A few words (from June) summed up by a lot of words (from me)

Sometimes I feel like June gets a bit short-changed in my blog-posting, because I struggle to keep up with pictures, trips, holidays and whatnot, so the general "development news" goes by the wayside.  I'm not going to beat myself up about it too much, though, because that is just the reality of going from having 1 kid to 2 (and soon to be 3). 

June, if you are reading this twenty years later, please don't be offended that I probably told the world about every airplane Georgia might've pointed to or board book she looked at when she was 21 months old.  The readers of this blog are probably glad that I no longer consider such things newsworthy.  I promise, we are truly enamored with your every move, and I am not saying that sarcastically.  You're clearly approaching the terrible two's, and I now have the wisdom that comes with experience to see the warning signs, but for now, you're mostly just pretty darn adorable, so we're trying to soak it up before all hell breaks lose. 

Overall, Georgia became quite verbal at an earlier age than June.  (Totally typical for the development of a firstborn versus a second child, right?)  However, there are a few significant words that June has started using much sooner than her older sister did:  "Why?" and, "Mine!" (which she pronounces more like "My!").

I can't recall when Georgia hit the "why?" stage, but I know it wasn't at 20 months, and June already asks "why?" 100 times a day.   
"Let's change your diaper." "Why?" 
"I think it's going to rain today."  "Why?" 
Maybe it's the fact that she draws it out like a little mewing kitten, saying, "Whyyyyyyyy?" that makes it so amusing?  Often it's the unintentional sarcasm she creates (e.g,. "June, Stop pinching me!" "Whyyyyyy?") or the unintentional make-you-feel-like-a-moron remarks (e.g., "Ugh. I can't figure out how to open this simple package!"  "Whyyyyyy?") 

The "mine's!" are far less charming, but it's totally obvious where they came from.  Georgia's been ripping things out of her hands and stealing from her left and right since birth, which we can only curb so much.  This leads, to give just one example, to June yelling, "Mine! Mine!" in a panic as she sees steaming hot mac n' cheese being put in the fridge to cool, for fear that it shall never return.  Basically, all day long, anything that she sees that she wants, she starts shouting, "Mine!" 

Other developments: 

• June used to wake up each morning and greet us saying, "birdie! birdie!" because she wanted you to walk her over to the window to open the curtains and look for birds on our neighbor's windowsill.  Now when she wakes up, I'm usually the one to get her from her crib, and her first words are always, "Daddy?  Georgia?"  She's very big on calling roll and accounting for everyone.
• She likes to jump to show off for people. 
• She often goes into a shell when she's upset.  Or at least that's what we call it.  She'll walk away, and lay on the floor with her head face down, reminiscent of many school tornado drills I took part in as a child.  It's too cute for words (in a sad way, I know).  But I think it's also a sign of things to come.  I fear she's going to be a thrashing-screaming-throw-yourself-on-the-floor style tantrumer, which would be new territory for us.

We'll keep you posted.