Kennedy Turned Two

And yes, we haven't even celebrated it yet even though it was two weeks ago. I justified it by saying that since she was born the day after Christmas that it was anti-climactic to have a party, but the longer I let it go I think I am in denial that my little wee is growing up. I'm feeling rushed with her babyness creeping away from me each day. I felt like I leisurely watched Ceece grow up and enjoyed each stage, but it took me almost a year to start savoring Kennedy's day-to-day changes. Not because I didn't enjoy her, quite the opposite, but because there was so much going on all the time. I'm so grateful year two slowed down because I have loved her scrumptious ways this year so much. Here is my snapshot of Kennedy from this last year.

• Kennedy has quite possibly the softest skin I have ever felt. Honestly, it is so smooth and blemish-free you feel like licking her.
• Claire said to me the other day that Kennedy's cheeks smell like pie and guess what, they do, ALL THE TIME.
• Kennedy loves her extended family and she really knows that they are hers. Aunt Shari is her favorite, but her uncles don't come far behind. You can always find her sidled up to one of them on the couch, just trying to be unobtrusive, but close.
• Kennedy was a slow starter with the walking thing, she waited until well into her first year to take her first steps and the first time she walked Dave and I had to laugh, there was no tottering, but perfect stability. In fact, she walked across the room, bent down and picked up a toy and then turned around and walked right back to us.
• Claire and Kens are just starting to be good friends, but have had a promise of a connection for quite some time. Ceece told me a few months ago that when Kennedy turns two she will be her best friend.
• The Claire/Kens connection is apparently telepathic, too. Driving in the car the other day, I overheard Claire whispering to herself. I asked her what she was saying and she said that she was telling Kennedy, who was at Aunt Shari's to "be brave, we are almost home." I asked her if Kennedy could understand her from far away and she looked at me quizzically and said, "Of course."
• Kennedy has a grin that will melt your heart. She holds it a second too long each time and then if you are really lucky she will even cock her head to one side and keep that grin a-going. It is quite possibly the most adorable thing ever.
• Kens hasn't picked up on talking that quick either which might be due to the fact that she is tongue-tied, but she uses her few words well, especially "No!". She can literally thrust this word at you like no other, especially when you take her food from her.
• Kens has this irresistible trait of caressing your head or rubbing your back. Out of nowhere, she will get her little hands and smooth your hair or pat you on the back. I love it.
  
• My favorite Kennedy phrase is "I want bone." which means I want a drumstick, but close behind is "I dress." which means that she is about to strip naked and start afresh, usually just putting on Claire's underwear, even though we haven't started potty training yet.
  
• Kennedy loves food. Much to Dave's chagrin, over Christmas her aunts started calling her Big K. She lost some of her curves but still has enough squishiness to go round.
  
• Kennedy is independent and, just like Big Sis, has a definite point of view. When she doesn't get her way she throws a very sedated, slow-motion tantrum. She will un-spontaneously lay herself on the ground, avoiding any trauma from a quick fall, and let out a delayed deliberate howl.
  
• Kennedy loves animal--"a-meow" (a cat) or Stu, her cousins dog, being among her favs. She is gentle with them and never afraid. She will follow them around for hours or try to cajole them into sitting next to her by patting the ground with her hand.
  
• Kennedy, thank heavens, is still a good napper. She takes two each day. She is so good in fact, that I haven't taken away her paci, despite what I promised in Looking Back, for fear that she will leave me hanging with one nap a day, like Claire did.
  
• Kens is a daddy's girl. You can always find her running to him arms out-stretched or following behind him saying, "I go".
  
• She is my eager to laugh, eager to cuddle, and eager get going girl and I love her like crazy.
  
  Happy birthday, my little wee, whenever I get around to celebrating it.

What I envisioned...

