We celebrated our precious little Lily Ana's second birthday on the 23rd of July. She has grown so much in the last year. I look at her each day in utter amazement. Her smile warms me and sends chills through me at the same time. I could eat her up, she's so cuddly and lovable. Her cheeks are so round and full that sometimes I think I could just take a bite out of them!
Lily's birthday week was a very busy one. Bryan was at Pre-Teen camp, our 15th anniversary came and went, and I was in a technology academy for school. It wasn't until after the birthday party--and then maybe a day or two after that--when I finally realized our baby girl had turned TWO!
Two years. Two very quick years since we'd brought her home as a very tiny but oh, so beautiful baby. She was THE MOST beautiful newborn that I have ever laid eyes on. Her birthmom tells me that all the nurses at the hospital said that, and one of the ladies who works at New Life said that too. One of her grandmothers even agrees, but I won't say which one. (Shhh...)
Two. Two years have passed since we brought home a stranger; since we opened our hearts to this child. We loved her from the beginning, but it wasn't easy. I can honestly say that the first four months were some of the most difficult I've ever faced. She grieved for her birthmom. We grieved when we lost my Grandpa. Thankfully, and by no coincidence, I eventually felt bonded with her during the Thanksgiving holidays when she was four months old.
Two. Two years have seen so much change in her. She's talking so much now, and last night everything was, "Naaaw..." That's Lily for, "No." She's just started verbalizing it. She's had the head shake down for a while, but it's just been in the last few weeks that the, "Naaaw..." has come to be. Everything we asked her last night got the response of, "Naaaw..."
ME: Lily are you finished eating?
LILY: Naaaw...
ME: Lily do you want more to eat?
LILY: Naaaw...
ME: Lily do you want to go see Wheeze (her birthmom) tomorrow?
LILY: Naaaw...
ME: Lily do you want to go to the circus tomorrow? (I was trying to find something that would sound exciting to her!)
LILY: Naaaw...
ME: Lily do you want to eat cotton candy and ride a pony tomorrow? (Surely that would excite her!)
LILY: Naaaw...
ME: Do you want to do anything fun?
LILY: Naaaw... (with a huge, toothy smile)
Bryan very innocently commented, "Welcome to two!" As I took Lily to change her diaper and get her ready for bed, I got to thinking about what he'd said. Welcome to two. Lily was just being a two year old. She was being silly, but there are times when her, "Naaaw..." is defiant or disobedient. But mostly, she's just being TWO.
God spoke to me through Bryan's comment and Lily and showed me that I am NOT two. How often do I tell Him, "Naaaw..." when He asks me to do something? I have no excuse because I'm not two. My only excuse is defiance or disobedience. Wow! All that from a two year old.
I am so thankful that God is using my daughter already to teach me things. What a gift she is!
