Maddie is 2!

Maddie had her birthday this past week. She's a whole 2 years old! She really is just a delight and we love her so much. It's hard to believe we're almost past the baby stage. It seems like just yesterday I was waking up all night with her, making bottles, and changing endless amounts of diapers. And while I'm glad to be past that stage, I can't believe how much she's growing. OK, so she's still in the 3% for her weight, but she is growing in other ways. Here are some of the things we love about Maddie:

-Her energy is endless! She really can't sit still. She either runs, or jumps, or spins, or dances her way through life. It is a rare occasion to have her sit on your lap. She just doesn't stop. I love how she just attacks anything she's doing. She is so fun.

-She's becoming such a great communicator. She's starting to make 3 and 4 word sentences. It's fun to have her express herself, and it's cute to see the way she says different words. Somehow she's learned how to say "dangit Parks". I wonder where she picked that up...

-She is little miss independent. Now that she can do most things herself, she definitely does not want help. One day I had to carry her screaming from McDonald's because she couldn't get her shoes on by herself, but she DID NOT want me helping her. She no longer wants us to put her in her car seat. She wants to climb up into the van and then climb into the car seat herself. She'll say, "Mad'line do it". And she'll start screaming at you if you even suggest you might possibly want to help her.

-She is definitely a girl. She loves her babies. She got a new one for her birthday and she's been carrying it around with her everywhere. She loves to take care of them and hold them when she needs comfort. Often I'll hear her talking to them in her bed. Sometimes she'll even blame her bodily functions on them. A few days ago she burped, and promptly responded in amazement, "Baby burp!" She also loves to carry her green blanket around with her everywhere too. At least she doesn't mind if I wash it every now and then.

-She loves to follow Parks around. If she can't find him, she'll come to me and ask, "Parks go?" or "Parks doin'?" Most of the time Parks is a good sport about it, which is good because Maddie already has a hard time when Parks goes to a friend's house to play. I think it will be a killer when he actually goes to Kindergarten. But I think Parks enjoys being with her too. When Maddie is down for a nap, he'll constantly want to wake her up so they can play. However, he's learned the hard way that he is not to go into her room while she's sleeping, or he incurs the wrath of a very angry mom.

Those are just a few of the reasons we love our Maddie. She is such a sweetheart and we're so glad she's a part of our life. Happy Birthday Maddie!