22 months..

Today marks the 22nd month since our family welcomed the blessing of our little Ella Kate into the world. 22 months! (Of course EK thinks she is way older than 22 months. She thinks she is somewhere between 6 and 10, the respective ages of her "Bubba" and "Sissy.") I wish I could eloquently and briefly type just the right words to describe EK and how she completes our family. But brief and eloquent usually give way to sappy and long-winded when I talk about things I love! This post is no exception...

First the milestones.
I write these down because I know I won't remember them in three months, let alone 30 years. And these are times I want to remember. Right now Ella Kate is so funny. She is a handful, and makes messes faster than I can clean them up, but she makes me laugh out loud regularly and it's hard to be upset with her. She has really started talking more in English instead of pure EllaKateish. Here are some of her favorites:
These phrases are usually slurred together to sound like one long word.
I-ont-some or ont-some /I want some
ha-a-bite. /Have a bite
shuz-on /Shoes on (also sounds like Sha-zam! at times)
cooz-on/ Clothes on
go owe-si/ go outside
bir-owe-si/ birds out side
have-a-sip
taa tu peez/ thank you please (always together)
i saw-wee/ I'm sorry
go bye-bye
go sigh (go outside or slide...sometimes both)
eh mam (yes mam)
no bed
Here she is!
Here ya go!
There it/he iz!
Where iz he?
O-tay mama!
Some words:
raw-raw (rock-rock)
bat (bath)
jewz (Juice)
dink (drink)
ni-ni (nite nite)
beebee (baby)
EEE (her blanket) or
EEEEE (eat)
sissy-ol (cereal)
mulk (milk)
jump (trampoline)
sly (slide)
Mama ( sometimes me, sometimes my Mom)
Papa
dada or lately "dadeeee"
Kolby is always "sissy" or "sisseeeeey" if she is mad at here or wants something.
Sa-wee (Sari)
Sue-Sue (my aunt T-Sue)
nana (banana and/ her cousin Suzannah)
marnee (barney)
be bop (baby Bop)
momo (elmo)
"Hi" with a proper Texas twang. So cute! She'll come in a room and say this randomly several times a day.
cew-kie (cookie monster or any cookie)
eee (zoe)
keem (ice cream)
booble (diaper~ no idea why)
potty (love to sit on it but that's about it. Usually says it when her bunky hurts from a diaper rash)
awt (hot)
ut-oh
No (clear as a bell btw)
And two weeks ago she came home from MDO saying "Mine!" It would have happened sooner or later.
book
ke-kat and Mow (like wow with a M) /kitty cat & meow
oggy wuu- wuu / doggy rough rough

There are more but can't think of them just now.
It seems like Ella Kate understands just about everything we say. I can ask her to put sissy's shoes in her room, and she does. She also can find anything in our house or my Mom's house. She likes to know where things go.
Ella Kate can put most of her shoes and socks on. Sometimes on the right feet even! She can put her shorts and PJ bottoms on. EllaKate loves to brush her teeth. She knows many body parts by name but gets mad when her sibs ask her hard ones like thigh or shin.
Ella Kate loves to write. She will "wite" on anything that is out if she finds a pen, pencil or crayons. The walls, floors and her body included.
She loves necklaces and bracelets. She has always been obsessed with lipstick, but now is equally thrilled with powder. She also likes lotion and creme. The other day I caught her with my secret. The lid was on but she was trying to rub it under her arms!
She also likes to pretend cook.
Ella Kate would love to be outside all day long. She loves to eat at her little picnic table. She loves the Fort , the swings and the slide. She can climb up into the trampoline enclosure and get down all her own and squeals like a stuck pig if you try to help her. She hasn't learned the phrase "by myself" but as soon as she does, we will here 200 times a day. She is very independent. Ella Kate also loves the sandbox but I keep it closed a lot. She loves to climb and does so way more than I like. She has very little fear. Ella Kate loves to play with Rhett's basket balls and soccer balls. She also loves Rhett Nerf guns, though she hasn't figured out how to work them. She loves the top bunk in Rhett's room so the ladder is kept up on the top bed and away from her most of the time. Ella Kate loves Kolby's room the most though. She loves to get out her shoes and her Barbies. She also loves to pull out all the colors and pens in Kolby's desk and "wite." She loves to play on the electric piano and pretends to sing with her I-dog. Before Ek gets out of bed every morning during the week I lock and close Kolby and Rhett's doors as well as the front and back doors and the door to the garage. EK figured out those child proof handle things months ago. In fact there is no baby proof item that is Ella Kate proof. She outwits them all!
EK has also learned how to escape from her car seat, which has made for some pretty scary times when I am driving alone with her. We are looking for a new escape proof seat.
EK found her bossy side in the last few months. She tells Kolby and Rhett "NO!" a lot. She also tells them to "sit" and to "shh." The apple never falls...
As independent as EK is, she can also be very affectionate. She loves to give her Daddy and Bubba kisses. She gives big hugs when saying bye bye. She loves her family. She runs as fast as her little feet will carry her (which is unbelievably fast!) to give whoever comes home a hug...even if they have just been gone 20 minutes. She also is big on saying "Bye, bye" to everyone leaving or not coming with her. She is very social. She loves to look at the slide show that is my screen saver and yell out the names of the people as they pop up. She like going to school and to class at church. She is also is starting to sing lots of little church songs. I can't always get all the words but the tune gives it away. LOVE THIS!

OK this is so long! and I know I have left out a lot. But I guess if you have read this much you can tell I am totally enamoured with this little girl. She tickles my soul. Even though I am not as good as I wish about getting her picture taken or recording all her little milestones, I could not love her anymore! I feel so blessed to be Ella Kate's mommy and am having a great time watching her grow and discover new things about her world every day!