Happy Birthday, Number Two

The daily, laser-focus on Now makes it easy to forget how much changes in a year. Here is Sydney, one year ago, January 24-ish, 2009:
Back then she was nursing, crawling, and just beginning to make words.

Twelve months later, she does not look so much like Talmage, is no longer nursing (that stopped at age 13 months, thankfully), wears pigtails instead of bows stuck on her head with honey, talks in complete sentences, has ditched the crawl for more upward forms of mobility, and likes to show us her "tricks" ("Look! I'm flying!", she says, when she balances on the intellitainer). She loves playing with her friends and rough-housing with her dad. She is learning to be helpful and is working on the concept of "mine" vs "sharing". She's learning to pray. She likes to paint, color, listen to stories and also look at books on her own. She's learning that it can be hard to be a woman with her deeply felt emotions.

Some things haven't changed: she still loves music (she sings herself to sleep and belts out her favorite tunes as the spirit moves her - "Hello Everybody", "Clap Your Hands", "Follow the Prophet", etc), sucking on her two fingers, and happily taking a predictable afternoon nap.

The world is your oyster, Sydney. Here's to your second year and your continuing discovery of the wonders around you.

Make a wish!
(like, say, that you can have a REAL cake and DAINTY candles next year):

We love you!