Spring

I know my family up north in Maryland will be VERY jealous, but we had the most beautiful spring weather today.  Spring comes early in Florida.  Special thanks to my mother-in-law for taking this pretty picture of Annabel.  It captures the essence of my daughter, and the day, perfectly.

Two

Annabel turned two years old yesterday and our house was filled with pink balloons, Hello Kitty cuteness, and a super adorable birthday princess.

It was a blast.  Unlike her first birthday, Annabel totally GOT that it was her very special day.   After breakfast, we watched “Tinkerbell” on DVD and then went to the mall for a birthday train ride.  After naps, it was the official Annabel birthday party.  She SCREAMED as she drifted through her sea of pink balloons and ran directly to the mountain of pink presents.

She got everything she wanted.   She was beyond excited.  And, of course,  Daddy made her the coolest Hello Kitty cake in the whole wide world. 

She went to bed surrounded by all her new gifts.  She is the quintessential “girly” girl.  She loves tutus.  She loves necklaces.  She loves doll babies and stuffed animals.  She loves purses.  She loves everything pink.  She even screams when she can’t hold the pink corner of the parachute at Gymboree class. I can barely take her shopping at Target anymore unless I remember to avoid any aisle that might have a Hello Kitty item.  (And it’s HARD.  Hello Kitty toothbrushes, toasters, blankets, towels.  That cat is EVERYWHERE.)

I don’t mind.  I love Hello Kitty too.  It’s adorable.  It’s awesome to experience all this fun little girl stuff again.  Annabel calls her “Hi-T.”  She is also saying a bazillion other words and it’s surprising sometimes because Daniel was not a talker at this age.  She knows most of her colors and can count to ten.  She sings her “ABC’s” and loves to ask questions, “Where Daddy go, Mama?”  “What Daniel do, Mama?”  She has the sweetest little high pitched voice and she loves to talk to her relatives on the phone.

She’s a great eater and sleeper, just like her brother, but she still has her moody days.  She usually shuns citrus fruits, but sometimes eats a whole bowl of oranges.  One dinner she asked for THIRDS of broccoli and the next time she would not touch it.  She is very opinionated.  We usually have to wait for the calm after the storm if I accidentally try to help put a piece of meat on her fork.  She doesn’t WANT the help although she really NEEDS the help and that begins a tailspin of drama. But she’s cute when she pouts, so we always have to giggle.

Her head of curls is growing longer and longer and it’s so wild to see her after bath time when her hair is wet and it falls down her back.  But after a few seconds it just springs back up into place.  She now loves barrettes and bows and the occasional headband.  She loves to dress up in “pretty” clothes ESPECIALLY anything pink. She wants to wear her tutu to the park.  She will sit on the floor in her room and play with dolls and read books.  She loves her play kitchen.  But she will still play trains and cars with her brother and she LOVES balls.

She also loves to dance and has some very cute little wiggle moves.  She screams with glee and claps her hands when one of her favorite songs comes on (The classic “Hot Cross Buns” or Metro Station’s “Shake It.”  She has very eclectic taste.) She will also go crazy from time to time and fling her body on the floor if she can’t do something JUST RIGHT.  Or if her brother won’t let her set up a board game.  Or if she has to put on a coat. Or if she’s super hungry.  Or if it’s 11 o’clock. 

With her all craziness comes her cuddliness.  She loves to give hugs and kisses and it’s so heartwarming to hear her say “Tank You, Mama” or “I Wuv you, Mama.” 

I love you too, Annabel.  You are my beautiful two year old princess.

Lefty

Annabel is left handed. 

I never really thought about it.  And I think about EVERYTHING when it comes to my kiddies.  Then, one day I found myself wondering, “Wait a minute.  Is that her LEFT hand she’s using to press those buttons on the really loud and obnoxious Elmo pop-up toy over and over and over again?  Why, YES IT IS!” 

Then, I would always put the fork in her RIGHT hand only to watch her switch it to her LEFT hand.  Hmmm.  When we visited my sister at Christmas (note: Sis is a lefty), she SCREAMED with delight when she saw Annabel use her left hand to pick up a crayon and color on a piece of paper.  I still was not 100% convinced. 

“I think she still uses BOTH hands,” I said.

“NOPE.” said Sis. “She is a lefty!  DEFINITLY.  WOO HOO!”

Now that it’s been almost a month later, I will concede.  My daughter is a lefty.  (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)  She joins an exclusive club filled with many other super cool left handed peeps including:  Her godmother (my sister), President Obama, President Bush, Oprah, Bill Gates, Bob Dylan, Sting, Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie, Robert DeNiro, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Willis, Justin Bieber, Rocky, and Kermit the Frog.  

In other “unique trait” news, check out what my SON can do.  I’m so proud.

22 months

Tomorrow Annabel is 22 months old.  The best word to describe her at this stage in the game: CRAZY. 

I say this partly kidding and, well, partly NOT kidding.  She is a bunch of fun and honestly one of the best parts of my day is when I get her after her nap and she screams with glee!  She smushes her little face into a cute, funny smile and reaches for me with all her might.  We hug and cuddle and kiss.  But then she starts SCREAMING for her Hello Kitty doll or her Minnie Mouse doll and struggles and twists when I try and change her diaper.  She runs to the kitchen for a snack and AWAY WE GO.  She is ten times the ball of energy she was at 18 months.  She knows what she wants and she wants it - NOW.  The moment she has any type of freedom from her stroller, she starts to run away from me like a crazy wild child.   I don’t know if she would stop or even look back if I didn’t snatch her up in 2 seconds. 

She is also in that crazy stage of wanting something and then NOT wanting it and then wanting it AGAIN and then NO, YOU DIDN’T GIVE IT TO ME FAST ENOUGH LADY SO NOW I DON’T WANT IT ANYMORE.  DON’T YOU GET IT ?  It’s very frustrating, but I also have to giggle.  Maybe it’s because she’s my second child, but I really don’t freak out about her outbursts as much as I thought I would.  She has meltdowns at Target, at Gymboree, at the dinner table, really anywhere and at anytime.  Sometimes they are little and I can appease her with food or a toy.  Sometimes I just sit and watch and marvel at the craziness of it all until she calms down.

We went to get portraits taken at Sears on Sunday and there was one salvageable shot of Annabel. It was taken one second after I placed her on the “X” on the floor of the studio.  (QUICK.  SNAP IT!) After that, there was NOTHING we could do to get her to stop “fish flopping” around.  No puppet, no gimmick, she was just done for the day.  And forget SMILING.  I was just trying to get her to be STILL. 

Today was the mall visit to see Santa Claus.  I was very pessimistic, but, again, you never know what to expect with my baby girl.  She was an absolute darling to all the strangers waiting in the long line.  She smiled and played peek-a-boo with everyone.  She looked and pointed at all the fake snow and fake trees.  Then, after 45 minutes, it was the MOMENT OF TRUTH.  Here is our 2009 Santa photo:

 I love you crazy girl.

Taylor Swift Says Bye-Bye Curls??

NO Taylor!  I LOVE your curls!  PLEASE keep them.  It is so important for girls with curls to have an amazing role model.  I hope you are just experimenting and having a fun makeover.  Of course you look gorgeous either way, but PLEASE KEEP THE CURLS!  They are your wonderful trademark!

My baby girl Annabel wants you to keep them too. Girls with curls ROCK!