Once Upon a Time: Brynlee. Turns. Two.

TWO.

I don't think I have ever been so sad to say this word than when I am talking about my kid.

I don't really know where the last two years have gone. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital...she was so tiny, so helpless, and so perfect. She learned so many things. She went from laying on the bed and staring at the ceiling, to running around, pushing strollers, and talking. She is able to do so many things now that she almost doesn't even seem like a toddler anymore. She is a big girl. And I'm so sad. But so happy!

As of right now she puts 5-6 words together into sentences together pretty regularly. She knows more words than I can even believe! Every day she says a few new words that I had no idea were even in her vocabulary. And she can comprehend so much too. She understands the concept of time and order, she understands feelings and emotions, she understand the concept of families, she understands how lots of things work, and she understands almost all instructions.

Brynlee loves to sing and dance. She always has, but lately it feels like she likes it more and I kind of love it a lot. She has started making up songs while she does things, dancing in the car, and singing every song she knows all of the time. A couple favorites: Bad Blood by Taylor Swift and ~~Shut UP~~ Get Up and Dance With Me by Walk the Moon. It's so stinking cute.

Brynlee loves her friends. She always wants to play and is such a good little playmate and sharer. She loves to share her toys and her snacks with anybody that wants some. She is so kind and compassionate and always trying to make other people happy. If she sees someone who is sad, she runs right over, gives them a hug, and says, "It's ok". It's 'adorbador' as Brynlee would say. :)

Brynlee is so independent. There is almost nothing she lets us help her with anymore. If we try she says, "No! That's mines!" She puts on her shoes (always on the wrong feet), she brushes her teeth, she reads books, she picks out her clothes, she goes potty, and so many other things. But even though she likes to do lots of things by herself, there is just something about hearing, "Mommy! Help! I'm stuck!" or "Mommy! Help! I can't do it!" that just makes you feel loved and needed.....no matter HOW many times a day you hear it.

Some cute things Brynlee does/says these days:

Every morning when I get Brynlee out of her bed, she says, "Is daddy here?" I love it. She says it like such a big girl!

She has started saying, "Sure!" about things. I ask her if she wants water, if she wants to play, or if she can do something for me and I get a "SURE!"

She ends all of her sentences in "Kay?" She says, "I go get my dolly kay?" or "I eat breakfast first kay?" It seriously cracks me up!!

She loves reading her "criptures" and saying prayers.

She hates nursery again...not sure why. But she always says, "No nursery, just church"

When I ask her who is in my belly she says, "Baby sisser" :) *cue heart melt*

She loves going to the movies and says, "Popcorn? Yemayems? (m&ms) Soda?" She knows what going to the movies is all about!

Everything is something "time". Like she yells, "Eat time!!" or "Swimming time!" or anything else that she is going to do.

When she is cooking on her play oven she is always making "eggs, kay?" And they are always, "Mmmm so yummy!" or "Mmmm, so good!"

She always makes every doll or baby that she plays with go to sleep. She always says, "Shhhh, baby seeping!" And they always need blankets.

She is too in love with her binky. Every time she gets tired she exclaims, "I need a BANKY!" And it's so cute. But it will be disappearing soon. (pray for me)

On that note, she always needs everything. She says, "I need a water." "I need a popcorn." "I need a toys" and so on. It's stinking cute.

If you ask if her if she wants something, half the time she says, "Yes. I do."

She calls the bumbo the bum bum.

If we ask Brynlee if she is crazy/weird/nuts she says "NO, I'm Brynlee." But if we ask if she is cute or pretty it's "Yes." hahahahha!

When you brush her hair she stands like a statue and almost falls asleep!

She does stuff "so hard" like "I'm coughing, so hard" or "I go potty, so hard".

She loves and likes everything. She says, "I love babies, I love em!" or "I like cereal, I like em!"

If I ask her where her babies/barbies/dollies are going, they are always going to nursery.
If she wants you to come she says, "Come on mamma, come on!" and waves her hand around.
She says thank you more than any kid I know, but she always says it at the funniest times. I told her that her fruit snacks were yummy and she says, "THANK you."
If she leaves a room, she yells, "I come back!" once she walks back in.
If you ask her who characters are and there are two, she always says one, then the other, then repeats the first one. For example, "It's Elsa and Anna and Elsa!"
She loves playing computer games with Spencer. She always says, "I need a bear on the 'puter!" and waits for Spencer to come play with her. He loves it. She also knows all of his wii games and begs to play Mario and Link. Even though Spencer hasn't had his boy yet, he is definitely training his little girl.

I always tell her to say, "Come on Daddy-O" But she says it, "Come on Daddy Lo!" It's the best.

Brynlee, we love you so much. You have brought sunshine to our days ever since the day you were born. You are kind. You are helpful. You are smart. You are beautiful. You are funny. You are amazing. And you are OURS. Being your Mom (and Dad) is the best thing in the world. You bring more joy and love than we ever could have imagined and we can't believe what an amazing big sister you are going to be to our next little princess. She has some ~~big~~ tiny shoes to fill and we are so grateful that you are going to be her example and teach her how to be the best she can be.