How did this happen? Maren is two-years-old and no longer a little baby. She's developing her own personality, talking up a storm, and of course, getting cuter and cuter each day. I have seen so many changes in my littlest girl. She is testing her own independence by making many of her own decisions (and testing Mommy constantly, I might add). Her vocabulary has grown tremendously and with the rate at which she repeats, we are getting to a point where we can better understand what she needs and wants. Maren's been interested in sitting on the potty at home and school more because she sees her older classmates using it. We're not actually full on training her yet, but watching to see where it goes. Oh, and she's getting her two-year old molars now. I had forgotten how little fun this process can be. She had her first hair cut this spring. Her hair had gotten so long and it made such a nice difference.
Corrections: In an earlier post, I said that Reagan had all but her 2 year molars by age 13 months. I was wrong, she didn't get her canines until around 21 months.
Reagan recently turned five. She had a great party with tons of friends at our local roller skating rink. It was her first time on roller skates and I can say with certainty that it won't be her last! Preschool graduation was super cute. Reagan performed along with her class and made Mommy, Daddy, Nana, & Pop so very proud!
We are preparing her for Kindergarten in the fall. I still can't believe that my first baby girl is going to be getting on that big yellow bus each morning and heading off to (real) school. Reagan's last major speech issues seem to have cleared up with a little work at home with Mommy & Daddy. Now, "otay" is finally "okay" and we barely remember that "dog" was once "dod." She has started swimming lessons again. That seems to be going well. She has picked up exactly where she left off and is having a great time. Soccer was an interesting spring sport. Hmmm, not sure we'll do that again next year. 
I'm hoping for a ballet/tap combo enrollment for her this fall. Pretty sure the Princess in her will love it. I'm just not sure the Diva in her will love squeezing into ballet tights each week.Fun Things to Remember: Maren called Murphy "Fifi" and is now closer with "Furphy"; she's getting beyond her Elmo phase (thank you!) but is such a little Mommy to all her baby dolls; when she says I love you, it as "la you too" every time; Reagan lives each day in a world of princesses and unicorns; she loves to end her day filled with snuggles; she often climbs in our bed at night when scared.
Tidbit from the Past: Reagan's first word was Da Da. Maren's first word was uh-oh. Reagan's favorite Sesame Street character was Cookie Monster. When Reagan was born, her left foot was turned out (imagine the perfect stance for a ballerina). Before she was a week old, we were whisked off to UVA to see a pediatric Orthopedist where she had several X-rays to see if she would ever be able to bear weight on the foot. As you can assume, she's fine, but I had never been so scared and nervous in my life. Ha, welcome to motherhood. Each year on their birthdays, I dress the girls in the same "fancy" dresses. It's my way of marking their growth through the years. Reagan wears the dress I wore as I left our wedding reception. Maren wears the dress I wore for her Baptism. It's such a fun tradition! 
