Photography Credit: DMC Photography
My daughter-- my beautiful, perfect, precious child--is two.
How is this possible? Can so much time have really passed me by this quickly? I know these are the questions I will continue to ask for the rest of... well... forever. And, as cliche as they may be, they sincerely reverberate throughout my mind (quite frequently, but especially at times like these).
Two years ago on Saturday I was in the hospital. Baby girl had gone over her due date, and an ultrasound a few days earlier had revealed that she was likely around the 9 or 10 pound mark. My doctor took pity on my terrified state, and I was induced 2 days later making her 4 days "late." Once things got moving, my labor was relatively easy in nature and more beautiful than I could have imagined--thanks epidural! She arrived at 3:57 pm on Nov 29th after only about 25 minutes of pushing (I was
really determined to avoid having a c-section). And, at 8lbs 3 oz and 22 inches long--she was a healthy size, but not nearly as large as we had thought. Measurements aside, she was of course
perfect.
The moment they handed her tiny, precious body to me... it was as if the heavens opened and I could see the vast span of eternity reflected in her beautiful blue eyes. A shift occurred that I hadn't fully expected. Suddenly, my soul knew it's purpose. Motherhood--being a mom to her--- was my destiny. She awakened this within me. Everything in my life had led me to his moment, and I knew I could never be the same. I didn't want to be. Life, love, existence--it was all made sweeter--more vulnerable, yes, but better than I could have ever imagined. With the love of my life by my side, we welcomed our daughter into this world and witnessed our hearts literally grow to encompass the new love that now defined us.
Two years later, our love and understanding of our heavenly gift continues to grow, and Klair Marie never ceases to amaze us.
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She is smart. She is incredibly, vastly, at times incomprehensibly smart. She comes up with things that leave me dumbfounded and speechless. She is now talking in full sentences, and I'm still not used to it. Her nose is constantly in a book (often times independently so) and given the opportunity I'm amazed by how much she knows--her alphabet, numbers, animals, and just about any random object you ask her about. The other morning I put Sam's jacket on, and she looked at me and said matter of factly "Mommy wears daddy's jacket"- correctly using the tense of the verb and the possessive pronoun... speechless.
Today we took her to the doctor for her 2 year well child checkup. As the doctor listed off things she should be doing at her age, Sam and I both looked at each other and smiled. For each of his questions we were able to answer in the affirmative--and more. Apparently her ability to speak in sentences, her memorization skills, her motor skills (such as kicking a ball and holding a pen/utensil correctly) are well advanced past her age. She's more like a 3 year old in many regards. I couldn't be more proud, and I'm excited to see her continue to grow and excel in life. I'm convinced that the possibilities for this girl are endless.
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She is funny. My social butterfly enjoys being the center of attention. She loves to laugh and earn the same response from others--silly noises, faces, cute little dance moves and songs--she isn't shy, and she's constantly putting on a show to make people smile. Dance class has been especially good for her. It has fostered her love of putting on a show and has furthered her ability to interact with other children in a positive way. We're working on respecting personal space, because she loves to hug the other girls randomly throughout class. And, although I know it's necessary to teach her boundaries, I'm almost sad to tell her she can't do go around hugging others. I'll just have to make up for it with that many more hugs at home. I can gladly do that.
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She is sweet. Her kindness, sympathy, and intuitive nature toward the disposition of others is startling for such a little person. She fearlessly smiles, waves, and greets everyone--usually obtaining the same response from those lucky enough to be graced by her presence. Her kindness is contagious. She can read my emotions, and when I'm sad she'll softly brush my hair aside and lovingly caress my face to make me feel better. She loves to kiss our "owies," tickle us, and give hugs and kisses in general. She constantly demands them from us, more recently coining my favorite demand "give me a kiss!" We're always more than happy to oblige.
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She is stubborn. Fiercely, wildly stubborn. She loves to do things on her own, and in her own little way. This independence often leads her down the path of most resistance, but her determination is certainly admirable.
-She is brave. Even when she's afraid of something, she will overcome her fears if necessary. When she's timid about doing something--going down a particular slide for instance--she'll eventually conquer her fear. Additionally she defeated her initial fear of vacuums and now she loves to vacuum right alongside me with her toy one. And, when she's sick or hurt, she puts her brave face on and tries to stay as happy and positive as possible.
-She is spiritual. She loves church, singing hymns (she'll sing along with us), and praying. Her love of prayers started awhile back with her closing her eyes, folding her arms, and bowing her head to pray. She would also end each prayer with an "amen." In the last few months she started saying her own prayers, at first by mimicking ours and now she'll send her own petitions heavenward--asking heavenly father to "please bless" each of her family members and our close friends who she names individually. She never forgets to ask for blessings on all of the babies that we know--particularly her baby brother. Listening to her sweet, perfect faith manifest itself in such a simple, yet profound way--it's enough to bring tears to the eyes. She is inspirational to say the least.
If it isn't obvious by now, we love our two year old. We're obsessed and completely in love with her. Although there is some bitterness in knowing that her baby years have come and gone, the sweetness of what's to come--the promise of the future--it far outweighs everything else. I'm so grateful that I get to watch her grow and have such an integral and intimate role in her life.
Her name means light, and that is exactly what she is.
We couldn't have chosen anything more fitting.
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