Two Already!?

Woa, woa, woa. Hold on a minute. Wait just there. Back the truck up. This can't be. She's two??? How is that possible. How is it possible that two years - 104 wks - 730 days - have gone by so fast? Just yesterday we were in the delivery room. I blinked and Taylor went from her first birthday to her second.

What a year though. What a great year. The last time I blogged (this is daddy by the way), which of course was exactly a year ago (guess that makes this a tradition now), Taylor had just taken her first steps and just said dadda. Now she's jumping off furniture and talking her face off. At least she gives you warning before she jumps - "two, twee, two, twee." And you better be ready, because as she starts that count, she's committed to taking off.

How did we develop such a crazy monkey? Earlier today Jen noticed that Taylor had walked down to her room and was very quiet. Which anyone who has a two year-old knows is never a good thing. Jen peeked around the corner, and Taylor was standing with one leg on the armrest of the rocking chair (a rocking chair mind you) and the other leg on the railing of her crib as she was finding a way to climb into her crib. Where did she get that sense of daring need to climb and explore? I don't know, but I absolutely love that about her. And that example sums up Taylor to a T.

Forgive me for being cliche, but Taylor really is the light of my life. I love every second I get to spend with her and every single thing that she does. From five o'clock in the morning when she wakes up calling "daddy, daddy" through bedtime when she's saying "'un back, 'un back" so she can fall asleep with me rubbing her back. From the time I leave for work in the morning when she gives me a kiss, a hug, says "I wuv you," makes me give mommy a kiss, a hug, say "I wuv you," and then give the baby in mommy's belly a kiss, a hug, and say "I wuv you;" to the time that I come home and she gets so excited, screams her head off, and then runs in the complete opposite direction thinking she's hysterical. I love reading books with her, getting a ball to play "tetch" with her, and chasing her saying "I'm going to get you, and then I'm going to eat you" while she giggles uncontrollably. I love even when she's being a pain in the butt and we have to explain why you can't hit, why we need to go somewhere, why she needs to put clothes on, etc. No matter what she's doing, I am just overwhelmed by the emotion that she stirs in me.

And the emotion that her mother stirs in me too. I can't wait for the day when Taylor realizes just how lucky she is to have the mom that she does. Jen is awesome with her, and I love to watch her in action. Singing with Taylor, teaching her how to count, explaining how to behave, talking through their day and who she played with, etc., etc. Okay, maybe Taylor doesn't get to enjoy as much "straight juice" as any normal kid, but that's because her mother is always looking out for what's best for her.

There are so many cute things that Taylor does, and every day there is something new and different. From new words, to new facial expressions, to new preferences, she always has something that makes Jen and I look at each other and say "oh my god, she's so adorable." And then there are her routines too. How every morning she needs to brush her teeth ten times while mommy and daddy are getting ready. How she needs to go out with daddy to take Emma out in the morning and pick up the paper. Every Monday and Tuesday, when she realizes that she is going to Grammy's, she goes through in rapid succession, over and over again: "Nolly, Nolly? Ty, Ty? Geegee, Geegee? Pop-pop, Pop-pop?" Her need to walk out the door with her "gaggee" and as many other blankets or clothes as she can carry. Her need to take her shoes off as soon as she get buckled into her car seat. How she needs to watch Hi-5 when she wakes up from her nap.

It has been so much fun watching Taylor grow this past year. I am excited to see how she continues to learn and develop this year. I wish it wouldn't go so fast, though. But I do look forward to each new phase she is going to go through, however quick each one may come and go. I am so anxious to see how Taylor is with her little sister. I think she is going to be mesmerized with her, and Avery is going to have a great big sis to take of her and look up to.