I’m not sure what to write about, but it’s been a while. How about an update?

Okay, that’s the plan, then. But first, I have exciting news. I’m doing my first vendor fair tomorrow in McLouth, before the big Patriots’ Day parade. I’ll have a table set up, and they will be an awesome special for the day, so if you’re in the area, you should come see me!

I read an article about two-year-olds, and it made me appreciate Ivy a bit more. She’ll be three in July, you know. I can’t believe it, but it’s true. Anyway, the article mentioned how two-year-olds speak in simple sentences, want to do things themselves, stuff like that. I wish I could record her talking, just so I can listen to it when I’m having a bad day in ten years, when she’s too cool to talk to me. She says things like “dee dat?” (what is that?), “meenite” (when you ask her to do something and she wants you to wait a minute while she finishes something else), “peewoes”” (pillows), and “need, mama?” (when I say her name and she didn’t catch what I wanted from her). She says “okay, fine” a lot…sometimes with attitude, and sometimes out of habit I think. I don’t take it personally anymore. She has also become very good at taking off and putting on clothes and shoes herself and being a little helper.

She also has a way of squeaking when she’s excited, like a dog toy, but much, much louder. Yesterday, I went into her room after naptime, and she showed me the “bees” (actually, they’re moths) that have been in her room for a couple of days. I don’t know how they’re getting in, but she’s a big fan of theirs. We sat by the window and looked at them while she squeaked and squealed and wanted to touch them but didn’t want to touch them at the same time. I also wish I could have recorded that and broadcast it to the world, because it would have made anyone smile. But she won’t even smile for a picture these days, so a camcorder is out of the question.

We painted her fingernails for the first time last week. She wouldn’t allow it until Henry wanted his done (we painted three of his, a red one, a white one, and a blue one). They didn’t last very long, but she liked it.

Oh, and she’s also a harmonica prodigy. I couldn’t get a good picture because she wouldn’t stop playing it long enough for me to.

Henry has settled down a little with some time for grandma/grandpa detox (he spent a lot of time with a lot of grandparents, so the detox took a lot of extra time this time!). He’s all about “baby” animals right now, so he’s always carrying around a tiny little stuffed animal (or five). He’s also been known to carry around stuffing (like out of cushions or my bag of doll/pillow stuffing) for hours. Literally, hours. It is sometimes a baby bird, or a baby bird’s bed, or one of the baby animal’s blankets. Could be anything, really.

And he’s been making up all kinds of words lately, and songs. He used to not want anyone around him to sing, but now he’s all about it. And I know a lot of you got a good laugh about the Pizza Hut story, so you know that he does not enjoy wearing clothes anymore, ever.

Essie turned nine months old yesterday. I believe she weighs 21 pounds now (from the old holding her on the scale and subtracting method). I think she’s gone through a growth spurt lately, because she’s been eating A LOT. She’s also working on getting up on all fours, so she’s getting closer to crawling.

She has the most expressions I’ve ever seen on a baby, too. This is her outside in the sun face…

This is her “I’m so happy to hear you say my name!” face…

This is her “really, mom? ANOTHER picture?? Fine.” face….

And this face? This is the “call me cute one more time and I’ll make myself look like an old man” face.