To Alex On Your 2nd Birthday - The Chirping Moms

Dear Alex,

Happy birthday! Today you are 2 years old.

You have grown so much this year! You have grown almost 1/2 a foot & your feet are only a half size smaller than your big sister’s!

This time last year you were a bald baby that couldn’t walk. 12 months later you have a full head of blonde curls & you run everywhere you go. You have grown into a little girl, with a personality all your own. Frequently while watching you play or interact with your sister, Daddy & I say “she’s certainly one of a kind”. You certainly are.

You are absolutely hysterical. From your quirky dancing & funny faces, to the silly things you say to make your sister laugh, you crack us up every day.

You have a kind heart.

For someone so small, you have a big heart. You love snuggling & giving kisses. Sometime you will be running around, wild as can be, only to stop in your tracks when you pass me to kiss my knee. It’s one of my favorite things in the world. If someone is upset or hurt, you are the first to walk up & ask “ok? ok?”. Sometimes, when your sister gets hurt, you cry harder then she does until you know she’s going to be alright. The love you give Maggie & I all day long, makes each day brighter & sweeter.

You love Daddy. When he gets home from work, you get so excited you scream & run a lap around the house. You also love your family & friends. You love learning everyone’s names & ask for them all the time. You are full of love.

You are stubborn as can be. One of your first words was “self” demanding you do things on your own. One of your first sentences was “me do it”, again insisting you need no help!

You went from saying a few words to speaking sentences. Sometimes when you talk, you sound like you are european. We can’t pin point the exact region, but love the accent. You also have a few of your own words for things. We are not sure where they come from, but hope they don’t change any time soon. Like Picachu is an iPad, & our very favorite “Domini” for banana. When you really want a banana, it’s a Dom Domini (sometimes with a foot stomp thrown in). I love when you tell me “Sure, Mom, Sure” when I ask you to do something & how you always say “love you too”.

You are smart. You recite numbers all day long. You can count on your own now & your favorite number is 11. It’s often thrown in a few extra times while counting “1,2,3,11,11,6,7,11,8,9,10,11”. You also know a lot of colors & letters already.

You are adventurous. You are a little dare devil & climb everything in sight. Last week you started jumping in the pool, not wanting to even hold my hands. Your new thing is “Super Alex”. You yell it as you jump off of things.

Your favorite things to play: with Jersey, baby dolls, books & on the swing set.

Favorite foods: everything! You are a great eater. You will try just about anything. Your favorite is mac & cheese, but you’ll eat anything from Japanese to Mexican food.

Your favorite books: Curious George, Sammy the Seal & Clifford

Favorite Show: Dora, Diego & Henry Hugglemonster

Favorite items: binky & your snuggly blankets now called “nugglities”. You have 4 different ones & all must be present in the crib.

You have grown so much in 12 months, but you are still every bit my baby. You still let me rock you at night & sing you Baby Beluga.