this little light of mine

bunny girl, you're two!  two!  can you believe it?  i barely can.  it feels like i was just holding you in my arms for the first time, gratefully soaking up the sense of peace and calm that you seemed to exude from the moment you were born.  over the next few sleepy days and weeks, as i held you and nursed you, i continued to marvel at the peacefulness i felt when you were in my arms, the sense that everything is okay and good and as it should be.  daddy felt it, too, and before long you had your first of many nicknames: soul sister (okay, okay, we usually pronounce it sistah).

you've grown from a calm and serene baby into the most beautiful, independent, confident, happy, and funny little girl.  you are curious and brave and silly.  i worried before you were born about will, about how he might react to no longer being an only child.  i needn't have worried.  his world is infinitely brighter with you in it.  he loves you.  in fact,  he needs you.  you've brought him security and balance and love and so, so much laughter.  he is lucky to have you.

and i am so very lucky to have you, too, my lady.  i am so happy i get to be your mommy and i am so happy you're my girl.  when you wrap your little arms around my neck, and press your cheek to mine, the same sense of calm i felt when i first held you washes over me.  when we're at music class, or gymnastics, or on a play date, i've realized something: i just can't take my eyes off of you.  you're some perfect mix of beauty and magic and joy and i'm completely captivated.  the sound of your laughter makes me smile just to think about, and the way you say "yah you, mama" fills my heart to the brink.  and don't even get me started on your singing.  i love you, precious lady, and i always will.

so happy birthday, angel girl.  i hope you felt loved and special and celebrated, because you are all of those things and more, everyday.  the mighty quinn.  mighty, indeed.

love,
mama

ps.  i'm snipping your binkies in a couple days.  sorry!

team awesome speak, ages (almost) two and four

quinn:

when we're in the car and stopped at a red light:

go, mama! go, mama! go!

when the music isn't loud enough:

youdah, mama!  youdah! 

when she realizes we've been gone too long and she misses bean:

want huggie bean.  huggie bean.

overheard as she plays quietly in her room:

mommy, daddy, wo, bean, mommy, daddy, wo, bean, mommy, daddy, wo, bean

when i tell her we can't play with her friends ava and ella because they're asleep:

aba nappy. eya nappy.  aba mommy nappy. aba daddy nappy.

when it's time to read books at bedtime:

weed spidah book!  weed spidah book yong time! spidah book!

while playing with her baby:

baby take nappy.  nigh nigh baby, yah you baby (kisses baby).  

as i'm leaving her room at bedtime:

bye mama.  yah you.  

when i told her daddy was on a business trip, in the saddest voice ever from the backseat of the car:

want you daddy.  want you.

and, always:

want binky!

will:

after colin and i returned home from a date night:

mommy, you and daddy looked so cute when you got home.  are you lovers?

mommy, quinn looks so cute today.  your dress is cute, too, mommy.  

while playing by himself, sung to a made-up tune, most afternoons:

poopin' up the hill, poopin in the house, poopin' up the hill, poopin' in the house

on metaphysical matters:

mommy, is it always now? is it now right now? 

on evolution:

so there was a time when there were no people? how did the people get here?

after i insisted he eat macaroni and cheese for dinner before having a cookie:

mommy, you hurt my feelings more than the whole world.  you were so crabby!

when he's racing his cars:

hey dude, that's totally awesome! thanks! you're pretty fast, too! 

oh man, that's totally gross!  sorry, dude!  that's okay, man!

that was a totally great race! don't worry, you'll win next time. 

random thoughts at bedtime:

mommy, what if all the boys in the world were together and all the girls in the world were together and they all played?

mommy, i really need the biggest microdrifter track and grem and acer and dinoco mcqueen.  

oh yeah, mommy, i also really need some trash wheelies.

well, i think i watched cars 1 when i was baby.  and now i watch cars 2 and it's my favorite movie.  but cars 1 is a little different from the story we just read.  it was piston cup lightning mcqueen, not dinoco mcqueen. 

oh, i just remembered.  francesco bernoulli won.  he beat shoodidaricky and max schnell and jeff corvette.  it was crazy.

what's a bernoulli?