Lulu is ALMOST 2.

This girl.

First of all, don’t even try to pretend like she’s not the cutest. And? She is going to be 2 in LESS than a month! How is that even possible?

Sorry. Where was I?

Okay, Baby Lulu is 23+ months – perhaps Mommy should have started planning her birthday party prior to 2 days ago, but whatevs. (*I* have been planning next year’s party since the day after my superhero bash.)

Lulu is amazing – we are best friends, and Mommy’s heart is going to break a little if we ever get around to having a sibling rivalry, because the two of us together? Cutest EVER.  She likes to play everything that I do, but has a bunch of her own interests, too; she LOVES singing and dancing, and puts on nightly performances in the kitchen. What she lacks in any sort of tonality, she more than makes up for in enthusiasm and volume.  She also loves mommying her baby dolls – she snuggles the babies and loves to take care of them.

Lulu is very messy – she is kind of a klutz, and constantly has bruises and smudges all over her face. It’s a good thing she is starting out so smart, because she is sure to give herself brain damage bonking her head all the time! She is pretty cheerful about it, though, and a kiss and an occasional band aid makes everything “all bettoo!”

If you ask her how old she is, she will confidently tell you “five!” – well, actually, that’s not true anymore. I informed her that she was one and three quarters, and NOW if you ask her, she will say “five…quarters!”

So, time to check in with BabyCenter, and see what they say she should be up to…

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)

• Names simple picture in book – Yes! Lulu loves reading, and points out *everything* in the pictures.
• Uses 50-70 words – So. Many. Words. Baby Lulu talks a LOT.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)

• Opens doors – I don’t know; usually I open doors for both of us.

• Sings simple tunes – Yes. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” is a favorite, and almost anything from Music for Aardvarks,
  

• Takes more of an interest in playing with other kids – Lulu LOVES playing with me, and Max’s sister, Sarah, is her BFF.
  

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)

• Talks about self (likes, dislikes) – She is more likely to talk about me, actually.
• Asks “why?” – Not yet.