Esther 2 years old

Our Esther girl is TWO and full of personality!

She is all kinds of goofy and expressive. She loves to sing, and always does so with a soulful, emotional face to match. She dances! Esther works super hard to keep up with her big sibs - and she does a pretty good job. She is a mama's girl!  It may be a bit of a struggle when this new baby arrives; she already doesn't like sharing my lap with anyone else. Another big transition.

Healthwise, she still has a very mild case of eczema, which is easily controlled with frequent bathing, avoiding soap, and lots of ceramide-containing moisturizer. It doesn't seem to bother her one bit. She is also still, as far as we know, allergic to eggs. Last fall, we started introducing baked goods that contained eggs, and she seems to do fine. We did have a few instances where you she ate something containing eggs that did not sit well with her. At this point, we'll probably try to introduce eggs again -- sometime when we are planning a day at home, just in case.

She still finds comfort sucking on her two fingers - always her left hand - and usually her right hand tucks itself under her chin, stroking her neck.

But if she's close enough, she prefers to put her hand on Mom or Dad's neck, even if it requires contorting into strange positions. This is where she retreats when she's sleepy or needs reassurance.

Esther LOVES dogs - especially our neighbor's lab, Jacks. She is mostly happy, go-lucky, and just enjoys life. This age is just so much fun!!

Esther is working on her colors, and she recognizes a handful of letters. She is super helpful, and also takes initiative - if she can't reach something, she'll look around, then find a stool or something to climb on and get it herself. Esther loves to "do it self!" She is also terribly stubborn and can really dig her heels in. Esther sleeps great and takes naps great. She wears size 2T/3T, and size 6 shoes.

Talking
Esther had a vocabulary explosion in November. She went from a few dozen, nearly unintelligible words to speaking in full sentences seemingly overnight! She can still be difficult to understand - but her expressiveness (and a little context) usually help get the point across.  A few of my favorites:
*She can clearly say everyone's name in our family....but Esther is "Eh-uh" - haha :)
*When Brandon is at work, she often tells me, "Where Dah-ey?  I miss my Dah-ey.  I need my Dah-ey," with the saddest face.  She sure loves her Daddy <3
*She doesn't usually say no/not/don't with words, but rather with her expression. For example, when we eat broccoli, she likes to emphatically remind me, "Mommy, I YIKE brocc-y!" - while shaking her head, and with a face that clearly communicates she does NOT, in fact, like broccoli.  Similarly, instead of "no thank you," she'll simply say "thank you" while shaking her head.
*Lately, when she asks me a question, "What's this?" or "Why?" and I respond, she almost always comes back with: "Oh yeah. I know 'dat. I read 'dat book at my school." Ha!
She is enthusiastic and affirming and becoming quite a chatter-box. Some of my favorite conversations occur when she is sitting on the potty *waiting* for something to (accidentally) happen. We chat to distract her and get her to sit a little while longer. She tells all kinds of fantastic stories and is just such a joy.

Hair
Esther has CURLS!  They are not super resilient. In this dry winter weather, they are quickly flattened out if she puts on a hat or we take a short car ride - so mostly we only get to enjoy them at home. But I love them - she looks just like her dad at this age.

Esther's hair has grown out pretty short in front, so I generally don't do anything with it since it's not in her eyes. But she has started asking for a "pony, same as Cora." And I realized she actually has quite a bit of hair!

Big girl's first pony!

Part of the reason it is so short in front, I think, is that she pulls her hair out while she sleeps. I've only ever seen her do this one time, when she was snoozing in our bed after an early morning wake up. It seems to only be on the left side, the same hand she sucks on her fingers. Hopefully she will grow out of this when she stops sucking her fingers :(

A little thin on the left side

Esther has been such a fun addition to our family. She brings so much energy and spunk, and her siblings love her to pieces. She and Cora are such good play buddies while Jonah is at school - their favorites include playing with their babies and any kind of craft, the messier the better. And Jonah and Esther also get along super well. They seem to have similar personalities.

Loves to help Mom in the kitchen