Happy 2nd Birthday, Bubbers!

I still call Anna “Bubbers” or “Bubby” and I don’t want to lose that.  Even her sisters call her Bubbers.

I made up an Anna Banana song for her in the van one day.  Julia and Raven know it by heart.

I haven’t made Anna’s two year appointment yet and feel strangely guilty and carefree about it simultaneously. 

I still carry around a pacifier in my coat pocket.  It’s not for her.  It’s for me.

Anna wasn’t even walking 9 months ago but she runs now.

She still loves to be held and snuggled.  She likes to take my hand and hold it by her face when we watch Sesame Street.

She speaks.  Full sentences.  Her name.  Everyone’s name.  I love how she says “Daddy” – “Dah-yee”.  Adam pointed it out to me one day.  “Jew-yah“.  “Ray-wen.”  “Anna!” with glee in her eyes.  She knows how to use words instead of tears though she still starts with tears. 

She throws the most amazing tantrums.  Better than the other two.  She KNOWS how to throw them awesomely.  I caught her with markers the other day; I said, ‘Anna, NO MARKERS.’  She stood up, looked me in the eye, SLAMMED the marker cap back on the marker, STOMPED over to the cubby, THREW that marker in there.  And THEN she threw herself on the floor and screamed in frustration. 

She wants to be a big girl.  But not.  She is still the baby.

She loves the slide.  She loves the swing.

She loves books.

When she doesn’t want something, it’s “yucky”.  “Yucky potty.  Yucky water.  Yucky book.”

When she is hungry, she gets a bowl and says, “Food!” or “Breakfast!”

Potty training will probably be a while; the will is strong in this one.

She hasn’t had a pacifier in two months or a crib.  And she is a champion.

She loves her babies.  All of her babies.  Her blankie.  And her owl.

She loves Sesame Street.  And Frozen. 

She loves to take a pillow and lay down on the Dora Couch and cover herself and her babies with a blanket and chill out while watching a show.

She doesn’t really seem to like bread very much.  Or pizza crust. 

But she LOVES cheese.  Our girl.

She puts on pants by herself.  She picks out her own clothes.  And for some reason she thinks two pair of pants is a perfectly acceptable outfit.  She likes to wear pants to bed.

She loves the suckers at Ms. Diane’s dance studio.

Anna turning two… there is a pile of bricks on my chest and I cannot even release the words to express how I feel today.    My heart is heavy with pain.  No more babies from this womb.  And then I see this picture and my heart rejoices to know that this one… this one picked me.  I love you, Bubs!