Almost 2 much

Today is Rachel's 2nd birthday and we've been celebrating all weekend.  I absolutely love birthdays.  I really think she "gets it" and it's been so much fun.  Yesterday morning the kids and I walked to the donut shop to start the celebration off right.  Nothing like some pure sugar to get the day going!  We had a few party errands to run, and I had her nap time perfectly planned out in my head.  Of course that didn't happen...she was just too excited about her party to sleep.  I'm pretty sure I was the same way growing up.



We had her carousel birthday party last night and we all had a great time.  I lost count at how many times she rode so I guess that's a sign of a good party.  She is so blessed to have good friends at 2. 





This morning I fixed her some biscuits for breakfast and she enjoyed them with Holly sitting right beside her.  Clay actually picked this out by himself for her birthday, and she hasn't put it down since.  She named her "Curly Hair Holly."  Again - her own creation.



Ethan went to Nana & Poppa's this morning to play with Addi, and Clay and I took Rachel to Build-A-Bear for a birthday surprise.  She had never made one and of course she was thrilled...probably more thrilled with the undivided attention, but thrilled all the same.  She walked in, immediately picked out a Hello Kitty (have I ever mentioned her obsession with all things Hello Kitty?), stuffed it, washed it, picked out HK underwear, shirt, skirt, shoes, and HK purse and never looked back about one of her decisions.  I really love this kid.


We met Nana, Poppa, Ethan & Addi at Red Robin for lunch...since they have balloons there.  These restaurant marketing people are geniuses!  I guess part of the $4.29 macaroni went toward the balloon that popped on the way home.  Oh well. 


And here we are in the present time.  Ethan & Clay are playing a video game together while Rachel, Curly Hair Holly and Hello Kitty are taking a nap and I'm here at the computer - all is right with the world.  Last night Rachel had a tough time staying asleep.  I'm not sure if the coughing woke her up, or if she was having bad dreams, but at one point I just went up and held her in her chair.  I sang the song Lullaby to her, and I really got choked up.  There's just something about 2 that says goodbye to all things baby.  The chorus of the song says, "How long do you want to be loved?  Is forever enough 'cause I'm never, never giving you up."  My hope and prayer right now is that she always knows that she is truly and deeply loved.  Through the tantrums 2 will bring, through the tough school days, through the teenage breakups and everything else we'll go through, I just pray that she always knows she is truly and deeply loved and always will be.  I'm mad at myself that somewhere in the past 2 years I blinked, and when I opened my eyes again my little baby was 2 and talking and sassy and opinionated and funny and stubborn and moody and sociable and a thousand other things. 

My goal for this next year is to try and stop blinking.