My Two Year Old

It's been a month and a half ago now that our Gracie turned two but there are some things I really don't want to forget about this stage so I wanted to get a few things down...and a few pics of her life this year.

She came into the world 6 days after my dad had a stroke.  We decided just about a month or two after she was born that we would be moving to Arizona.  I felt like the Lord said she would usher in grace to our lives like never before and I can say that yes, during that season of her being a newborn and life being very emotional for me,  I experienced the grace of God.

She's been feisty from the beginning.  She always would (does still) let you know if something is not right with her.  She typically wants to be comforted and then needs some space.  When she was an infant she would sometimes be screaming and screaming but often, if I laid her down in her crib, she would snuggle in by herself and immediately settle down.  She's always been a bit of an extremist...if all is going smoothly in her world, she's a little delight, but as soon as something rocks her, watch out. 

Things she loves:
BOOKS:  Our little Gracie is becoming quite the reader here lately.  She will sit in their room in the rocking chair and read multiple books all by herself.  Lately she has taken to wanting to sleep with a book beside her, which we let her.  The other night I heard her crying for me in the middle of the night and I went in found her holding the book out and she said, "Read book, Mommy."  She loves to be read to and loves to read by herself.  I love that.  One of the words that we had for her before she was born was that she would be one who loves the word and a teacher of it...wonder how this is being built into her even now.

SWIMMING:  She's a fish...loves the water.  Would swim all day every day if we let her.  And she's fearless!  She can actually swim a long ways by herself and can sometimes take a breath and keep going.

BABY EMMY:  Travis says she loves the baby SO much, but sometimes she loves her a little too "strongly".  I have many times found her lying down on top of the baby...not maliciously, just because she wants to be close to her.  Tonight she was feeding her puffs and talking so sweetly to her.  She's quite the little mommy.

ELLIE:  This is a relationship that is ever growing.  Since they are so close in age we are still working through daily skirmishes.  But really she loves her so much and wants to do (or say) whatever Ellie does.

MOMMY AND DADDY:  I think she is maybe our more adventurous, outgoing child...but she still really likes Mommy and Daddy to be close.  When she's hurt or sad or tired or just in need of some extra TLC, no one else will do--and I'm ok with that.

MAC N CHEESE and FRUIT SNACKS:  Her two favorite foods.  She doesn't get either of these things super often (well, maybe she gets fruit snacks kind of often...but I did just find these all natural ones at Costco so that makes me feel a little better) but she asks for them at least once a day.  She definitely has preferences and opinions about things already!

COMFORTING PEOPLE/KISSING THEIR "OWIES":  I can make the quietest little sound when I've stepped on something, or nicked myself or something and I'll immediately hear her saying, "What happened, Mommy??"  Just yesterday the baby pinched me with her little fingers and she was very concerned. "Pray for you Mommy??"  Kristen, who lives with us, calls her "little miss mercy"--and she really does have such a tender heart.

HER LAMBIE AND HER DOGGIE...and any other random item I let her take to her crib at night:  If it's not a book, then maybe a baby doll shoe (or two), daddy's chapstick, etc.  The good thing about it is that she'll wake up the next morning and play with/read the item for about 15 minutes or more before calling for me to get her up.

TO PUT THINGS ON HER HEAD:  (as you'll see in the pictures below)

A few more thoughts...
--She's quick (usually) to share what she has with her sister and her friends.  She will be one that loves people well.  Here's a funny story of her attempting to share, and having a tender heart.  Lily Doran was here visiting (more on that later) and she had given Lily one of her baby dolls, but then unfortunately decided later that she wanted it back, so she took it.  Lily started to cry and Gracie walked over to Lily, baby in hand and very concerned and said..."I sorry, Lily, I sorry!"  Lily didn't really respond to the apology but in her defense, though SG was very apologetic, she never gave her the baby back!  We're working on that part!

--Gracie loves to be validated...especially if she has hurt herself.  If you ask her, "where does it hurt?  can i kiss it?  is it ok now?"...usually by the end of that routine she says, yes, she's ok and then goes about her merry way (whereas before you might would have thought the world was coming to an end).

--She is talking a TON--complete sentences.  We understand her most of the time.

--She's fearless, usually.  Today she went down the big slide at the waterpark without even flinching.

--She calls my mom (who has been Grandmommie since Caroline was born), Mimommie.  So sweet...I don't want to correct her.

--She used to call Ellie Sissie, but sounded like "CiCi"...but recently she's started calling her "Ellie"...sad.

--She continues to make us laugh all the time!

Ok...the year in pictures.  Starting with August a year ago.  Brought some tears as not only has my little girl grown up so much in the last year, but many of these pics took me back to Boston.

One of my all time favs...this is still where she likes to sit when I cook.

She has always insisted on wearing baseball caps like this!

In the middle of a fun/exhausting last trip to NYC.

The beginning of a beautiful friendship...

That's my fun, fearless Gracie!

This one has become famous!  We love it!

Precious little mamma to her baby sister.

Daddy's girl...

And Mommy's girl.

We love you, Gracie!