Happy 2nd Birthday, my sweet girl

Today you are 2 years old, which you've been excitedly telling us for the past month.  "Almost 2"  you answer to those that ask.  I can't believe how much you have changed in just 365 days and that you've only been a part of our lives for 2 years.  What was life like before you were a part of it?  I can hardly remember.

You contiune to fill our lives with so much laughter and love each year.  You went from baby to toddler in just one year and your bright personality became more illuminated as the year went on.  It is hard to believe you were crawling at your 1st birthday and are now running and jumping. 

You still love to read and we often read 15-20 books a day.  You love to "read" the books to yourself or us and know many of the stories from memory.  Your excitement and wonder in reading books always amazes me.  Your abbreviated versions of each page have expanded from 2 to 4 word sentences in just the past 3 months and your vocabulary has expanded enormously.  You copy everything we say and add words to your vocabulary daily. You are quite the talker and it is great to be able to have conversations with you now.  You are also sure to tell us your opinion and have become very independent.  You want to do everything yourself and declare "self" a dozen times a day.  I suspect we will only see more of this over the next year. 

You love to sing and can sing your ABCs very well with little help.  You also love "Twinkle,  Twinkle Little Star," "The Itsy Bitsy Spider,"  and "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat." A favorite activity is listening to my ipod and going through each song to listen to the beat, while tapping along. You often ask to listen to Lady Gaga and the Beach Boys and your favorite song right now is "Buffalo Solider." Somewhat of a strange mix of music. I certainly hope your love for music continues. 

It has been amazing watching you learn each day.  In just a year, you've learned the entire alphabet, you count well up to 10 and can count up to 20 with help,  basic shapes, primary colors and your body parts.  Your determination and focus keeps me in awe and I love watching you practice your new skills and praising yourself for a job well done.

 

I love your compassion.  We get daily hugs, kisses and I love yous.  Somedays you rest a while longer on my shoulder while giving me a hug and I'm always amazed at your stillness and desire for a little extra love.  I love when you want to cuddle and request my hand to go to bed.  You have true concern for people already and are very sensitive to emotions.  I love this part of your personality.

You became a big sister this year and have already blossomed in your role watching over your little brother.  You love seeing him every morning and run to be right beside him.  You already "play" with him and love it when he touches your face.  Your laugh and say "gotcha" and do it again.   I know you will be a great sister.

I can't imagine how much you will change and grow in the next year.  It is bittersweet watching you grow so quickly, but I've enjoyed every minute and can't wait to see what each year brings. I love seeing more of your personality each day, month and year.  You are beautiful in every way and your smile, laugh, compassion, and silliness fills my heart with more love than I thought possible. I love you always. 

Happy Birthday to you, my sweet baby girl!