Two in May

Tomorrow, my baby turns two. I can hardly believe that two years have passed. She has truly made it easy to be her mother (with the exception of heavy sleep deprivation in the beginning.) ;-P Though my pregnancy with her was certainly not simple, she came into the world with very little fuss and a mere two hours of labor. Even as a baby, she tended to cry only when she needed something. As a one-year-old, she proved active and athletic, climbing and running with a smile on her face. She is affectionate and a mommy’s girl, but she also gives love to friends and family that she deems trustworthy, and her smile lights up a room. For the past month, she has been telling people that she will be “two in May,” something my mom taught her to say since I said I would be “two in March” as a one-year-old. At our house, turning two has a couple of new privileges. One is being able to watch a 30-minute DVD a day. I think she will be rather excited when she realizes that she has access to movies now, but knowing her, I will be surprised if she wants to sit still for more than three minutes to watch. That’s okay…I love to watch her busy little body move and explore. The other privilege, which I did not think was a big deal, is that the vitamins that Emma takes are for two years and up. Weeks ago, when Lily was pleading for one, I told her that she could have one when she turns two. She considered this for a moment, and made the connection to her birthday. Ever since then, she likes to tell me, “Lily birthday, two in May, jelly girl (Emma’s name for her vitamins) two in May, Emma jelly girl, Lily jelly girl.” Translated: “It’s almost Lily’s birthday. I will be two in May. I get a jelly girl like big sister Emma when I turn two in May. Could there be anything better?!” I love her excitement for something so small, and I am grateful that I get to spend enough time with her that I usually know what she is trying to communicate. She is hitting the age where she does not always follow my requests to pick up her toys. After a two minute time out, she eagerly runs to do what she was asked. It seems that she has to test that I mean it often, but after the time out, she can’t wait to comply, saying “Hurry! Hurry!” as she does what I asked in the first place. It takes everything in me not to smile. She also uses her climbing skills to reach the snacks of her choice in the pantry, and if we’re not looking, she’s smiling and saying, “Lily, cracker” as she happily munches her prize. We are working on this one, but she likes to smile and say, “Hungry a-geen” for “I was hungry again. What’s a girl to do?” Nevertheless, she does not like to get in trouble and cries when we tell her “no.”

 

She has the cutest manners, saying “Pwease” when she wants something and “Tank you. You’re welcome” when she’s trying to show gratitude. Big sister got a big girl bike yesterday, and fearless Lily likes to climb atop, stretch mightily to reach the pedals, and even get some forward movement. We put away the baby swing on the swingset, as she only wants to sit in the big swing. She no longer wants anything to do with her high chair. She says, “Sit at table. Sit at table” repeatedly until I acknowledge her request. Lily absolutely loves to color, and she is very proud of her artwork. She also loves to snuggle. Whenever it is cold or windy, she says, “Snuggle mommy. Snuggle mommy,” and she burrows into me for warmth. She likes to get a book or a stack of books (and sometimes a SleepSack and a doll) and climb in my bed. She says, “Snuggle Mommy. Mommy’s bed. Read books. Read books.” She is also passionate about being outside and cries when we have to come back in the house. She especially enjoys riding her little car, swinging, and running around the yard. Lately, when she swings, she wants to be pushed so high, begging, "Fastah! Fastah! Highah! Highah!) and then declaring, "I('m) a fah-ee (fairy)" when she gets super high and feels like she's flying. She has started to hold still long enough to plant wonderful, mommy melting kisses on my cheeks. She dances when she sees Conant and says, “Daddy’s home! Daddy’s home!” Her favorite activity is Music Together class, and she says, “Teacher Donna” (her Music Together teacher) at least a dozen times a day. She requests the music from her class whenever we’re in the car, and her favorite Music Together songs are the “Hello” song and “Wiggle, Wiggle.” I loved it this morning on the drive to preschool as we were listening to the CD and Emma said, “Lily! It’s your favorite song…Wiggle! Wiggle!” Emma is so excited to do extra jobs around the house to pay for the birthday gift she picked out for Lily, a flannel board. They are starting to play together even more as sisters, and it makes me so happy to see their bond. Lily is often watching Emma to see just how she can be a big girl, too. They still have their moments of frustration, but I know they learn a lot from their interactions with each other.

 

Lily enjoys music in general and often has song requests if we have dance parties at night. Her favorite is still “Happy Birthday,” though she also knows many of the words to songs from the movie Tangled since Emma listens to the music. Lily has a special bond with my parents and can’t wait to see “Papa” (Grandpa) on their weekly visits. If I ask her if she’s my girl, she says, “No. Grandma’s girl,” with an impish grin. She will plop on the lap of a few of my good friends. She loves to be noticed as silly and fun, and she will say, “Look, Mama! Look, Mama! Silly,” as she balances precariously on something or sticks a carrot on her nose. When we leave a fun activity like the park or a friend’s house, she says, “Fun! Fun!” She loves life and the people in her life, and it makes her so much fun to be around. She recharges from all of that fun by sleeping nearly twelve hours at night and taking a two hour nap in the afternoon. I am grateful that her sleep habits have greatly improved, as it gives both of us more energy to keep up with her during the day. And in the ten hours that she is awake, she squeezes in a whole lot of living.

  

Lily is truly a gift in our lives. Conant and I talk about her cuteness, her sweetness, her bravery, and how she has our hearts often. I am beyond blessed to be her mother. I thank God for giving me the past two years with her, and I pray for wisdom that I can encourage her sweet spirit and her sense of fun while still teaching her to make good choices in the years to come. I will forever be grateful that I have been given the chance to snuggle her goodnight each night and pour my mother’s heart into her life. And so, I have to end with a song she knows well by now, the song that I sing to her each night as she snuggles in with her thumb in her mouth and an expression of peaceful contentment: “Thank you, God, for Lily, for Lily, for Lily. Thank you, God, for Lily. We’re glad she is here.”