Our littlest baby is two! It feels like she's always been here and I can't imagine our family without her, yet I can so clearly remember the day she was born. I woke up with contractions at 3am on the day of my scheduled c-section - she was ready to come whether we had a schedule or not!
Anna has filled our family with even more love, laughter, and happiness. She is smart, funny, and full of sass! Her vocabulary and comprehension are amazing; she has been speaking in full sentences for months. She has a big voice for such a little girl and yells everything. She can count to 10, knows most of the letters of the alphabet and knows lots of shapes and colors. She is also learning some French from her big sister and will say
bonjour and
bonne journée to Grace's teacher when we drop her off. I've also heard her yell
"Ca c'est pas bon!" when Grace does something she doesn't like. She is a girl who knows what she wants and can be very stubborn! If she doesn't like something, you'll know it.
We've come a long way from the days when I carried Anna in the Beco for hours every day, just to keep her content and get her to sleep. She was not a great sleeper when she was little but is making up for it now. She always goes for a nap without a fuss; she will sometimes even tell me she is tired and wants to get in her crib, and will walk to her room dragging her beloved blankie, and wait for me to come lift her into the crib. She sleeps quite well at night too, but often cries out once or twice during the night, from what we think are nightmares (she's usually not even awake when we go in to try to comfort her).
Anna is a picky eater. We have a hard time getting her to try new things, and even getting her to eat things she is familiar with can be a struggle. I can usually count on her to eat a good breakfast because she likes oatmeal and fruit, but lunch and supper are hit or miss. She loves yogurt, raisins, pasta, and goldfish crackers. She is not a fan of sweets, like her Dad.
Perhaps what I've loved most about these past two years has been watching the relationship between Anna and Grace grow. Grace has been an amazing big sister right from the start. She loved to help me when Anna was a baby: passing me diapers or wipes, singing to her when she was upset, and getting the biggest giggles out of her when she started to laugh. Now, of course, they have their squabbles, but they never last long and they often hug it out afterwards without me even suggesting it. For the most part, they are the best of friends and have a lot of fun together.
Anna loves the water, whether it is in the bathtub or swimming at the lake in the summer. She likes playing outside, swinging at the playground, and watching TV. We really have to limit her screen time because she completely zones out when she's watching, and I'm sure she would watch for hours if we let her. She loves music and dancing. When she's tired, she will often ask me to dance with her and she'll rest her head on my shoulder and snuggle right in. She likes to draw and color with crayons or markers but is not a big fan of painting or anything that gets her hands dirty. She loves being read to and looking at books. She knows a few of her favorites by memory and if you come to our house, chances are Anna will get you to sit on the couch and read
Sleeping Dragons All Around to her. She and Grace often sit and read together, it is the sweetest thing.
This picture makes me laugh because it sums Anna up perfectly. She is generally a happy, smiley little girl, but if she doesn't want to do something, you can't convince her otherwise. She did not want to hold the sign, so there was no way she was going to do it. She didn't want to even stand or sit near it, but eventually agreed to sit beside it and drink her milk.
Some things I don't want to forget:
- How excited she gets when Brian gets home from work. She always drops whatever she's doing and runs to him for a hug.
- The way she climbs up on the couch and says "I want to be cozy, Mommy!" which means she wants me to wrap her up tightly in her blankie.
- That she is still so snuggly and likes to be held or sit in my lap.
- How she insists on a hug and kiss from Grace when we drop her off at school. If Grace walks in without giving Anna a hug and kiss, Anna will yell after her "Gaycie! Don't forget hug and kiss!"
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