AC

No, this post isn't to bemoan the fact that we do not have ac in our house. (And yes, you did read it right -- NO ac! And we're still alive ... gasp!) This post is dedicated to my middle child, Adeline Carmichael.

She is twenty months old already ... closer to two than not, and definitely showing signs of the "terrible toddlers" (I do not believe in terrible twos -- I think the concept spans the whole of the toddler years ... just based on my experience). Adeline is definitely her own person! She LOVES her big sister and will try to copy almost anything she does, good or bad. And when I say that I dread taking all three out somewhere by myself, I do blame it on Adeline. This child has no fear, no sense of boundaries, and knows no strangers. She will climb anything, talk to anyone, and run anywhere. Yes, we call her the crazy one, but I wouldn't trade any piece of her for anything!
The Goods:

• Addie remains quite the cuddler. She loves to sit in a lap, give hugs, kisses, etc.
• She is turning into quite the dancer.
• I love how she will grab her purse, her shopping cart, and tell me bye-bye!
• She LOVES having people over and loves to shake hands :) Strange little child...
• Her vocabulary is EXPLODING! She can pretty much say anything you ask her to repeat and even has quite a few sentences she says. Her most commonly used is, of course, "I want a snack" or "I want milk."
  
• She is learning to count, learning her colors, and learning letters.
  
• I love how her hair gets all wavy and flipped out when she's all sweaty from sleeping.
  
• She is polite, if nothing else. For MONTHS now, when given something, she has been responding with the cutest little "thank you" you can imagine ... umprompted too.
• She's a great eater! She loves broccoli and salad especially, and will usually eat that before anything else. And she FINALLY likes bananas.
• We have finally dropped the morning nap (except on a few rare occasions), which is resulting in a great afternoon nap ... yay!
• Her weight remains a little below average for her age (22.8 lbs), her height just above, and her head size just below.
  

The Bads:

• The fits.
• The tantrums.
• Did I mention the fits? :)
• Loves to say "no" ... and actually means it.
• The fighting with Juliana.
• She remains quite the messy eater. And, unlike her sister, messes do not scare her. In fact, she delights in them and loves to make them.
• She has learned how to get in the food cabinet and help herself to whatever she feels like. Her snack of choice right now is uncooked pasta. She also loves to eat out of the trash.
  
• This child still only has TWO bottom teeth. Two. She does have her two molars on top, bringing the top count to six. Breck may outdo her in the teeth department.
  

Even though the days with a 20-month old (plus a five month old and an almost three yr old) can be very trying, I am learning to cherish each moment. Adeline is so full of joy and so much fun! I absolutely love seeing her own personality develop and flourish. She definitely is a strong-willed little girl, but I continue to pray that God will redeem that strong-will and use it for His glory. (These pics were from a father's day shoot we did ... find the rest here)