Kirby's Two

This past weekend we celebrated Kirby's 2nd birthday.  Where has the time gone?  I can already see what people are talking about when they say, "before you know it you will be sending her off to college."  Thankfully the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to stay home with her while she is young and I can snap shot these memories for my mind.   I know it is just a few weeks difference, but it seems like she has done so much growing up over the last 2 weeks - like over the week when she turned 2, she really turned 2.

Before I get to the pictures, let me fill you in on some of her latest antics:

• potty training is going well.  It took her longer than 3 days as suggested in the book I read and my friends that used that method, but every child is different.  It was very hard on me, being pregnant and having to pick her up and run her to the potty every time I saw the "sign".  The hardest part for the first week was that she refused to let anyone else take her but me.  : /.  Finally I just told the hubs to buck up and get through the fits, that eventually she would learn.  Guess what, she did!  I kept her home from Mother's Day Out while I did this as well so that we could get it down pat.  Yesterday was her first day back and she only had one accident - not because she wet in her pants but because when they put her on the big potty, it sprayed straight out and went all over her clothes.  
• About Mother's Day Out - yesterday she did GREAT when I left her.  The last 2 months she has gone, it has been TERRIBLE for me to leave her.  Knock down, drag out fits.  Yesterday there were no tears what so ever.  That's part of the "all of a sudden she is growing up".  
• Kirby walks around singing all of the time.  This morning she was singing "Amazing Grace".  This was her version: "mazing (babble babble) grace ..... sweet sound".  Sometimes she sings, "Lord soul ... oh soul....".  She often sings and signs "Jesus Loves Me" and it just melts my heart.  Her favorite song to sing to baby is  "Holy, holy, holy".
• She loves to run ... really fast.  She has been going through a stage of using mommy's shoes, but yesterday she ate it on the floor when running really fast in mommy's shoes, so we have tried to nip that.
• She is sleeping in a big girl bed!  I didn't mean to do it all at once with potty training and a crazy schedule, it just happened that way.  I wanted her to have some time to get over her crib being used for the baby.  I didn't want her to think when baby got here, "here this new baby is, taking away my mommy, my bed ...."  So we decided to transition now.  She loves the bed, but getting to sleep in it the first few days was a struggle.  Like an hour and half to two hour struggle.  That has gradually tapered off and last night it was just 30 minutes of singing and reading.  Maybe eventually we will get back to the 10 minutes of settling down, but if not, that's ok too. 

She has started to love to go with CR on the tractor, to the barn, to wherever.  This morning CR said, "Well, I am headed to get on the tractor to shred some brush."  Kirby said, "Me too."

Now on to her birthday.  We did an owl theme because she started liking owls a long time ago.  As soon as she could show like in something, I noticed she had a thing for owls.  In books, at stores, she would always look at them and giggle or reach for them.  Over the last year and a half I have slowly collected owl things to convert her room.  At first I couldn't find much at all, now it is all the rage.  There was quite a bit that I could find for the party and everyone seemed to like it.  The cupcakes were a pintrest find, mom got creative with some goodie bags, and I threw together a quick wreath for the front door.  I had collected some other party things over the last year that would work for any party (flower lights, big balls to hang from the ceiling) and had wrapping paper for table runners.  Easy peasy and for the most part pretty inexpensive.  We kept it "small" ... mainly just family and a few close friends that might as well be family were invited.  The kids swam and played with Kirby's toys (new and old) and the adults seemed to have a great time catching up.  

These are from her actual birthday:

 What we got her for her birthday.  Yes we did.

She was too busy riding to take time out for a full smile!

Birthday outfit from Aunt E!

 Cupcakes!

 Daddy helped blow out the candle!

 For 5 minutes afterwards, she was still singing "Happy Birthday to Kirby"!

 Anna Kate had to show me the mess she had!

 Possibly her favorite gift ever ... her first shot gun!  She points it at the ducks after she calls them in.

More cupcakes - I tried to make this set up look like an owl body ... see the nest?!

 My precious, precious family.

Eva wanted in on the fun!

Sister-in-laws .... same due date!!

 Ryan did very good on Kirby's present!

 Swim time

Thank you to everyone who made this day super special for Kirby.  She keeps talking about it all.  Memories for the cookie jar!

"But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God."  Luke 18:16

My deepest desire is for Kirby to come to know Christ and to inherit the kingdom of God.