Dear Lucy {year 2}

Dear Lucy,

Your birthday is tomorrow.  But we'll be heading out-of-town for a special day together.  So I wanted to write you this evening.

It's been a weekend spent together.  The three of us;  Daddy, me, and you.   

A simple weekend.  Every day, common activities; playing in the yard, exploring trails, movie night with popcorn, frozen yogurt, playground outings, backyard grilling.  Simple activities with just the three of us.  But choosing to be aware of one little fact.

You are still my miracle.  This extraordinary miracle that has become this subtle, existence in our ordinary days.

Most moments hit me square in the chest.  Looking you in the eyes while you grin and giggle as you tell me something that is clearly funny.  Watching you take off running and squealing the moment we get outside.  When I see you conquer a new task by yourself.  When you surprise me with a new phrase, spoken clear as day.  Those moments you’re sitting in my lap or we’re lying down together and I rub your smooth little hands and feel like I can’t possibly squeeze you close enough to me.

You, my love, are my miracle.  I still look at you with so much awe and wonder.  I don’t see how that could ever change.

But there are other times.  Times when I let myself think upon the things that don’t matter.  When I choose to throw my own tantrum along side of you.  How quickly I can let myself wallow.

Then even in the midst of those foggy, grumpy days, I’m reminded.

You’ll take my face in your hands, rubbing my cheeks.  You’ll lean forward until the tip of your nose is touching the tip of mine.  Our eyes starting to cross.  You grin, ‘Hey, Mama.’  And I smile, ‘Hey, Lucy.’  You say, ‘kiss’ and then ‘hug’ and then follow it up with an ‘awwwwwwww.’

We continue to go about our day, but now I’m staring again at this miracle that I don’t deserve.

But back to this 2 year business!  If I could pinpoint anything about you that sums up this stage the most, it would be that you are hilarious (and yes, you struggle with whining and constantly pushing boundaries...but mainly you're funny!)  You keep us laughing constantly, and I thank you for that.

Here are a few other things, in case you are curious one day…

• You are still a meat and fruit lover, although lately you have been on somewhat of a yogurt obsession.
• Your vocabulary is amazing, you speak in phrases and some sentences, you can count to 11 (sometimes in the right order), and you recognize your name and will spell out L U C Y.
• You’re starting to sing songs on your own and it is quite possibly the cutest thing my ears have ever heard.  Most frequently; Twinkle little star, Itsy bitsy spider, He’s got the whole world in His hands, and Oh how I love Jesus.
• You love to be helpful.  Helping cook, clean, unload the dishwasher, anything that looks like a responsibility.
• You’re still sleeping in your big girl bed beautifully.
• You still love wearing your panties at home, but we put a diaper on for outings. 
• You are very much fascinated with predators.  Alligators/Crocodiles, bears, lions, etc.  You can’t get enough.  Your favorite things to watch are documentaries and YouTube videos about Crocodiles.
• You are very nurturing with your dolls.  You like to change them, feed them, rock them, read to them, and put them to bed.  If it wasn’t for this, I might be concerned with the above mentioned…
• You like to dance.  And quite frankly, I’m impressed with your moves.  I think you might have gotten your rhythm from me, but most certainly, your coordination has come from your father.
• At night before bed, you now want to read your own books.  I could listen to your sweet, high little voice forever.
• When we talk to Jesus, you’ve started interjecting your own thoughts.  Usually it’s a list of names; family, friends, classmates.  Sometimes an object or food item.  No matter what, you love to end with a very passionate, ‘AAAAAMen!’
• Your memory astounds me!  Whether it’s recognizing and pointing out cars of our friends and family (which I don’t notice very often), or remembering a routine after being shown it one time and a week ago.
• And your laugh.  You have the greatest laugh, several of them actually.  Along with more facial expressions then I can keep up with. 
• A phrase I hear more than any other these days, “No, Mama! I do it!”  And most of the time, you can do it.  It’s a pleasure watching you become more independent and to see your confidence and abilities multiply.  It’s also been just another way I get to practice patience and grace… :)

Lucy, I could list a hundred more bullet points.  And truthfully, I’m not the best at documenting things like that…the specifics.  Things you say and do that I can check off.  I see you more as this continuous being, constantly growing and changing and the lines and boundaries around who you are and what you’re learning are constantly blurring and growing as well.  The details happen with my camera in hand.

Tonight we’re going to get in bed and go to sleep.  A couple of hours before the sun rises, you will turn two.  Two years marked on this earth.  Two years since my view of myself and of your father and of life, were changed forever in the most spectacular way.  Two years of new challenges and struggles.  Two years of the most tangible form of joy and love I’ve ever known.

So...to my 25 lb, 34 inch, size 6 shoe, 2T wearing, looks and acts like her daddy, ticklish and expressive like her mama, uniquely, perfectly, and wonderfully made Lucy Pearl…Happy Birthday.

And my dear?  We are about to start a marvelous new adventure together…

Love,
Mama