Happy 2nd Birthday, Gracie Rose!

Today, my baby is two! I can't believe another year has flown by. My sweet little bug is now a big girl (although she still calls herself a baby--so who am I to insist differently?) While she still loves to snuggle, is still pint-sized, and still very much attached, she is so grown up.

(Here is the card I made for my Little Bug...)
Her vocabulary is amazing and well beyond her two short years. She can easily count to 10 and almost to 20, can say her alphabet, knows all her colors, and most shapes. While she can't make all the signs herself, she can "interpret" dozens of words in sign language. I love that we can carry on a conversation now and she can clearly recall details to me of things like what she did in her Sunday School class.
She is so full of life, and laughs frequently and loudly. She has a big personality and is very stubborn determined but also loves greatly and is super affectionate.

She likes to question things by doing them the wrong way on purpose, like going head first into her car seat and saying, "Dis way?" and I'll say, "No, the other way." To which she feigns surprise and does it the right way saying, "OOOO, dis way, YES!" (as if she had no idea how to do it.) She is also FEARLESS and will climb to the biggest, scariest height she can find (she gets that from her fearless, climbing daddy!) She likes to do things herself and if you do something for her she will have to start over and do it again all by herself until she masters it.
She adores her baby dolls and I frequently hear her singing to them and whispering to them how much she loves them. She is definitely the ham of the family--she loves to make her big sister laugh by being very silly. She is full of spunk!
She loves blueberries and most all fruits and veggies but will definitely eat anything that she can dip in "chop-chop" (ketchup.) She talks constantly and loves to use the words "and", "but" and "too" in order to keep a conversation going and going. Some of her numerous favorite phrases are:

"What are you doing?
"Right, Mommy?"
"Great job, Tessa!"
"See that, Daddy!"
"ME DO IT!"
"Just a minute" (with her little pointer finger pointing up in the air--guess that is my fault)
"Come on, dis way!"
"Go Tessie, go!" (a cheer, not a way to get rid of her sister)
For her birthday, all she could talk about was wanting a "lady bug cake". For weeks, she told anyone who would listen--even strangers--about her "lady bug cake." It was quite a hit with her and after I made it, I had a hard time keeping her sneaky fingers off it until we ate it!

I made a video last year for her first birthday (not thinking I'd do it every year) but I decided to make another one of her second year. How could I not enjoy putting all these adorable pictures together?!

Happy Birthday, my sweet Gracie Rosie! You bring us so much joy!