To My Daughter On Her Second Birthday

I did this for Aria last year on her first birthday and this was a tradition I wanted to continue the tradition for both of my children on each of their birthdays. Here is a letter to celebrate my daughter’s second birthday.

Dearest Aria,

Happy second birthday. Two. Some days I have absolutely no idea where those two years have gone. It’s like I have blinked and you’re not a baby anymore. Instead you are an inquisitive, funny and determined little toddler who says ‘why’ more times a day than I can possibly keep a count of.

It’s just amazing how much you have grown and changed in the last year. This year has seen you learn to walk, run, talk and as you have since you were little, embrace life with determination and giggles. There are some moments I stop and I’m filled with just how proud I am of you and just how much I love you, it’s overwhelming.

You love to play in the garden as long as you don’t get ‘yucky’, driving ‘Aria’s car’ and not actually getting in the paddling pool, but playing with the water and trying not to actually get wet. You run like Phoebe from Friends, which is probably a reference that will pass you by if you ever get around to read this, but it never fails to make me chuckle. You love baths, but hate the shower and scream like I am murdering you if I ever have to put you in there due to a nappy emergency.

You love to play with Peppa, cars and dollies. You love to draw and will happily sit flicking through books or any old magazine that comes through the letterbox, not even caring if you are looking at the pictures upside down.

You are as contrary as the wind, but love nothing more than a cuddle. I suspect ‘lap’ and ‘cuddle’ are your most used words, probably behind ‘no’ or ‘no mummy’ though.

As in your first year,  sleep has continued to be a problem that has dogged both of us. You trying to tell me that something was wrong and me not understanding. I’m so glad we have got you the right medicine now it has made you so much happier, and I am sorry I didn’t realise sooner. All the crying and you were just trying to tell me you were in pain.

Birthdays are something you have just started to get the idea of, you have learnt to sing happy birthday and have very quickly learnt that whoever is having a birthday, it is most assuredly followed by cake. We all know cake rules.

You have known what you would like for your birthday for quite a while. I suspect you haven’t quite forgiven us for not getting you the same as your brother for Christmas. When asked you proclaim you would like a ‘happy birthday scooter’, actually whenever your birthday is mentioned in any capacity you loudly shout scooter, just to make sure we know what is expected of us 😉 .

Talking of your brother, it’s been so lovely watch the bond between you continue to grow. Yes, you like a good squabble over toys, but it still makes me smile to hear you call ‘Logan, Logan’ as you follow him around and want to be like him. You love to copy whatever he is doing, which is actually not always a good thing! It’s not unusual for me to carry you out kicking and screaming from his pre-school in the morning because you want to stay and play with him. I think you are going to really struggle when he goes to school in September. But I hope you will always have your big brother to look out for you.

Your favourite foods are pizza, pom bears, rice crispies, fruit, sausages, baked beans and of course cake and chocolate. But it’s best not to mention vegetables I suspect I am going to spend a lot of your childhood hiding them in things! You’re still allergic to dairy, but we still have high hopes that you will grow out of it soon. I can’t wait to give you your first Mr. Whippy ice cream.

These last few months you have really started to get the hang of talking and are starting to pull full sentences together. Just this week both your Daddy and I were delighted to hear you say ‘luv oo’ – the best words ever. Followed closely by your adorable ‘tank you’, ‘a o a o milk’ (oat milk) and perhaps my favourite at the moment is your name for dandelions ‘daddy lions’. I suspect you have hopes of becoming the Queen in your future, and who can blame you, but everything is ‘Aria’s’ and not mine.

You are particularly competent at letting us know when things aren’t to your liking – you simply growl at us to let us know your displeasure. Which if Daddy and I were honest just makes us giggle.

Life is full of lots of adventures for a passionated and determined little girl like you and your Daddy and I cannot wait to help you on them.

Happy second birthday beautiful girl.

Love Mummy xxxx