Happy 2nd Birthday Rhianwen!!!

Can you believe it? Rhianwen is 2! We kept asking her how old she was, and she kept saying 4. I guess that's always how it is when you are young...wishing you were just a bit older. How times change :) Wally and I decorated the dining room the night before her birthday. It was so fun. We even used a funny frog vase that Grandmama gave as a bed present (bed presents are gifts that guests of the T household are given...they just are on the bed where you're going to sleep...very cool idea that I would love to replicate, however I just haven't been able to get it together enough to be able to do it! I'm glad if I can have the house semi-ready before the guests arrive).



We came into Rhianwen's bedroom on her birthday morning and sang to her. She hopped down out of bed and went straight to the family room where we said she could open some presents. Her back was to the dining room, but when she started to go through the family room door, she must have seen something out of her peripheral vision that made her do a double take and look at the dining room. So fun to see her take it all in! She's so serious when she does.



A puppy-dog card from Uncle Robeson and Aunt Natalie...I'm showing it b/c when Mr. Doug from church asked Rhianwen what she got for her birthday, she said, "A doggie." So funny. They also gave her cool finger paints that work only on special paper and some crayons for drawing on the glass and tile of the bathroom. We let her hop in the tub to try them out, and later she had a bath with her good friend Phoebe and got to play with them with her.



We had a huge gift wrapped for her in the family room that we said had to wait until Grandma Nanny Kim and Grandpa and Phoebe were here. She was so good about waiting. Of course, a trip to Pullen Park helped get her mind off of it. This is what we did last year for her birthday, and we may just make it a tradition until she outgrows it. Again, she was very serious the whole time, but really looooved the carousel.



We let Alden try it out too. He liked it up until just before the end when I guess it must have gone a little too fast for him. Grandma Nanny Kim had started the ride standing next to Rhianwen's horse, but as the carousel got faster and faster, she was gripping Rhi's horse and laughing because she couldn't keep her balance. She finally fell into the seat next to me. There's always more excitement when Nanny Kim is around.




Rhi also enjoyed the boat ride:

So serious!!!

And a train ride (she loved the whistle and the tunnel). There's a smile...maybe!

When we got home, it was naps for everyone, then Phoebe's arrival, gifts, tacos and cheesecake. We gave Rhi a musical card. Here was what her expression was like for like 5 min.

Notice the cute birthday clown outfit. I've just been waiting for this day so she could wear it :)

She finally got to open her big gift (a Plan Toys Chalet Dollhouse from Grandmama, Grandaddy, Grandma Nanny Kim, Grandpa, and us). What do you think was the first thing she said? "Lamp!" (it was next to the mommy and daddy doll's bed). Aunt Clara and Uncle Brooks gave her a nursery with the baby for the house (she loves it)...and said, "Mommy nursing baby." Ha. Uncle Christopher gave the mommy, daddy, brother, and sister dolls, and pets. It's great b/c I found a book called The Cottage at the End of the Lane that is about a wooden doll who is looking for a home and then a bunny comes and asks if he can stay. So that dovetailed nicely. And Uncle Averett gave a swing-set, see-saw, and sandbox for the dolls to play on. She's having a blast with all of it! Wally is working on a cool treehouse (a real one for Rhianwen to play in) outside. So far he's got a pretty good platform and a neat bench tucked into the crook of the tree.



Rhianwen even said to Phoebe about one of her gifts, "Here Phoebe, help open it." and then proceeded to explain how it's wrapped, and you open it, and there's a gift inside. Phoebe's birthday is coming up soon, so it's good that she got that education.

When it was time for candles and cake, there was no confusion about what needed to be done! Wally hadn't even set the cake down in front of Rhianwen before she had blown the candles out (without any prompting)! One puff is all it took. We were all so surprised!

The cake before it entered Rhianwen's line of fire.

The cake afterwards. Phoebe took a millisecond longer to devour her piece. They both asked for and got seconds. Good thing we started with slivers.

Phoebe gave Rhi play-doh, and they got down to business after they found out they couldn't have more cheesecake. Alden had quite a time looking on.



In the past year, Rhianwen has really developed her ability to communicate. Speaking in full sentences and using the correct pronouns. It's amazing. She also enjoys much longer stories. I just can't believe it's only been 2 years. In some ways, I feel like I've been a mommy for a long long time (good and bad). It certainly is a huge sacrifice of your own personal freedom, and often doesn't seem very rewarding especially after you've spent hours playing and reading word books and then are thanked by a big tantrum and puddles of tears right before bed. But, then there are those times when you see her dancing with a huge smile on her face and a light in her eyes or when she is quietly absorbed in her own books totally unaware of anything around her or when she is telling her brother, "See?" and expounding on something she just has to have him know or when we wake to her singing Jesus Loves Me. Those are the times when I think, "Wow, thank you God for such a blessing." I've failed even more this year at being the calm patient loving example I should be. It's hard to wisely guide Rhianwen's growing independence and sense of adventure. What will this next year bring? .... Candyland if Daddy has anything to do with it... HA! I can't be too serious, you know.


On a side-note, Alden is such a happy little man :) 75th percentile for weight and 94th for length (his 2 month with sad immunizations was this past week as well). I can't believe he doesn't go back until he is 4 months old! He's having to take yucky meds for possible thrush (though we don't think he has it, my LC thinks I have an infection and just wants to make sure we don't just pass it back and forth). I thiiiiink, I'm finally getting better, but it's too early to tell. BF is going way better just in the past few days after a little more than a week without the shield. Thank the Lord! Maybe just maybe we may be able to do this. I'll be shocked. I just am SO thankful for my LC.

If Rhianwen could see you, she'd say, "Goodnight." Kiss you on the cheek and pat you somewhere on the head.

Story of the week: Cinderella (a book she got from us for her birthday). Why do all little girls seem to like that story?