Dear Eisley...2 years old.

Dear Eisley,

Oh how you've changed! You have lost your timid walk for an all out run. You've traded your little rolls, and finger dimples for long legs and sassy hips, your short hair that curled at your neck for pig tails, and small quiet words for loud sentences. Your go with the flow nature has turned into distinct preferences. You have left your babyhood behind and you are a now a child, full of wonder, big emotions, and silly actions.

Somehow, in the blink of an eye my baby became a child. These past 6 months you have changed so much. You have gained confidence, independence, and more quirkiness! You have really perfected your use of "no" and "I don't want it." I am trying to remind myself that it is good for you to state what you want and don't want-- those are great traits to have, especially as a teenager! Without much guidance from us, you  tend to be pretty girly. You love twirly dresses, princesses, sparkly things, and often will say "how cute!" to things you really like. However, you can get crazy and dirty with the best of them! You love being outside, playing in the dirt, and looking for bugs. When it was warmer I would leave the back door open so you could go in and out when you wanted. You would often go out side, pick an apple and come in and eat it...it only took a few rotten apples for you to get good at picking out the ripe ones!

You love reading books, especially all your big sister books. You have really eased into your role as a big sister well. You love your "brudder" and want to help out as much as you can. If he is crying you try to comfort him, shushing him, bringing him a blanket or pacifier. It's cute how you have really taken to playing a mama role with all your toys, you change their diapers, put them to sleep, even feed them "mama's milk!" I know you will be the best mom some day, it is in your nature to care and comfort others.

Thats not to say your transition into a big sister has been completely painless. You have displayed some pretty big emotions to your papa and me. Usually in the form of yelling or hitting, I try really hard to not take it personally, and to not view you as a brat or a bad kid. I know we are safe to you, a place where you can really share how you are feeling, we are working on helping you show and share those feelings in safer more appropriate ways, it will take time, but I am here to love and validate you. Wow...do I sound like a counselor or what!

The other way this transition has been hard is your sleeping habits....or lack thereof! Before Sheppard was born you were sleeping about 11 hrs a night straight, and taking a 2-3 hour nap every day. You were also so easy to put to bed, we would read a book, sing a song, I would say "night night I love you" walk out of the room and wouldn't hear a peep from you till the next morning. Lately you have been fighting sleep in every way possible. Not napping, crying when we leave, waking up multiple times a night, and waking up at an (in my opinion) un-acceptable time in the morning (mama likes her sleep!).

                                                                                                                                  

We have started a new morning routine in our new house, after breakfast you go pick a record and we listen to it and dance around and sing to it. You LOVE singing and dancing. You sing all day long, songs you know, and songs you make up. It is so sweet to hear your sing song voice as you play in your room, or as you watch out from the car window. My current guilty pleasure music is the new Taylor Swift CD, I may or may not have had it on repeat since the day it came out, because of this you can sing "Shake it off" really great for a two year old! You still sing the classics a lot, your favorites are Twinkle, Twinkle (which you request every night), Amazing grace, The sleep song, and I love you Lord.  I hope you continue to love music and I plan to do more to nurture this natural talent.

You still love animals, and get so excited when we get to see and pet them. You recently got to ride a horse at your Friend's birthday party, you were a natural! It was funny to watch you be so nervous around the other kids but so calm and full of joy on the horse, you didn't even think twice when I asked if you wanted to ride the horse,,,it was an instant YES! Even though you love animals, you still don't really know your strength with them, poor kizzle cries a lot around you now.

It is hard to put into to words and to wrap my head around how much you have changed in the last two years. Heck, I have changed just as much. Thank you for all you teach me, how you push me to be better, softer, and kinder. I hope to cherish every stage you're in, to be thankful for it, and not hope for the next stage to come quick, I know you will be 3, then 10, then 30 in the blink of an eye.