Harlie Shavonne, you are 2 years old...

So much has happened in the last 6 months and it seems that in the blink of an eye, you turned 2 years old. You're are a little girl now, and the only baby-ness left to be seen is in your belly and chunker monker thighs. You are talking up a storm. You're favorite things to say are "What's that noise?", "Dinnertime!" (or breakfast/lunchtime), and "Night Night!" (You LOVE to play the night night game with your stuffed animals and blanket). You also LOVE to thank everyone for everything, all the time.

Your favorite songs to sing are your ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, "Ernie's song" (Row Row Row Your Boat), The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Barney's Song, and You are My Sunshine. You know most of the words to these songs but you love to emphasize the last word of each phrase and sing it really loud as you close your eyes and scrunch your face. I love it, you are such a ham. I hope you never stop singing your heart out.

Crackers, chips, cookies, cake and icecream are your favorite indulgences. You will always ask for a "Taste!" if we're eating in front of you and you love ketchup on anything. And like ketchup, you will lick most sauces and spreads off your food before eating it.

You love a party, and it thrills me that you get excited to put your party dress on for any occasion. And since daddy gets to dress you most of the time, I almost always can come up wth a reason to put a party dress on you. Along the same lines, you're facscinated with anything princess, and have started calling things you like "pretty".

Shrek used to be your one and only love when it came to movies, but these days you also love Cars and Nemo. As far as cartoon characters go, your faves are Strawberry Shortcake ("Cake Cake!"), The Care Bears, Mickey Mouse, and Abby Caddaby. Dad says you also like to watch Sid the Science Guy.

Since moving in with Grandma and Papa, you are obsessed with cows, and also have a great fondness for the horseys, llamas, and goats down the street. You like to tell them night night when we are driving home at night and like to watch the deer and turkeys from the window, often bursting into tears after they meander out of view.

Your hair is getting so long. It's about an inch past your shoulders now and I can finally pull it up into a ponytail with ease. You have a smattering of tiny freckles across your nose and cheeks...not enough to see from a far, but right up close, yup there they are. I remember rocking you as a newborn, wondering when they would first appear, knowing it was inevitable, you being such a fair skinned beauty. Sometimes I can't believe that these moments I wondered about have already arrrived, because geez, you are growing so fast.

You have become great friends with your cousins, Max and Mazzy. You love to go to "Keri's House" and seeing the three of you play together is one of my favorite things to do. It makes you so happy, that your smile hardly fades when you are around them.

Austin has embraced the roll of big brother with you and it's so darn cute. He looks after you, pulling you away from danger and letting you know when you're misbehaving. I catch him smiling at you sometimes and it makes my heart burst.

Monkey, I feel like there is so much more to say and that I couldn't possibly describe all that is TWO about you in this letter. You love BIG, you cry BIG and you are full of joy and personality!

I love you so much... you are my sunshine, my sweet sweet sunshine.

P.S. Oh, there is one more thing. This might be Mama's favorite thing of all time. Sometimes, when I put you down at night you grab my face with both of your hands and give me a big kiss and hug me so tight. Man that is THE best.

P.P.S. You still love to head bang when the rhythm gets ya. It's hilarious. Please never stop.