Birthday flashback

Some photos from Mary Lawton's big party on February 20 . . . only 2.5 months late.
It was a perfect day. (Thanks, Andrew and Gail, for the wonderful pictures!)

Well-girl checkup

We went to see Dr. M on February 18 for Mary Lawton's 2-year-old well visit. Mary Lawton waited very patiently. She was fine with the nurse and was kind of a show-off while the nurse asked the basic development questions. (Nurse Paige: Can she speak in two word phrases? ML: Mommy, I want to go home and see Daddy.)

Then Dr. M showed up, and Mary Lawton turned into a sobbing disaster. Poor girl. Dr. M said she was very healthy.

Little did Mary Lawton know that the worst was yet to come: a flu shot (that I said I would do in November then forgot) and a hematocrit/lead blood test. The blood test was a nightmare--for me. But when it was all over, she got her first ever (sugar-free) lollipop and Baby got band-aids that matched Mary Lawton's, and everything was just fine.

Weight: 24 pounds 15 ounces. 25th percentile
Height: 35 inches. 75-85th percentile
Head circumference: 19 inches. 65-75th percentile

Party time!

We had a birthday party for Mary Lawton at our house on Saturday, February 19. What a beautiful day! The weather and company were perfect, and Mary Lawton was so excited. Andrew and Gail's gift to Mary Lawton was to photograph the party. I can't wait to see the pictures! Until then, here are 5 I took:

Guess who's 2?

It was a loosely bike-themed party.

Her "boo bike"

Learning

She refused to remove her new bike elbow and knee pads for her nap.

Happy Birthday, Sweetest Girl in the World.

This morning over breakfast I interviewed the birthday girl. Here's what she had to say.

What is your favorite thing to eat?
Watermelon

What else do you like to eat?
Pancakes
[Note: She was eating pancakes and watermelon for breakfast.]
Who is your favorite teacher?
Miss Linda
What do you like to play with?
Popper [This is questionable.]

What is your favorite color?
Pupple. And geen. Pink. And bue and yeyow.

What songs do you like to sing?
Round and Round [Wheels on the Bus]

Who are your friends?
Miss Kim [one of her teachers]

Do you have any other friends?
Eleanor

What is something you like to do outside?
Swings!

What is your favorite thing to do on Saturday?
I don't know.

What is your favorite thing to do on Sunday?
Go to church

We had a wonderful day. Mary Lawton ate a huge breakfast of strawberry pancakes and watermelon. She was happy to wear her new 2 shirt and new (to her) shoes. She loved the "happy birthday" sign hanging in the kitchen and wanted to go over all the letters. She was excited to go to out for pizza for dinner and pick out her own birthday cupcake.

Some two-year-old highlights:

• "Hi, Mommy. I so happy see you."
• "Moe [the cat] can't go to Savage Pizza."
• "Hey, Daddy-Do Daddy-Do."
• "I ate duh Pay-Doh. Miss Lisa say don't eat duh Pay-Doh. Big kids don't eat Pay-Doh." [It turns out Mary Lawton didn't eat the Play-Doh. Her friend Eleanor did.]
  
• [after spilling milk all over the table] "Mommy! Duh muk is out! Duh muk is out!"
• "Dis is my elbow. Wight dere."
  

Mary Lawton loves to go to the playground, any playground, but she especially loves the "pupple paygound" because it has swings. She would be happy swinging for hours. She likes to play with the kitchen she got for Christmas and loves stickers. She loves all her babies, and we have names for all of them. She changes their diapers and feeds them like a good mama.

She is a good helper around the house. She still likes to get a paper towel and the Febreeze and clean up. She gives Coqui his treats and scoops Moe's food. She cleans up her toys when she feels like it or when she wants to start something new and we make her clean up.

Mary Lawton is very dramatic. Last night when we got to the end of Curious George Rides a Bike, she started crying when George went to sleep. "Wake up, George! Wake up!" Tears rolling. If a character in a book seems upset, she gets all sad and says, "He want his daddy!" She's already a crybaby just like her mama.

She is very curious and talks constantly about everything she sees. She wants to know who everyone is. If we pass someone on the street she's likely to ask, "What dat man?," which means who is that man, and then "What dat man doing?" Or she might say, "somebody's daddy" or "somebody's mommy wight dere." I've tried to explain that not all men are daddies and not all women are mommies, but it makes no sense to her.

We can't wait 'til her birthday party on Saturday and to see the look on her face when she gets her big surprise! The only thing she's consistently said about her birthday party is that she wants pink cake, so she's getting pink cupcakes.

Mary Lawton, we are so thankful and feel so blessed that we got you. You are such a light in our lives. Thanks for the millions of smiles and laughs you've brought us. Love, love, love you, Shorty.

The Big Day in Pictures: Part 2

Excited to be going to Savage Pizza for dinner

Savage Pizza! Mary Lawton insisted that Baby get her own booster seat.

On the way to Savage Pizza we stopped at Cookie Studio so Mary Lawton could pick out a cupcake. She chose "the black one." I got her a vanilla one, too, just in case.

Trying to blow out the candles

Trying harder

"This is my cupcake."

The first nibble.

Tasty.

Getting some help from Daddy with the gifts. Her favorite gift was a pink balloon our neighbors left for her to discover in our yard. She is treating it like her pet.

Filled with pizza and cupcakes. Excited about presents. Happiest girl in the world.

The Big Day in Pictures: Part 1

Mary Lawton is 2!

Her day so far...

Waking up with a smile

Checking out the happy birthday sign

Discovering a birthday card left at the door by sneaky neighbors

My two favorite faces

Me and my girl

Practicing two fingers

Happy (belated) Valentine's Day!

The best part of the day: Chocolate croissants for dessert

I love this kid.

Said this morning, just over 2 weeks before she turns 2 years old:

"I have a boogah in my nose, Mommy."

Car conversations

The series continues . . .

ML: Mommy, wus dat?

Me: That's a car dealership. They sell cars. If you have enough money, you can buy a new car. Do you have any money?

ML: No. [pauses, thinking.] I have yipstick.

22 months old

Mary Lawton is a lovable, whiny, funny, fast, singing, silly, busy girl. She often tells us she's a "bid durl." A few days ago I asked her what big girls like to do. She told me play and church. I would add to that:

• Saying "I don like that, Mommy! No! Daddy do it!" or, "I don like that, Daddy! No! Mommy do it!"
  
• Playing with play-doh

• Cleaning. She goes to the cleaning supplies cabinet and helps herself to a paper towel and the Febreeze. Then she says, "I clean! I clean den!"
  
• Stickers

• Changing her baby's diaper
• Preparing to sit on the potty. She likes pulling down her pants, removing her diaper, and walking around without a diaper.
  
• Singing the ABC's
• Counting to 10
• Being sassy. She sits in timeout about once a week for offenses such as throwing food or trying to hit me.

• Going to bed. She tells us she wants "my own bed." This almost makes up for the fact that she didn't sleep well until she was 18 months old.
• Doing everything by herself: "I do it!" We just say ok, let me know if you want any help, and leave her alone until she decides she wants help. "Hep! Hep peeze!"

We're so lucky to have a healthy, smart girl filled with hugs and, when we're really lucky, big, loud kisses.