you are one for just a few more hours. hours that have been spent pushing a cart through target for party supplies i didn’t plan on buying, eating leftovers from last night, having a bubble bath and ending a real good day with a story with papa. there are bound to be tears because we’ve been running a bit behind all day so you’re likely to crash here real quick…

tomorrow you will wake up as this beautiful and bright two year old, probably not all that different than who you were today or even last week, but i will feel the weight of your presence just as i always do, in good times and in bad. most days we look at you, and then at each other and there’s a silent understanding of how we just cannot believe that you’re ours, a feeling that i am certain will only grow as big and as fast as you do.

this was the year of your hair going from messy to golden, bubble baths, the (hopefully temporary) end of our living room dances, you falling in love with grandpa, june + jo adventures, you becoming a major book worm like your papa, single words turning into sentences, your first trip to the hospital after you fell off our bed, living your best summer life in the sprinkler and at the pool, falling in love with your cousins, becoming the most loving + thoughtful big sister, meeting a band, traveling to hawaii, san fran, chicago, the river house and colorado. SESAME STREET! you got your first haircut and you were a witch for halloween! “cookie” is the answer to almost every question as of late. you also began doing tarot readings on a semi regular basis with your witchy mystical voice. you’re working on perfecting your self portraits, and you give us a thousand reasons everyday to beam with pride.. i am sure everyone that loves you has their own little blip of this year that they loved most about you, and hopefully this current status of zombie brain i have going on won’t zap them! (if you’re reading this and have one of your own, please share it somehow where she can read it someday #morbidAF) …it would take forever and day to cover everything you did this year that made us crack up. just tonight you went looking for papa yelling “mart! mart! mart!” and when he came through the door with a beer in his hand you yelled “A BEER!” …SOOOO at least we got confirmation that we’re doing this parenting thing decently right?

josephinaaaa, you have managed to captivate and steal the heart of everyone, everywhere! even perfect strangers, and it never surprises me. you carry a light within every fiber of your being that draws us all in and it’s enchanting. don’t get it twisted though, bug. you are fierce, especially this last week. you can be stubborn, aggressive and demanding and some nights bedtime doesn’t come quick enough.

here’s to you and whatever may come in this second year! and for the love of god, go easy on the terrible two stuff, it’s not cute.

i love you, i love you, i love you.

for always,
mama