TWO!

I just love that Sydney's birthday is on New Year's Day...it creates such a fun, fresh start to another wonderful year!  She's having a party next weekend so we laid low and had fun just the three of us.

I really wanted to do something unique in the morning- something she hadn't done before.  We decided to check out the new aquarium they opened mid-December to let her "pet", feed and check out all the fish.  Thirty minutes into it she said "I'm all done, Mommy."  When I asked her what she was all done with, she replied- "with fish."  We stretched it to an hour and she had a good time...a little timid to touch the fish or the clams, but had fun trying to feed the sharks and playing with the sand in the "tide pool" at the end.  The aquarium is conveniently located next to Monkey Bizness...a jump house and one of her favorites.  We headed over there next where her and Daddy burned some serious energy bouncing, sliding, falling, climbing and laughing.  I participated of course, but it's Daddy that makes adventures like that so outrageously fun.

Check out how HUGE that sting ray is!!!  Yeah right, people...it's a poster.

I FINALLY got her to touch the coral with me.

Trying to "pet" a sting ray...no such luck.

First time touching clams for Robby- none for Syd!

Jelly Fish!

After dinner we decided we needed to get some birthday ice cream.  I didn't make a cake, and what's a birthday without anything sweet?  Sweets are still a "new" thing in this house, her first time trying ice cream or cake being two months ago at MJ's 2nd birthday party.  We took her to Goody's where she got her very own (mini) scoop of strawberry ice cream.  She enjoyed it, but when it was done- she was done, no begging for more or pawning any from me.  It was a happy day- she was even singing the birthday song to herself by the evening...after we'd sung it numerous times throughout the day!

Cause Mr. Potato Heads glasses are SO fashionable!!!

Do my eyes look close together?

And this is what Mr. Potato head looks like when a two year old does it.  I love it!!!

All concentration here...I couldn't get a smile out of her- there was no looking at the camera going on.

I think it lasted 3 minutes, if that?

What's a birthday post without a few sentimental notes?

I cried during our rocking routine before bedtime on December 31st...my last time holding one year old Sydney.

She told her hummus to stop hitting her today and put it in time out.

She is still as delighted as ever when Daddy walks in the door...only these days she will more often than not run away to start the "games" as soon as he enters.

She is obsessed, OBSESSED with pillow caves.

Look at that little rudolph nose!!!

 
 Whenever she asks if MJ will be somewhere and I say yes she replies "Sydney hold MJ's hand?"

She was drawing on her easel the other day and saw Daddy's tie on the floor.  She picked it up, put it around her neck, looked at Daddy and said "I'm working hard" and went back to drawing.  (When someone asks where Daddy is during the day she replies "working hard" so I am assuming she associates the tie with that.)

The first thing Sydney said when I told her on Saturday that her birthday was tomorrow was "Sydney get CANDY?!?"  Seriously- where did she get that idea???

When she asks to be carried into the house from the car she says "Mommy carry Sydney?" and then when I do she says "I'm so heavy."...guess I've said that one too many times, but hey- she is heavy with this belly poking out, a diaper bag and groceries!!!

I could go on for hours about this sweet two year old that we are both head over heels for.  She continues to brighten our days, give us new and never before imagined things to laugh about and leave us excited for the future yet sad that the past is already the past.  Slow down, baby girl.