Two

There's been a birthday to celebrate here this weekend. A little lady who is now old enough to understand that a good birthday involves cards, presents, cake and a party. The house is now (finally) quiet and almost resembles tidy and I'm sat here struggling to find words that adequately describe how I feel about this amazing little lady that's in my life. 

I never knew that it was possible to love one little person quite so much. Every day she completely amazes me with her passion for life and the sense of humour that she's quickly developing. She's also one of the strongest willed people I have ever met; determined to fight to get her own way no matter what the obstacles. I'm proud of her independence and curiosity about the world around her, but at the same time also desperate to protect her from things that could possibly hurt or upset her.

It pulls my heart strings to see her get upset when she sees something in a picture book that has gone wrong or needs fixing. Developing empathy and compassion is such an important stage, but one that I sort of wish that in a perfect world she didn't have to learn. Watching her care for her cuddly toys is so touching, yet I'm still trying to teach her that grabbing her doll's hair as a way of getting her in and out of the pushchair possibly isn't the best way of doing things. Sharing her mummy with a younger brother or sister is going to be a new challenge for her, but at the same time I just know that she's going to be a fantastic big sister with lots of love to give. 

As I sit here in disbelief that the last two years have passed so quickly I'm left feeling so, so proud. Proud of the amazing little girl that my daughter's growing into and proud that we've survived those first two years of life as parents. The challenge is by no means over, but it's good to pause and celebrate how far we've all come.

Happy birthday Little Miss C and thank you for the most amazing couple of years. Let the adventure continue!