Wow. You’re 2 years old today. I still cannot wrap my head and heart around it – it seems like it was just yesterday when your arrival made us a family of three… but here it is.
I’m pretty sure you have no idea what this day means to the people around you and you undoubtedly have no clue what birthdays mean just yet… but here it is. Today, we’re saying hello to a brand new chapter in our lives.
But before we do, I want to think back on all our experiences for this past year – and oh, what a year it has been!
Like any normal family, we had our ups and downs but thankfully, the good far outweighed the bad. Two bouts of tonsillitis and one of roseola infantum had me and your Daddy scared witless, but grateful still that all our needs were provided for and healing came swiftly for you during those times. God has been SO GOOD.
Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you, sweetling! You’ve come out of your shell and have begun to show us your personality a little bit at a time. Like a sponge, you soak everything up and then test out your newfound knowledge eagerly the first chance that you get. Counting from one to ten, or singing along to the alphabet song (yes, you still skip some letters but you get the idea!) and drawing balloons have become your favorite things to do. Even playing games on Mommy’s cellphone comes naturally to you – although you do sneak a couple of calls to your aunts, uncles and Grandma and manage to remove my favorite widgets once in a while, it amazes me to no end how skilled you are at using it. I would gladly sometimes have no choice but to let you play with it if only to give me time to catch my breath and pick up after the mess that you’ve made let you play with it if only to see you let fly those angry birds to obliterate the green pigs, feed Om Nom, or hold it up to take pictures, encouraging me or your dad to ‘mile!’ for the camera.
You have become such a chatterbox, and a bilingual one at that, although most of the time we’re still left scratching our heads wondering what in the world you just said and what was so funny about it. I find it hilarious whenever I hear you quizzing yourself on animal noises (“What sound dog?”, “How ‘bout cat?”) and imitating the sound of running hooves instead of neighs when you ask yourself “How ‘bout horse?”.
You are so brave and ever the curious one, going so far as to play with and touch the dragonflies that Grandma caught from her garden, squealing in your delight of them. You are also quite the entertainer, holding up your ‘microphone’, yelling at the top of your lungs singing and dancing around in your PJs, sometimes successfully convincing even your Momsie to do the same.
Your Daddy makes fun of the fact that my Mrs. Cleanness is rubbing off on you when you pick stuff up off the floor/bed/chair that are not supposed to be there (such as small pieces of paper, fiber or lint) saying ‘doh-tee’ and hate having crumbs on your fingers when you’re eating and demand that they be wiped at once. And like your Dad, you’ve discovered that you like beating the drums better than pounding the piano keys. Now I know which instrument NOT to buy you or your dad! 😉
Although it has happened quite so suddenly, you have finally outgrown your aversion to grass and no longer feel grossed out by it. However, it remains to be seen whether the same can be said of your fear of the ocean or swimming pools. Or baths in general.
You go from 0 to 60 in no time and can find joy in the smallest and simplest things, such as a hair brush, a piece of string, ribbons and books. You love your dearest cousin S to pieces and have a special bond with her that is wonderful to behold.
Your smile can light up a room and never fails to brighten up my day no matter how tired or stressed out I am. You have learned about compassion and your kisses, hugs accompanied by pats on the back, “It’s okay, Mommy’s” and “Don’t cry, Mommy’s” have comforted me through three deaths in the family.
Lest people read this and think “Great, she’s got the most perfect kid on the planet”, let me say this: your bark is definitely not worse than your bite, you bawl when it comes time for Mommy and Daddy to leave you with your Sunday school class where you eat more than your fair share of cookies, pitch a fit when you don’t get what you want at times, may or may have not picked your nose in public, held your ‘prize’ out for all to see and yelled “Mommy, look! Booger! Yuck!”, and have been subjected to timeouts for various mischief. You may not be perfect, but you are absolutely, hands down, the best kid I and your Daddy could have ever asked for.
You are gaining your independence, too, and want to do more stuff on your own. You insist on brushing your own teeth, putting on your PJs, combing your hair, feeding, and yes, even reading your books yourself. Slowly but surely, you want me to do things for you less and less. For the time being though, you thankfully still let me hold you for a few minutes before you get bored and start squirming in my arms, itching to rush off to find your adventures.
I could be sad about this – and in a little way, I suppose I am. But more than anything, I am very grateful for all that you’ve become this past year. How could I be sad knowing that you are growing up healthy, surrounded by so much love? I am looking forward to what this brand new year has in store for us. I have to admit though, the thought of potty training you? It’s giving me the heebie jeebies.
Year 2 is promising to be as fun, exciting, lovely and sometimes trying as year 1 was. I say bring it on.
Even potty training.
All because my heart is bursting at the seams with love for you.
Mommy

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