Eliza | Now you are 2

Baby girl, you are 2.

2! How is that even possible?

You have changed so much in the last 12 months. Since your first birthday you have changed from a baby to a toddler. You walk, you talk (a lot) and you want to know about everything. Why does this happen, how does that work? It’s wonderful and exhausting. 

You have worked out how to rip the paper from presents, and how to build, sort and stack things. You have learnt how to say please and thank you, and how to let us know when you want something. You love toys that you can move from one place to another, things that can be sorted into colours and shapes. You love babies and dollies, and spend ages feeding them, cuddling them and looking after them. 

You are growing day by day, and becoming such a wonderful little girl. Yes, I can see tantrums on the horizon – you are starting to get that determination and independence. You don’t want to be strapped into a pushchair anymore, you want to walk and run and jump. You love to throw stones in the river, and are an expert dancer. You love splashing in the bath and choosing your own clothes.

Most of all, you love being with us all. You idolise your big brothers and sister, and want to be just like them, doing whatever they are doing. You hate it when you can’t follow them in to school, or play football with them. You hate your Daddy going off to work, you want to be with him all the time. You love cuddles – on your own terms – and being tucked into bed with kisses and stories. 

You love food – there isn’t anything you won’t eat. Chocolate cake is always a winner!

Partyrama sent some Peppa Pig party supplies to help you celebrate – you are a HUGE Peppa fan! The plates, cups and napkins were perfect for sharing out the birthday cake and squash, and the pink balloons were a hit with all the children.

This is the very last time a baby of mine will turn 2. Next year, I won’t get away with calling you my baby anymore. You’ll be a pre-schooler, getting ready to head off and explore on your own two feet. I feel like so much of these last 2 years has flown by, never to be recaptured. There have been so many times I have been too busy to stop and watch you dance, or to help you climb the stairs for the twentieth time that day. Times when I have felt so tired and so overwhelmed by life that I have missed you asking me why the bus is yellow, or telling me about the paints at nursery. 

I’m sorry if I haven’t been the best mum, but I hope I have been enough for you. I hope you know just how much you are loved by everyone who knows you, and how much happiness you bring to peoples lives. I hope you know we work so hard so that you can have everything you want, and I hope you grow up to see how much I want to be a good role model to you. Everything I do is for you, your brothers, yours sister and your daddy. 

I love you, baby girl.