Almost two

Sezze PHOTO CREDIT: DYLAN FLUNKER

I’m currently writing this blog at the beginning of a week-long work trip. This will be the longest I have ever been away from my kid and I am currently feeling pretty bummed.

I am going to miss her “Wake up Daddy, wake up!” in the morning and her demanding “Read a book!” when I walk in the room. I am probably even going to miss her waking up in the middle of the night and calling for daddy. I am definitely going to miss her laughing hysterically at the word “poop”.

She turns two next week. Luckily, I’ll be back in town before we celebrate her birthday this weekend. I am astonished that she is almost two. She’s been walking for a little over a year. Just in the past few weeks, she’s figured out how to gallop. Her first year of life felt so much longer, and the last year feels like it has flown. Part of me wants everything to just stop. I want the babbling, semi-comprehensible songs, huge hugs, and random cries of “Raccoon poop!”

On the other hand, I love watching her grow, learn, and change. I am really excited for when she’s potty trained. The thought that she might consistently sleep through the night is almost revolutionary. Thinking about Little Bear growing has given me a deeper appreciation for the Elizabeth Stone quote about how deciding to have children is to “decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” I don’t think this completely captures my feelings about her getting bigger. I both want her to stop growing and can’t wait to see what she does next. I miss her younger self while I look forward to her seeing her at three, four, five, and beyond.

Happy birthday, here’s looking at you kid.