Happy Birthday Hannah

To my sweet Hannah girl,

Happy second birthday!  You have been looking forward to this day for over month, daily singing "Happy birthday me".  I can't wait to wake you up this morning and really sing it to you.

I am amazed by how much you have grown and how much you have learned in just two years.  You don't say a lot of words, although your vocabulary is expanding daily, you understand everything.  You have the funniest personality.  You smile is simply contagious....and your laugh...I wish I could hear it all the time.  You simply crack me up.  You love to make people smile, and you'll often do something funny just to get a laugh.  You live life passionately.  I feel like I have so much to learn from you. 

You love to eat, and eat...and eat.  I must say though, that your eating skills have improved over the past year.  You still are the dirtiest one at the table, but your head is generally not completely covered in food.

Speaking of dirty....you are always dirty.  I remember when you were a newborn and I was in awe of how dirty your little feet always were.  This hasn't changed at all.  I don't know how or why, but it seems like you are always dirty....and also pretty stinky at times.  It's funny though, we all laugh.  Maybe we'll have to talk more about this when you are older though:-)

You love your big sister Nicole.  You follow her and copy a lot of what she does.  You also make her crazy.  Nicole loves you too though.  I love to watch and listen to you girls playing with each other.  I pray almost every day that you and Nicole will be best friends.  You have finally started to call her "Nicki" 

You are also incredibly sweet to Nathan.  You are always very concerned about him, often trying to share crackers and cookies with him, forcefully shoving the paci in his mouth, even when he doesn't want it, and showing him how hard you can hit the toys he's playing with.  Nate loves you too.  He watches you as you play and you often make him laugh.  Right now, you just call him Baby.

You are my sweet little baby girl.  You still love to be held and rocked. After baths, you bring the towel to me and say "baby", because you want me to swaddle you up and sing rock a bye baby to you.  You would love to sit in the lap of someone who loves you and let them rock you while watching your favorite video.  You often want me to lay down next you at nap time and bed time.  And, I want to lay there with you, but there is a problem...if I lay down, you won't let me get up.  You will pitch a royal fit, so I usually have to say no and walk away and it makes me sad.  Sometimes we both get our way and you will have someone rest with you for a while.

You, my dear, love shoes.  You are always changing shoes, usually prefering to wear Nicole's over anyone elses.  You like princess shoes and dance shoes and boots, and slippers and whatever else you can get your feet in.

You are learning very quickly.  You can recognize several letters in the alphabet, along with their sounds.  You love to be read to...often times bringing handfulls of books at a time.

You are a sweet little lover...always chooseing to love on someone rather than hit them (well...except maybe Nicole).  You love to be picked up and carried and will often rest your head on the shoulder of the one carrying you. I love it when I'm helping you get dressed, and you fall into my arms  in a huge, unexpected hug.

You have the memory of an elephant....you are still talking about when you fed a giraffe in August and it tried to lick you and you still talk about Justin and Erica's wedding like it was yesterday.  You've been anticipating your birthday for a month.

I love it when we meet someone at the store and Nicole introduces herself, you and Nathan...and then you point to me and say "Mommy" or point to your dad and say "daddy".

You are a "tank".  You are just one solid little girl.  Actually, you are very strong.  Obviously I don't know what the future holds, but you seem to be more athletic, which strong legs and a great throwing arm already, although you have no idea how to swing a bat:-)

Hannah you are a precious gift from God.  I love you so very much.  I am thankful the Lord has given you to me as a daughter.  I often feel like I fail as a mother, but I trust that He will give me the grace I need to love you, teach you and care for you as you continue to grow.  I am excited about this coming year.  I hope you will learn your ABCs, to count to 10, your colors and maybe even how to swim.  You are a joy to be around.  You are loving and sweet and I look forward to watching how the Lord uses you as you grow.  Your daddy and I pray every day that you will soon understand the gift of the cross, repent of your sin and be adopted into His family.  I don't care what you "do", I care about who you become and who you live for.  Hannah, I pray that the Lord would take you sweet, loving spirit and use it to bring much glory and honor to him.

I love you my sweet Hannah-Girl.  Happy 2nd Birthday!
~Mommy~