Happy Birthday June Bug!

Happy Birthday June Bug!

 Today you turn TWO years old!

I don't know about you, but this second year has been even better than the first.

I always knew I would have you. Before I was even married. I knew I wanted a girl and that her name would be June. A couple years before you came, I started collecting things that had your name on it, like a firework box that said "June Bug" and things like that. I just always knew you would be mine.

You love to look at the sky. Often, while you're in your swing outside under our big tree, you just throw your head back and stare into the blue and white or the orange and pink or the pale yellow endlessness that God paints for us. I will never forget your first time seeing the stars a few months ago. We were in the middle of nowhere on a road trip and you wouldn't sleep so we stopped on the side of the road. You seemed breathless and just kept looking up at the glitter through the rolled down window saying "oh wow!" I hope you will always feel connected to the sky. For you, I hope it is your mirror.

And you're a goof ball. And full of imagination and WANTS and needs. So many opinions in such a little girl! You are becoming rather attached to your stuffed animals and I couldn't be more proud. (I had gobs and gobs of them growing up.) You are usually a pretty good sharer and you love a good tea party.

I posted this poem once before but I wanted to do it again. This year it means something different than it did in your first year. (the is author unknown to me)

"You are the trip I did not take

You are the pearls I cannot buy

You are my blue Italian Lake

You are my piece of foreign sky"

And how could you not be? I didn't know how I would give up some of the dreams I had- until I had you. It was never a hard thing to do. A dream is one thing to hold onto, but it's nothing like holding you. ;)  Sometimes sacrifice feels natural, and as always, we get back more than we ever give. And YOU, Ivory June, are much, much more than anything I could give up.

At TWO,  June:

Is 23 pounds and 35 inches!
This means, according to myth, that she will be 5'10 for her full grown height! So tall! I guess we'll see if it's true or not (the myth is that whatever height you are at 2, you will double exactly for your grown-up height)

Has much more hair than she did a year ago. I think it has gone more blonde than anything but sometimes in certain light, I still can see the red tint (like in these photos!)

Still needs four teeth, but they're all about the break through at the same time (so fun...)

June's 2nd year has been good to her. Some highlights are:

Been to some new states: Virginia, Maryland, Oregon, South Carolina, & Wyoming. State count up to 9!

Touched the Pacific and the Atlantic again this year

Flown on 10 airplanes

Sings

Counts to 12! Usually only to 10, but has gone to 12 on her own.

Knows all the letters, but doesn't sing the whole song or anything, but she will identify them from the symbols. 

Favorite shows- Blue's Clues, Curious George, Magic School bus, and Elmo, (but only Elmo, she makes me fast forward to him.)

Loves to pretend to be a "shish" in the water

Adores our pets and spends her days hugging and playing with Abe, our dog.

Ridden on a pony a few times

Some words are hard to understand and she can't seem to use a "k" or a "g" so that makes for some interesting words. 

Also, she keeps saying the S word. Usually when she is trying to say "shirt" and Share" I think...? So all day I hear "mommy! Sh*t!" All. Day. 

She is saying all sorts of words and sentences. We notice something new everyday! It's a fun age.

But she also continues to speak her little June language. She will go on and on telling stories. There will be words and little sentences something to pick out but mostly it's in her "native tongue." (while it's fun for her to be saying so many real things now, I will still love the babble the most. It is me favorite thing and I will miss it when it's gone!)

She's a picky eater! Doesn't eat meat, not even chicken nuggets. She wont even try pizza or cake. What the...?

Most consistent favorite foods are: granola cereal, fresh homemade juice, cottage cheese, most fruit, sweet potatoes (with a littttttle brown sugar) spaghetti squash, pasta, and of course, mac and cheese and hot dogs.

Been to a couple weddings and two funerals

Loves hiking, unless there are fire ants

LOVES to go to aquarium 

(and Zoo, but we don't go there often)

June is awesome at puzzles, and has been for a while now. (I know most kids at this age are) but she has a special attention span for them and can figure out some complicated ones! We've been surprised at some of the things she can do!

She loves to help clean and do laundry and cook. For now... why can't the helpful stage last forever..?

She loves babies. She got to help feed one with a bottle the other day and she was elated.

She loves to pretend and seems to be pretty creative. Anything can be a pretend "nummy" and tea parties are a common event in this house.

I suppose I could list things all day, so I should probably stop and keep the (even) longer list in my personal journal. :) 

Thanks to all of you who care about and love June. We can feel it and so can she. She is a trusting, loving, and confident little girl because of it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IVORY JUNE!