Dear Lucy –

You have changed so much since I wrote about you at 20 months old! Mainly because you took on your most important role yet of big sister. But I’ll back track a bit. From mid-March to mid-May our lives consisted of these things: being sick, getting ready for Bridget to be born, and working a ton. It wasn’t necessarily the most fun moments of my life, but there was much anticipation for the month of May!

Around March, (after much hesitation, prayer, and thought) I told my boss that I would not be returning to work after Bridget was born. I had been working approx. 25-30 hours a week up to that point. After announcing my departure, things at work got busier since I was heavily involved in hiring and training my replacement. This meant that my hours increased to full time for the two months before Bridget was born. For you Lucy this meant full time daycare attendance. I didn’t care for this at all because I felt like I didn’t see you nearly enough! I only got to see you about 30 min. in the morning and 2-3 hours after work. To make matters worse you were such a grouch when you got home! You would scream and whine almost the entire 2-3 hours you were home in the evening. Finally one day, the daycare workers casually mentioned that you hadn’t been napping (even though it had said on your take home sheets that you had been…) This explained not only the crabbiness at home, but also the occasional reports of you hitting friends and/or being “aloof” at daycare. One time before I had made the final decision to quit my job, you were sick and I took the afternoon off to take you to the doctor. However, the next day I couldn’t take off since I had too much work to do and I had to take you with a dose of ibuprofen in your system. That day was horrible since I just hoped and prayed that you would be okay. It was this day that God used to show me that it was time to quit working and stay at home with you. It would take a lot of trusting in God for provision, but I felt at peace and ready to be home with you all the time – especially when you were sick and needed me the most.

Playing with cousin Wyatt

The preparation for Bridget’s birth included a couple of crazy weekends. For example, on Easter weekend we got a Budget rental van, loaded up our guest bedroom furniture and drove it to Atlanta where we exchanged it for my old twin bed set that had been at Kristen’s house and the outdoor playhouse that Gigi and Pops let us borrow. Another weekend, I had a baby shower for Bridget and your dad and Pops assembled a brand new swing set for you to play on (this was your early birthday gift from us). Yet another weekend included me and your dad painting your new big girl room lavender so that the nursery could be used by Bridget. Another weekend we spent running around town exchanging diapers and other baby items received from friends to make sure we had exactly what we needed for Bridget. You were a trooper through all of this and remained pretty much clueless about the big change coming your way.

First family photo!

On May 12th, you became a big sister. Your transition started early when we dropped you off at Christian and Tiane’s house at around 4:00 am and expected you to be just fine. Ever since then we have worried a little less about you as you have suddenly become (or appeared to be) so big, brave, and able (in comparison to Bridget). You really love being a big sister. Ever since Bridget was born, your favorite toy to play with has been your baby dolls. The Ware’s got you your first baby doll when you turned 1, and you only recently really started loving that doll and toting her around with you everywhere. You also had a few rag dolls that have become more popular. Also, you got two new dolls from Gigi and Pops – one the day Bridget was born (Anna from Frozen), and one on your 2nd birthday (with blonde hair and a pink dress).

Eating the hospital food

Your actual 2nd birthday was pretty low key. When Grandma and Grandpa Baareman were here, we had a little celebration for you. They got you a cake from Publix and gave you a bike! On your actual birthday – which was the Wednesday that Kristen and I drove all the kids to Atlanta, we had some chocolate cake and balloons. Then on the Saturday after your birthday, your daddy was there and we all went to the zoo then came home and had cookie cake and presents with Nana and Papa there too.

2nd Birthday Celebration with Grandma and Grandpa Baareman

New bike!

Feeding the birds with dad at Atlanta Zoo for 2nd Birthday

Cookie Cake!

