T-W-O

Our baby is two.

Andrew Patrick turned the big 2 on April 5.
We celebrated a little early at the beach with Auntie Beth's famous Elmo cake. Andrew loved it. Then on Andrew's actual birthday Grandpa took us out for Mexican food. (My choice..hee hee.)

Andrew loves trucks, cars, balls of any size and sport. He loves his sisters when they are not smothering him with kisses. Mostly he loves Mickey Mouse Club and his binkies. He sleeps with two of them. One in his mouth and the other gripped between his fingers.

Andrew is such a happy baby. Every morning when he wakes up he yells, "Halloo Mom!" He repeats it louder and louder till he is broken free of the crib.

All the neighborhood kids love Andrew, and he loves them. He's always on the hunt for "goggies". Luckily there are many in our neighborhood.

A few months ago I was worried about Andrew not speaking. He always met the minimum amount of words at both his 1 year and 18 month check-up. We are not worried anymore. He easily rivals his sisters and astonishes me daily with his expanding vocabulary. (You have no idea how much talking there is in our house. Guess this is my fault.)

Now what I am worried about is his fearlessness. Andrew climbs on counters, tables, our trashcan and chairs to get whatever he wants. He can never be left alone. He's my best "helper". Just Friday night he moved our coffee table over to our front door and unlocked it. (Never a dull moment.)

We love you Andrew! We can't wait to see where the next year will take us.

Ocean

This week we spent nearly every day at the beach. (Thank you Beth.) I watched my kids and their cousins tumble in and out if the surf. They body surfed and boogie boarded. They let the waves push and pull them with their strength. They played in the sand, made sand angels, buried each other, and built small sand castles that Andrew stumbled over. They laid in tide pools, looked for shells and dug for clams with success.
Beth and I looked on from our chairs in the sand laughing, reading and calling out commands to stop throwing sand.
As we watched my heart swelled with pride at the children's independence and curiosity. No one needed a hovering mother. The children looked out for one another. Andrew is now two and content to be "one of the kids".
As I watched them I remembered spending many a Saturday growing up at the beach. Like the children, I loved the ocean. I loved its power, I loved the way it lifted, pushed and pulled my body. I loved doing thousands of cartwheels up and down the beach while my dad ran along side me.
This week I read two books and good ones. I let the soothing sounds of the ocean and ever changing colors recharge my batteries, and soothe my wounds. My body is tanned (or burnt) and I love that I have a visible souvenir of my week.
Bliss. Now off to bed.