2 years

clearly i'm writing this post a little late, but i still can't believe my BABY girl turned 2 in december. the time has flown and her birth really does feel like just yesterday. God has taken me through such a journey in the blessing of this little girl...a journey of learning to more deeply to trust Him. from the fear of the cysts in her brain to the shock of finding out she was a girl to the journey of my vbac. God has already done so much in me through her sweet little life! ugh, and now she's two. definitely not a baby anymore. and she acts like she's even bigger than two...she follows her brother everywhere and wants to do everything he's doing. our sweet caroline is growing up. and though part of me is sad at how quickly the time passes, i also love and treasure watching her grow and become a beautiful, strong, and loving little girl. she makes us so proud!

caroline is still a great eater and will eat just about anything. chips are probably her most requested snack and we laugh because it's like she can hear a bag of chips opening from a mile away. and she comes running: "pips! need pips, pease!". she also loves cupcakes. she has some jammies with cupcakes on them that she always wants to wear and the only thing she would say when i asked her what kind of birthday party she wanted was "a tuptake party!!".

just like quinn, she is extremely verbal. some of her favorite things to say at two were:
"yaddy" (water)
"mo-mo" (more)
"bubby/tin/bud" (quinn)
"down-tairs" (requesting to go downstairs instead of going to bed)
"like dat" (do it like that)
"need ud boppy" (requesting a different paci)
"tare-uh-line" (caroline)
"sour peam" (sour cream)
"pommis" (thomas the train)
"cuh-doo" (color)
"i do it / i do it myself!!"
"chuch" (church)
"mommy, come on. i show you"
"pump" (jump)
"BIG hug/tiss" (give me a big hug or kiss, said with much emphasis)
"shi(r)t" (nope, the word shirt does not have a letter r in it when she says it)
"take a shallet" (requesting to take a shower)
"yatch" (watch me)

she has just started this whole "i do it myself" business. miss independent wants to be a big girl and try everything herself, which is fun when we're in any kind of a hurry. but she's getting better at helping get dressed, taking her shoes off, and helping with her carseat buckle. she also likes to try to cut her food herself.

she loves us, adores her bubby, and loves to spend time her grandparents, aunts and uncles, and her best friend sloane ("soanie"). she loves to be silly. she's still a mommy's girl. she's starting to have more attitude and there are many times when she wants only me. but then when i do pick her up, miss sassypants will give her daddy a look like "ha, i got my way and got my mommy". oh, she's going to be trouble!

so excited for her birthday and that she can finally eat her cupcake!

the video is a little blurry, but i love her reaction to the singing and blowing out the candle.

happy, happy birthday to our sweet caroline. we love you more than you'll ever know and we can't imagine our family without you. thank you for bringing us so much sunshine. 

2 year stats:

height: 35 inches (84th percentile)

weight: 28.6 lbs (73rd percentile)