{ turning two }

As reluctant as I have been to face up to the reality of you know who, turning two...and as long as I put off commiting to having a birthday party for her... and after dragging my feet about it once I did. Her excitement over " Annabelle Lucy's Happy Birthday" has taken a truly infectious hold on me. Every little detail has brought her so much delight. She was totally enthralled with the cupcakes. Adored the little party favor thing-a-ma-bobs you blow on. Ooohhh-ed and awwed over absolutely everything. We watched the delighted expressions on her face as she opened her presents. She literally couldn't stop smiling. And neither could I. Hearing her say ever so politely and with such enthusiasim... " thank you Granniebelle's or thank you Aunt Lynne, or thank you Jesse/Mari... " And she was so dear about sharing the job of unwrapping and playing with the new toys with her cousins.

As I held her in my lap last night and wispered into her ear all about how Jesus gave her to Daddy and I and that she is our very nicest most favorite present in all the world from Him, and all about how she grew inside mommy's tummy, and was born, on the brightest, sunniest day in Feburary you have ever seen, two whole years ago and came as the sweetest little girl suprise, to us. She looked up at me with those twinkley blue eyes and kept pulling out her bottle to chuckle, soaking in the telling of her own little story...

Then we tucked her into bed for the night and sang Happy Birthday at her request, one last time. Tip-toeing out of her room, awed by the sweetness that is her.

All of it has won me over. Not that there won't be the occasional knock-down, drag-out tantrum, melt-down or grumpy day, but I am so excited about her being two. And instead of wishing her to be a baby again. I am going to embrace her two-ness, and look on with wonder as every day brings new discoveries, and new enchantment, as she learns and grows and explores absolutely every corner of this great big world.