I don’t know how we made it to this day, but Raelyn turned two years old today. She’s such a big girl now and I can’t get over some of the things that come out of her mouth. I think we’re teaching her to be such a sweet, caring and loving little creature. Of course recently we’ve only seen it in spurts. She IS two now you know.

Let me start from the beginning…this morning Seth and I woke Raelyn up by singing “Happy Birthday” to her. She stood up in her crib in amazement and I thought about how wonderful our family had grown to be. Soon after, the terrible-two monster reared its ugly head and she became very contrary and wouldn’t cooperate with anything we wanted to get done. Case in point: I dressed her in her jeans (upon her request) and then once they were on she wanted to wear her corduroys (we’re having a strange cold snap this week). No sooner had I gotten the cords on that she screamed to take them off and put on her jeans again.

After school we went out to eat and at dinner she was arguing over everything (and nothing at all). Just as soon as I had uttered to following words to Seth “I’m going to take her and hang her upside down outside her window from her toenails if she doesn’t stop acting this way”… I felt a tug on my arm from the little girl sitting next to me. She said “My Mommy!!” and when I looked over at her she smiled up at me with THE sweetest most innocent looking closed-mouth smile you’ve ever seen, she grabbed my face by the cheeks with both hands and then said “Gimme kiss mommy.” I said to Seth “As soon as I’m right at the brink she reels me back in from the edge.”

But then tonight, after the monster was bathed (by Daddy, since Mommy lost all patience and needed a break), as Seth and I were tucking her into bed… we said our good nights, reciting the same phrase we do every night before bed:

Good night
Sleep tight
Don’t let the bed bugs bite;
Sweet dreams
We love you
And we’ll see you in the morning

After we finished our group hug she leaned out for Daddy (from Mommy’s arms) and said “Let me give you a hug Daddy” and then did the same for Mommy. Through the pacifier she then proceeded to give Daddy a sweet kiss and then one for Mommy. After that, just as matter-of-fact as could be, she said “Thanks guys!”

So we ended the day just as we started it… with one of the sweetest family moments you could imagine - one that I will mark in my memory and come back to every now and then… and cry.