Happy 2nd Birthday!

this year, your birthday fell on Thanksgiving, as it will every several years. it's appropriate, because we are super thankful for you!

we've watched you grow a ton over the past year.

you're running around all the time, chasing your brother and trying to keep up with him. i think that's why you get hurt more than he did, paired with the fact that you're just fearless. bumps and bruises have become like a part of your wardrobe. the last black eye faded just in time for you to get a fat lip. you're getting especially good at jumping. both feet leave the ground almost every time now.

you love what sam loves, and you sing the spiderman song all the time. i can't be thankful enough that you two love each other so much. i hope that never changes. we celebrate your birthdays together. on sam's birthday, we went to fun city pizza, where you guys had a good time and played and got presents from us. on your birthday, we went to have thanksgiving/birthday time with your grandma and papa, where we had more cake and presents, and of course, thanksgiving food.

your favorite present was this gigantic care bear. you still love your care bear that you got from aunt michelle last year, and you sleep with both of them, plus a moose, a cat, and sometimes several other stuffed animals. you call the care bears your "babies," and you love to rub noses with them and touch the little hearts on their bottoms. it's like your comforting little goodnight ritual. as soon as you pulled your new care bear out of the bag, you rubbed noses with it.

you still love animals. you love to look out the window while we're driving and yell, "Animal!" or "MOOOOOO!" when we see cows. you love to look at dogs, but they still make you nervous. we actually got a dog last week, on a whim, but you are so terrified of her that we have to give her away. she's going to live with your friend Ivy, so maybe someday you and Rhuby will be friends.

you've been stringing more and more words together, and we feel like you've really taken some big steps just in the last few weeks at communicating.

you're our sweet little girl, and we love you a ton! happy birthday.

love, mom

you got your second black eye!

i'm not really sure how you got this one. you definitely didn't dive out of a shopping cart, like last time.

you and sam were playing with toys in his room. you started crying, and when i came in, you were laying down, and sam said you had fallen and hit your face on a toy. there was a little knot next to your eye, already swollen. whatever it was, it got you pretty good.

This is the sweetest picture ever.

(be sure to click the picture, to see the big version :) )

the neatest thing about it is that you guys had no idea i was even watching you, much less taking pictures. i love that you and your brother love each other so much. love, mom