Why I love having a 2 year old:
When you are 2, you can wake up and be whoever you want and no one thinks twice about it. You can wake up and be princess or a doctor or a mommy. It can be Halloween every day and you can proclaim Happy Birthday to yourself whenever you please. You can be so incredibly true to your feelings, even when it's ugly for the viewers. People just seem to understand that is what it is like to be 2. We were all 2 once and hear of the stories of our silliness and temper tantrums that cleared the room.
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I love that Ivy is 2... even when it is ugly.
I think I have truly embraced that this is a stage and I will never get back yesterday. Our babies grow too fast and I refuse to hang on to the hard times of each stage, like I have been known to do. I don't want to look back and think:
Wow at first the sleepless nights were hard.
Then the strict schedule was tough.
Then she started wanted to eat everything... and boy was it difficult to watch her every move.
Next she was one and on the move- and where did my baby go??
Then came the inner mommy struggles about paci's and bottles and the pressures around.
Before I knew it, those tantrums came and really trumped the other hard stuff.
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Each stage has a struggle of it's own, but what about all the good stuff? That is what I want to hang onto and remember.
I remember the smell of the newborn Ivy.
I remember her first smile.
I remember her scrawny legs and long toes.
I remember the first time she slept through the night and woke up with the most satisfied grin.
I remember when she seemed to take in every detail of my face.
I remember when she made such distinct expressions as she ate new foods.
I remember her first steps, her first words, and the first time she folded her hands to pray.
I remember when she said "I love you."
I remember when she started playing mommy.
I remember when she started trying to read her books to me.
I remember when she started professing her love for the moon and the stars.
I remember when she started showing her creative side.
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I want to enjoy Ivy every day. This has been one of the hardest parts about working full time. My time with Ivy is short Monday through Friday, a few hours each evening. We try to do something fun each day... go for nature walks, swing, color, do play-dough, or play "Mommy." But on the days when we are tired or grouchy, I go to bed drained and trying to hang on to something that was good.
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Right now something that I am truly enjoying (even though I struggled to accept it... at times) is her independence in her choice of clothing! Everyday she has an opinion of her own, whether it is red shoes with pink pants or pajamas all day or bows of many random colors, Ivy wants to dress herself. So if you see my child in public, please attempt to embrace her wild side :)
Here are some recent photos of Ivy's fashion sense!!
