A Birthday Journey

Happy Second Birthday, Ali!! Here are your adventures up to this point:

I absolutely LOVED being pregnant. It was so fun to feel you kicking and squirming! But by Christmas day when this picture was taken, I was ready to have you out of there!!
2 Hours Old, January 8, 2007: Deep in thought from day one!
1 Month Old: You were quite a serious little baby. Much analytical thought going on in there. I don’t know WHERE you got THAT from. . .
2 Months: You mastered the charming, dimpled smile!
3 Months: You definitely already had your Daddy wrapped around your finger at least 692 times.
4 Months: Bathtime was the best playtime ever!
5 Months: You learned that frilly dreses were super fun to swish around, which made picture taking of said frilly dresses impossible.
6 Months: You couldn’t have been cuter!
7 Months: You became a master-sitter-upper, to add to your similarly named, already attained skill of master spitter-upper:
8 Months: You mastered standing while holding on, which really opened up your playing options. And getting-into-everything options.
9 Months: Your musical skills were blossoming nicely!10 Months: You knew you were a beach bum, just like Mommy and Daddy!
You also knew that you were the very center of the universe, of course:
You became an Alabama fan for your Daddy,and learned that you could get REALLY big brownie points for throwing your hands up when someone yelled, “TOUCHDOWN!!”
11 Months:
You knew by then that the playground was the best place in the whole world,
that candy should be found and consumed at any cost,
and that reading novels wasn’t just for grownups.And your Mommy was absolutely THRILLED that your hair was finally long enough for bows and pigtails!!(oh yeah, and you had an affinity for making a piggy nose.)

12 Months: You got to experience your first birthday party!
You already knew who your BFF was,
And you learned to view the world. . . well, from a different angle:
13 Months: You were fearless. Completely fearless! Even of the hissing, squawking, flapping, aggressive, poopy-all-over-the-place Canadian Geese at Star Lake:14 Months: You learned how to color,
loved animals as much as your Mommy,
and began to figure out how to “pretend play” with friends:
Oh yeah, and you discovered your wings.
15 Months: You loved your rocking chair,
and you could manage to look Glamorous even at a chicken pen.
16 Months: You FINALLY started walking!!! Perfectly, of course, since you waited so long.
You got to go bike riding for the first time, and fell in love!
You still had a backwards view on life . . .
and you discovered that bubbles were the funniest thing in the world:
17 Months: There was nothing better than looking at yourself:And water fun was thrilling!
Swinging was a sure-to-bring-a-laugh activity (although now you’re afraid of them. Explain that one, kiddo!)
And you received your first cousin, along with the accessory of a lesson on envy.
18 Months: You were as stylish and glamorous as ever, insisting on bows and sunglasses and any other accessory you could get your hands on:
You got to hold Cousin Eli for the first time, which induced much fear and trembling. Your artistic side blossomed into a birthday masterpiece for Daddy:
and you figured out how to eat one of your favorite foods the fun way:
19 Months: Although you were very focused and serious,
You never missed an opportunity to stop and smell the flowers. . .
and especially to play with rocks. Oh yes, you and rocks were tight.
You requested “paint piggies” for the first time AND got your first purse to add to your girlish fashion divaness.
And you learned how to “help yourself” if Mommy was too busy to help you.
20 Months: There was no doubt in your mind that dessert was to be enjoyed fully:
You thrilled your Daddy by loving football,
and you still liked looking at the world from down under,
but you had learned and LOVED finding and saying all of your letters.
21 Months:
AJ taught you how to play “rosies”, which quickly became your favorite obsession game. . .
and you discovered that although you loved fashion, boots were not for you.
You still loved to look at yourself, of course. . .
And you fell in love with your all-time favorite toy, “shapes”.
You also became timid of things, which Mommy enjoyed to an extent, due to the increased cuddleage that occurred.
22 Months:
You were definitely falling in love with your Cousin Eli,
but had some serious spatial reasoning issues. . .
and you were discovering a passion for Play-Dough.
At 23 months, you loved your necklace!
You were quite persnickety about getting things on your hands.
You loved being glamorous. . .
. . .although your makeup application skills were still “in development”.
24 Months: All Grown Up!!
Yes, that is actually a PONYTAIL in your hair!!
You looooove running like crazy!!
But you are also a prim and proper little lady. . .
. . . at least in between the times that you lean back and throw your legs over your head. I mean, you’re still a toddler and all!

Happy Birthday!