So, I know I wrote yesterday about what it’s like to have a two year old, but now I’ve also uploaded some photos from her birthday party to the Photos & Videos page so you can experience for yourself.

To see more of the balloons…

cake…

presents…

and fun…

…please be sure to check them out! I think you’ll enjoy what you see.

Happy Birthday again my Rae-Rae!

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.

A couple of weeks ago on our way home from work/school I started feeling sort of car sick and I didn’t want Raelyn to get upset that I wasn’t playing with her so I told her that mommy wasn’t feeling good and that my tummy hurt. She said “Come here mommy” and reached her hand out to my head and then said “Lay your head down here mommy” and gestured for me to put my head in her lap. Then, she covered me up with her little blankie and said “I’m gon tick your back mommy” and started tickling my back to make me feel better… completely unprompted!! She’s the sweetest most caring little girl ever.

When we got home I laid down on the couch and she went and got her froggie for me (she knows I love to hug him). I was amazed that she didn’t get upset or worried that I was acting strange but she seemed to really understand what it meant that I felt sick and she knew how to take care of me. I think she’s going to be an incredible big sister some day – bossy – but very loving and caring too.

This morning we were awakened at 8:30am to the sound of Raelyn through the monitor humming to herself in bed. I heard her take her pacifier out so she could sing more clearly and then got a lovely rendition of the “Good Morning” song they sing every day to the kids at school… except she was singing it to her stuffed animals in bed.

Good morning Lela (the sheep) how do you do?
Good morning Froggie how do you do?
Good morning Rae Rae how do you do?
How do you do? How do you do? How do you do?
Choo Choo!

Oh my god it was the cutest thing EVER. I so wanted to have my digital voice recorder to tape her but it was in the car so I couldn’t even sneak out to get it without her hearing me. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to continue listening (since it was adorable) or if I wanted to rush right in there and give her a huge hug. My impatience got the better of me and I ran in to see her. As I came through the door, she didn’t skip a single beat and continued on with the tune and sang for me “Good morning Mommy how do you do…” I found her sitting up in her bed surrounded by her pillow and stuffed animals. She was pointing to each of them and herself as she sang. She then said “Daddy come see what Rae Rae’s doin?” We called him in and the minute he came through the door he got a “Good morning Daddy how do you do…” After her third rendition she proclaimed “Mommy, I love that sownge!” Does life get any better than this?

As Seth mentions on his blog, we went for a family walk today at the Silver Comet Trail - a paved path that runs along the old railroad line. Seth and I took Rae and Lucy for a nice 2.5 mile walk, something we haven’t done in quite a while. Well, in preparation for this outing I decided it was high time I give pigtails a try on Raelyn’s hair. I’ve always said I want to have a girl because I would put pigtails in her hair everyday, and yet here we are with an almost two year old and I haven’t ever really been able to do it (mostly because Rae’s hair wasn’t long enough or thick enough for them to look cute on her). Anyway, I sat her down today while daddy put her shoes on and through all my fumbling (first time mom) was able to get her hair up into two little ponytails on the sides of her head. Oh. My. Gawd. It was ADORABLE!!

Of course, they felt a little strange to her so we had to show her in the mirror what they looked like. When she saw them she thought they were too cute and had fun turning her head from side to side to make them swing around like mommy’s ponytail.

Once she agreed to leave them in we were ready to head for the trail. Now I know it wasn’t really THAT cold out today, but we thought it might get chilly for someone sitting still (in a stroller) for 30 minutes, so we bundled Rae up a bit before heading on our walk. Don’t you just love the Old Navy scarf? A couple people who passed by mentioned she looked like a movie star and I even heard a women whisper to her friend that she wanted some pink sunglasses as they passed by.

After our little adventure we took a break back at the rest area pavilion before climbing back into the car. Of course daddy took advantage of the opportunity to snap a few more photos of Raelyn in the beautiful outdoor lighting.

Doesn’t that little chubby face just make you want to give her anything she asks for? Oh man… we’re in trouble!