two years old

happy birthday to you
happy birthday to you
happy birthday dear elena
happy birthday to you!!

- you climbed out of your crib 3 x's in one day and hadn't since.....til last week. when you swung your little body over and fell right on your head...with your legs safely on the big soft beanbag placed strategically to catch your head. i think a big girl bed is in your near near future.

- you count one thu fourteen, skip fifteen and sometimes count sixteen, seventeen, eighteen. you love to count.

- you run with a stiff torso, arms out and feet going up and out. it's the cutest little run ever.

- you draw pictures which are all scribbles, but you label each and every scribble as if you really see something. you draw people, shapes, letters, things you see, etc.

- you know shapes - circle, square, oval, triangle, star, heart and rectangle. and anything -gon shaped is an octagon.

- you know all your letters in order or not. and can say a word that starts with that letter for most of them.

- you still suck your thumb to sleep. and you spit everytime salvia builds up from sucking it. your sheets are usually soaked and stinky.

- you love to read books. you have several memorized and you can 'read' them yourself or you finish where we leave off.

- you love your yoga. and you are so good at it. i'm in awe of your focus while you do it. you listen and follow direction amazingly. you are very proud of each pose you can do and want us to watch you do them. you have really learned so much from these yoga videos - imitating animals, opposites, focus, relaxation, etc. you do yoga everyday.

- you love being outside. you especially love slides. you aren't afraid to climb really high slides all by yourself. you can swing on a big girl swing and are learning to pump. you like to swing on your tummy as well.

- you are a pool rat. you love the water and pretend to swim if you see anything remotely swimable. you put your face in the water. you lay on your belly and splash around. you run and jump in your kiddie pool....running fast and very s l o w l y jump in.

- you have major meltdowns when we have to stop doing anything - mostly playing outside, swimming and eating.

- you fake cry. you scrunch your face and make crying sounds. it's out of nowhere and when i ask you what's wrong you say, "i'm sad. i need a hug." we hug and you say "all better now."

- you also fake laugh. it's usually when we are already laughing. and it just makes us laugh more. it's so funny.....and so fake.

- when we are rounding our block you start yelling out, "HOME! WE'RE HOME! WE'RE HOME!"

- you say bye to our dogs, dallas and leo, everytime we pull out of the driveway. "bye dallas. bye leo." and then you remind me to say bye to them too.

- you get so excited when daddy comes home. you run to greet him and squeal with joy. and when daddy walks in from work or wherever you sometimes ask him, "are you home now?"

- you can be very polite. you ask to do everything. when i put your plate in front of you, you ask "could i eat now?" when you want to sit up on the couch you ask, "could i get on the couch now?" when you want to read, you ask "could i get some books now?" etc. you ask to do everything that you know the answer is yes to. it's very sweet.

- you wake up happy. every morning you call out either, "mommy.....can i get out now?" or "mommy.....i got poops in there. i need diaper change mommy. i got small poops in there."

- when you don't want to do something i ask you if you'd like mommy to do it for/with you and you immediately want to do it. it's magic and i will use it for as long as i can.

- you are wanting to dress yourself. you are getting better but still need lots of help. you are able to undress yourself with minimal assistance. you tear your diaper off as soon as it's available to you.

- you help pick out your clothes most days. you pick out dresses a lot. i have no idea where you get that. you often say something that you don't have, like "i wear red dress." but you don't have a red dress. so i will give you a choice and you choose.

- you love shoes. you want to put on shoes all the time - yours, ours, your friends. it doesn't matter. you need help getting some of your shoes on.

- you mostly use your right hand, but still use both a lot.

- you love to color. and you know the colors red, blue, yellow, green, brown, black, white, pink, purple, orange and gray. when you make a picture you say it's 'for' someone, like "dis for daddy."

- you use utensils perfectly. but more often eat with your hands.

- you are still enamoured by animals. you know LOTS of animals and the sounds they make. you are learning different types of one animal (ie, all the different monkeys, birds, etc).

- you sometimes confuse your pronouns, especially 'i' and 'my.' you'll say, "my want....."

- when you talk fast or are upset you'll sometimes mix up your words.

- you talk very very clear most of the time. most people can understand you. there are times where i still have no clue what you're saying...you're persistent in trying to help me figure it out though.

- you can balance on one foot, both sides. i would've never known if it weren't for yoga.

- you sometimes add the -y sound to the endings to words (ie: cribby, milky) and you sometimes shorten words (ie: diap for diaper, move for movie).

- you love to play 'nap.' where you put yourself or your babies to sleep. you bring your dolls in bed with you and will spend lots of time putting them down for a nap. you sing to them, cover them, lay with them. but when i ask if you want to actually sleep with them, you throw them out and say "all done with (baby's name)."

- you love to help. you'll help us do anything and everything and are eager and willing. if only this could last....

- you are very proud when you do anything by yourself. even if you've been doing by yourself for months and months (like using a fork). you'll say, "i do it myself!!" and we of course cheer you on each time. (maybe that's why, huh?!)

- you remember families. if we talk about your friends you name off their whole family.

- you love to pretend to cook, bake, pack a picnic, have a tea party, etc. you love your pretend food too.

- you are becoming really independent. you can get your own milk or juice out of the fridge, climb up in your carseat and buckle yourself (but you forget to put your arms thru), etc.

- you love to 'show' us everything. everything you do, everything you see - you make sure we see it too.

- you are a little mother to anyone smaller. you are protective and caring....sometimes a little too caring....but always have good intentions.

- you have taken on the role of a big sister impressingly well. you are so kind and nurturing to adelyn. you play wonderfully with her. you encourage her to roll over or come to you. you cheer her on with everything. you can differenciate between the toys she can have and can't have and you bring her every baby toy in this house and pile them up around her.

- you laugh with your whole body.

- your memory is mind blowing.

- your voice is the sweetest.

- your hugs are the best.

happy birthday my sweet two year old! thank you for making me a mother!

"Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time." ~Jean Paul Richter