She's Two! (Or, as Marin says, "I Two!")

Well, it's official. A two year old is living among us.

There were less tears from Mommy this year than last. Maybe in part because I'm not as nostalgic for the whole being-pregnant-with-you-was-amazing thing this year since her brother or sister was kicking and wiggling through the whole week. Or, maybe because she's getting older and I'm getting a little more used to her growing up. I know what you're thinking: Johanna? Getting used to change? Nah! In any case, I have two years ago today'd my way through pretty much the last 48 hours, including recounting how my contractions began on a Saturday night while Jason and I were watching (cringe) Pineapple Express. As Jason began to pack his bag I told him that they couldn't be the "real" contractions, because Pineapple Express was NOT about to become part of my child's life story. And yet here we are two years later. After a restless nights sleep and a call to the doctor at 6am to be sure I was timing everything correctly, they assured me that I should come in and have the baby. So, like any sane woman in labor, I took a shower, shaved, blow dried my hair, washed the dog, called a friend to say that I wouldn't be at her baby shower that day... and oh yeah, ran out the door to go have a baby. All of our favorite people gathered in the next few hours. It was the most wonderful day of my life. And about 24 hours later, our lives were forever changed. I will never, ever forget the moment I laid eyes on our beautiful Marin Jane.

Today Marin is a fun, lovable, cheerful, kind, happy, vibrant, beautiful, smart two year old who is growing and learning at what seems like lightning speed. She is the apple of our eyes and hearts.

True to form, the birthday celebrations were big and plentiful. They began, of course, with the birthday week, last Tuesday. That was a big day because as you know, it was her first day of school. The next day we were hit with what will undoubtedly be referred to as the Blizzard of 2011, where we got 2 feet of snow! We spent the week digging ourselves out, and preparing for the birthday party, which for me included baking and frosting 60 or so cookies, and for Marin meant staying out of the treat bags.

We ended her birthday week with three birthday celebrations (details in a post of their own, next), playing in the snow, sleeping in her big girl bed, a day of sledding for the first time, her first Happy Meal (I know, terrible, but she got the milk and apples and doesn't yet know that the carmel dipping sauce exists), a long bubble bath, and pajama day at school.

The past two years have flown by. It has been such a joy to watch Marin grow and discover and learn. I love the way she thinks. I love to watch her process. This will be another big year ahead for her, as she becomes a big sister. I can't wait to see how she reacts to the new baby, who, by the time Marin turns three will be crawling around her next party. Unreal.

In the words of Ferris Bueller: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."