Diana..in a nutshell

It's hard to believe Diana is less than 2 months away from turning 2 years old. Where has time gone?? Over these past almost two years I've seen my little baldy bean sprout into a rambunctious toddler with beautiful blonde hair. She's definitely a giant ball of energy and personality, and I wouldn't have her any other way!
She's getting so smart and is saying so much, and it's made life SO much easier being able to actually communicate with her! She can say a lot of her ABC's, she can count to 5, she can say over 70 words and phrases, she loves to sing along to many of the songs from her favorite movies (although she's still a little tone deaf, so it sounds more like monotonous chanting of a couple of words over and over again from each song), she loves to wash her hands, feed her teddy bear and dolls and get them dressed, she loves to pick up her stuff and sing "The Cleanup Song" as she does it, she LOVES to watch movies, and her new favorites are the new Winnie the Pooh movie and the Kung Fu Pandas (Although she does still LOVE to watch all her old favorites, too), and will ask to watch them by saying "Bear", "Pooh", or "Bearyair"...not sure what the last one is supposed to mean, but she has said it several times. She knows several animal and object noises and will proudly recite them when asked what a certain thing says. We got her saying "Ho Ho Ho" for Santa RIGHT in time (she said it for the first time on Christmas Eve), although she actually says "Woah Woah Woaaaah!" Close enough for me. She likes to laugh in an obnoxious, fake manner (JUST like her Daddy) and exclaim "I faowt!" while pointing to her bum whenever she passes gas. Ohhhh, so classy. She knows where her feet, toes, tongue, ears, eyes, mouth, and nose are, and likes to say "Foooot" (imagine the sound while saying it with super-puckered lips) whenever we get her dressed or she wants her shoes on or off...or if she wants a foot rub. She loves having her tummy, head, neck, back, arms, legs, hands, and feet rubbed and will demand (yes, demand) that we rub them. We make her ask "please", though, before we rub anything. She has a little white stool that she carries around the kitchen so she can get her own drinks (from the fridge water dispenser), wash her hands, get something off the counter, pretend to do dishes, and so on. She loves to help us unload and load the dishwasher and will immediately stop whatever she's doing and come running if she hears or sees us doing it without her.  She also loves to help with the laundry and sweeping the floors. I'm getting anxious for the day when she's big enough to do these things all on her own. One day, one day...  Sadly, though, with all she can do, it seems there's always a million kids months younger than her who can do all that and more. Some have people's names down and will say their name when they see them. Some know their full alphabet.  Some have a more advanced and clearer vocabulary. Things like that. It makes me sad because I don't want Diana to be behind, but then I get angry and remind myself that she's right on track. Yes, the fact that she isn't more advanced is 100% my fault because I do not sit with her and teach her things,( I like her to learn through experience) and I know if I spent all my time teaching my kid like other parents do, I'd have a mini-Einstein on my hands, but I know I need to learn it's ok for her to be as smart as she is on her own, and that I'm ok for balancing my time with my child/the way I spend that time, and my housework the way I do. I love her, she feels my love and loves me back, and really, that's what truly matters.
Her Terrible Two's have been attacking full force for a few months now and it hasn't been so fun. She likes to thrown full-blown tantrums about absolutely nothing several times a day. At first it frustrated me and her and I would get into a mini shouting match, but now I've learned to ignore her and let her tantrum away, as long as she isn't doing something bad, like throwing things or hitting...when she does those things, it's an automatic time out, nothing said. She calms down REAL fast after she comes out of time out and is always ready for me with a big kiss and a hug. I remember being small and throwing tantrums. My mom would put me in my room and shut the door, and I'd kick and scream away until I got so tired I'd pass out. Then, when I woke up, I always felt like a million bucks and was in the best mood. My mom knew what she was doing, and I always remember that when my kid starts driving me insane. Though she can be a total handful, I love her to death and feel so horrible whenever I get mad at her.
She's a VERY rough and tumble little kid, and loves to wrestle with Daddy and Mommy and whoever else she feels like it. As a result, most kids are afraid of her, because she has been known to body slam and tackle innocent toddlers. She isn't trying to be mean, this is just her way of having fun. I don't know why, we don't wrestle around with her or play rough with her..I'm guessing it's just a product of so much energy! But, she does have a sweet heart and loves to dole out lots of hugs and kisses to everyone. If she senses someone is sad or upset in a movie, she turns to us with a concerned look on her face and says "awwww" in a very quite, sad way, like she wishes she knew what to do to make them better. If someone in real life is sad, she does the same thing, but also responds with a gentle hug, pat on the back, and soft kiss. Most of the time, if I get sad or frustrated about something (which, sadly, seems to happen a lot), she walks up to me, places her hand softly on my cheek and rubs it, and gets a tiny, soft smile on her face...it's purely a look of "Mommy, it's going to be ok." and it lifts my spirits every time, because I know she really feels that and that's really what she's trying to express to me at the time. I love her compassion and her sweet heart, she may be obnoxious and rambunctious, but she's a true angel at heart.
Well, other than what I've already said, plus the fact that she eats like a bottomless pit and runs around like a mad man all day long, that's pretty much Diana in a nutshell lately. I wish I could write more, but my brain's a little fried from being sick (my second time in two months, Diana's 4TH time in the same amount of time), so I'll end here and I'll try to stay up to date of her and my pregnancy from here on in. Wish me luck ;)