Being her parent is the best, #492

Last night I was walking to my car thinking about Willa and how quickly she's developing these days. And I haven't really captured that in the past few weeks here. Then I became very very sad about all of the little things I didn't record. Then I let it go.
But, here's a little update.
She's moving up to the older toddler room at day care, and is doing great there. She naps there - voluntarily! She eats most of her lunch really well. Perhaps there's something to be said about the positive effects of peer pressure. Most of her younger pals will be joining her in the new room, and I hear that once they see her with the older kids, they go to play with her, and feel better. "Mama Willa" could become a new nickname at daycare.
She's been cracking us up more. At night we bathe her, get her in PJs and then we read books in our bed before kisses to everyone and then to her crib. During story time, she's been sitting on Jim's side of the bed, getting under the covers, and patting the blankets to invite (demand, really) the dogs to place their head on her lap. "Com'on! Doggies!! Com'on!!" She's also been pointing at her book and joining me in saying "no more monkeys jumping on the bed."
If she sees a candle, she'll either start singing, "happy... to you, happy... to you" or request, "light. on."
She won't eat vegetables.
She won't go to sleep with a blanket on. So we sneak in after the last sigh of a contented day leaves her lips and tuck her in.
She's started, this week, to say I love you. She said it to me 2 nights ago when I put her in her crib, and she said it today when Jim loaded her into her car seat and closed the door. "Daddy. I. Loooovvvvvee Ewwwww..." He didn't hear it, but I called him to let him know.
She's started throwing her leg over the crib rail, and I found her a week or so ago, stranded with her limbs wrapped around the top of the crib, muttering "stuck" over and over, looking much like people you see on the news clinging to tree limbs in a flood. We're in the market for a twin bed, but in the mean time, have lowered the rail, figuring that if she tries to escape again, it's a much more gentle fall. Results: she's not tried to get out. Yet.
She frequently requests to go to "'andma... 'ampa's house." Either one is fun for her.
She is less inclined to hold my hand when we're walking in a familiar place, and earlier this week broke my heart when I offered, and she refused my help up the stairs. She did it all by herself, upright.
She's growing and challenging and bring us so much joy.