I promise

Dear Natalie,

It would not have been possible for someone to have prepared us for how hard these last two years have been. Just the same, it would be impossible for me to explain how much joy you have brought to our lives.

Everyone told me that time would fly, we would blink and you would be grown. I have always believed them and tried to treasure our moments. Sure I've second guessed every decision I've made as your mom, but I have tried to seek God and do my best with you. I'm having a hard time with you turning two. If you are reading this, I'm sure I'm having a hard time with whatever age you are now; holding this paper with what used to be tiny hands curled around my finger. I wonder what awaits us between now and that day in our future?

I promise to not wish you were small again. I promise to treasure you at whatever age you are. Know that this promise is one I declared to myself in Toys R Us the other night. I saw some cute outfits and as I walked towards them I realized they were too small for you. Tears flowed out of my eyes as I stared in disbelief. I missed my baby. Then I looked in my cart. I had a bike for you; and other girl toys. I told myself that you couldn't ride that bike if you still fit in those tiny baby clothes. I promised myself then not to always look back at the age you were, if I do I'll miss the age you are. I'm not up for a lifetime of missing you where you are. So for you my little girl, this is you today, when you turned two...

Your favorite song is wheels on the bus. You move your arms all around and say "round and round" in a very deep voice.

You love to recount your day to us. You tell us about "my boys" at day care and tell us how you cried when you got your latest Owie.

You LOVE chocolate jilk, as you call it. You and I have a glass together almost every morning.

You love your Daddy most of all. Anytime he walks in a room your eyes light up, you scream, and run to him as fast as your feet can carry you.

You talk, a lot. From your height and your vocabulary, most people guess that you are three. In fact this might be a hard year for us, no one believes Mommy is just 29 and no one really believes your 2.

You can throw some amazing tantrums. Enough said.

You give us great Hugs and Kisses at night time.

You said "bye bye" to your pacifier two nights ago. I think you did better then I did.

You love to go potty and do the potty dance. This involves your upper body bouncing while you sit on your potty. Your getting better at this and if Mommy or Daddy could spend a few uninterrupted days with you, I think you'd have it down.

You are gentle, kind, and sweet. You mother the kids at day care and kiss our owies too. You read us stories with make believe words and you can count to eleven (why stop at 10?) and sing your ABC's.

Our dog, Mocha, might as well be your sister because that's how you treat each other, you pick and tease each other all the time, but no one laughs harder then you when Mocha jumps at you.

You are loved more then you can ever imagine, by God, by us, and by many many others...and you always, always will be.

Here are some pictures of you today~


waking up daddy telling him your two


telling Mommy you are two


covering your nose as Mommy gets ready to butter it at Uncle Robert's and Aunt Jo's.
This is Mommy's family tradition.


Got you!


Katelyn made you a fun cake today! Thanks Katelyn!


This is you this morning when you put my eye shadow on your forehead.


You posing for a pic with Katelyn, you call her Kakeyn and I think she is one of your favorite people, by the way she was your first real babysitter at our house, just you and her and you both did great!