Eila has transitioned to a toddler bed (well, we just took the side off her crib). This gives her the freedom to get up and walk around at night (which she does).

Eila will usually announce her exit from her bedroom with a "I Waked Up!" as she makes the sign as well. We usually respond with "but you never went to sleep...".

Most kids reject lima beans as the quintessential torture food, but not Eila. She picks through her mixed veggies to find the lima beans and then asks for more. She rejects the peas and corn in favor of the little green lima bean. Eila also adores beets and black olives. She prefers veggie soup to any sandwich and doesn't really seem to like juice (except orange). She completely turns up her nose at peanut butter and yet likes coffee (we let her taste it thinking she wouldn't want anymore...). Will wonders never cease?

Eila is celebrating her second birthday today and really enjoying it! We started the day with a round of "Happy Birthday" complete with cake and candle, which she blew out very well on only her second attempt (with a little help from Maman). She then opened several presents (and crumpled up the paper and threw it in the bag) and proceeded to play for a bit with them. Eila had lots of phone calls and loved all the singing of her new favorite song. She really liked the second round of "Happy Birthday" with cake and candles when she got to eat some cake too! We may even do a third take after dinner...

As Eila turns two years old, she is a lively red-head with smiles and spunk to share. She now weighs 26 pounds and is 32.5 inches tall. Her favorite foods are cereal, cheese, cookies, and candy; she also really likes milk, water, and orange juice. Brushing her teeth and hair are great fun as is cleaning just about anything (with a wipe, broom, or just picking up) and cooking (or cuisine as Eila calls it). Eila is a fantastic dancer and sings about 6 or 7 songs that are recognizable to others. She can jump a tiny bit off the ground now and loves to spin and climb. Eila runs quickly and sometimes stops when we ask. In French, she says at least 50 words and some 3-word sentences. In English, she says at least 150 words and says some 4 or 5-word phrases. In sign language, Eila knows about 30-40 signs. You can usually hear Eila saying "C'mon" or "This way" and occasionally "I love you." Reading books and coloring are popular afternoon activities. Her favorite books are currently: Frosty the Snowman and Jesus Loves Me. Eila has spent hours in the past weeks keeping track of who is who and what they are doing. She also loves to watch TV, especially Barney and Elmo or the trailer for Happy Feet (kwoingwin). As a special treat for Eila, there was a little snow on the ground this morning, which she was super excited about!

Eila is full of contractions of late (see previous entry) including the tension between wanting to be the baby and wanting to be the big girl. She wants to be rocked and sung to sleep like a baby (her words). She also wants to walk and do it herself (STOP in her words). Eila would like to have her turn in the swing and the exersaucer. Yet, she wants to have show Josiah how to use all the toys or do it for him. She sometimes asks to wear a diaper and other times must use the potty. She wants to be held and be up, but also wants down and to run away. Eila is in a time of transition and although, she isn't sure she's ready to give up being a baby just yet, that's the only thing she is unsure about. She'll let you know exactly what she wants for everything else!

Eila has a different take on what things are than most adults. The words she knows follow a strict pattern for definition: If you put your head on it, it's a pillow. If you sit on it, it's a chair.

Simple enough.

However, what happens if you have a chair that you can rest your head against? To Eila, this instantly turns your chair into a pillow. This new name is also vigorously defended against attempts to call it a chair.

Amber and Eila recently had this conversation:

"Chair" (points to chair)
"Pillow" (points to chair)
"Chair"
"Pillow"
"Chair"
"Pillow"
"Chair"
"Pillow"
"Chair"
"Pillow"

And so on....

(Also equally confusing is the crying/laughing distinction since we have a picture where Eila is laughing, but when she sees it she says "Don't Cry").