Dear Grace {2 Years Old}

Dear Grace,

Happy Birthday, beautiful girl!! You are two years old and so very perfect. You continue to give meaning to sugar and spice and though you keep us on our toes we wouldn't have it any other way. You are so tiny but so strong in so, so many ways and we can't wait to see how you use your will and determination for good.  You have been gifted with a beautiful, fiery, joyful, sweet spirit and have completed our family in all the best ways.

I know all parents think this about their own children, but you are so very smart and incredibly driven.  You want to do everything by yourself and be just like your brother and this has led to you being one awesome just-turned-two year old.  Your vocabulary is limitless and has been for about half a year. You will say any word you are asked to repeat and almost everything you say can be understood by everyone.  You can read approximately twenty words and count to 14 by yourself and 30 with a little help. You can jump like a pro, climb anything, and swim independently with a bubble.

 You are just shy of 26 pounds and 33 inches tall putting you at the 35th percentile for weight and  25th percentile for height.  You are holding your own with both your height and weight and growing perfectly along your own little curve. You wear a size 4 or 5 diaper, are between size six and seven in shoes, and use 18-24 month bottoms and 2t shirts, for the most part. In terms of milestones you exceed every expectation of what a two year old should be able to do, both physically and intellectually. We are so very proud of you!

You are the perfect mix of shy and outgoing.  You are a little hesitant around strangers but quickly warm up once you get used to your surroundings.  Though you are tiny, you do not let anyone boss you around! You know what you want and are not afraid to show it.  Mostly, you just want to be big and independent and are learning how to deal with how it feels to have to do one thing when you really just want to do another.  In any group setting, it is amazing to watch how perfectly and naturally you fall right in line and are the perfect "student."  You do swim classes, baby gymnastics, and go to classes at My Gym.  You love all of these things and do so so wonderfully! I always say you are going to do wonderfully in school because you are such a good little rule follower, incredibly focused,  and do everything the teachers show you to do.

Right now, you are all girl with the definitely sprinkling of the influence of having an older brother you adore.  He runs around the house declaring he is whatever superhero he is choosing at the moment and you are right behind him yelling out that you're "Cin-dah-weh-wah!!"  Cinderella fights many bad guys around here right now.  You also love to say "Re-cue Bots... Roll to da Re-cue!!" and can identify Optimus Prime. :o)  You love Dora, Sophia the First, Doc McStuffins, and all the Disney Princesses. You love to twirl and jump and I see ballet in our near future as you've been declaring you're a "bal-a-weenah" and like to show people your moves.  You mostly just drink milk and water and enjoy both. You eat really well so it is hard to say what your favorite foods are but you like cereal, ham, chicken, bananas, Greek yogurt, and much, much more. You sleep with your dog Lucy, Wubby, and like to be wrapped up in Blanket, your pink blanket you've had forever.  You're a great sleeper and still take two naps (about an hour in the morning and two hours in the afternoon) and sleeping 11-12 hours at night.  We've been trying to eliminate your morning nap for a while but it's been a tough transition for you.  You also have been using the potty since 17 months, with the plan to fully train you this summer while I'm off but we haven't had a good opportunity to do that just yet.  Soon we will be diaper free around here!

Perhaps one of our greatest joys as your parent is getting to witness, firsthand, the relationship between you and your brother.  You two are wonderful together and such a pair! You love your brother so much and want so much to be just like him but, I'll tell you, you are probably one of the luckiest little girls on Earth because, right now, you can be rough to Joey and he is just so sweet and tolerant of you and lets you get away with everything.  He is always looking out for you.  Whenever he is rewarded in any way for something he makes sure you receive a reward as well.  If he is getting a toy for reaching a certain goal, when we're at the store he'll ask us to buy you something too, and so it goes.  He gives you anything you ask for and loves you with this crazy love he has had for you since he was younger than you are now and you were only in my belly.  I will never forget playing with him in your playroom when I was about 8 months pregnant with you.  He stopped what he was doing, ran over to me with out saying anything, lifted up my black tank top, nuzzled my tummy and gave you a kiss and then went right back to what he was doing without even so much as making eye contact with me.  As long as I live, I will never forget that moment. 

You are a very lucky girl.

As for me, I am loving watching you grow. You are just flourishing!  With Joey, each new stage and milestone reached was bittersweet.  I wanted him to stay little forever because every little phase seemed so wonderful that I couldn't imagine anything better.  But, as every mother has learned before me, you can't stop time, and I came to learn that it seems, at least so far, whatever age my children  are is my favorite age for them to be.  This has been so freeing with you and though it's true, the years pass fast, both your Daddy and I relish all the little moments with you day in and day out and cherish the gift of being your parents. 

You are our perfect little princess,

 an answer to our prayers,

and a reality that is better than our dream.

You are so immeasurably loved, our sweet Grace

 and we can't wait to see what your next year has in store.

Happy Birthday, baby girl!

 

All my love,

Mommy