27lbs, 9.5oz, 36 inches tall, and you are now 2. You're amazing, vibrant, extremely verbal, active, beautiful, and you are now 2. In fact, you've been 2 for nearly a month now. Many evenings I've sat down to write, and many evenings I've left it unfinished. I don't know why, but I've found this post to be the hardest one to write yet. Putting who you are into words is more difficult than ever. Your vibrant personality, your stubborn nature, your advancements and achievements...I don't have the words to do you justice.
My 7 lb 9oz, 21 inch baby has grown into a full blown toddler!
We spent your birthday this year in Connecticut with your dad's family. Your Maga and Papa, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and both Great Grandmas came together to make your day a special one. You didn't really understand that the birthday party was for you, because you'd recently been to a number for other friends, but when you realized that we were all singing "Happy Birthday" at you, your face broke into the most fantastic grin. It was beautiful to watch.
Everyone adored you, and you fell in love with them. You had so much fun and still ask to go see Maga and Papa, along with Lady and Tucker, their dogs. We only wish it was easier to visit them. You didn't exactly do the best on the long, cross country flights. We spent a lot of time apologizing to the people in the seats in front of you. Thankfully, you're pretty cute and they understood.
So, let's see. I should probably tell you a little about what you can do. By 19 months old, you could count to 10. Now, you count reliably to 13, sometimes with 14 and 17 thrown into the mix. You sing the ABC song and are starting to recognize letters. You've got all of your colors down pat. Brown and white are particularly cute, since you pronounce them as "browned" and "wipe". We still go to swim lessons twice a week, and you're doing really well! You like lessons so much that I often catch you singing our swim songs outside of swim class.
What else? Well, you're tall enough to reach the light switches in the rooms, which you enjoy. You talk, a lot. You're amazingly verbal, using complicated concepts like "maybe" and stringing 4-5 words together into full sentences. Just a few days ago, while playing with your dinosaurs (another favorite right now), your dad heard you say "No sharptooth. This one don't have mouth." (All t-rex like dinos are "sharpteeth", thanks to the Land Before Time movies, and apparently that one didn't qualify because its mouth was closed.)
Not too long ago, you used to say "oots!" instead of oops. Can you get any cuter? I mean, really.
You love to sing. I love to listen to you sing.
You're also sneaky, in a completely obvious toddler way, and rather stubborn. You like to say or ask something, knowing that we'll likely repeat it in order to confirm what you said, and then reply "Ok!", as if it was all our idea.
"Go park?"
"You want to go to the park?"
"Ok!"
Yeah, I've fallen for that one once or twice. You have your fair share of terrible 2s. You only hear what you want to hear and often get very angry when you hear something you don't want. Getting you to go to sleep is frustrating. Getting you to sleep past 6am is impossible. 2 years in and we still haven't won the battle over sleep.
Seriously, though, you are generally a joy. Yes, you have your trying moments. Yes, mommy and daddy think we're going insane sometimes. But you make up for it with the way that you like to make sure everyone in the family, including the cat, gets proper goodbye hugs and kisses any time someone leaves the house. You make up for it when you burst out into a full rendition of "Let It Go" complete with dance moves. You make up for it with "big hugs", smiles full of sunshine, and the best little giggle.
There's so much more. So much. I just don't have the words, or the space, to truely explain who you are. Just know that we love you, love watching you grow, are looking foward to who you will be, and will most certainly soon miss who you are now.
I love you, baby girl.
Love,
Momma
P.S. You have a thing for sticks right now. What's up with that?
