Carly at 2 1/2 Years

It's hard to believe Carly is deep into toddlerhood and seems to have left babyhood far behind. She seems so grown up some days with the things she understands, says, and comprehends. On the other hand, she is also often a loose cannon in that you never know what she's going to do next. Walking side by side in public places doesn't happen for long and she is fiercly independent and stubborn! She is so lovable at the same time and it's hard to be aggravated with her antics for long! Most days we try to go with the flow of the quick pace of Carly and I remind myself that she will only be this tiny of a fireball for a short while. I'm pretty sure she'll always be a fireball, but a bigger one, in a different stage of life!   I'm very happy to say that she has been pottytrained for about a month and a half and had to decide that she was ready to do it (as I thought would be the case). She pretty much decided to start using the potty one day and that was it. She stopped wearing diapers at night at the same time. Always a very rewarding milestone to conquer!   She is becoming more interested in learning her colors, numbers and letters and knows some of them. She enjoys coloring and not just on paper. She has practically marked on every room in our house at some point and loves to mark all over her body when she finds a marker! I'm really hoping she outgrows that soon! She enjoys looking at books somewhat but is not very interested in listening to us read them (and never has wanted us to read to her). I take her to storytime at the library and she loves the songs but once the librarian starts to read, her focus shifts to all of the other kids in the room and she thinks social hour has begun! She is incredibly social and always going up to people and making friends.   We continue to struggle with her diet and figuring out what she can and can't eat. She is pretty much on an all organic diet but we still have to be careful with some of the ingredients in organic processed foods. Unfortunately, the learning process comes with trying new things and seeing what she reacts to. It's especially challenging with ingredients such as "natural flavors" in which there is no way to know what those ingredients actually are. Generally if it's something in organic foods, it's much milder of a reaction than if she has artificial dyes and doesn't last longer than a day (compared to about 3 days with artificial dyes). Going out to eat at a restaurant is difficult but we have a few safe choices for her when we do go out. We will all be healthier because of her sensitivities!   She's at such a fun age and is such a funny little girl. I really love watching her personality emerge and we all are constantly cracking up at the things she says and does. We love you Carly June (aka "Junie")!