Two years

Dear Adeleigh,

Happy Birthday! This is the only time in your life that your age will literally double overnight! Daddy pointed that one out. I tried to argue it and find another time that it was possible, but he's right. He is really smart at math, by the way.

So, to celebrate Year 2 of Adeleigh, I decided that you needed to have not just a Birthday - but instead, a Birthday weekend. One, because you deserve it. Two, because it's taking me a little time to wrap my head around the fact that you're two! It's just not possible for me to consolidate all of the realizations and emotions of this moment into one 24-hour period.

The day

When you woke up this morning, I asked you what you wanted to do for your special day. You lifted up your toes to my face and asked me to kiss them. I want you to know, that even if it wasn't your Birthday, I still would've kissed them - because you have cute toes.

After your daycare party, we took you to your favorite toy store in Old Town. You know - the toy store that  makes you feel as happy as this -

Rody & Adeleigh (a few months back)

Your daddy and I are still laughing about the time today where you carried Rody into the book section. You set him in the middle of the floor, then grabbed a stuffed Abe Lincoln. You carried Abe over to Rody, set him on Rody's back and bounced him up and down a few times. Then you started frowning and yelling at Abe, "No, my toy. Me ride."
That was the end of Abe. He ended up face down on the floor while you and Rody bounced off into the sunset.

Next, we walked across the street to Beaujo's. You wouldn't let us into the restaurant until you were done dancing to the beat of the street performers. We're still not sure if the crowd started to form around them, or you - because there's just something completely magnetic about a carefree 2-year-old dancing on the street.
Then, you ate pizza, mac & cheese, and we let you blow milk bubbles through your straw without telling you to stop - because it's your Birthday.
Then, we went home, ate cupcakes and read you your new book until you fell asleep in my arms.

Day 1 was perfect.

Birthday Day 2

Today, I woke up to you yelling, "Momma. Mom. Mommy. Mum..."
I went in to pick you up, gave you a kiss and you said, "Momma, I poo-poo."
"Oh, that's awesome, Adeleigh!......
.....So, do you want to go to the farm for your Birthday Day 2?"
And you said, "Momma, Animals!"
So, we took you to the farm.

After your nap, we went to the park so you could play and eat cupcakes with your cousins and friends.

I still feel bad about the time I let you go down the slide without anyone to catch you. We've played at this slide before and usually, you go slow enough that no one needs to help you off at the bottom. But of course - this time - this one time, you shot down the slide like a rocket. And instead of slowing down at the end, you picked up speed. You were airborne for a split-second, skipped on your toes and landed on your hands and knees. I ran to the bottom as fast as I could, anxious and terrified because I didn't hear you crying below. Right as I got to you, you stood up, brushed your legs off, and looked up at me.
"Whoa, Adeleigh. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, Mommy. I okay."
Then, off you went again to the top. I hurried after you. You are fearless. And your Momma may need to reap the benefits of Xanax as a result. To calm my worries for now, Aunt Amy came to the bottom of the slide to catch you. And, of course that time - and every time following - you crept down slower than a snail.

You played with your friends all evening and wore yourself out. Then, you had a bath. This was how it ended-

Day 2 was fun.


Birthday Day 3

My intentions for today were to take you to Grandma & Grandpa's so you could resume playing with your cousins. Instead, Grandma came to you because Mommy had a migraine and Daddy had to work. You had so much fun with her. I could tell because of the incessant belly laughs and screams of joy coming from your new circus tent. My favorite part of today was when you came bounding out of your room and up to my bed. You had a piece of raspberry/peach pancake on a fork and said, "Here, Mommy. Eat."
Then you brought me your new recorder and said, "Here, Mommy. Flute." And you played your new harmonica while I hummed a few notes on your "flute." Then, I fell back asleep and you bounded back into your room to play and laugh some more.

When my migraine subsided and Daddy got home, the three of us snuggled on the couch while you sang us songs. Then, you fell asleep in my arms.

