Meredith has been two basically since she was about 13 months old… once she could walk, run away, and communicate, etc., she wasn’t taking orders from anyone! Seriously, I thought I was the most stubborn person in the world, but I was wrong. Very wrong. Strong-willed doesn’t even begin to describe this girl!
Last time I was at Target with her, she threw such a tantrum over items I wouldn’t let her put in the cart that a very kind lady offered to push my cart to the parking lot for me while I carried her, kicking and screaming under one arm like a football to the car! We rarely go to the store anymore and instead try to get as many wiggles out as possible at the park or anywhere she can run wild and free. Being strapped down in her car seat, stroller, shopping cart is usually a recipe for power struggles. The upside is that she learns quickly and is very independent… from washing her hands and singing the ABCs to buckling her own seatbelt, to getting a snack, to putting on her clothes and shoes, she wants to do it all herself! She’s observed the twins turning on our Alexa device to play a song or a show and now tries to order Alexa around herself (“Lexa, play Daniel Tiger Naaaaaayhood”)!
She consistently makes the twins cry from her hair-pulling and wrestling antics and she is the master of her favorite game, hide-and-seek. She will snatch a prized item, such as my phone, wallet, my entire purse, or a Sharpie and will hide under our dining room table or drapes, throwing cards everywhere, trying to login to my phone, or going through every item in my purse like a little mouse! She’s sooooo quiet that it sometimes takes everyone in the house several minutes to find her. Sneaky girl!
She’s also bubbly, full of energy, constantly talking and singing and is the biggest cuddlebug. Even though we ALWAYS read exactly three books at naptime and bedtime, she still innocently asks for one more book and jumps off my lap to grab one, hoping I will give in just this once. What she is in stubbornness and sneakiness, she makes up for in friendliness. She’s better friends with some of the twins’ friends than they are! All of the kids at preschool love to play with her when we drop off or pick up the twins and she is definitely not shy with anyone… so different from the twins! She constantly makes us laugh and loves life!
Her prayers are always heartfelt and usually include some mention of “chicken, cookies, Sammy, and Sammy” (she can say Amelia, but for some reason, she usually calls both of the twins Sammy!) Amelia came up with the idea of throwing a little party on the day that she finally called her Amelia, and when she did say it, everyone was clapping and so excited. After our little impromptu dessert “party,” she continued to point to both twins and call them Sammy. We’re not sure if she’s doing it to bug us or if she really can’t tell that they are two different people or what! She also loves to look at family pictures or old photo albums, and usually points to the twins and says, “Meredith!” We don’t know what goes through that little toddler brain of hers, but she is funny!
We love you, Meredith!
A few of her favorite things…
Interestingly, Meredith is the same height and weight as Samantha was when she turned two! Amelia was one pound lighter.
Happy birthday, lovebug!
Lots of love,