You really started to talk more around the time Bridget was born. We joke that that is because you realized you had to do something “big” or you would completely lose the spotlight! Well, I don’t think you will ever lose the spotlight Lucy because you are always doing something new. Some of your favorite words and phrases are:

• Water (you are OBSESSED with it) – sounds like “Wadi”
• Baby Sissy (also OBSESSED). 
• Mommy
• Daddy
• No and Uh-huh (for yes) 
• Blue’s Clues (your new favorite TV show) – “Boo Coo”
• TV – (I let you watch TV when I’m feeding Bridget….hopefully you won’t get addicted!)
• I pooped – “I poo”
• Boo-Boo 
• Bath  – “Baa”
• Night Night – “Ni-Ni” – most frequently used in the phase “No Ni-Ni” when you aren’t ready for bed
• Bible 
• Book – “Boo”
• Outside – (also OBSESSED)
• Shoes – “Shoo”  (associate shoes with going somewhere)
• Go 
• 1-2-3 (getting there with counting)
• Ready – Set – Go (Not easy to understand yet, but we know what you are saying!)
• I see, I see (when you want to see something)
• See Baby? (when you want to show baby something – either Bridget or baby doll)
• Eat/Eating (use this when you are hungry or when Bridget is eating)
• Mole – funny enough you find moles really interesting
• My boat – My bow (she says this when talking about the lake house)
• Tube – for tube at the lake house 
• Bow = buckle or hair bow  
• Please – Mo Pee (you say “More Please” for “Please” since that is how you first learned it) 

On the boat with Wyatt and Gigi

Helping dad with 4th of July Fireworks

The whole family on 4th of July

Birthday cake for Aunt Kristen

Playing Angry Birds with Pops

Her specialty: making Bridget smile!

• WATER (drinking it, playing with it, swimming in it, you are a little obsessed. We had to limit your water intake recently because you were drinking so much we think it took away your appetite for regular food!)
• Helping with baby sister (waking her up, putting her to bed, getting her bath, etc.)
• Going places (church, play dates, errands, shopping, you love to get out of the house!)
• Being outside (playing with your water table and baby pool especially)
• Bath time, brushing teeth, reading stories in bed with mommy and daddy before bedtime. 
• Helping (with laundry, wiping the floor, dusting, you name it!)

Biggest Challenges this month 

• Hurting baby sister – most of the time by accident, but sometimes you think it is funny 🙁 
• Eating full meals – you aren’t really picky but sometimes you don’t have much of an appetite at all except for milk, fruit, and cheese…. 
• You want to do everything on your own, so when we have to do something for you, you can get frustrated. 
• You are very needy in the car and are constantly wanting us to hand you this or that, and when we don’t you get upset. 

First time in big girl bed

Helping take in the groceries

At Steed’s Dairy Farm before Bridget was born

Right now we are mainly either spanking you and/or putting you in your room when you are blatantly disobedient or doing something that you KNOW is not allowed (hitting, throwing things, pushing, biting, hurting your sister, not laying correctly when we try to change your diaper on the floor, etc.) You are VERY tough and most spankings you don’t even cry. Recently you also seem to care less about being in your room, so we may need to do something else like time out in the corner or something like that. It is still hard to tell exactly how much you understand and correlate a punishment to what you did wrong. We make sure to explain to you why you are being punished before, and to talk calmly about it afterwards. We are also trying to relate all punishments back to a reason “why” – either scripture or a practical reason why you should have obeyed us (cleanliness, safety, respect, etc.) We are currently going through “Growing Kids God’s Way” with our Sunday School class and hope to learn some methods that way. I’ve also read a few books about toddlers that I’m hoping will give me some guidance on what type of behavior is acceptable or not.  

Lucy – we love you so much! We are so proud of the big sister that you have become to Bridget. You are such a fun little girl. You love life and are just in general so happy. We love your smile and giggle. It has been so much fun to see your personality, and likes and dislikes emerge more and more. You are starting to become pretty “Type-A” like me. You really like routine and everything in just the right place. We know that God has a special plan for you and that he made you just the way you are for his purpose. You brighten our day every day. Ever since I quit my job you have become my little buddy and I LOVE spending all day every day with you.