Happy Birthday Kendal Grace!

My Darling Baby Girl!

How, how, how can you be two already?! I have loved every minute of your short life. I can't imagine mine without yours. It really is flying by too quickly, and it makes me almost frantic about soaking you up. I find myself trying to memorize the sound of your voice, the funny things you say, the millions of facial expressions you have, because I know the next time I turn around you will have moved on to something new.

I have yet to put my finger on what is it, but you have a certain quality that is so endearing, it is positively irresistible! And its a good thing too, because if you didn't have that quality I don't know what I'd do with you! You are impossible, and I do mean impossible, to keep up with! You were such a mellow and calm baby... has that ever changed! You are literally non-stop, all day, everyday. If I turn my back for two minutes, I find you knee deep in some disaster, or up on top of my counters getting into the food cupboard, or hanging on the outside of Amaya's bunk bed, or on top of the washer and dryer trying to get into the medicine cabinet, or into my makeup, or smearing makeup all over Gramma's carpets (I have been extremely thankful for our solid surface floors throughout our entire house!).

But it never fails, that when I think I am about to snap, you smother me with your unbeatable hugs and kisses. You give them up unsolicited, and it is like receiving a million dollars every time. You are so unbelievably tender, which may be the saving grace. It is so heart warming. You love to snuggle and cuddle, and be held, and sang to. Every night when we put you down you say "lay down with me," and every night I curl myself into a tiny little ball just so I can lie down next to you in your tiny toddler bed, because how could I resist?!

You give your big sister a run for her money, and she is probably pretty clueless that you idolize her in every way. You two are as sweet as sugar one minute, and absolutely ruthless the next, but anytime she is away you ask about her non-stop. "We sure miss Amaya, don't we?"

You are independent. You are sweet. You are insistent, painfully so. You love Princesses, and dress up, and make up, and having your hair done. You love your daddy. You love Che, and pester him to no end, picking him up by his ears, carrying him around like your baby, throwing him in the bathtub, sneaking him food from the table. You love the songs Black Bird, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. You will eat anything mom or dad are eating, but you LOVE fruit snacks, cheese and granola bars. You love shoes, and clomp around in my stilettos effortlessly. You do not listen worth beans. You are not at all afraid of daddy and his 'you're in big trouble' voice. You like to taunt. You love to read. You LOVE to perform. "Mommy- look at me! Mommy- watch this!" You LOVE to dance and do it everyday. You want to wear a swimsuit all day everyday, and when I say no, you want pajamas instead. You bust out Spanish words randomly. You want to wear panties, and will occasionally go potty in the toilet, but with absolutely no consistency. You make me laugh every single day without fail. You are a joy in my life. I adore everything about you. God is real, and I know that when I get to be with you.