Lu is two!

Little Lucy Lu turned two last week. My little, tiny baby is not so little or tiny anymore. Instead, she's a big girl with a silly grin and a trouble streak that runs pretty deep. She's constantly getting into things or climbing something or disappearing somewhere and I can honestly say I enjoy every minute of it. I love how full of spirit she is. I love her strong will and her sense of humor and her love for everyone in our family.

Since Charlotte's birthday last month, she's been insistent that it's her birthday every day so the actual day was a major deal. Her birthday was Dora. Dora cupcakes, Dora balloons and decorations, Dora clothes, Dora toys. Her favorite present was a toy "Backpack" that talks and sings and she stuffs it full of her many Dora figurines. M (my mom) taught her how to blow out her candles ahead of time and Lucy was prepared.

Of the three, she's the one I've allowed myself to enjoy the most. Elijah was born when Mike and I were still so young ourselves. I spent much of the time aware of peoples' perceptions of us as teen parents and I was constantly second guessing my decisions. When we decided to have Charlotte, I was obsessed with the idea of finally parenting as an adult, completely and totally on our own. I found myself so insistent on doing things myself and doing them perfectly that I was often parenting from my head rather than just doing what felt right.

With Lucy, I finally knew who I was and what I wanted for my children. I knew what mattered and what didn't. I had an idea of what I would look back on in 10 years and remember, either fondly or sadly. Whether it's a matter of personality or a more relaxed momma (or most likely a combination of the two), my relationship with her is very easy and comfortable. It's not that my relationships with her siblings aren't special because they truly are. They're just colored by my own mental stumbling blocks. And interestingly enough, even though she's years younger than her siblings, I find myself using my relationship with her as a blueprint for how to improve my relationships with her brother and sister. Yet another reason Lucy has made our family richer and more beautiful.