Girl’s Life

Wow, 2 years old already. Happy birthday, sweet guy!

This month you turned TWO and have suddenly grown in my eyes from a baby into an energetic little kid.  So much has changed about you in such a short amount of time. From walking to running to talking to singing, your second year of life was full of milestones and accomplishments, both big and small.

I think all of us can agree that one of the biggest milestones of recent weeks has been the talking. It’s not just the talking, it’s how MUCH of it you’re doing now! You were sort of a quiet one-year-old, happy with your occasional babbling but mostly content to let your sister tell your stories for you. You let her share with us your thoughts and feelings and were just fine with that. So fine, in fact, that we started working with you in speech therapy to make sure you didn’t get behind. You thought that was so funny, and just to keep us on our toes, as soon as we were assigned placement with a speech therapist you started talking up a storm. So much to say! So hard to keep up with how much you know!

Your favorite thing to say right now is “NO WAY!” and you are quite emphatic when you say it. You also love to talk about choo choos, moo moos, woo woos (fire trucks, ambulances and the ice cream man) and going poo poo. Are you sensing a theme here? Not sure if you know you’re rhyming yet, but you really seem to love those words the most. Besides saying mama, daddy and sissy (which we all love), you just recently learned how to say your own name. To hear you say EEEEEEEEE-AN is about the cutest thing ever, although you prefer to just call yourself “me”.

Another thing we can all agree on is how very much of a boy you are. You love dirt and trucks and super heroes and bugs and yelling “poo poo” and crashing things into other things. Seriously, all boy.

I had no idea what to expect about boys before you came along. But you have made my job pretty easy. If you are crabby, usually all we need to do is grab you a truck from your huge stash and all is right with the world again. You, my sweet son, are the biggest fan of planes, trains and automobiles I have ever met! Your favorite phrase is “trash truck,” and every week trash day is one of the biggest events in our house. We hear the trash collector coming down the street and we all make a beeline for the front yard, waving and cheering to him as he goes by. I think maybe it’s the highlight of his day, too, because he seems to go extra slowly as he lifts our trash into his dumper. You’ve even gotten your girly, princess-loving sister totally into it, which I have to say is quite a feat!

You just got a new big boy bed for your birthday, which I think was a huge turning point for you. No more crib. No hand me downs from your sister. Something new and nice and ALL YOURS. Your daddy and I (but, um, mostly your daddy) put it together the night before your birthday and we whisked you into our bed so it would be a surprise. In the morning, we opened your bedroom door and let you see it for the first time. And what did you do? You hopped right on, beaming and chanting, “mine, mine, MINE!” And besides the first nap after which I found you on the floor (all the newfound freedom and so much room to explore, of course), you’ve done great and haven’t once looked back!

And then there’s you and your sister. Oh, what to say about that, really? There are almost no words for how cute you guys are together. Even as I type this, I can hear your squeals as you tickle each other in the other room. Of course, it usually ends with someone mad about some injustice. But as with all good friendships, the grievances are usually quickly forgiven and hugs abound. Your sister teaches you all her big kid things. And you let her impart her knowledge to you because she also shares her snacks.

Oh, the places you two will go…

You are a really fun guy to have around. Always laughing that hilarious cackle of a laugh. Quick with that infectious and mischievous grin. Even quicker with a hug and a kiss for anyone sad. Or just anyone who wants one, for that matter. And always up for an adventure. We call you our little vegetarian because of your enthusiasm for fruits and veggies, always eating your salad first before touching anything else on your plate. You’re to bed on time and up early with the rising sun (No matter how much mama groans. Thank goodness your dad is also an early riser.) You love to dance and play instruments together as a family and your favorite place to be by far is in our backyard stealing your sister’s tricycle or just playing in the dirt and running in the grass.

You are sunshine in our life and bring joy wherever you go. And man, you know how to snuggle. From your first day in the hospital to today, you have been right there in my arms letting me squeeze you. Thanks for indulging a sappy mama. You sure do it well. Happy birthday, sweet boy. Here’s to many more smiles, snuggles, laughs and muddy adventures!

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