Two Years Old!

I have looked at Olivia several times in recent weeks and couldn’t help but ask – what happened to the baby I just brought home from the hospital? Where has she gone and where did this Big Girl come from??

Accomplishments & current activities:
-Loves to wear a necklace. The one she wears (because it is sturdy and perfectly sized for her) is in this photo below. Her Aunt Leelee made it for me once upon a time.
-Loves her sunglasses. This photo caught a rare moment when she has them on correctly – she prefers to wear them upside down.
-Mastering her ability to jump. She only comes off the ground about an inch, and it looks more like galloping than jumping.
-Enjoys working on her puzzles and reading. Especially her Bible at night with Daddy. He will often read her a chapter or more before she goes to sleep.
-Can count to eleven – she recites her numbers all the time, and knows the difference between letters and numbers.
-Has developed a strong preference for her own music – she will now tell us to turn our music off when we get in the car and cry if we refuse.
-Understands possession – will often tell me something belongs to “Libbie” (how it sounds when she says her own name) or Momma or Aden, etc.
-“I LUB IT!” She makes this declaration at least once a day. This morning she said this when she got to drink the milk from her cereal straight out of the bowl.
-Has been potty-trained for about three weeks and sleeps in a regular twin sized bed.
-Can identify all major body parts and several random ones (i.e. the collar bone)
-Loves talking on the phone (for short amounts of time, anyway)



My Sweet Daughter,

You have brought your Daddy and I more joy in the last two years than we could have ever imagined. I am so thankful that God chose me to be your mother; that I get to continue to watch you grow, learn and become the woman He’s created you to be. Each day with you is an adventure! Your laughter is contagious, and your smiles and kisses can make the gloomiest of moods evaporate in an instant.  I love to watch your mind work, to see you try something new or concentrate on mastering a new skill. I can already see that God has given you a determined spirit; it is my hope and prayer for you that as the years progress you will use it to focus on the Lord and persevere in your faith. You have such an open heart, and freely share affection with everyone you meet; I hope that is something that never changes about you.

You challenge me every day. You challenge my patience, my creativity, my physical limits and my faith. On more than one occasion you have brought me to my knees and to tears. But for every time that has happened in the last two years, there are a dozen other times when you have been an inspiration to me, filling my heart with more love and joy than I ever thought one human could bring to another. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for you, Olivia. Maybe I am biased, but I think you are incredibly special.

As we celebrate your turning two today, I want you to always know how much your Daddy and I love you.

Hugs and kisses,

Momma