Today you're 2!

My sweet Olivia, today is your 2nd birthday.  Two whole years on this earth as part of our family.  What did we ever do before you were here?  Today you are waking up to dozens of balloons filling your room to celebrate you!  You're going to love it.  Today is going to be all about you.  We'll make your favorite breakfast of pancakes and bacon and spend the day doing fun things in honor of your special day!
  While we're celebrating, I won't be able to help but think back to exactly two years ago, on this very day when I was able to hold you in my arms for the first time and meet the baby I'd been loving for the past 9 months!  Meeting you changed our world.    Before it was just us, a couple, and now we were a family of 3.  Parents with a child.  A perfect little girl.  What a blessing!   We've had our moments over the past two years, two young parents learning how to be a married couple and how to be parents all at the same time.  It was amazing and rough, simple and complicated, fun yet exhausting...but most of all, it was perfect.  Not perfect as in nothing went wrong, perfect as in perfect for us.  For our story.  Exactly the way that God planned it to be for us.   Daddy and I are so, so grateful for you.  We are so thankful that we were chosen to be your parents and we pray every day for the ability to do our job as parents the best we possibly can.  We love you more than words can ever describe.    Happy birthday Love!  xoxo 

Photo taken by my dear friend Jenn for Olivia's 2 year photo shoot!

 ~Mommy     

One Point Five

I feel like I'll be saying some version of this for the rest of my life.  As a Mother, I can NEVER get used to how fast time seems to go by.  How, HOW is it that I have an 18 month old?   One and a halfAlmost 2Toddler girl How did the last year and a half go by that fast?   I swear I just brought home a newborn and now she's a walking, talking spunky little GIRL! These past 18 months have been the BEST 18 months of my life.  Watching this child grow and learn and change daily has been the best experience ever.  I've loved every second of it.  Even the sleepless nights and tantrums that go along with it.   Olivia,  I love being your Mama.   I love the sound of your little pixie voice and the way you tease me when I ask you to say Mama and you proudly say Dada instead.   I love your fearlessness and the way you love to explore everything.   I love your curiosity and the way you constantly ask "what's that?".  I love your fascination with animals, wanting to know what they say and repeating it in your adorable little way.   I love that you are so caring and gentle.   I love how you know that you're doing something you shouldn't but do it anyways while smiling that mischievous little smile at us and saying "no, no, no".   I love how you always manage to take your shoes and socks off all the time. I love how I try to sing you to sleep but it never works because you force yourself to stay away so you can clap when I'm done with the song. I love that you look just like I did when I was your age.   Most importantly, I love every.single.thing about you my dear.  Always and forever! Love, Mama  

Olivia is 15 Months Old!

My sweet girl is 15 months old.  Here is a highlight of some things she knows and loves to do!

Girlfriend has started climbing everything lately. 

She's particularly interested in the blinds and tries her hardest

to reach the choking hazard cord all the time.

She loves this little book called "100 First Animals"

She got it for Christmas and hasn't put it down since. 

She points to all the animals and asks "what's that?" in the sweetest little Minnie Mouse voice.

She knows the sounds that elephants, dogs, cats, owls, guinea pigs and lions make

and she says them when I ask.

Her favorite picture in the book is the Spider... 

She loves to sing "the itsy bitsy spider" poor girl is sure to be

traumatized when she realized what a spider really is!

Her favorite place to get into mischief is the dogs water bowl. 

She constantly circles it in an attempt to plunge her chubby little fingers into the water. 

When she's on her way to the water bowl and hears us coming she always walks

a little faster to try to beat us there...and most of the time she does!

She loves Elmo and Mickey Mouse and becomes entranced by the shows on TV when we let her watch.

She loved looking at Christmas lights this year and we took her to

LaSalette Shrine to see their display called the Festival of Lights. 

It was so pretty!

Here's my husband and Olivia in front of their gorgeous Manger.

Olivia,

You bring such joy to our lives. 

You have us laughing all the time with your funny ways! 

You're so inquisitive, always asking "what's that?" 

You certainly keep us on our toes too with all your climbing and water bowl playing! 

You're the sweetest little soul.  You are so gentle and loving. 

You are so generous with hugs and kisses and we love to receive them! 

You love talking on the phone and playing with all electronics. 

You've unprogrammed all the remotes in the house countless times. 

You put Pepere's cell phone in his slippers and you steal the cordless phone by the bed all the time!

We love you more than words could ever describe!  Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you.