to my daughter on her second birthday

Happy Birthday Sweet Scarlett!!

Dear Scarlett -

What?! You’re two already?! This year went faster than the first! It’s been amazing to watch you grow and develop this past year. You went from crawling to walking to running in a few months’ span. Now you can march and jump and stand on one foot and spin around. Incredible! You went from signing and saying only a few words to speaking two and three word sentences and even knowing some spanish words, not to mention repeating every word you hear and learning new words by the minute. I love your sweet voice. And when you said “i wuv you, mamma” to me the first time, which happened to be mother’s day, my heart melted completely. best.feeling.ever! It’s hard to believe, but I fall more and more in love with you everyday.


Everyday is a new adventure and you continue to surprise and amaze me your emerging personality. You’re pretty funny, Scarlett! Your laughter and giggles are contagious, even when none of us know what you’re laughing at. At the young age of two you know exactly what you want and will not settle for anything else. You love your doggies and shoes and boxes and puzzles and markers. You are pretty picky about food, and prefer cheese and crackers to anything else, but I can’t blame you for that. (Girl after my own heart!) There are some things you started this year that I don’t know where you learned them. For example, when you are talking and singing to yourself in your room way past your bedtime and then I come walking in quietly to check on you, you immediately stop singing, flop down and pretend to be sleeping!! Where did you learn that? I didn’t perfect that skill until junior high sleep-over parties. Like I said sweet girl, you amaze me and make me laugh!

There were a lot of changes in this second year of life, Scarlett. We left the only home you ever knew in San Francisco and moved cross-country to Austin, TX. When our apartment was empty and everything was packed away, you laid down in the middle of floor with arms and legs stretched out and cried. Not a screaming cry; a “where is all my stuff” worrisome cry. When we arrived in our new apartment, you inspected every corner before giving your non-verbal approval of sitting down to play in your new room. Besides moving to a new state, you also became a big sister this year! I was worried about your reaction to the baby’s arrival, but you instantly loved him. And since the day he arrived, you have been a sweet and protective older sister. Every morning when you wake up you ask, “baby? baby?” until you see the baby and then say, “Oooohhhh, baby!” You also love to hold your little brother and show him your toys. Those are some big changes in one year for a little girl, but you’ve handled it like a champ!

Things have been good in Texas for you so far. You get to see your NanaSue and Pop all the time and have fun at their ranch with their doggies! You and I have gone to ballet classes and music classes and lots of story times together. You love playing in the pool and going down the slide and playing catch and dancing. You also started spanish pre-school, which took a little bit of time to get used to, but now you have a lot of fun there. This next year we will be able to settle in to our new house and neighborhood with our growing family.

No matter where we are in the world, I love reading stories to you and singing lullabies before you go to sleep. Just a few weeks ago, after almost two years of singing “twinkle, twinkle” and “you are my sunshine” to you every night before bed, you finally sang the songs with me. I was so amazed! You went from never singing a single word to singing the entire song! Even though sometimes I can’t believe how big you are getting, I am always reminded that you are my sweet baby when you lay your head on my shoulder to snuggle before sleep. Those are the best moments that I will continue to cherish everyday and will remember forever.

Though there have been some challenging moments this year as a mother, like your first tantrums and your refusal to hold my hand when we cross the street, I love you unconditionally and more than you will ever know. I hope I grow as a mother as you grow as a child, and I provide the parenting that is best for you to develop. My goal is to allow your creativity, learning and independence to shine, while also keeping you safe and teaching you to treat others with respect. I promise you I will try everyday to do just that.

Scarlett, you’ve got spark in your eyes and some spunk in your step. Your smiles and slobbery snotty kisses and running-towards-me-with-open-arms hugs and everything else are the best in the world. I love you so much! I love you so much! I love you so much! I just looooove you sooooo much!! Happy birthday my favorite girl in the world!

All the love in my heart,

Mamma