Notta baby any moe.

Dear Keelyn,
As I look back at these pictures from just one year ago, it hits me just how much you've grown...how much of your own person you've become.

You are still full of smiles and joy. You are still full of might and spunk. You are independent. Bold. Curious about the world. You are timid about new things on your own, but willing to try anything at the hand of Mommy, Daddy or Hailey. You are trusting. You are confident. You hold so many wonderful traits in your heart that have flourished as you've grown this year. You are absolutely amazing.

You take it upon yourself to attempt at dressing, getting around, and making decisions, yet you still seek to be cradled and rocked. You are the most cuddly little girl there ever was. You love to snuggle. You just look at us and say, "Hold you?" and we know we're in for a nice long hug. You love to sleep in our bed during the early morning hours before we start our day. You love to have your cheeks rubbed, and to give hugs and kisses. You are so outwardly affectionate to the people you love. Each of your kisses is a blessing. Each one is special to me in its own little way.

You love to be outside. You gaze out the windows on cold or rainy days, and soak up the few moments we have from the front door to the car on the days when that's all we get. You truly appreciate every little chirping bird and scampering squirrel. You like to ask about the clouds and the leaves and the rain.

You have amazing eyes. They twinkle with your every expression.

You smile more than you frown, laugh more than you cry, and will do anything it takes to get someone to laugh with you. You love to play hide-and-seek...and to yell "come find me!" when someone isn't paying you enough attention.

You love to help around the house. You like to fold laundry, to unpack groceries, and your favorite activity is to unload the dishwasher. I swear, you could be watching your favorite cartoon, eating m&m's, and having your back rubbed, and if you hear the dishwasher open, you drop everything and come running. It's adorable.

You love baby dolls. You wash them, diaper them, put them to sleep, rock them, sing to them, and cuddle them. You walk around with them under your shirt, and while they are "in your tummy" you like to burp them. Precious.

You have a million smiles.

You love Hello Kitty, and Mickey Mouse, and Dora, and "Messy Seet"...particularly Elmo and Abby Cadabby. You pretty much go crazy at the sight of them, though you can't seem to sit still for long enough to get through any one show. You are very busy. Busy, busy, busy.

You are busy doing house work, like wiping the windows over and over again. You are busy building towers with blocks. You are busy playing with Hailey's Barbies. You are busy singing little songs. You are busy walking a baby around in a stroller. You are busy cooking in your kitchen. You are busy building a fort. You are busy jumping in circles. Just busy. Even when you are tired.

You sleep so peacefully. You love your bed, and to go nite-nite all snuggled with your lovies. You still love Emmit, and Blankie. You've added Kitty as a necessary carry-along. Her name is "Marlene," but if we call her that, you yell at us and say emphatically, "No Mawlene, name Kitty! Do dat!" Lately you also like to require an additional blankie and a few more animals to keep track of, and lucky for me, you always know where they are, and who is missing, so you never go to bed lonely. We often find you cuddled up with two blankies, two kitties (one Hello and one Not Mawlene), a lamb, a bunny, a frog, and Emmit.

You like to play at the sink. You will take any opportunity to brush your teeth, wash your hands, or wet your hair.Your favorite food is macaroni and cheese. You love pink and purple. You like to wear dresses. You like everything to be in it's place.

You love your sister. She is your very best friend, and you enjoy every minute that you spend with her. You like to play with her, cuddle her, tease her, and follow her around. She adores you back.

You like to tell me stories. You have an incredible memory, and will start up a conversation about something that happened a week ago, or something that I didn't even know you noticed was going on around you. Your language is such a beautiful insight into your world. You will talk for ten minutes or more about completely nonsensical things, just to retain my attention and share a smile. You flip your hands around and roll your eyes back like it's important and should be heard. You ask me lots of questions. Your favorite one is, "Why, Mommy?" And "What's dat?" takes a close second. You also fancy the expressions, "Dat's Silly," "We did it, Hooray!," and sing Jesus Loves the Little Children, which goes something like this..."Jesus love da chiden, red, yellow, black, (add additional colors here), they peshus-site," particularly when we are in the grocery store where you might get an audience.

Keelyn, you are an absolute joy in every sense of the word. Even as we embark on the challenges that being two can present, your happy temperament overpowers the day-to-day frustrations of learning to work together as Mother-Toddler, rather than Mother-Baby. You teach me to take moments to laugh and appreciate the fullness of life in a way I didn't before knowing you. You keep me busy, running about and singing and dancing, and then you snuggle with just as much vigor as we rest at the end of the day. I just love our mornings when it's just the two of us, and we can talk and explore together. I love the twinkle in your smile when you see Hailey after a morning away from her. I love your ability to get back up after a frustrating moment, or to use a time-out to calm yourself before trying again. I love your peaceful ways, and I love your excitability. I love your enthusiasm for life. I love every little piece of the person you are, and I love getting to meet that little you every single day as you grow. You are a mommy's dream.

Happy birthday, Keeks.

Love,
Mama