Happy Birthday Bridget!

Today is Bridget's second birthday! On Saturday we had a little party for her with some friends. We left the decorations up from the party and every time she comes downstairs and sees the sign and balloons she says "Happy Birthday!" For her party we had pizza, a pinata (which was hilarious to watch the kids try to break), ice cream and an Elmo cake that Matthew made her. She had way too much sugar that afternoon because that night she had the hardest time going to sleep. We have a video monitor in her room, and after we put her to bed she was up for the longest time - rolling around and singing "Happy Birthday to Daddy. Happy Birthday to Mommy. Happy Birthday to Bridget, etc." After that she was squealing so loudly that even she exclaimed "Bridget so loud!!!"

Below the pictures I have written a little bit about Bridget at her ripe old age of two. Mainly a journal entry, but a small glimpse into her joyful spirit.

Bridget, at Two Years

Our cute little Bridget is turning two years old today. We can’t believe she’s already two! We thought we’d never survive the first few months, and here we are two years later, loving every minute of her delightful personality. We love you Bridget!!!

At age two, Bridget loves:

• Music, Singing and Dancing! Almost every day Bridget requests that I turn on music and would be happy if it was playing all day long. I usually play the Primary songs cd. When I do, she walks to the bookcase in the living room and pulls out the Primary songbook, takes it in to the family room where the music is playing, and turns the pages while listening to the music. She loves the “action” songs and requests for them to be played over and over and over and over…The other day we had the song “Popcorn Popping” on repeat (a.k.a. “Popcorn, Popcorn”). After about 20 minutes of it playing she went out to the backyard and I thought “finally, I can take that song off repeat!!!” About five minutes later she opened the door, said something to me, stopped, listened, realized that “Popcorn” was no longer playing and said “Popcorn, Popcorn?” She also LOVES to lead to the music in church and has been doing that for well over a year. As soon as we got to church this past Sunday she started saying “Sing? Sing?” And once the music started she said “Hand?” (She wanted me to help her lead.)

• Elmo! “Watch Elmo?”
• Fruit and Vegetables – Often we have to beg her to eat anything else. She loves strawberries, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, apples, tomatoes, peas, carrots, corn (especially corn on the cob), green beans, yams, and ’cumbers! (Cumbers must be yelled for some reason.)
• RAISINS and Smarties (Seriously. Raisins and Smarties. Loves them. Odd.
• Coloring
• Jumping and Hopping - I think she would jump everywhere she went if she could.
  
• Laughing
• Chocolate (She calls chocolate chips chocolate “beans” and calls coconut “cheese” – I’m going to start contacting the local Mexican restaurants and encourage them to start using chocolate beans and “cheese” in their burritos.)
• Being outside
• Baths, especially the “Big Bath” (the beach), and her swimming “soup”
• Her white Sunday shoes – she puts these on in the mornings and wears them without socks for hours every day – STINKY, STINKY, STINKY!!!
• Reading
• Being where the action is – whenever I’m cooking or baking or doing anything at the kitchen counter, Bridget has to get one of her “high chairs” (she calls every chair a high chair), and bring it to watch whatever I’m doing. She loves to taste things – salt, lime juice, flour…
• “See all gone” – When we finish our meals, finish anything really, Bridget has to “See all gone.” You have to show her your empty dish and then she’ll say “Good job Mama! Woo, woo!!!” and do a little arm pump she learned from her Grandma Baker. The other day I was nursing Whitney and when Whitney finished Bridget said "Good job Whitney! Woo, woo!!!"
  

At age two, Bridget:

• Speaks quite well – I guess she’s our first so we don’t have anyone else to compare her to, but I think she speaks quite well for her age.
• Still gets very reserved and quiet around new people and in new places. She turns into her “people watching mode” in new places. At the park she won’t really play on the equipment because she just stands there watching others.
• Is a great big sister. Loves baby Whitney and is a big help to her mama.
• Knows her upper case letters
• Knows the sounds each letter makes
• Gets nervous about doing physical things such as climbing, etc. While I'm ever so grateful I don't have to get her off the top of the refrigerator, I do wish she'd climb a little bit more.
  
• Her daddy describes her as “funny, smart, active, observant, and cute.”
• Used to be able to count to 10. Now can count to 8, skipping 4, of course. Ü