I can’t believe I just typed that out. Little miss is two months away from being two years old! 

Keogena is like a sour patch kid. You know those commercials-“first they’re sour, then they’re sweet?” That was foreshadowing for my daughter. She has a heart of gold and is sweet to her core, but the girl knows what she wants in a big way. She is so smart, so observant, and brings so much joy and laughter to our family! Here’s a peek into life with our lady at 22 months old.

How has her personality changed as she approaches 2? Homegirl is strong. willed. She always has been, but a couple months ago she learned the word no and she happily and swiftly incorporated it into her vocabulary. Oshiolema was never much of a no kid, so this threw me for a loop for a bit. Thankfully, she usually says “no thank you,” but I’m working on reminding her not to say no to mommy and daddy but to respond with a heart of obedience and respect to everyone. Its a work in progress for sure (;

What are her favorites? 

Books: Princess Hair, Goodnight Moon, Sweet Dreams Jack Jack, Coco Chanel, When God Made You, The Wonderful Things You Will Be (if you don’t own this book, it’s just one of the best books we own and it’s so sweet.)

Activities: Coloring with chalk, trying on my dresses and jewelry, e a t i n g, jumping on the trampoline, playing with her babies and practicing on her big brother’s scooter

Songs: Rain Rain Go Away, “Put on Your Shoes,” Skidamarinkadinkadink, Joshua 1:9 which the kids call “Have I not”  and Jesus Loves Me.

How well does she communicate at 22 months? Keogena has such a big and fun vocabulary, especially because of her older brother. She’s starting to communicate so much more clearly and also non-stop. She’s started to tell me things like “Mommy, stand up please!” When I have to bend down while holding her, her most frequent phrases are “help me, please!” “no thank you!” “more, please!” “I do, I do, I do!!!” “I don’t like it.” and lately, the heartbreaker, “may I please go sit with my mommy?”

What are her favorite things to eat? Is she picky? She is NOT picky. She’s definitely going through that almost-two phase where she likes to pretend she doesn’t like things just to have some freedom but thankfully, both my kids are great eaters. She eats three meals a day plus one snack but her favorite meal, by a landslide, is breakfast. Oatmeal, eggs + yogurt + berries + toast, rice chex…the whole deal. People are always shocked by how much (and how quickly) she eats. Lady throws down. She’s allergic to garlic and sweet potato which I have to get creative with sometimes but she’s super passionate about food.

Does she have any behavioral issues? She really is so sweet. She’s a bit more sneaky and defiant than her big brother but that is exactly the same as me as a child. It definitely takes a bit more discipline, conversation and intention but I’m so excited about that sneakiness turning into curiosity and defiance turning into stong-will and determination.

What is her relationship to technology? The kids watch one TV show a day but she still has no interest in television whatsoever. She just talks and plays in that time slot, although she will give Veggie Tales, Little Einsteins and Paw Patrol a pinch of her time. She did watch Moana a few weeks ago and sat ALMOST the whole time, fully engaged. It was an epic event. We don’t do any iPads or phones yet with the kids so TV is it.

Does she have any nicknames? We call her mama, angel girl, and ladybug but if we’re not calling her by her full name, we call her Nana. Oshiolema called her Nana for a long time and it was too sweet not to reinforce. I never could have chosen that nickname but it’s here to stay!

What’s her sleep schedule at 22 months? The kids go to bed between 7:30-8 every night and she’ll wake up between 6:30-7:30 in the morning. She’ll nap between 12:30-2:30 or 3ish every day which is still so crucial for all of us!

What are your favorite things about this age? It’s just so much fun. She is hilarious. I love watching her laugh and do things that she thinks will make us laugh. Her bond with her brother is such a gift to me and seeing them play together and work together has just been the best. I also love her curiosity and how much she picks up on a daily basis. I felt like she wasn’t learning numbers whatsoever despite me doing thw whole 1…2…3… thing often. One day, I just said Keogena, can you count? 1.. and she literally finished the whole thing. “Oneee…dooo…seee…fohhh..fyee…sit…memen…eight..nyyy… there is no ten in her version. But it was so precious and reminded me what a sponge she is! She also loves to pray for us and will bust out in prayer at any moment, totally unprompted.

Here are some of my favorite things for her currently!