Dear Laina (2 1/2 Years!)

Dear Laina,

My sweet, sweet Laina. On this very day, you are two and a half years old!! Too bad you must spend your half birthday with a black eye! (a minor preschool incident)

You sporting your bruised eye...with your baby doll "Baby Sarah"...

Where has the time gone? You have gone from my teeny tiny baby to my tall and testy toddler. You are FULL of personality these days. Still sweet and kind and a little shy. Lately you have been full of SASS and spunk and independence - typical of a two year old I guess :)


You are full of mischief, and your curiosities rarely remain a mystery ;)



You like to talk back to you mommy and daddy as well (who you have been calling "Sarah" and "Adam" - don't get me started on that, sassy girl!!!)


You melt my heart each and every day. You still love to give hugs and sometimes kisses. You still love for mommy to hold you and snuggle you. You are still a mama's girl through and through, and I LOVE IT! Just about everyone says you will eventually become a daddy's girl, and while this could be true, I'd like to think you will always be a mama's girl. My girl.


Oh how I have enjoyed my time at home with you, sweet girl. I love getting up together and "taking it easy" for a while...sometimes a long while :)

Pictured below is your other baby doll, "Hallie Birthday"...
P.S. You still love Daisy ;)

But once we get going, we REALLY get going! You are quite an active girl. Playing outside is your absolute favorite thing to do. The sunshine + My Sunshine = Spectacular Day!


I love having all our meals together and playing the part of a short order cook, filling all of your many requests - ha!


I love reading to you and playing with you and watching you learn and grow...and love.


I love love love our girl time! You are a GIRLY girl, interested in baby dolls and princesses and clothes and accessories.


Our new girly thang is mani/pedi time! You get to choose your color from mommy's plentiful stash of nail polishes. Tonight's choice was mango spice :)


More than anything, I love listening to you chatter. You are quite a funny (and dramatic) little girl! You incorporate many faces and expressions and hand gestures into your stories. The performance seeking dramatic side, you get from your daddy. At least that's the story I'm sticking to :)


Every time we lay you down to sleep, we ask you what you'd like to dream about, and I look forward to your various responses. It could be anything from the trash can to a sticker. Tonight you wanted to dream about everyone in your preschool class, no one excluded, even the boy who gave you the black eye. That's my sweet girl :)


Other cute things worth mentioning...When you come up to me (usually when you're trying to delay something inevitable - like going to bed or getting your diaper changed) and say, "Let's talk." As I'm typing this, you have managed to weasel around and climb in my lap. Being in the same room is often not good enough. You want to be right with mommy at all times. What a great pal you are!

Brushing mama's hair...

I am a little sad that tomorrow I will be returning to work full time, leaving my role as full time mommy and stepping into the role of full-time working mommy. While it was my choice, and something that I believe will be good for our family, I am sad to leave you behind as I venture about my day. Change is never easy. You will be in good hands though, with daddy for the most part for now. But it's still hard. I hope the transition is easier than I'm expecting. Either way, the thought of coming home to your smiling face will get me through each and every day.


You are my light, my angel, my doll.

I love you most most,

Mommy (aka "Sarah" - HA!)