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.

Dancing Queen

That's the "Harry Potter" song that she's jiving to. And yes, I do let her dance on the table. Guess I'm out of the running for "Parent of the Year."

All about Lu

!!!!SMILE!!!!

She's changing so much lately. It's exciting and sad all at the same time. Her language is just exploding and she's the funniest, silliest, cutest thing that has ever hit the ground running.

Her stroller is a "walk" and food is "sauce." She loves to play Little People and asks by saying, "Pa-pa-pa-poople?" She loves our neighbors' twin babies. Recently, I caught her holding two dollies, one in each arm, and rocking them in the rocking chair. She was making them talk, "Wah! Wah! I want muna's! (nursing)" Then she'd respond, "It's ok, babies."

She loves playing with her siblings but she also plays so nicely by herself. She loves running and spinning and jumping. She prefaces nearly everything she says by yelling, "YAY!" When she messes up, instead of saying "Awww man!" she says, "Awwww, baby!" She's a daddy's girl and Mike just soaks that up like sunshine. Her favorite thing is "Backpack," (Dora). She's got a way of tilting her head and gesturing when she asks questions that is just so cute and grown up.

She still loves to nurse and recently while at, of all places, Wiggles World at Six Flags, some nosey nelly took it upon herself to tell me, in a not so polite way, that I should go somewhere else to breastfeed (among other stupid but common falacies about nursing.) It was the first time in five years of nursing that I had ever received a negative comment and it was a doozie. Little Lucy just sat there, nursing away, completely oblivious, gently patting my face and twirling my hair, never breaking her eye contact with me. As long as she had me, she didn't care what anyone thought. I could learn a few lessons from that girl.

(There's another new post after this one.)

Broken hearted

If Lucy doesn't like what's been served to her, she lets you know....by pushing the dish onto the floor. After dumping all the contents out. And pouting "No!"

Tonight, after a repeat performance at dinner, Mike thought he might be able to teach her not to do that anymore. While Lucy was playing "waitress," she brought over a plate of "cookies." Mike dumped it onto the floor and said, "No. Yuck."

Poor Lucy! Her eyes got big and she said, "D ...D ...don't want?" Then she picked it up and walked back to her play kitchen. She put her head down on her arm and cried her heart out. (Mike cried a little too, I think.)

Lesson learned but the student wasn't Lucy.

This is what sweet looks like...

Poor baby. Yesterday she came down with a sudden high fever. Then today, she's perfectly fine. We'll take whatever snuggle time we can get.

Littles can have cute hair too.

CHEESE!



I did Lucy's hair yesterday. Even when it doesn't hurt, she says "Ow." She thinks it's funny.




Here's my first attempt at a french braid:



It's a rainy, dreary Saturday here so we're stuck inside. We're tackling the kitchen. Let's just say that Mike and I had no idea that you were actually supposed to be able to SEE through the oven door and we'll leave it at that.

Lucy loves it

Let's give a video a try. Here's Lucy with her favorite gift on Christmas morning. Ignore the very merry mess that is Christmas. I swear those garbage bags are filled with wrapping paper and not actual, you know, garbage.

That's Charlotte's doll house in the background on the table. Mike slaved for weeks over that only to have Charlotte's reaction, upon unwrapping it, be, "What...? It's a dollhouse.....So?" Of course now she loves it.

In other news, Lucy used the potty two days ago. She was running around bare, as always, and was quietly playing in the other room. Lo and behold, she had come upon her little potty and decided to use it. She's only 17 months so that was pretty exciting.

Eli's had two basketball games so far. They were trounced both times. He's taking it in stride. As much as the kid hates to lose a board game, he could care less about the scores at his athletic events.

This evening Charlotte said to me, "Mama, sometimes when I sing I cry because it's so beautiful." As silly as it sounds, it makes me sad to think that someday she'll hear that maybe she's not as good as she thinks and that might break her heart. And mine.