Happy Birthday, Bella!

It's hard to believe my baby girl turns 2 today! 2 years ago, I was in the throws of transition with this much anticipated delivery. We weren't 100% certain it was a girl, but were delighted beyond description when it proved to be so. The delight in our daughter only grows with each day. She is such a gift from God to us.

Bella is such a blend of rough and tumble, a typical product of having 2 older brothers, and true girlyness. She loves balls and all things sports related. She's a better, more aggressive climber than the boys were at her age. She'll fall and get right back up. As much as I love doing her hair, soon after it's done, she'll rip it all out.

But, she is also my girlie girl. I have nicknamed her my "accessory girl". She loves any and all accessories: bracelets, hats, shoes, purses to name a few. Finally acquiring some baby dolls for Christmas, she can often be found during the day taking great care of them; although she doesn't seem to like to keep them dressed for some reason. :) I was able to catch a quick video with my phone the other day of her rocking her babies and singing to them....sweetest thing ever. Wish I could post it, but you'll just have to ask to see it on my phone next time you see me.

And, she loves to mimic mommy (I'm grateful and scared at the same time about this one). What she has mimicked so far that has been a delight is to see her "cooking" or tidying something up. She especially likes to wipe things off with her rag or sweep things off the floor.

While I cannot wait for her to grow in order to be able to really train her in all things domestic (which for me means sending her at times to many of the more domestically capable women in my family---and I have no problem with that), I am grateful for each day of her little life and do not take it for granted. LA reminds me often, and I am sorely aware, of how quickly our kiddos are growing up. We'll often find ourselves in the midst of a sweet or not so sweet parenting moment, simply enjoying the gift of our children and LA will say something like, "remember when we celebrated our daughter's 2nd birthday and the boys ate all her cupcakes before her party?" [They didn't do this, but it's something that could likely happen in our home and illustrates the point I'm trying to make].

Consequently, I love this song by Tim McGraw called, "My Little Girl". I'm a country fan and while I hope my baby girl won't be chasing after Mustangs or be a "mustang" in heart, I still love this song. If you're a country fan and especially if you have a little girlie, give it a listen. http://www.cmt.com/videos/tim-mcgraw/110125/my-little-girl.jhtml

And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL! We love you so much more than words can describe.