27 Months

We are officially on vacation. A month ago, I finished teaching (for a year, anyway) and Tessie had her last full week of daycare. She will still keep going one day a week to stay social and not be stuck with me (and the new baby) all the time. I can't believe it's only about 2 weeks until Tessie is going to be a big sister. She is going to be so good at it. She loves it when her little friends come over with their baby siblings. She loves to kiss the babies and tickle their feet. Let's hope she is willing to do the same with ours. She has already learned to love being a little helper by carrying groceries into the house, putting things away, getting the telephone (and usually bringing it to me) when it rings.
We have cut back on traveling far lately. We did make one last trip to Long Island to visit with my college pals. Tessie visited my school for a day, too. The students I work with wanted to designate Tessie as the class mascot. They love it when she visits. We visited with family down the Cape for a day. We went to New Hampshire for a five days with Grampa. Tessie really enjoyed the beach by the lake this year, although the weather didn't cooperate much. She loved jumping off the dock and swimming with her "Super-Suit" (aka coverall bathing suit with floatation devices around her chest giving the appearance of heroic superpowers). She has been able to go on a boat during day trips to Maine with friends and on Boston Harbor with family (Thanks, Steve and Jeanne). Now she asks to go on a boat every day. She truly enjoys being on the water.
Tessie is very chatty and active. She talks in complete sentences. She connects people to things going on around her. For example: "Sink dripping. Grampa come fix it.", "Telephone ringing. Call Nana Sally.", "Daddy drive in truck. Go to work/shopping/Nana's house." Most of the time she is able to tell us with her words exactly what she is thinking. Her new word of choice is "scary". Anything that is unusual right now, is scary. She sings songs a lot. She loves music and dancing.
She loves it when friends and family come over to visit. She has a good friend from daycare named Merideth that she adores and they actually play very well together- especially for a couple of 2-year olds. We still get together with friends from the Library, but not as often. That will change now that we will be home and looking for fun and exciting things to do.

We had another ultrasound for the new baby. He/She is growing big just as his/her big sister was. They technician estimated at 33 weeks that the baby was already about 5lbs 4oz- a little above average. At my last appointment they estimate more than 8 lbs. The baby is active, wriggling around for the limited space in my belly. Less than 2 weeks (maybe) until we get to meet the little one...