Anna is 2, and thoughts on having two

This beautiful, beautiful, sweet angel is 2!

Most of the time, people will say about their children "Wow, I can't believe he/she is <insert age>!" but for me, I actually can believe it. To me, Anna has just always been part of our family, and 2 years doesn't sound long enough. 2 years is not long enough to make the impact on my heart, mind, and soul the way she has, but yet, it's only been 2 years. Crazy town.

 Looking at her, interacting with her, watching her... you would have no clue, NO CLUE, what she went through as a baby. This girl is so beautiful, so smart, so happy that it actually makes me cry sometimes. I can't imagine feeling more grateful for anything in life than the health and happiness of my family, and Anna is such a perfect showcase of that gratitude.

As she approached 2, she has become a chatterbox! I am obsessed with her sentences. The way she communicates and interacts with others around her is so fun to watch! It's also indicative of having an older sibling, and some of her first and most frequently used sentences include "I had it first" "Emerson/Mommy/Daddy don't do that" and "Hey, that's mine!" Hahahaha, I love it. I love a girl who can stand up for herself ;-)

 She's also now, officially, completely caught up! She was on track with all of her milestones (behavioral, fine motor, etc.) but was still behind on the gross motor skills. She couldn't even hold her head up at 5 months old, so we knew we had a tough battle ahead. After 18 months of weekly physical therapy, Anna is now tracking in the 24-30 month categories of every milestone, and even higher on some! We are SO PROUD of her! The baby who they thought might never recover from this is kicking butt and taking the world and our hearts by storm.Gah, I just love this little girl!!!!

Recently, one of my best friends had her second baby. I wondered if she felt the same fear that I know most second-time moms feel when they find out they're pregnant again. I have this baby, my first baby, and he/she is so perfect, how could I possibly love another child as much as this one?

 
I told her, and I could shout this from the rooftops, that this fear will be completely obliterated once you meet that new baby. I simply cannot fathom a world without Anna in it. She makes our family better, more complete, and she has made my already sappy heart overflow with love.

Sometimes I look at Anna and think she is truly an angel sent from heaven. I could not love you more than I do, and I am SO PROUD to be your mommy.