Two

If you ask Natalie how old she is, she sticks out her index fingers, puts them next to each other, and says, "TWO!" And when we wake up tomorrow, indeed, two years will have passed since she joined us on the outside. While we are firmly in the stage of testing limits and asserting independence, I continue to be immensely grateful and eternally awed that I get to be her Mama. Watching her personality unfold and listening to her language explode over this last year have been fascinating. We laugh a lot around here these days.

Things we're enjoying:

• Demands to "Look how sees!" in the mirror when trying something on or being silly.
• Two pacifiers crammed into her mouth at once, just because she can (and because it makes us laugh)
• That she insists her new crocs from Jen's mom are really called crocodiles.
• That when she picks up a book, she either recites both the title and the author, or begins to make up her own story based on the pictures.
• Her obsession with diapering her dolls with her diapers, and the conversations she has with herself and her babies while doing so.
• That, despite (or perhaps, because of) our best efforts, she has declared that her favorite color is pink, and is not backing down.
• Listening to her play with time and family words, trying to figure them out ("she's my granddaughter..." "On Friday I read that..." "My daddy was two days ago...")
• Her memory (while Jen and I were chattering back and forth trying to remember my mom's new dog's name, Natalie quietly chirped, "Rocket!" She was right.)
• Her glee while playing with the basketball hoop from my dad.
• Her imagination and all the unexpected ways it comes out.
• Her newfound knowledge of our given names, and the glint in her eye when she barks, "JEN! CAIT!"
• The counting to "thirteen, and thirteen, and thirteen, and THIRTEEN!" before jumping (stepping) off of things. (though she can now actually get off the ground when jumping with both feet)
  
• The occasional spontaneous "I love you," and the many, many unprompted hugs and snuggles.

We love you too, kiddo. Happy Birthday.