A letter to my daughter...

My Dearest Lily,

Another year passes and now you are two. It’s been two whole years since you were born and life with you in it has been a blur – a good blur, but a blur none the less. It’s been one year, in fact, since I wrote you last. Where did we leave off last year?

You were just one – still a baby and not quite a toddler. You were my little baby. Over the course of the last 12 months and much to my dismay (I will explain that further) my baby disappeared and my toddler emerged. It took me some time to get a grip on the fact you were growing up. After Byron grew so fast, I tried to savour all that babyhood had to offer. Still though, it went much faster than I anticipated and before I knew it you were running around, talking like there was no tomorrow – well and truly on your child hood journey.

Just after your first birthday, two months in fact, you learned to walk; a little slower off the mark then your brother, but you got there in the end. It wasn’t long before you were running. Around that same time you also started to talk. Again, you were much slower off the mark with the talking then your brother. I honestly thought it wouldn’t be possible for a child to talk as much as Byron did but you surprised me in that department, really taking off with your talking in the past few months. So much so, that I can carry on a conversation with you now.

Speaking of Byron, you and your brother have such a precious relationship. Now that you’re getting bigger I’m really watching a new side to the way you play together and communicate. He loves you dearly you know, more than I ever thought a brother could. When he walks past he often pats your head without even realizing he’s doing it – like a reflex. It is so very sweet although sometimes it annoys me because it messes up your hair or makes you aware that you have something in your hair, which then leads you to wreck it yourself. It’s taken me nearly 2 years to get your hair to a stage where I can actually do something with it. You can wear ‘antennas’ and clips now. Headbands look really cute but you won’t leave them in for more than 10 seconds! I’m hoping that changes this coming year.

I was worried about your love of, or lack thereof, for stories. For a while there you hated having me or your dad read you a story. You just wouldn’t sit still long enough to turn the first page. It was frustrating to say the least. This went on for quite a few months until one day, I can’t be sure when, you just started to love books. You had your favourites and by favourites I mean you wouldn’t let us read any other stories but a certain few books.

Now, these days you are more diverse with your book selections, although you still have your favourites…Wiggles books are your most preferred. In fact, you just plain love anything Wiggles! You ‘made’ me pay an extra $1 for wipes the other day just because you saw they had the Wiggles on them and once you saw that there was simply no way I could get away with the plain boring green ones. That’s a lie – perhaps if I just let you scream the place down I could have left the shop. Sometimes though, you just have this way with getting what you want. Sigh. I’m working on that. As soon as I can get you to stop giving me the eye whilst simultaneously saying in the sweetest little voice “peeease mummy, peeease”, I think I might have a better chance at success.

While we are on the topic of reading, one of the sweetest sounds I love to hear is the sound of you reading when you think no one is watching. I love it when you wander off to read some stories in your room and I walk past to see you sitting on the floor, a mountain of books beside you, flicking the pages of an upside-down, back-to-front, book and talking as you go always saying “tee end” when you’re at the last page. You’re such a book worm.

I never ceased to be amazed at the rate you have learned things this year. I feel silly now worrying that you weren’t walking or that you weren’t talking like I was used to. To think that 12 months ago you were a baby and now you are a toddler, really does make me proud. I’m proud of your generosity; your sense of humour and your sense of style (no kidding –you have your own style objecting loudly when I try to put certain clothes and shoes on preferring your favourites. I’ll be honest, I can’t stand your favourite shoes of the moment - they are light up plastic sneakers from China that Nanna got you on her last visit. Yucko! They do nothing for your clothes. I can’t wait until you grow out of them or they accidently get lost in the rubbish bin!!!).

I, as I know your daddy does, get the greatest pleasure out of your sweet kisses and your scrumptious cuddles. The way you tenderly touch each side of my face with your little hands makes my heart sing. The way you pucker your lips and ‘mmmmwwaaa’ before your kiss actually graces my cheeks is enough to turn my bad day into a brilliant one.

I look at you and still, after two years, can’t believe I have a little girl. You are most certainly sugar and spice and all things nice. You are mine and I’ll be eternally grateful you are here with me.

On this your second birthday I wish you a happy, delightfully fun filled, journey of love and discovery to your third birthday and beyond.

Love and kisses forever...

Your mummy
xxx