The Alvarez Family: Savannah Grace turns 2

Consider this your warning---this is a long post with lots of pictures :)

Our sweet Savannah Grace turned two on November 8th. I really think this second year went by twice as fast as the first year. I can't believe how fast she's growing. Despite her premature terrible 2's, I wish I could keep her this little forever. At this rate she'll be 16 in the blink of an eye.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from her 2 year photo shoot (some taken at home and some in a studio).

We had her birthday party at home on Sunday November 6th. I decided to have it earlier while Grams was still visiting. I started planning the party about 3 months ago and I've been acquiring things for it every since. Thank goodness her birthday only comes once a year because I need a year to recupperate from all the work that goes into it. This year I really got in touch with my crafty side. Not sure how I'll be able to outdo it next year. Maybe I should go ahead and start planning now :)

Savannah had to test out the bouncey house before all the guests arrived

the party spread

the play zone was all in the backyard

Me and my birthday girl

the front door with the wreath that I made

Me, Savannah and Grams

family photo (she wouldn't put down her Pooh book until guests arrived)

the early guests

that's my girl, playing in the sandbox with her party dress on

sweet Lydia holding down the fort

"soooo much fun!!!"

cake time

"Please stop all the singing. It's embarrassing!"

despite all our practice, she still didn't want to blow out her candles

little drummer boy Brad

my attempt at keeping all kids outside obviously didn't work

Savannah and Bryn in their cool girl shades

time for presents!!!!

it's "Rapunzel"!!!!!

even better---2 Rapunzel blankets! Thanks Grams!

Chuggington trains

Savannah's and Lilly's new favorite play spots

in the words of Savannah "TRAINSSSSSS!!!!!!!!"

Savannah is a huge Rapunzel fan so I set this up for the morning of her birthday

she LOVED seeing Rapunzel all over the wall

birthday cereal. love that bed head!

she loves the balloons

At 2 years, Savannah is doing, saying, eating, playing, learning the following:

~She likes to put on her own shoes, pants, shirt, and jacket. Sometimes they're on correctly and sometimes not but it's always funny to watch her try.

~She always feeds herself with a fork or spoon.

~She's gotten pretty good at drinking out of a regular cup.

~Her favorite foods are chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, spaghetti with tomato sauce, cheese, apples, bananas, M&Ms, fries, ice cream, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, corn dogs, pizza, peas, berries, melon, baked cheetos, fruit chews, fruit strips, goldfish, and Clif bars. She's finally cut down on drinking milk and has slowly ventured into fruit juices.

~She is still running everywhere, climbing on everything, and now jumping on everything.

~Her favorite things to play with are: baby dolls (feeding, dressing, hugging), trains, play food (cooking and tea parties), blocks, musical instruments, legos, play doh, Pooh and friends, Disney princesses, books, tricycle, and Fisher Price pink car.

~Her favorite movies/shows are: The Fresh Beat Band, Yo Gabba Gabba, Tangled, Beauty and the Beat, Finding Nemo, Winnie the Pooh, and Shrek.

~Her speaking isn't totally clear but in her own way she can say all of the following: please, help, hold, up, more, yes, no, awesome, Lilly, Max, Grams, mama, daddy, elephant, fish, dog, kitty, bear, (most farm animals), baby, Fresh, drums, trains, truck, plane, slide, swing, jump, bounce, push, pull, walk, eat (and all words for foods that she eats), drink, water, wash, shower, soap, pool, beach, ocean, moon, (numbers 1-5 in order), shoes (and articles of clothing), read, book, (names of most of her toys ie "blocks"), (most primary colors), store, freeze, hot, and probably a handful of other words that I can't think of right now.

~On her own she can identify and name from pictures/photos/tv/in person the following: 5 letters of the alphabet, most animals, all Disney princesses, all characters from Winnie the Pooh and Fresh Beat, most shapes, most common body parts, articles of clothing, most family members.

~She has become a good little parrot. She often repeats most of the words I say to her whether she knows what they mean or not.

~Potty training has been been put back on hold. After several good weeks of going to the potty, Savannah has decided that it's not all its cracked up to be so she's taking full advantage of her diaper again. I suspected this could happen so we'll just try again in a few months.

~Temper tantrums are a normal occurrence around us. The smallest thing can set her off and then look out. She screams at the top of her lungs and will pull, hit, scratch, or bite in order to get what she can't have.

~She has a terrible phobia of the doctor. As soon as one looks her way, she starts screaming. It often takes me and a nurse to hold her down just so the doctor can check her ears/heart beat/lungs/etc.

~Her sleeping patterns vary by the day. We've pretty much dropped her nap because if she takes a nap then she won't go to bed until almost 11pm. If she skips her nap, she'll go to bed around 8:30pm. Regardless she still wakes up between 7 and 7:30am. Most nights she'll sleep straight through til morning but it's not uncommon for her to wake up at least once a night and want someone to go and sit beside her bed while she falls back to sleep. This is a bad habit from the infant days that I've never been able to break.