Today is Anna’s 2nd birthday.  It has been two years since we first met our adorable little girl!  I can still remember so clearly the day we found out that Anna was coming.  She was a big surprise to us and I was a little nervous (well, a lot nervous) how it would be having a 1 year old and a new baby.  Then came the day when we found out that Anna was a baby girl, and all of a sudden everything seemed right.  A sister for Elizabeth, and my 2nd baby girl.  Anna was born 6 days past her due date and was a highly anticipated and very much longed for bundle of joy.

Anna still just feels like my baby.  She was in no way removed from her ‘baby of the family’ position when Nate was born.  I slip up and call her my youngest, all the time.  Anna was born with chubby cheeks and still at 2 years old those cheeks are so very kissable!

Over the last 4-5 months, Anna speech has taken off, and we can now sit and have conversations with her.  She can say anything we ask her to, but doesn’t need our help to communicate.  She talks in her own sentences.  Many of her phrases are a reflection of what Elizabeth is talking about, and we frequently wonder if Elizabeth wasn’t talking 20 hours a day, what Anna would have to talk about all on her own, without the influence of her sister. 

Anna’s personality:

What a joyful girl our Anna is.  She just finds so much pleasure in life.  Anna is our ‘no fear’ child.  This aspect of her has grown all the more since we started her in the gymnastics class.  She does summersaults and flips off of the couch, she will attempt anything and is rarely afraid.  She is our daredevil and loves a challenge.  Recently we had to put her in a crib for a short period of time (no toddler bed available), and within just a few short minutes she had climbed out of the crib and came calmly walking out of the room. 

Anna is outgoing and loves to experience new things.  If we take her to the grocery store, she sits in the cart and says a loud, cheerful “HI” to everyone we pass.  If we take her on the airplane, she says “HI” and “BYE” to everyone we walk by.  She can get a conversation going with just about anyone.  When she sees adults with kids, she assumes they are her friends and will call the such.  “HI FRIENDS!”  and will then introduce herself.  “I’M ANNA GRACE!”  The only times Anna isn’t super outgoing is if she is overtired.

Eating, sleeping, and weight:

Anna has always been a good sleeper, from day 1, and still loves her sleep.  She doesn’t hesitate to grab her blanket and announce she is ready for bed.  She takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon, and it is very noticeable if she misses that nap.  We usually have to wake her up so she doesn’t sleep too long.  She sleeps in a toddler bed and loves being such a big girl.  We are actually surprised she fits in it, because her bed is FULL of animals.  And she can run through the list of animals with lightening speed.  As we put her to bed at night she announces “I need my kitty, my doggy, my baby Elmo, my big Elmo (yes, she sleeps with two Elmos), my polar bear, my baby doll...”  Those are the usuals.  For special occasions she also sleeps with a lion and a second baby doll.

Anna has a good appetite, and always has.  She is just like any child her age and has days where she just doesn’t eat much, but for the most part she eats well.  She still really enjoys broccoli and other veggies.  I would have to say that Anna’s favorite food, hands down, is RANCH.  Yes, the salad dressing.  She knows to ask for her Ranch dressing at every meal and always finds something to dip into it.  She also enjoys grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken.  She also LOVES her yogurt.  She drinks the drinkable yogurts with a straw and that is the first thing she has in the morning when she wakes up, and the last thing before teeth brushing.  She doesn’t drink much milk, maybe about 5-10oz a day - at the MOST.  Her pediatrician said that as long as she was drinking her yogurt it wasn’t a problem, so we aren’t worried.  Anna drinks A LOT of water all day long.  This is really the only thing she drinks.  Juice is a special treat in our house and she will drink it once a week or so.  But when she is thirsty, she just amazes us with how much water she can drink in one sitting.  She find ourselves constantly refilling her sippy cup during the day!

From the day she was born, Anna has been 50% on the growth chart for weight.  Her height took off around 18 months and she is now in the 90% for height.  She still has a little chub on her legs and a rounded belly, but otherwise isn’t very chubby.  She is wearing some 2T clothes, which went right from Elizabeth’s side of the closet to hers.  The pants need to be rolled up a little, but otherwise they fit fine.

