Alexa Belle at 2

David and I keep saying how much we're enjoying this age.  The last several months have been really fun with Alexa, watching her express herself more and more and seeing her little personality develop.  She, like any other little person at this age, is a sponge for all new things and LOVES to do whatever her sister is doing.  If her sisters are gone for whatever reason (playing upstairs without her, or at Open Gym), she asks every five minutes: "Whe Whea?" Me: "At Open Gym." (or whatever) Alexa: "Whe Cia?"  Etc.  She tries hard to keep up with them, and the dynamics between the sisters are rather different.  Lucia, partially because she's older, is a wonderful caretaker and entertainer for Alexa.  She is very thoughtful, figures out whatever Alexa needs or wants and caters to her in almost any way.  Rhea, though at times she can also be a motherly big sister, is usually more of an equal playmate, and therefore also a competitor in all things. :-)  The two younger ones have made great strides in their playing together, though, and are becoming very close friends.
Personality wise, Alexa is an interesting mix of Lucia and Rhea.  She is overall pretty even keeled, like Lucia, and LOVES books and pointing at letters.  She frequently says, "Mom, come!  Book wead!"  But she is also vivacious and LOUD and goofy like Rhea.  She (I kid you not) is making up her own potty jokes at less than two years old.  I have a feeling that is Rhea's lovely influence, but despite its impropriety, it makes me laugh.  Her jokes may go like this:
A: "Knock, knock."
- Who's there?
A: "Poopie."
Usually Rhea: "Poopie who?"
A: "Hey, Poopie Poopie!"

Or: A: "Socks off. ... Socks in potty.  Hahahaha, socks yucky! Potty yucky!"

So... we're trying to help her explore other avenues of humor... we love to laugh, and I love having another little jokester in the family, but, you know... we need to broaden her repertoire a little. :-)

Reading to baby.

Alexa also loves all things loud.  Where Lucia shied away from noise, Alexa seeks it out.  Here, David was running his air compressor.  In public restrooms, she will try to turn on the hand air dryers... :-)

And... she loves having some quality time with Papa, whether she manages to talk him into letting her play Angry Birds (she'll go get the phone and say, "play game? please?")

 ... or reading a book on his lap in the sunshine.  She also LOVES to ride in the Beetle with him.  A perfect Papa-Alexa date would be strapping her car seat in the Beetle and going for a little spin.  Every time she gets to ride in it, she is over the moon.

 This was taken on Halloween, but that's coincidental, because chances are the girls may look like this any other day of the year too. Rhea loves having another little person to dress up, and Alexa loves to do whatever Rhea is doing.  Win win.

 A picture of my three princesses on Halloween.

Alexa is temporarily also obsessed with ghosts (thanks to Lucia's initial costume of choice, a big old sheet with two holes cut into it for eyes).  She kept draping her blankets over her head and saying, "I ghost, roar!" (I didn't deem it quite necessary to practice boo-ing.  "Roar" is fine.  Not an essential life skill.)

And she's busy, busy, busy.  Even as a baby, it was nearly impossible to hold her still when she wasn't sleeping or nursing.  She's always pushing, pulling, exploring, twisting, turning, climbing something. Go, baby, go!  (Also, I see myself in this picture.  Of the three girlies, I feel like Alexa resembles me the most.)

We love our silly, happy, little girl!