Lily Jo is Two

Our baby girl is becoming a walking running, non-stop talking, always giggling toddler.  She makes me smile every single day and I sometimes try and remember what life was like without her sweet spirit in my life.  Most of the time I can't remember and I'm okay with that.

Lily is fierce and opinionated, loud and articulate, a wanna-be momma, kind and sweet but wild and free.  She is stubborn and knows what she wants and brings joy and madness and goodness and love to our everyday.  This girl knows how to give kisses and snuggles and how to give me all the feelings.  She is our Lily and her Daddy and I are so so very thankful she is ours.

Here she is...

• Lily loves to take 'bubble baths' with her big brother (I wish you could hear her say it).  I know this will end someday, but their innocence in pouring and scooping bubbles with each other gives me joy at the end of everyday.

• Reading books with Luke or Kevin and I is one of Lily's favorite things to do.  She loves books about animals and when she is 'reading' you can hear her mention 'Thomas' a few times.  I'm sure you can guess why.

• Before bed every night, Lily gives Daddy hugs and kisses and evaluates the 'ucky' (aka, stubble) on his face.  She loves to tell him if he has a lot or a little and always gives it a kiss.
• If Lily had to choose one favorite thing in the whole wide world, it would be babies.  She knows all her friends that are babies: Baby Reid, Baby Henry, Baby Kate, Baby Larry, Baby Stella, Baby David, Baby Sawyer, Baby John, Baby Emmy.  She gets so excited when she knows she is about to see a baby and wants nothing more than to rock, snuggle, and hold that babe (regardless of whether it is bigger than she).
• Lily and Daddy have a special night every Wednesday night when Luke and I go to church.  They play with babies, take walks outside, or go on tractor rides.  Daddy cherishes these few nights where he has her undivided attention; getting loving from her is sometimes work, but always worth it!

• Lily wakes up talking and doesn't stop until she lays her head down at night.  Her vocabulary grows daily and it is always fun to see what she is going to say next.
• Luke is her hero.  She follows him, does what he does, mimics him, and just adores him.  The sweet bond they have is simply the best.

• Eating is one of Lily's favorite pastimes.  She will pretty much each anything, but really enjoys applesauce, yogurt, macaroni and cheese, chocolate, waffles, cookies, broccoli, and casseroles.  
• Lily is a social butterfly.  She loves to see people and has no problem going to another adult or playing with other children.  No doubt about it, in a family of introverts, she is our extrovert.
• Climbing, sliding, swinging...Lily appreciates them all.  She has to keep up with Luke, so she has willed herself to be able to do most of these things without a lot of help from mom or dad.
• The way she says Momma or Daddy melts my heart every single time.  She definitely has us wrapped around her fingers.

• Lily's 'security blanket' is still her thumb and her belly button.  She wraps her little pointer finger around her nose while she does it and it is the cutest.

Happy Birthday, sweet Lily Jo!