This is 2

The non-stop birthday and holiday season is behind us now.
The girls aren't stepping foot on another airplane for at least a few months.
School's back in session,
and life has returned to normal.
Which means it's high time for a little recap about our little ladies.
First up is Ryleigh!

At 2:
You are filled with joy and happiness.
Not only that, but you spread joy and happiness to everyone you encounter.
Truly!
Ask your grandparents. Ask your teachers. Ask my girlfriends. Ask the moms in playgroup.
Your easy grin, your smiley eyes, your infectious giggle, your sweet-as-can-be pigtails…
you are the very definition of joyful.
It's the simple pleasures in life that bring you the greatest happiness -
and that, my dear, is a quality we hope you'll always hold on to.

At 2, your personality is growing by the day.
You were late to talk.
You've been working with a delightful speech therapist for several months now,
and it's all starting to click.
You are starting to count to ten.
You now know all of your colors.
You are recognizing shapes.
You are starting to say three and four word phrases.
You are singing along to songs you hear.
And, as your speech grows and grows, so does your personality.

You are still a climber, you are still a little monkey.
You jumped upon your new scooter and never looked back.
You learned how to drive the new Barbie jeep around the block.
You grip your sister's balance bike so tightly that no one can pull you off it.
If mommy or daddy turn around at the playground,
you sneak off to to the top of the big slide, or climb up the ladder without a second thought.
You so badly want to keep up with your big sister…and most times you just about can.

On that note, you love Alexis dearly.
Lexi is a hard name for a toddler to say,
so several months back you gave her the nickname "Yaya"
and it has stuck.
We all call her that now.
You want to be just like her, you want her attention and her praise,
and you want desperately to be included in her "big kid" world.
There is perhaps no greater gift for parents
than to watch the bond between their children blossom and thrive.
It seems just about every day lately, where your daddy and I just sit back and watch you two together,
and smile. What a blessing you girls are…to us AND to each other.

At 2, you love arts and crafts, you love coloring, you love legos, and trains and especially, books.
At 2, you love your crib dearly. You are always ready for your nap and always ready for bedtime.
At 2, you love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but your attention span is still awfully short for television.
At 2, you love to be outside, pushing your grocery cart, taking your baby doll for a walk,
running over to all the neighborhood dogs…anything, just to be outside.

At 2, you love going to Mother's Day Out. The same smile you have when I drop you off in the morning greets me at pick-up three hours later.
At 2, you are starting to make your very first friends.
You recognize and race over to Bennett at gym class now, and both Emily and Cody at their houses,
and your playgroup buddies each Tuesday afternoon.
You always have a smile, hug and high five ready for your pals.
That being said, lately you are having a very tough time sharing with these pals.
You want what you want, and you can be feisty when you don't get your way.
We are starting to discipline you,
so that the terrible 2's are more often than not the terrific 2's instead.
At 2, you are coming out of your shell…greeting cashiers at the grocery store, asking neighbors "How are you?", waving hello to anyone we pass on our walks, saying hi to any baby you come across.
At 2, you are a people pleaser.
You thrive on attention and praise, always shouting "At me mama, at me daddy"
which means you want us to check out one of your new skills.
You love our attention, and you get so, so upset if you get yelled at.
At 2, you are our sweet little lady who we love so very dearly!