Before I had kids I could envision doing a few things with them, some have been a little anti-climatic (like brushing my daughter's hair which turns into an all out cry-fest. Every. Single. Time.), but some surpassed all expectations. Last night, I had a mother/daughter dream fulfilled. Dave and I took Claire, dressed in her Sunday best, to see the Nutcracker performed by the Moscow Ballet. Claire was so excited to go and then once we got there was shy, expectant and hopeful all at once.

As the lights dimmed she craned her neck to see until she found her spot on my lap where she had a good vantage point of the dancers, the stage and the costumes. She asked so many questions during the ballet that I know it must have distracted some in the audience, but I couldn't resist whispering to her about Clara (or Claire, as I called her), her beloved Nutcracker and the fierce Mouse Queen (in this version). Claire's favorite part, naturally, was the dancing snowflakes in the enchanted forest. After she sat on my lap for awhile she went to Dave's lap and I got to see her in profile--glowing, alert eyes, head expectantly tipped up, and a small perfect mouth slightly open in awe. I was mesmerized by her. So beautiful. So thrilled. So unaware of being watched and happy. On the way home Claire said, "Mom that was a beautiful day." I completely agree--watching you, watching your first ballet was absolutely priceless to me. And today, all she could talk about is when it was her turn. 

I want to change the world, instead I sleep...

As Ingrid Michaelson says, despite my best intentions I've spent a lot of time sleeping lately. In fact, I've spent so much time catnapping that I literally had 40 alarm clock times saved in my cell phone. Odd times wake up times too, such as 11:47am (just in time to go and pick up C from pre-school), 1:45pm (enough time to snooze once before getting up to check my work email before the end of the NY work day) and 6:18pm (building in a few minutes to get the house together before Dave gets home and thinks I have just been napping all day). Granted the catnaps are usually about seven or eight minutes long, thus the reason I need 40 wake up times. You would think I wouldn't even need a wake up time with C and Kens around, but the crazy thing is I can sleep soundly through absolute bedlam. I wake up with crowns on my head, stickers on my feet, pen marks in books on a kid's lap who is sitting on my back. Bottom line, this baby is wiping me out, even with an unprecedented bedtime of 8:30pm for a self-declared night owl. Prime time TV, what's that? Current events, no clue. My time, doesn't exist (at least during rousing hours). I thought fatigue was the curse of the first and third trimester. Why at 26 weeks? I'm exercising, stocking up on ZZZ's, eating pretty good and getting fresh air. What gives?

Oodles of Cuteness

The Princess and the Frog revealed. I resisted a girlie-girl costume for Kennedy because I thought that this was likely the last year I could dress her in anything I liked, but she managed to squeeze her pink and ruffly side out on her own, by pulling a tu-tu over her frog costume for trick or treating. People were confused and I got a lot of that is the cutest princess bug, but boy oh boy that girl looked so cute.

Keep talking Ceece

Several times a day Claire cracks me up--makes me out loud chuckle. I don't think she has any idea how clever and funny she can be. Here is a sampling to give you an idea of what I get to deal with chez-moi:

Straight-faced, "Do boys pee from their belly button?"

Concerned and holding her elbow, "Remember when I choked the other day? I think the food ended up in my arm."

Contemplatively, in prayer, "Please bless Jonah not to get in the water so he won't get swallowed by a whale." "Please bless Jesus to be a good boy." "Bless that we will listen to Heavenly Father when we are bored." "Please bless the birds not to get wet so they can take care of their babies and Kennedy not to play with birds because they are fragile." "Bless dad not to get bit by a snake."

Quizzically, while singing "Here come the bride, all dressed and wide" Claire stops short and then asks, "Why do you call her wide, mom?"

Dramatically and through hysterical sobs, after her bestie Logan tore her dress during play, "I'm just like Cinderella, her step-sister tore her dress too!"

To circumvent, after I refused to let her wear a skirt for fifth day in a row, "But I don't look like a princess, I look like a human!"

Dreaming...

I wish I could dip my toes

one more time back into the water of your beautiful shore, Bear Lake.

Baby = Blue