Day 3 was special.

~~~~~~~
I don't really know how to begin telling you how wonderful the last two years have been since you entered our lives. The love your Daddy & I have for you is hard to put into words. You amaze us. Every day. And you have really shown us the adventure and the joy that is found in every passing moment, even the difficult ones.
I don't know what your Daddy and I did to deserve such a blessing in our lives. But the last two years have been particularly special with you here.

Happy Birthday, Little One.

"Happy to you, Momma"

This evening, after all the lights were out, Daddy ran to make a quick grocery store run. I was resting on the couch, singing "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" with a sleepy Adeleigh on my lap. We were winding down from a busy, fun day with family. I looked down at her in the dark to see if she was sleeping. She peeked up at me, smiled and said, "Happy to you, Momma."

Now, I don't know if she was remembering having sung the Birthday song to her cousin & Grandpa earlier in the day. I don't know if Daddy whispered a reminder to her before he left. I don't know if she just somehow knew that when she wakes up in the morning, it will be her Momma's birthday. 

But, it was special nonetheless. 

I gave her a hug and we snuggled a little tighter. 

After a few minutes of quiet in the dark, I peeked back down at Adeleigh to see if she was sleeping. She looked up at me...................................Then, she started growling. She reached her chubby little fingers up and pinched my cheek. "Happy to you, Momma. Grrrrrrr." She pinched it again.

So, I don't know if my little girl thought she turned into a zombie for a few minutes and she was testing me for quality. I don't know if she thought I needed a little bit of rouge on my cheeks. I don't know if she knew her own strength and that it actually stung a little bit. 

But, it was special nonetheless.

She was the best belated-birthday gift I ever received.

Adeleigh vs. United Flight 349

As we prepared for Adeleigh's first flight, we sought as much advice from experienced parents as we could. We gave ourselves plenty of time, parked as close to the airport as possible and crossed our fingers that our sweet little girl would stay her sweet little self the entire trip to Florida. Then, we entered through the airport doors.

Meltdown (noun): the melting of a significant portion of a nuclear-reactor core due to inadequate cooling of the fuel elements, a condition that could lead to the escape of radiation

.

Source: Dictionary.com

For a few minutes, I thought they would evacuate DIA because of the explosively large amount of radiation that was beginning to loom around our family.
After we checked-in, we had to use the restroom. Phaeton went first. While inside, he could hear the toddler-fueled screams that I was desperately attempting to cool off. Adeleigh was writhing, hitting, throwing my glasses to the ground. Everyone passing by stared, mouths dropped, and walked in a perfect circle, approximately 50 feet in diameter around us, as she tried to escape me and run away to IcelandAir. Phaeton came out to find a wailing Adeleigh, refusing to be held, squirming on the ground, while I stood above her trying to soothe her and convince her that there was nothing for her in Iceland.
It was his turn to try.
As I walked into the restroom, I had to fight back the tears. I felt helpless. This was so out-of-character for Adeleigh and I knew it was our fault. She was overstimulated already, and in a new environment. And I found myself panicking, dreading the next 4+ hours, wondering how we would manage this one. Then, I rushed out to help Phaeton, thankful we were in this together. We were able to distract her long enough to get through Security and onto the train in peace. Then, we approached our gate just as they were starting to board.

Unfortunately for us, the moment where you decide to teach your child about patience and waiting your turn in line, shouldn't be at the airport. Also unfortunately for us, the moment you decide to heed your friend's advice and buy suckers for your little one's flight, should also not be at the airport.

With less than five minutes to board the plane, I left a radioactive toddler with my husband in line, and scrammed into three different stores to try and find suckers. Then, a lady pointed me to the Candy Shoppe, an obvious site for suckers, right? Not at DIA. All they had were the huge rainbow lollipops you see in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, and See's chocolate/vanilla/espresso suckers. I bought a rainbow one and a chocolate See's sucker. Then, despite the fleeting thought that I would "accidentally" miss this flight and meet my family in Tampa, I rejoined the nuclear-reactor core a.k.a. Adeleigh.

We boarded the plane - the middle of the plane. When all of the people who surrounded us, paid hundreds of dollars for a nice, relaxing 3 1/2 hour flight across the country, they really had no idea what they were getting themselves into....

The first hour was perfect. Adeleigh did great during take-off. In fact, she helped calm me and my flying nerves. I gave her the chocolate sucker and within 5 minutes, Adeleigh and the entire space occupying 22 D, E & F had a thick layer of sticky, brown goo coating it. Then, when electronics could be turned back on, we pulled out the laptop and an Elmo DVD. That lasted for a few minutes, until she started ferociously banging on the keyboard. She managed to turn the volume up to the maximum setting during a scene where Elmo and all of his friends ferociously banged their cymbals together. How embarrassingly perfect that was. So, we shut it off.
Next, she made friends with the mother that was sitting behind us and somehow managed to acquire an entire bag of Chex Mix and Pretzel M&M's one mouthful at a time. (Don't worry: We bought the mother and her children some to replenish their supply.)
Then, she sweet-talked the Flight Attendants into letting her roam about the cabin when the "fasten seat belt" sign was turned off. She made friends with the entire back-half of the airplane and showed everyone her new pink shoes.
Then, the "fasten seat belt" sign was illuminated and everyone was instructed to return to their seats as soon as possible. We walked Adeleigh back to our chocolate sucker-covered row and tried to buckle her back into her seat.

Not happenin', Mom & Dad. Not after I just made 30 new friends that really like my shoes.

You remember that nuclear-reactor core meltdown that happened all throughout DIA earlier? Take that, but confine it to a 2-foot by 4-foot space in Row 22 D, E & F of an Airbus 319, 30,000 feet in the air.
Completely. And utterly. Catastrophic.

......

Still going.....

.......

Not done yet.....

.......

Then, we tried the rainbow lollipop. She hucked it directly onto the dirty floor.

.......

Here we go again.....

.......

.......

Approximately one hour later -

She fell asleep on the floor, underneath the chair in front of her own.

Immediately following the mid-air nuclear meltdown, everything on the plane went silent.
Then, Phaeton and I began celebrating our survival. We laughed. We cried. We hugged. We whispered to each other all of the things we wanted to accomplish together, now that we were given a second chance at life - so long as none of them required boarding an aircraft.
And even though the "fasten seat belt" sign stayed on for the remainder of the flight, Adeleigh's 30 new friends, plus everyone else on the plane, were smart enough to keep their mouths shut and let the youngest member of United Flight 349 do whatever, the hell, she wanted.

Beach Baby

For Adeleigh's first time to the beach, we felt it only appropriate to capture our memories by destroying our camera in the Gulf of Mexico. We felt it equally appropriate to destroy our back-up camera (a.k.a. Phaeton's phone) in the water too. Lucky for us, we had a back-up to the back-up. And you had better believe, we weren't leaving St. Pete Beach without photo proof.

More stories are to come of Adeleigh's first flight...