Dear
Grace, you have officially been a part of our family for 24 months little one! Can you even believe that? When
you were a teenie baby, I would think about what it would be like when you were
big enough to walk, talk, make friends and play, and here you are, TWO years
old already and doing all of these things and so much more! Every month your mamas
are convinced that you have reached maximum cuteness but then you grow another
month older and do and say even more new things that surprise us and keep us
laughing. You are incredibly kind and loving to your friends and family
and darlin’, you are one smart cookie!
At 2 years
old you can count to 20! You run in the opposite direction any time I try
and film you counting, however I did get a short clip of you showing off your
counting skills last month. While you lost interest and wanted to bolt
near the end, Mama’s glad she got something on video to show you when
you’re older. :)
You can
sing all of the words to the ABC’s, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Row Row
Row Your Boat, Isty Bitsy Spider, Rockabye Baby, You Are My Sunshine and Happy Birthday. You
LOVE to sing so we’ve been singing to you a whole lot these past couple of
months. One day it’s like a switch clicked on and suddenly you were
the one singing to us! On the
mornings when I take you to Gaga and Papa’s, you sing to me the entire way
there. It’s the best way to start
my day. :)
You learn
things so quickly that it really does amaze Mommy and me. Verbally you
have always been ahead of the curve according to your pediatrician and really
any other parent who hears you speak, but we’re just now getting to see how
coordinated you are, especially in soccer. It took you less than a month
to learn how to run and kick your soccer ball from one end of the soccer field
to the other. You are one of only a few kiddos who can do this in your
class! You really love soccer and we’re hopeful that it’s something you
will want to do for years to come.
You love
your cousins and adore you grandparents. Watching how much you all care
for each other and enjoy spending time together makes mommy and me so very
happy. Sofia the First is still a favorite “Toonie” (cartoon) of
yours. You equally love Peter Rabbit, Bubble Guppies, Peppa Pig and Max
& Ruby. Your favorite foods these days include rice, avocado, blueberries,
corn, cheese sticks, frozen yogurt, grapes and you’ve become quite the cookie
monster. You’re still not a huge
fan of meat but Mommy and I manage to sneak protein into your diet just about
everyday. We’re sneaky mamas!
At 2 years
old you LOVE:
- To feed
the doggies and insist on putting each cup of food in their bowls all on your
own. You squeal with happiness as
they come running in the door for dinner.
- Bath
time is a must now, every night, because you love it so much. You could spend hours in the tub if we
let you. Mommy just got you a
Little People Splash ‘n Scoop Bath Bar, which has made it even harder to get
you out of there before turning into a raisin.
- Bedtime
stories are another favorite of yours. After watching
an episode of Berenstain Bears each night, we all cuddle up in Mama and Mommy’s
bed to read some books before you go night-night. You have several favorites, which we often read over and
over. You love our evening routine
and yell, “story time, come on, let's go!” every night as you run to our room. You even climb out of your bed some
nights and grab books to “read” on your own. :)
- You
adore your babies, especially your Little People. You take your babies to bed, to the bath and on our outings
everyday. You shower them with
kisses and hugs. You also try
feeding them and combing their hair.
Such a good mama!
- Going to
the park is a favorite activity of yours and I’m talkin’ every.single.day! Your grandparents live across from a
park and you all spend so much time there that the park is often referred to as
“Gracie’s park”. Now that you have
your birthday bike and princess helmet, I have now doubt that you will be
spending even more time over there.
And then
there’s the “terrible twos” stuff…
Mama’s not
a big fan of that saying but I will agree that you can be pretty darn stubborn. You are ALWAYS on the go and there are
days when you have a hard time sitting still and listening. This is something that’s become apparent
at your soccer practices the past couple of weeks. You would much rather run laps around the field or chase
other kiddos then sit and listen to your Coach. Soccer practice has turned into a workout for your mamas
because you are one fast runner!
We just keep reminding ourselves that you’re two and sometimes you’re
going to act like a two year old.
Imagine that!
Mama: you
promise you won’t drop it?
Grace:
yes, pomise mama!
*You
dropped it about 10 seconds later… ;)
You are
very determined, which is something you get from both your moms. When you have your mind set on
something, that’s it. Your
favorite thing to say right now is, “I do it!” and “no help pease”. When you're having a tough time, Mommy and I can try explaining things to
you at eye level, offer you alternatives, scold you or even bribe you but most of
these things don’t work when you are really worked up. You have yet to throw yourself on the
floor and you don’t have the epic tantrums we hear toddlers typically have, (thank
you for that!) but that doesn’t mean you don’t throw fits. You’ve developed a distinct cry that
usually surfaces when we take something from you that you aren’t supposed to be
playing with or when we have to keep you from running off when we’re in a
crowded place and you’re excited to explore. Thankfully, chapstick still seems to work like a charm as a "fix all" when you’re fussy. In
other words, your mamas always have chapstick when we are out and about, just in
case!

This year,
like last year, we celebrated your birthday starting the moment you work
up with a birthday breakfast of cupcakes!
We started this tradition when you were one and it’s something we
hope to do until you’re all grown up!
I love your sweet sleepy face in this video and the bed head is my
favorite!
Happy birthday beautiful girl. Your Mommy and I are so lucky that you
chose us to be your mamas. We could not be more proud of the sweet girl that you have grown to be. We love you as high as the sky and as deep as the sea!