All Two Soon

Two.

Anna turned two today.  I close my eyes, breathe it in, and lament that "all too soon the clock will strike midnight, and she'll be gone." Already, parts of her are gone as new parts of her emerge. While fascinating and thrilling and altogether fulfilling to be a part of that, it is also sobering, emotional, and bittersweet. My word, I love this little girl. I never could have planned how much I would enjoy her and her ways. Goodness gracious, a child is a gift. Anna, you are a gift. I know it's your birthday, but the biggest gift is mine.  I love you, I adore you, I am holding on to you in every way possible.

Profile of a Two-Year-Old Anna

• Interests: anything water, accessorizing, having things done her way, microwaving, steering
• Enjoys: puzzles, watching TV, brushing her teeth, being read to, climbing, drinking, band-aids
• Turn Offs: Being poked by Noah's foam sword, Sudden loud noises, Being left behind, eating
• Vices: Using her step stool to get into trouble, being short tempered, picking her nose
• Strengths: obedient, smart, curious, feminine, loving, good snuggler, sits still while I do her hair

Favorites of a Two-Year-Old Anna

• Foods:  Milk, Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows, Cake, Bananas, Cheese
• Songs: not a one
• Shows: Curious George, Max and Ruby, Dora the Explorer
• Books: Goodnight, Max, Dora Scavenger Hunt, Poke-A-Dot 10 Little Monkeys
• Toys:  Stepstool, Balloons, Dress Up Stuff, Play Kitchen Stuff
• Activities:  Being Outside, Water Play, Hide n Seek, Riding Wagon, Watching Home Videos

One- and two- word phrases she says lately:
Moi (more), Bye Bye, No No WoWah (no, no, Noah), Dawty Shoe (dirty shoe), Wait me (wait for me), Goddit (got it), Did it, Do it, Doo wah (Dora), Cunnin (coming), Mon (Come on), Din (thank you), Wunny (running), Baynet (blanket), Oh dit (hold it), Gone, Oh, Uh daa (what's that), Piddy (pretty), Winnoh dow (window down), Baybane (airplane), Baybay (toothpaste), Wide (slide), Bet (barette), Gaygown (playground), Maa maa (medicine), Buttit (bucket), Woom (room)

How Two-Year-Old Anna is Like Her...
mama - short-winded on the phone, easily frustrated, very sensitive to light and heat
daddy - loves a bath, loves to be outside, prefers pancakes for breakfast
brother- silly, loves Curious George, balloons, and wearing hats outside, stays in bed

Treasuring Two-Year-Old Anna bits and details

• She counts "Two, two, two"
• Keeping with the 2 theme, she weighs 22 lbs - still 5th %ile
• She is 35 inches tall - 75th %ile
• Wears size 6 shoes, and size 18 mos. clothes
• Is so pleased with herself when she puts socks on her hands
• Gets real preoccupied with tags in the side of her shirts
• Always says "piddy" when she sees what I am dressing her in
• Puts real muscle into grabbing my neck and hugging me
• Fake cries a lot to garner sympathy or to try to at least 
• She can go up/down the stairs solo - but not without me holding my breath
• She lays all up in my space on the couch, on my pillow and under my blanket
• She's got a Mama's girl streak in her
• Not a woman of many words, but she's a woman who knows her mind
• Likes to have the blanket spread out of the floor so she can sit on it
• Proudly twinkles her fingers in the air and announces "Did It!" when she's done something
• She doesn't like to be dirty, sticky, messy
• She cannot, cannot, cannot seem leave the barrette in her hair alone
• I tell her she is beautiful every day, more than once. Is that bad?
• She's likes to take her purse with her when we leave the house
• She is a back sleeper, a light sleeper, sometimes sleeps sideways in her bed
• She wakes up in the morning with wild frizzy bed head in the back
• Likes to be held close, pulls my arms to be wrapped around her
• Bedtime Routine - Kiss Daddy, Kiss Noah, Kiss Chewie, Scale the stairs (slow and distracted) to brush/floss teeth, drink from a rinse cup, and turn the light on/off several times.  Beelines for her room, always grabs 'Goodnight, Max' to read and now she tells me what happens on each page. Climbs in bed, points out that her clock is asleep, gets tucked in, kissed, and has me turn her glowworm on.  Holds Piggie close, says "Night, Night", I turn out the light (no nightlights needed), shut her door, and she goes straight to sleep. 
• Still getting her last 4 teeth, top and bottom canines
• She'd guzzle milk all day instead of having meals if we'd let her
• Napping 2-4 hours a day lately
• Does not like it when I get on the computer. 
• Is Learning to play Hi Ho Cherry-O and Candyland
• Does not like to sit in buggy seats anymore - prefers the basket or walking
• Her teacher at MDO is Mrs. Joyce.  Mrs. Joyce reported recently that Anna is not sharing well.
• She's gotten good at jutting our her bottom lip before crying
• She does not cry often.  She pouts and whines and gets grumpy, though.
• She's so proud to be getting a vitamin every day like her brother
• She misses Noah when he is not home.  She fusses about him when he is.  She loves him, follows him, tries so hard to keep up with him.

Celebrating a Two-Year-Old Anna
For your birthday, we went to Discovery Center at Murfree Spring (a children's museum in Murfreesboro).

At home, you had a Dora and Diego birthday cake and 2 balloons waiting for you after your nap.

You chuckled to yourself while you ate the cake with your fingers - in little pinches at a time.

Noah sang you Happy Birthday all day. You opened presents from Mama, Daddy, and Noah.  They were a pony backpack (via b'day money from GG), a gumball machine toy, a Leapfrog laptop, Max and Ruby beanie babies, and a card with spending money from Memaw and Papa John. And let's not forget your jewelry box and lip glosses from Mimmie and Papa, too. 
 

So many treasures for my treasured Anna.What is a girl to do?
Take it all in, soak up the love, and smile big 'cause she's just turned TWO.

Happy Birthday, Baby Love.