Anna the sister:

Anna is a girl of extremes.  She can be extremely thoughtful or an extreme stinker.  She will go from kissing on Nate to poking his eye in seconds.  She dotes on Nate constantly.  She will call him ‘sweetheart’ or ‘little one’.  It is so sweet.  If she is upset about something, a simple hug session with Nate can make everything better.  She also goes back and forth as to whether or not she wants to be a friend or foe to her sister!  Most of the time Elizabeth likes to play with someone, but Anna is a more independent type, who can grab a book and sit and read it alone and be completely satisfied.  She loves to have time alone after a nap and has figured out how to hide - or go to a special place so she can have her downtime.  Sometimes it is hard to come by when Elizabeth is eager for a playmate.  Elizabeth no longer views Anna has a baby, but seems to treat her as she would a child her own age.  She expects Anna to do everything she can do.  Sometimes this simply challenges Anna to try all the harder.  Occasionally she will get frustrated when she can’t accomplish a task she is working on.

Overall Anna is a fabulous sister and does well in her roll as middle child.

More on the middle child thing:

Since Nate was born, Anna has assumed the roll as middle child.  This isn’t always an easy spot to fill, but Anna does it well.  She has some distinct behavior issues that surface quickly if she is needing more attention from mom and dad, and we try our best to pay close attention to this so she will always know how how special she is to us.

Steve finds it ‘interesting’ how Anna seems to identify with the sidekick of her favorite TV shows.  Perhaps there is a relationship to the middle child position Anna has found herself in!  When we watch Dora the Explorer, she wants to see boots.  When they watch Diego, she is all about baby jaguar. 

Anna and the guys:

Anna can’t get enough of her daddy.  She is a daddy’s girl and then some.  Oh how she loves Steve.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I know that Anna loves me, I am her mom.  But, there is something special between Anna and her daddy.  When she gets hurt, she appreciates an initial hug and kiss from mommy, but then she wants a snuggle with her dad to really make it all better.  She also completely adores her uncles.  She hasn’t seen her Uncle Tim in over a year now, but even that long ago she loved being around him.  Now that we are in Texas for a time, she has been able to spend time with my brothers and has really bonded with Uncle Mike, and Uncle Drew.  She talks about them constantly.  She remembers things she does with them and talks about all her fond memories.  It is really sweet. 

Anna and the animals:

If Anna came to us one day and told us she was going to be a veterinarian, I would not be surprised in the least.  She loves animals.  I think she is probably partial to dogs, but any animal can bring a smile to her face.  There are two dogs who have a very special place her heart, my Nana’s dog, Irish, and my brother, Uncle Mike’s dog, Major.  She lays on them, she kisses them, tries her best to snuggle with them, follows them all over and can’t do anything else when there is a dog around.  When we are walking down the street she will stop dead in her tracks when she spots a dog.  She is good about not approaching strange dogs too quickly and knows to stay back to let the dog come to her (with our permission of course).  She finds it very important to get on the dogs level, even if that means laying down on her stomach, in a dress, in the grass, on our way to church.  I really hope that she will continue to have positive experience with animals so she can continue to enjoy them.  Oh, and for those who will ask, no, we will not be getting Anna her own dog anytime soon.  She will just have to love on other people’s dogs!

I hope you enjoy Anna’s movie.  I love watching how she has changed over the last 2 years!  The song is called Cinderella and is by Steven Curtis Chapman.  I liked the song because it is song from the dad’s perspective and is fitting with the close relationship Anna has with her daddy. 

So, Anna, we love you so much!  You bring so much joy to our days.  I have always said that you are a comedian, and that is still true today!  You can make me laugh like no one else.  I love to be with you and read with you and just hear you talk!  I love when you slow down long enough to snuggle and I love to scratch your back as you lay in bed.  I love when you ask me to come and sit with you, even if it is just to be served a pretend cup of tea!  What could be better!