My Baby girl is 2

Another year has passed. We've come a long way since being a family of just 3, 2 years ago. I have learned a lot from my little girl in these two years. How different a boy and girl can be....of course second child syndrome kicks in pretty bad, although I have tried to be as equal as I can. But when you have an older brother to keep up with, there is bound to be a lot more toys to play with than when Trevor was around at her age now.

She loves playing with her dolls in the dollhouses, and for a while I thought she was going to be a car person, just like Trevor since that is what she always saw him playing with, the way that she plays with cars, is to treat them like they are dolls. She puts the cars in the dollhouses, makes them ring the doorbell, and talk to each other as if they are people.

She loves playing in the kitchen, to make coffee for anyone, and to put things in the microwave. She loves to look at photos in the photo album. She loves to read books. She has taken to figuring out the leapster that Trevor has owned for the past almost 3 years...I think. Or maybe we got it for him when he was 2. But after watching Trevor play it, she has figured out where she wants to go on each of the games. And Trevor has moved on to playing our old Game Boy system (or purple leapster as he calls it).

Yes, it has been my influence, but she also loves princess things. Dolls included. She doesn't sit through any movies, but likes to watch the first few minutes of most of them. I did venture out and get her the first Tinkerbell movie, which is like an hour and 15 minutes, so if she can hold her attention, maybe she'll enjoy that one.

I remember Trevor's stage of loving shoes, however I wasn't able to nurture that love as I have with Gwen. Finally she has some play shoes of her own.

She can clearly communicate her wants, which is very helpful to me, however frustrating for her if she can't have her way.

Thanks to our wonderful families, we had a wonderful birthday celebration for her today. We had been talking to her about it, and due to our other family's birthdays, she knew somewhat what was going to happen. And I remembered from when Trevor was her age that I needed to speed through the gift opening so that she could get on to the playing of the toys. We have such kind and caring family that it is impossible to think of anything that she is going to ask Santa for come another 12 weeks! Even the things we got her, I was unsure if she'd like them, but she dove right in. I have seen little girls running around with tu-tus on, and I figured Gwen would enjoy it too. As soon as she figured out how easy they were to put on, she was showing everyone her cute dress. However, posing for pictures was not something she did willingly.

By far, the biggest hit of the night was a birthday card. It wasn't even close. She opened and listened to the recorded message from Bubba and Papa followed by the princess song again and again and again and again. Thankfully we captured it on video. I will post it soon. It is the cutest darn thing. And I know Trevor would enjoy one too, even now, but for some reason....she just loved it. We pretty much had to trick her into giving it up.

It was a wonderful birthday. Both our kids are so lucky to be so close to all our extended family. Spoiled too, a little, but so very very lucky. Thank you to my mom and dad (aka Bubba and Papa), my brother (aka uncle 'Bacca), my other brother and sister-in-law (aka Uncle Tinkerbell and Kelsey), Vicky (Grandma), Jerry (Grandpa), Derek, Kyrsten, (uncle) Jason, Teresa, Tracy, and Amy. Our family loves you guys and I can't say Thank you enough. THANK YOU! Let's do it again in 8 weeks! ;-)