Happy 2nd Birthday!!

We did a LOT of things for your birthday this year. I think because we went to Hawaii for your birthday last year it sort of diminished the rest of it because that was so big. This year though I was very sentimental about your birthday and really wanted to celebrate it. I think some of it is because I knew you would be old enough this year to really understand what was going on, even if you won't remember it. Needless to say I am glad we did everything that we did. You had so much fun.

Your birthday was on a Friday this year which was perfect because I took the day off. It gave me time to spend the day with you and prep for your party on Saturday.

I wanted from the moment you woke up to be special. So the night before your Dad and I blew up a bunch of balloons and put them in your room. When you woke up in the morning you were so incredibly adorable. You stood up in your crib and said “hoh! Balloons!” Then I picked you up and with sheer excitement you started running around your room throwing them in the air and kicking them. You thought it was the best thing ever and you played with the balloons for days.

Dad had to go to school in the morning so you and I got to spend the morning together just the two of us. I wanted to take you swimming since you haven't been since swimming lessons when you were around 9 mo old. You LOVED it. There wasn't a lot of people there so we pretty much had the kiddy pool at the YMCA to ourselves. We went down the slide, jumped in the water, played with a ball. It was a blast. Then...the best part that I won't ever let you live down when you get older. You are going through a naked phase right now. You LOVE to be naked. So, I thought that I would be a nice Mom and let you “be naked” while I got dressed in the locker room. So I took your swim trunks and pullup off while I was getting dressed. Lo and behold, you managed to open the door to the locker room and bolt out while I was getting dressed. Of course I didn't have my shirt on at this point so I couldn't chase after you. As I called your name you just streaked down the hallway. By the time I got my shirt on you were already down the hallway and halfway up the stairs to the workout equipment area. All the meanwhile bystanders stood laughing at you thinking you were the cutest thing ever. Lesson learned: do not let your child sit naked in a locker room under any circumstances.

After the YMCA you and I went to Burger King for lunch. We played in the play land and enjoyed one on one time. Now for the mommy moment I will never forget. After all of this we stopped by Walmart to pick up the supplies for your birthday. As we were shopping you stopped me, put both of your hands on my cheeks and held my face and said “Mommy, happy.” To which I replied “oh, you are happy?” You immediately responded with a “uh-huh.” This was a big deal for me. You made my day, probably even my month. You have never said the word happy before and to hear you tell me that you were happy on this very special day when that was exactly my goal just made my heart swell with love and sheer happiness. Since then you have used the word happy many times, however not usually in the context that you are happy, but rather that other people are happy. So I know that the time we spent on your second birthday was a very special day for you.

That evening your Dad and I took you out to get frozen yogurt. You loved being able to pick out toppings to put in your cup and had fun hanging out as we ate our yogurt in the restaurant.

On Sunday since we didn't get to do anything just the three of us on your actual birthday we took you to the aquarium. You loved it and have now asked to go see the fish again.