Happy Birthday Issie!

Our baby is 2 years old today! What a big girl. We made it simple, just cupcakes and family with some singing from our small group last night. By the 3rd child, you realize 2 year old birthday parties are really not for the child and we just wanted to make it fun for Issie. I have been singing Happy Birthday to her for about a week, as all of my kids usually cry when people start staring at them and singing this strange song. So she was excited when we sang and had been freaking out for a cupcake since earlier in the day when she saw them so she was very excited for that.

Kadie had to blow out her candle since she was so delicate with her blow that there was no way she was going to get a cupcake without some help.

So, what do I want to remember about Isabella at this age? I have to say she has become a lot less demanding over the past few weeks, praise God. She has started to love to sing and I hear her little sweet voice singing her version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star while she is playing with her toys. Her favorite song is Wheels on the Bus and what is so cute is that she knows all the hand motions. She really wants me to sing it in the car, all of the time! When we finish she is quick to say "again Mommy, again". I actually made an attempt to video her doing the song to post here since it is so cute and I know it would make my mom cry. But that would require a child that wants to cooperate and when Issie sees the camera she freaks out and just wants to look at the pictures. So I tried to trick her. I fixed her hair and got her all ready, did some practice runs of Wheels on the Bus and she was just so cute, I really thought it might work. Then I pulled out the camera to catch it on tape and this is what I got.

I will keep trying, I do feel a bit guilty that I mostly share her attitude issues. She is so sweet too. She is a girl of manners. She says "thank you" all of the time, and just recently "bless you" and last week she started "I sorry" (this is needed a lot as she tends to express herself with her hands- aka hitting) and today for the first time she said "you're welcome mommy". It melts my heart. She is a little talker. She can repeat anything you say and has really developed quite the vocabulary. She does not like a mess and will softly say "mess Mommy" several times before she starts screaming "mess, mess, mess, mommy, mess!" until I wipe the milk off her high chair or some microscopic piece of food from her bib. Then other times, if I am not watching her closely she will be wiping yogurt all over her face and arms like lotion. When there is a real mess she seems oblivious but microscopic messes are a serious issue.

Issie loves her blankie, my only blankie baby, she carries it around and rubs the edge of it in her fingers when she is sleepy. Her blankie can make a multitude of things better. She also loves Jack and Kadie although she tends to boss them around a lot. She will repeat herself over and over again until Jack or Kadie repeat what she has said. Kadie does it out of habit now, without stopping what she is doing she will just out of the blue say "yes Issie, yours, your bunny" then keep on talking or playing. Issie often is claiming the rights to something "my bunny, kakie". Jack usually is not paying attention, tends to block out the constant chatter of the girls. Then when Issie is screaming at the top of her lungs, usually in the car, "Crackers, Jack!" finally Jack will notice and say "yes crackers Issie", then all is well again. It is nuts. We all are somewhat controlled by the random desires of the this little girl. We try not to let it control us but it is harder than you think.

She is a snuggly little girl, when she wants to be, and it is so sweet. She will out of no where, run across the run and throw her arms around my neck and say "HI MOMMY" like she has not seen me for ever. She loves books and loves shoes and will bring them to you and turn around and plop in your lap for your help. She runs most places with this little hippity hop like run. She loves to move furniture, push chairs around the house, move stools and the ottoman. She loves legos although she needs constant help with them. She knows what she wants and what she does not want.

On Saturday, the kids had a Halloween Carnival at their school. I have this sweet Tinker Bell costume from when Kadie was 2 and Issie with her blue eyes and blond hair would make such a cute Tinker Bell. I got her new sparkle shoes and we put her tights on and ruffle socks but when I brought the costume toward her she started screaming in terror at the top of her lungs. She was terrified, screaming, "No thank you mommy, no thank you!". I tried to distract her, to trick her, thinking once she had it on she would think she was so cute. Nothing worked. So I have a lady bug costume that Brad's mom sent but no luck there either. Then I remembered this tutu that Brad's mom sent last year that might fit her, really anything would do at this point. Brad finally had to trick her into the tutu and she still tried to rip it off. I really was thinking, why are we doing this, for a picture, for what we think is cute, it really does not matter. But just when we gave up and said ok, you do not have to wear it, she says "NO!" and wants it on. Seriously! So she was not Tinker Bell, although we will try again for the actual Halloween night. But I cannot imagine she will do it. We will see.

My little ballerina, no hair done but you take what you can get with little Miss Issie.

I love you so much little Isabella. You have so much personality and are so uniquely you. I know your strong spirit and determination will be used in a mighty way. I love your precious hugs, kisses and snuggles. I love how excited you get and how you whisper in the morning when I come to your room. I love how you yell from your crib in the morning "MOOOOMMMY where are yoooouuuuu?" I love the way you dance and sing when no one is watching. I love how you are starting to pretend and play kitty. You make me laugh every day. You bless me every day. I pray God leads us in exactly the way you need to grow. Happy Birthday my little girl.