out of that stage??? ha ha. I swear I have two different kiddos wrapped in one child these days!!
Katie@Pop Culture Cuisine says
Oh man I completely agree with all of that and you have me tearing up at my computer !!!
Maria says
What a little sweetie! Look at her taking photos of her food and pushing around a grocery shopping cart like Mom. Next she’ll be playing beer brewing like David 🙂
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
She is too cute! Looks like a wonderful age.
Avery @ Young Aspirations says
This is all too much for my pregnant hormones right now. I can’t take it! 🙂 Such a sweet post. Love that blogs give us the ability to go back and treasure the times – better than a journal in my opinion!
Sabrina says
and here I am crying. She’s beautiful and she’s going to be a great big sister.
Ashley says
You made me tear up! This is such a beautiful post! I hope you know how awesome your blog is and keep it up especially as I join you in motherhood. You are very inspiring and I hope to handle it as well as you seem to. Love this post and your blog! I won’t be able to be a stay at home mom but am taking 18 weeks to bond with baby and then hopefully down to only 4 days per week which is a blessing. I hope to create as many fun memories as you guys seem to. So FUN! As always, thanks for sharing.
I’m 39 weeks today! Eeeek. Feeling calm and in control thus far. Hope you are having a happy day with your girl. So sweet!
Cheers,
Ashley
Ali says
Ohhh your story about the clipped finger nails melts my heart too! That is precious.
Paula says
Precious, what a little sweetie.
Karlee says
so sweet! made me cry
Kristy @ Southern In Law says
Two is seriously my favourite age – all of my cousins and all of the kids I’ve nannied have been absolutely adorable at two.
Hailey just keeps getting cuter – and just you wait to see how life gets even sweeter when she’s the big sister! xx
John J. says
Well put together, Britt. The many sweet moments of sharing life with your offspring. Ah, precious memories – and so many more to come!
Marjorie says
Oh Hailey is just so precious! I remember the one of her taking a picture of her good from Instagram. Too cute!
Julia G says
As someone recovering from an eating disorder, this post gives me such huge motivation. I want to be able to have my own sweet little angel just like Hailey! I know you have never suffered from an eating disorder (Thank heavens for that!) but just know that your positive energy radiates through the internet over to me, and I truly do aspire to be as wonderful of a woman as you. <3
Sherry says
Such a sweet & precious post. Hailey will enjoy looking back at these one day. Enjoy all the memories you are making!
Chantal says
I LOVE this age. Gosh it’s so hard but I love toddlers.
Dana says
I had to post…this brought a tear to my eye. Take in every sweet adorable moment. I have a 15,13 and 5 year old…the years go way too fast! I love reading your posts. Such a sweet sweet age your daughter is at, she is going to be a wonderful big sister. Enjoy all these moments 🙂
Amanda @ Sistas of Strength says
Two and a half is so much fun!!!!! I just love this age. 🙂
char eats greens says
That post was so beautiful. Oh my goodness, she is just wonderful!!!! It’s most likely due to her awesome parents!! I think I love your child! haha
Danica @ It's Progression says
This is seriously thee sweetest post. Such a blessing!
Nicole says
Such a sweet post! I gotta say, it reminded me SO much of my little girl. You seem like such a good momma 🙂 I have to say though, life’s always sweet with kiddos! My little girl’s about to turn 5 and even though I think every day couldn’t possibly be any better, it always is. There’s always new, fun, special things going on with her and even though I sometimes miss things she’s outgrown (thank goodness for videos and photos!) it’s all so amazing! Plus, like you, I have another one on the way, so it’s just going to double in sweetness!!!