Rachel: A big girl in the making.

**Injury Update**

After only 3 weeks Rachel's scar is looking great! We are diligent about sun screen and scar cream, but I think by the fall it will hardly be noticeable. By the time she is a teenager it will probably be hidden in her hair anyway.

She accessorized herself.

Rachel has started that rapid transformation out of the baby/young toddler phase into the full blown toddler lurching towards preschooler. It seems from 18 months to 2 years they are changing almost daily.

For one, her vocabulary is unbelievable. She says so many little sentences and new words every day. Most people can understand more than half of what she says and we can understand almost all of what she says. I know this is common and it happened with Levi too, but it still amazes me. She repeats just about everything you say...both good and bad. As a matter of fact, when Levi calls for me from downstairs, she usually replies, "I comin" just like I would. When I have to count to Levi to do something for example "Levi, put on your shoes"....no action..."Levi, 1" Rachel will usually chime in and say "2". She is such a little mommy sometimes.

Her other new step vocally speaking is singing. She -like Levi- loves to sing and make up songs. Hers typically don't have easy to understand lyrics, but one day I caught her at Levi's piano, playing and singing into the microphone. Before I got the video camera out, she was singing, "I want you bad!" over and over again. Once I brought the camera out she started singing "Cheese!"

She is also now telling me when it is time to eat and what she wants. She is very good about saying please (peez) and thank you (ankyou) so it is hard to turn down her requests.

Another great phase she has finally entered is giving kisses more freely. Up until recently you kind of felt like you hit the lottery when she would give you an actual kiss on the lips. Now, there are days when she gives more than I can handle.

I am also amazed at how she gave up the pacifier. Pa-pa as it was known around here was a bedtime must. I had dwindled its use to nap and night time only, but it was a strict part of our ritual. If I didn't give her Pa-pa it was asked for by name...until one random night I asked, "Are you ready for Pa-pa?" She looked at me almost as if I had offended her and said, "No Pa-pa." and that was literally the last day it was ever used. I told Matthew that night that she had given it up and not to mention it again. It worked and she has been pacifier free since May 10th and there hasn't been a single struggle. I am grateful, because I truly wasn't sure how to wean her totally off it. She made it easy for me.

Now that Pa-pa is out of our lives, we are gearing up to move her to Levi's room. They are going to be sharing a room as we only have 3 bedrooms (the 4th is an office). I am nervous about this transition and am truly not looking forward to it. Levi wakes up earlier than Rachel and because he is older, he just plays in his room or something until I get up. I cannot do this with Rachel. I will be forced to get up when they do...I know I need to suck it up and just do it, but we have a good thing going right now and I know I will loose this gift in September anyway, but I just want to hold on to it while I still can. I think they will do fine sleeping in the same room, it is just the waking part I am unsure about. Time will tell...

Another task I am contemplating diving into this summer is potty training. She already asks to go potty and actually pees on the potty periodically, but to launch into it full force is not something I was sure I wanted to tackle this summer. I am trying to let her lead but it does get difficult when we are in a public place and Levi says he has to go potty, then she says she has to go potty. I want to encourage this, but it is cumbersome to get a diaper off a 20 mo. old and hold her on a potty and then redress her (and she didn't even pee!) all while 6-7 months prego. Levi is pretty self sufficient so taking him to the bathroom is easy. But if I truly train her, then maybe she will only say that when she truly has to go...or maybe not. Oh well, I am not going to worry about it until we get back from our weekend away. I am not going to put any effort into it and then leave her with someone else for a few days, she may totally regress. So I guess I have a little over a week to decide what I am going to do :)

In short, we are truly enjoying our daughter. She brings an extra element to our lives that I am not sure another boy could bring. I have said this before, but I will say it again. I feel very blessed to have been given both genders to raise. I love them both for very different reasons. I enjoy all the good and bad that comes with each gender. At this point I wouldn't say that either has been easier than the other. We will see if I feel the same after potty training is over. "They" say girls are easier. "They" also say that the second is usually easier than the first. We shall see. I hope "they" are right on both accounts.

To be fair, I am writing a post about Levi as well, I just felt like Rachel is changing so fast that I needed to write it all down. I love this age and know that it goes by super quick! She will be 2 just after the baby comes and I feel like that is just around the corner. The summer goes so fast and here we are almost mid-way through June.

Also, to clarify, I can't wait to have another of either gender in this house. I love having both genders and I don't have a preference as to what Ferris#3 is. Except that the double gender is going to be sharing a room and I think that 2 boys would be easier in that regard. Plus, if Rachel was the only girl than she and I could go have special girl time and her middle child thing would fall second to the fact that she was the only girl...superficial reasons, I know. That is why it truly doesn't matter if this baby is a boy or a girl. I just can't wait to find out!