Two Years Old

Two years old...sweet baby girl, when did you grow up?

You are sweet and gentle. You love to cuddle before you fall asleep and if you had it your way we would rock you to sleep each and every night. For a long time we did just that (because we liked it just as much as you), but have gotten tough these last few weeks. It has been HARD. Not so much at bedtime, but definitely at naptime. You are often up in your crib for over an hour before you finally give in and crash. You have a hard time settling down to sleep and I have a feeling its because you don't want to miss out on anything. We will see how long this napping thing actually lasts...
You love your babies and could play with them for hours. Covering them up, putting them to sleep, and singing to them. You take them on stroller rides, bring them with you in the car, and give them plenty of hugs and kisses. At night, you sleep with two of your favorites and refuse to go to sleep without them.

You are a talker. You speak in full sentences and your vocabulary continues to amaze us. We probably need to give Claire some of the credit as you pretty much repeat every word that comes out of her mouth.
You are also a singer. Your daily notes from school often say how much you love to sing. Row your Boat and A,B,Cs are the two we hear most often, although tonight Daddy commented that he has also been teaching you a few Bob Dylan songs before he puts you down at night. :)

You definitely have your feisty side as well. You know what you want and if things don't go your way, you let us know how you feel about it. A few weeks ago, I took Claire and you to Potbelly for dinner. You had a carton of milk with a straw and were having a hard time getting the last bit of milk out. You were mad. I tried to help you, but it only made things worse. We ended up leaving half way through dinner. You screamed the whole way home. And then you were done...just like that. I guess you really are TWO.
Like most other kids, you love playing outside. We were at the cabin a few weeks ago and you were in heaven down by the beach, filling up buckets of water and digging the sand. You come home from school covered in dirt from head to toe and I am convinced you must dump buckets of sand over your head. At least I know you are having a good time.

You are an entertainer. You can put on a pretty good show. You dance and jump on command with a huge smile on your face. Some nights before bed, Claire and you take turns singing solos. At first you were a little hesitant to stand up and sing all by yourself, but now there is no stopping you. You love all the attention. The other night you were singing and I starting singing along. You gave me a look and said 'Mommy, no singing!' Guess you thought I was trying to steal the spotlight.

You adore Claire. When you wake in the morning, the first words out of your mouth are 'where's Claire?'. The two of you play together for hours on the weekend. You play house and school and babies. She bosses you around and you happily follow her instructions without complaint. For now it works, and you really are the best of friends. Makes me smile.

Charlotte, I can't imagine our family without you. You are an amazing little girl and we love watching your little personality emerge. Happy Birthday!