Two Years

I can remember, as a kid, wishing that time moved more quickly. I couldn't wait for the weekend, my birthday, Christmas, the family vacation, etc. Whatever was next on the calendar, it couldn't arrive soon enough to suit me.

And when my parents tried to tell me that I would eventually reach a point where all I wanted was for time to stand still, I thought that they were crazy. Because why would I want today to last even longer, when tomorrow seems so much more exciting?
And then, Brigid came along.

And every day, she seems to grow another inch. And every night, as I rock her to sleep, she fits a little less perfectly on my lap. And every week, she's mastered some new trick that she shouldn't be able to master, because SHE'S STILL MY BABY, for crying out loud.

Except, she's not really a baby anymore, is she? She's a full fledged person at this point, with her own ideas and opinions, a sassy attitude and a wonderful sense of humor. She can actually ask for what she wants now, she operates the various Apple products in our house better than most of her grandparents would, and she loves her daddy more than just about anybody else in the world, myself included.

She's a fan of the Disney princesses, Belle and Rapunzel in particular, but she knows there's always a time for Jack Skellington, too. She picks out her own pajamas, she likes to help pull weeds, she dances like a loon to Gaga every night before she goes to bed. She knows which Gaga song is playing just by the opening notes, in fact. She's too shy to accept a free balloon or hand stamp on her own, but if mommy or daddy are there to back her up?

Well, then she's all over it.

She does the best ghost impression I've ever seen. She is one of the few people I know who is actually cool enough to pull off wearing her sunglasses at night, while inside. No matter how much she's eaten at a meal, or how full she acts when she's done, if I pull out a piece of cheese, she's going to want half of it.

She loves her dogs almost as much as she loves her daddy, except when they try to steal that cheese.
(The leftover turkey she's refused to eat, though? That's fair game)

She is pretty much the most perfect two-year old I've ever met, and I would be perfectly content to freeze time on this moment forever, because...yeah, I love this kid more than anything else in the world.

Happy birthday, Bug!

Here's to another wonderful year of being your mom-mom...