Toddler

Sadie at Two Years Old

We’ve got a two-year-old on our hands! Here’s what’s up with Sader Tot at age two.

Toddler eating snacks in bathing suit

Growth Sadie girl is 25 pounds (28th percentile) and 34 inches (64th percentile).

Wearing Mostly 2T clothes and size 7 shoes (her feet are big like mine, lol).

Personality Happy-go-lucky, cheerful, independent, and shy with strangers.

Toddler on Jeanette's Pier in Nags Head

Eating She nurses about four times a day and is a light eater with solids. She likes mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, chicken nuggets, yogurt, eggs with cheese, croutons, and smoothies.

Nicknames Sader Tot, Tot, and TT.

Sleeping Lately she’s been going down around 8 PM and getting up at 7 AM. She generally takes a nap after lunch for an hour or two.

Toddler at restaurant

Looks Like A mix of Jimmy and me and sometimes a bit like my brother when he was a toddler!

New Skills Sadie has been talking so much lately! It’s like language has started to click for her and she puts words together to make sentences and repeats new words we teach her. We started working on potty training and she was doing fairly well, but I think it was just too early so we are going to hold off for a little longer.

She’s great at feeding herself with utensils, goes up and down stairs well, and can wash herself in the bath. She started homeschool and has been learning colors. She knows a lot of sign language, too!

Likes School, stickers, balloons, our pets, her grandparents, wearing bathing suits, being chased, going to parks and playgrounds, reading, watching Clifford, picking out clothes to wear, putting on shoes, playing with baby dolls, puzzles, and play doh.

Mom and toddler smiling

Dislikes Getting in her carseat, being put in a stroller, having her diaper changed, being told no.

Favorite Products Reusable stickers, disposable placemats, fine-motor hedgehog, sippy cups, flashcards, arts and crafts book, hand sanitizer, potty, reusable water activity pad, and Biscuit books.

Notes She has a nasolacrimal duct obstruction which makes her eye look glassy and glazed over but doesn’t bother her otherwise. I also think she is getting her two year molars and they are a doozy, lol.

I can’t believe Sadie is two! At the same time, I can hardly remember life before Sader Tot. I’m so blessed to call her my daughter ❤

A Look Back…

Sadie’s Birth Story

Sadie at Six Months

Sadie at Ten Months

Sadie at 18 Months

Toddler girl wearing romper and rain boots by garden

Much Needed + Trash

Jimmy and I went on our first date since the onset of COVID restrictions! Whew did we need that time alone. My mother-in-law graciously watched Sadie for a few hours on Friday night while we went out to eat and walked around a few stores.

Toddler with rubber band bracelets

Sader Tot had a blast with her Grandma!

Of course with mostly came home with toys for Sadie (this animal set has been a big hit, as have these puffy stickers), but Jimmy also picked up spirograph and has been having a blast unwinding with it at night and reliving childhood memories. 

On Saturday we picked up trash! Our church gathered together and headed to a local park with a bike trail and picked up litter. 

Group of people picking up litter on trail

I was thinking that we have so much fun with our church family that it doesn’t really matter what we’re doing together.

Sometimes there are hard things, hard work, and hard times, but fellowshipping with our family in Christ makes it all so much better. It’s such a blessing to have a community of believers to spend time with and share our joys, hardships, and everyday life. There’s just nothing like it. 

Other happenings around the Zottola house lately:

  • I planted more mums to spruce up our front porch and literally every time I see them I smile.
  • We filmed another vlog and my favorite part is Sadie helping me plant the mums. 
  • We are on week two of homeschooling and loving it so far. 
  • Our garden is slowing down big time, with mostly tomatoes and peppers growing at this point (sad!). 

How about a few photos?

Mom and toddler smiling

Sadie is going to be two-years-old soon. She is growing and changing so much lately. I can’t wait to share her two year update.

Also, if you could say a prayer for her eye to heal, that would be so, so appreciated! I mentioned that she has a nasolacrimal duct obstruction and that we were trying eye drops for about a month before doing anything invasive.

Her eye hasn’t had any progress so we will be talking to her doctor at her yearly checkup later this month. I know the procedure to unblock the duct isn’t too bad, but who is excited for their child to go through that, you know? I watched a video of the procedure and totally shouldn’t have, LOL.

Purple and orange mums in a black planter

Here’s a look the mums I planted. It’s just a planter filled with happiness for me, haha. 

Toddler girl wearing romper and rain boots by garden

My little garden helper ❤

When we went to clean up litter on the bike trail on Saturday we brought Sadie’s trike along and she was so happy to be pushed around and stayed in it almost the whole time (<– miracle).

I totally thought it would be a disaster to bring a toddler to clean up litter, but she surprised and impressed me! 

Toddler girl riding Radio Flyer tricycle

Last but not least, our Niva girl has been loving the cooler weather lately. She stays outside longer when it’s below 60 degrees and just lays in the yard. It’s adorable and I’m excited to see how she likes the snow this winter.

I know I’ve mentioned it before, but she truly is great with Sadie and we are so incredibly thankful for that. Case in point, Sadie put Niva “night night” by piling her with pillows and a blanket and she just laid there like “okay, sure!” haha. 

Siberian husky with pillows and blankets

Alright, I am signing off here. We’ve got a busy day ahead. Sadie is going to be learning the color yellow today, I’ve got real estate work and some cooking to do, and I’m taking Sadie to her first chiropractor appointment (outside the womb, lol) this evening! 

What are your plans for the day?