pretty*swell

I’ve been trying to compose this post in my head all weekend. Over and over. But I just don’t know where — or how — to begin.

Today is Small Fry’s second birthday. Two. This fact blows my mind.

In the last year, she’s transformed from baby to toddler. She now has a doll that she cradles in her arms the way I used to hold her. She talks in complete sentences and has started reciting the words of her books and singing songs that I had no idea she knew. It’s amazing, really. For two years, we’ve been reading her these books without any response. Now, she holds the books in her lap and narrates the plot while turning the pages.

Same goes for the songs. “Frere Jacques” has been a bedtime staple since she was days old. I love singing this song to her. Just the other day, she requested it. Then she started singing the lyrics, even the verses I’d made up. This might not seem like a big deal, but to me, it’s pretty freaking incredible. I guess I had no idea how much she’s like a little sponge, absorbing all of these words we’ve been saying and singing to her every single day. To hear her repeat them back is just bliss.

When you catch her off-guard, she says, “Oh. Okay. Okay.” And when she leaves a room, she’ll toss out, “be right back.” Like a little adult.

She counts everything. The steps, her toys, the pictures in her books. She can make it to 14 by herself. When she gets excited, she squeals and runs in circles with her arms in the air. She also loves the “all fall down” part of “Ring Around the Rosey” and always pre-emptively tumbles to the ground during that song.

She loves macaroni and cheese, farm animals and Elmo. Mention the park, and she can’t get out of the door fast enough. She digs in the dirt and plays with dress-up clothes. Equal parts tomboy and girlie girl, I think. When you ask her what her favorite music is, she says “rock and roll.” And her absolute favorite thing to wear is her yellow guitar shirt.

She is funny. Really funny. She makes me laugh every day. And, when you get her going, she rips out the biggest, heartiest belly laughs, complete with tears in her eyes and the occasional snort (like her mama).

I could go on and on and on. Can you tell? I’m just so overwhelmed with love for this child.

Happy birthday, sweet one!