2 in a row? Whaaaaat?

I feel like my last post mainly talked about Tealle, so I thought I would write some about Kimber. 2 kids...equal love, equal time dedication on blog. Kimber, Kimber Kimber. Wow. First, she has the sweetest heart. She wants to make sure everyone is included. She pretty freely gives hugs and kisses. And, she wants everyone else to kiss too. This is slightly awkward when it's Clayton and my mom she's specifying. haha. But, I say that to express that she's an extremely loving little girl. This fact makes my heart happy. It means that we've loved on her enough to teach her how to love others. She says "I Love You" randomly, which makes me think it is sincere and heartfelt. A few weeks ago, while I was changing her diaper she said "Mama, you're my best friend". Be still my heart. So sweet and genuine. She's at her best when Clayon AND I AND Tealle are all with her. I would term her an "includer". I use that term because I took a strengths test in college and that was one of my top 5 "strengths". And, I see that in her. Compassion, love. These are good qualities. This gives me hope for the future. Notice how I prefaced what I'm about to type with that sentence. lol. I have heard people say that "threes" are harder than "terrible twos". Well, that may be true, but I could care less at the moment. Because frequently I am pretty sure someone has stolen my compassionate sweet little angel and replaced her with the most bratty, difficult two year old I've ever seen. Therefore, I would say, I'm experiencing "terrible twos". TERRIBLE. When Kimber was a baby, there was a pretty long span of time that we didn't really take her many places for fear that she would scream and cry. She wasn't the most patient or chill baby, so we didn't take too many chances with public appearances, especially church, weddings, etc. I still see people with their sweet infant in a wedding and I think "that never could have been me". Anyway, we are somewhat in that stage. You never know what will set Kimber off into a fit. One day, redirecting her away from something is a breeze. The next, she's thrown herself on the floor and uttered such screams that Tealle is literally scared to death. I don't blame her. Because I'm slightly afraid too. But only to the point that my strong-willed nature kicks in and I remind myself that this. child. will. not. beat. me. It's like there is such extreme anger over something as "small" as one of us buckling her in the high chair when she wanted to do it. It seems small to us, but toddlers crave independence so I can understand why she's upset. I try to think about why she's responding the way she is but I'll be honest, a lot of the time, I am pretty sure she's gone insane. She screams pretty much every night in the bathtub. Why? She doesn't want to take a bath. Um, too bad sweetie. You have corn in your hair and you still smell like the syrup you apparently had at breakfast this morning. These are battles I have to choose. There are other things I can let go. As any parent knows, it's a delicate balance between letting them grow and learn but not letting them get away with things that are not going to be good qualities or lessons in the future. Okay, enough negativity. I should also quantify all of my comments with the fact that I have a theory on why Kimber is so "difficult". She's smart as a whip. I'm not saying easier kids are not smart. Each child is different. This is just her personality and a lot of it is her nature. How do I know? She's just like me. Over-achiever? Yep. Frustrated when she can't do something perfectly? Yep. Wants to be able to do anything? Yep. Wants to communicate effectively with anyone she encounters? Yep. The jury is still out on whether we will clash more often, or if we will just understand each other since we're similiar. I'm betting it's a little of both. Age 2 update: There are so many things to share. Kimber speaks so well it's amazing to me. She's been using complete sentences for quite sometime, and they onlly get more advanced. At her 2 year checkup, the doctor was telling me how the main milestone for this age is speaking. He asked if she could say at least 50 words. I said yes and asked her to talk to him. Of course, she wouldn't. (shocker) She just sucked on her pacifier and stared at him. This was okay with me because she usually cries. I had promised her a sticker if she could be a sweet girl during her checkup. I assured him she was speaking fine and he started to leave the room. When he was almost out the door, she took out her pacifier and said "Mommy, can I have a sticker now?" hahaha. He poked his head back in, completely shocked. It was a highlight. Very funny. Kimber is still true to size with clothing. She wears a 24 month or 2T, but 2T is still pretty big for her in bottoms. She's tall but narrow. We are already having issues with finding jeans that are long enough but fit in the waist as well. I see dollar signs. Gonna have to look hard for the right jeans. She still wears a size 4 diaper. She uses the potty occasionally, but not regularly, and definitely NOT for #2. I'm thinking she's going to be one that eventually makes up her mind to do it and until then, she can't be bothered. So, we just mention it and let her decide. Stats: 36 inches tall (93rd percentile), 26.5 pounds (this was around 74th percentile) Foods: dislikes - cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes (except french fries & tater tots) favorites - chicken nuggets (especially from Old McDonald's), macaroni & cheese, steak, spaghetti, any kind of fruit, yogurt