Loving our Two Year Old

"Look, I wink!"

Oh, Éowyn Grace, you two-year-old, you! I may not have as much energy as usual, growing this brother or sister of yours, but that just means I get more time to try and memorize you in all your toddler cuteness.  I love our morning snuggles, when I bring sleepy you into our bed and you wake us up with your antics.  Much as I will one day love sleeping until I actually am ready to wake up, I will miss your warm wiggly body.

I'm fascinated with how quickly you grow in your grasp of language.  Your mind is always active, always learning.  I love that you still don't get language perfectly, that we get to enjoy your baby-talk a few months more; like how you sternly tell Daddy 'no pat my back-pack' (meaning your back), or ask me to 'make-a-me a tail?' (referring to a pig-tail in your hair).  Most notably is your use of 'you' as your article of choice-- in your mouth, it can mean the, that, a, my, his, or yours, as in 'Hold you hand' or 'Baby needs you Mommy' (translation: the baby needs his mommy).  Some cute Eowyn-isms:  cop-corm, heart-beep, butt (button), ooh-hah (musica), powin (pouting- which she will demonstrate if you don't understand her), shone (phone). In both languages, you know all your colors, can count to 10 (but almost always skip 3), and have a huge vocabulary for your age.  You prefer to speak in English, though you understand Spanish perfectly, and do have select phrases you always say in Spanish (such as 'agua').  I try to exercise my brain and use Spanish, though it's hard to keep up with your growing needs for correction & conversation.  :) 

Ahh, correction.  Yes, you definitely need that, on some days in spades.  You've got quite a stubborn streak, and (especially when you're hungry & tired) can keep up a steady fuss-fit-cry-scream going for hours at a time.  You also have begun to believe that you "need" (and you use that word with relish) about 25 items before going to sleep-- on nights when you really get going, you'll ask for multiple bo-bos, certain babies by name, paci(s), agua, hugs, kisses, tickles, music, songs sung (most-requested: O Ma Dawlin, Da Seep Song, Jesus, Los Pollitos, Amaze Gace & My Sunshine), to be covered up, to be rocked, and even just plain old held.  When told 'no' or given an unpalatable instruction, you often fling your head away and close your eyes, as if blocking out the sight of us could make it more bearable.  Or, if you aren't restrained by a high chair, the floor will do for refuge, hands over your face, bum in the air, "powin" with all your might.  Of course you aren't allowed to do this, but you still try, and I try very hard not to laugh.  Because it is cute.  I've been so pleased to see you respond with understanding when we've compared this reaction to that of King Zedekiah in one of your Bibles, where Isaiah is shown pleading with him to listen & repent, and he turns proudly away.  This has become your favorite picture in the Bible, and when reminded of it in the moment, you often crack a smile and give in.  I am praying for your little heart, and praising the Lord that He is showing you mercy already! 

You are still a Mama's girl through and through, though since Mama's been unavailable more often lately, through musical duties or sickness or fatigue, you and Daddy have become much more close.  You call out for him when you wake up, you laugh with him, tickle him, and nothing makes me happier.  He freely shares his technology with you (far more freely than I do), and your constant refrain is "See pictures, Daddy? (on your iPhone)" or "Pay game? (on your computer)."  Any noise of him upstairs or outside prompts you to shout "Daddy get you!  Hold you Mama!" and jump into my arms.

You make us laugh a lot, either through your "jokes" of calling things by their improper name and laughing yourself silly over it (forks & spoons especially, or potties & chairs), or threatening to go to sleep in your carseat, complete with fake snores, or though your childish ways of putting things.  "It stinks like poopin'!" or "Hmmm... is sticky in my nose."  You know the difference between needs & wants, and love to say "I NEED ___" first, then once prompted, grin and amend "I want _____."

You tend to be extremely sociable unless we want you to be, then clam up and try to hide.  After many discussions of how you are not allowed to be rude to anyone, I had to smile when you overcompensated by SHOUTING greetings to folks in the store.  Despite your fake shyness, you wake up asking to "see amigos?" every morning.  You also request Skype or phone calls to family members regularly, and you know who goes with whom.

Eating has been challenging the last 5 weeks, due to sickness.  There seems to be a lingering issue with texture-- contrary to your former habit of inhaling as much food as could possibly fit into your mouth, and then some, you spit out anything larger than a pinky-nail and proclaim it "too big."  We are constantly reminding you that you have teeth and can use them.  I'm sure this will pass. :)

You are still a true girly- girl.  Purses, shoes, boots, hair-dos, pretty clothes, babies, food, phones, all fascinate you.  You love to talk and remember everyone's name you've ever met.  When you see animals, you invariably try to put them into families-- if there are 3 of anything, they are a mommy, a daddy, and a baby. However, you are also a child of the 21st C, and you love iPhones & skype, computer games & movies, and anything with buttons. The zoo & the library are favorite spots, though you don't mind shopping with mommy either.  You love books, especially little scrapbooks, or any book sized for your hands actually.  A few favorites are 'The Very Hungry Catterpillar,' 'The Very Quiet Cricket,' 'The Red Ripe Strawberry', 'The Napping House,' and 'The Gingerbread Man.' We try to go to the park whenever the weather permits.  Just last week it was warm and the leaves were half-off the trees, forming a glorious golden carpet.  I taught you how to drag your feet and listen to the swish-swish of autumnal footsteps, and we made pillows in the leaves and laid down to watch the leaves dance down.  It was a truly precious moment-- the warmth, the colors, your delight at experiencing your first autumn, your small voice, the pillowy leaves, the chance to just rest and enjoy.  I know you won't remember it, so I have treasured it up for both of us.

I love you, Cha-chi.

Mommy