Isabelle- 2 Years

Dear Isabelle,

Today we celebrate 2 years since your birth. We celebrate your smiles and your laughter, we celebrate your happy body and fast little legs, we celebrate your sweet spirit and your unconditional love. We celebrate two of the best years of my life, now that you’re here, I can’t imagine it without you. When you first came to us, and you were laid in my arms, your tiny body wrapped like a burrito, I whispered over and over to you, “Isabelle, I’m your momma. I’m your momma.” You are my biggest calling, my greatest joy and there is nothing in the world I would trade for your time.

In two years you have learned to sit up, crawl, walk, skip, hop and run. You have grown 15 inches in height and put on about 23 pounds in weight! I swear we buy you more shoes than any other baby I know, you grow out of them so quickly. Your brain is so smart and quick, nothing gets past you and you notice the tiniest details. You are now learning to form words into sentences- everyday you say something new. “I choke” when you cough, or “where’d it go” when something is missing, or “MOM, MORE” when you need more. You love food but not more than you love a cold glass of milk, it is your favorite.

You are less of a baby and more of a real live person now- we go everywhere together and you are like my little sidekick. Wherever we are, people fawn over you and you usually get shy and retreat to the comfort of my legs. Secretly I love that I’m your home base, I hope I will always, always be home for you. You listen well and can follow instructions, love to do puzzles or play pretend in your kitchen with your babies. Really though, if you had your way you would spend your entire life outside. Doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold, rain or shine, you want to be out there. You come to me with your shoes and say “Owside,” like it’s more of an order and less of a request. You love to play with your dad- sometimes he is so silly and it makes you ROAR with laughter until you can’t breathe and then you have to lay on the ground to recover. Over and over again you run as he chases you around the house while you find a place to “hide.” Some of the best parts of my day are watching the two of you interact.

I wish I had a picture of every expression of your little fair face. Each one is so precious and perfect, you have learned to pout and cheer and to fake being sad. Your face lights up when you see Madilyn, you get so excited you can hardly run fast enough to her. Your face has changed shape, your baby fat is disappearing as your lines become more slender. You are growing up.

When you were new, I told my mother how in love with you I was and how much I loved you. I remember she told me that in two years I would love you even more than I did then. I thought there was no way I could love you any more than I did when you were born, but mom was right. I wish I could go back two years and tell myself, just wait, it gets even better than you think is possible. I wonder how I will feel in five years, or twenty, and it makes me so happy to know that we have eternity to spend together.

I need a word
A brand new word
Nobody ever heard
I need a word
That can express
You are the dearest
On the earth

-by Monique and Hans Hagen

Isabelle..you are the dearest of my earth, sweet baby. Happy Birthday to you.

xoxox

Momma