Another year has come and gone and it went by faster than the last one. Charlotte is two years old. Is this real? How can this be? I don’t want to believe it. My child is two years old today, what, wait, how? I find myself feeling incredibly lost, where did the last two years go? It seems like yesterday we were home celebrating her first birthday. And it seems like last week we were in the hospital when she was born. The days seem so long but the years seem so short. Will time ever slow? Is it going to feel like this every year on her birthday? Will I ever get used to the fact that she is going to keep growing up and needing me less and less? I can’t even keep myself from crying while writing this. My little girl is growing up too fast.
The past year has been such a wild ride for us as a family and I can only imagine what is has been like for Charlotte. She has traveled back and forth from Georgia to St. Louis more than a few times. She took her first trip to the beach. She even learned to drive her power wheels car. My little girl found her love of dancing to pop music and figured out the art of putting on her clothes (for the most part). She learned to talk and is still getting new words everyday. We found out she is great at kicking a soccer ball. She learned to climb up monkey bars. We went on a few ice cream trips with the dogs. She got really sick for the first time. Lastly, we said goodbye to the only home she has ever known and moved to Grandma’s house on our way to the next Army post.
John and I couldn’t be prouder of the little person she is growing up to be. I feel like I missed so many wonderful times with her over the past two years. I spent so much of the first part of her life being stressed out with postpartum depression, and not seeing the perfect little girl she was. I will forever be sorry that I didn’t see a doctor sooner. But now that I am well, I know just how lucky we are to have her. She really is the sweetest thing to us. She is the best at giving me random hugs and kisses. I could cuddle her for hours… if she would let me. There is no way she could sit still for that long. She is just as hyper as I was at that age. It used to stress me out, but now I’ve learned to just embrace her particular brand of crazy. She is so smart, sometimes it takes me aback. I love when she grabs my hand and leads me to play or show me something. Watching her grow and understand life more and more everyday is so exciting. It’s sad though, she will never need me as much as she does right now and we lose more and more of that everyday. When she falls asleep for her afternoon nap, I find myself wanting to just hold her and not put her in her crib. I feel like I’m missing too many moments, so I want to hold her and soak up every last one. When she sleeps, she still looks like my little baby. Sometimes I just have to take time out from blogging or house work to cuddle her, and watch her sleep. I feel like the mother in the book “Love You Forever” – “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could love someone as much as I love her. Happy 2nd Birthday Charlotte!
Christine says
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHARLOTTE! WHAT A CUTE AND TOUCHING POST!!! SHE’S ADORABLE!
Karen Horton says
What a great post and photo retrospective, Whitney! Being a mom can be so hard sometimes, but also wonderful beyond words. Perhaps even- the ultimate trip. Tattoo, anyone? Happy Birthday, Charlotte! And a happy day to Whitney, as well.
Samantha says
This post made me so so sad. Sad that she’s two but sad that these girls aren’t with each other. I hope we can live together forever… it needs to happen 🙁