Two!

2010:

2011:

2012:

Today is Fiona’s second birthday. I felt like the day was more special for me than for her because she doesn’t even know what a birthday is. We did not have a party because I do not have time to plan one. I still have a week left of both school and work, the last couple of weeks and the next week have been/will be very busy for me, and well, I really think the party would be more for me than for her anyway.

We started the day with a cuddle and then present opening. Fiona seemed to like everything she got and played with all of it for a long time. Then she ate a good breakfast and we went to our favorite coffee shop. She really wanted to go to Albertson’s (the supermarket) and even started saying “Albertson’s” (it’s what we do every weekend, so it is kind of like our routine) so we went there and bought her a cupcake. We went to Bed Bath and Beyond to buy some NICU gifts that I wanted to deliver, then came home.

Fiona was crying a lot and acting tired and having a lot of mini tantrums, which is unlike her in the morning. She seemed tired, was refused to nap, so we put her in the car and went for a drive. She fell asleep very quickly and we made it all the way to Santa Monica, a place of heavy traffic. We turned around and Fiona woke up sometime on the way home. Originally we wanted to go to a farm, but then plans changed and we thought we would go to lunch, but it was so late by the time she woke up (about 3pm) and she was so grouchy, that we decided to just go home.

At home she seemed ok, we ate an early dinner of leftovers from last night, and then gave Fiona her cupcake:

For the record, she prefers healthier fare. This cupcake was not very good and what you see in the video is pretty much what she ate. She loves salad, hence the joke about giving one to her instead of cake. I never knew how stressful feeding a child can be. It’s one of those things no one ever tells you about. Fiona is not a picky eater per se, but she doesn’t generally eat a lot. It seems to me that she eats less than other children and is satisfied sooner. Or, she will take a few bites of pasta or meat, then eat a horse’s share of tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, and other fruit. All of her food and snacks are really high in fat, or else I think she would not gain weight. It used to be that if she lost a few ounces due to illness or teething, she gained back a pound when she recovered. Now she gets sick or teethes and doesn’t eat for a couple of days, loses a pound, and spends a month gaining it back, only to have something else disruptive happen. Most of the time I do not let it bother me and her weigh in tonight (yes, we still weigh her once a month) was really good, but her behavior today indicates something is bothering her, and if it’s teeth again…grrr.

Anyway, here she is dragging her new toy dog around:

 

My mom asked her if the dog had a name and she said “doggie.”

Starting to write her thank you notes:

Examining clothes and trying them on while I yawn in the background:

 

She LOVED the art supplies:

And made a big mess all over the place with chalk and colored pencils. Oops, I guess that’s why they don’t suggest using them until the child is at least three years old. Such is life.

She discovered that Links make nice bracelets.

She really likes the puzzles she got from my mom and made us put them together so she could take them apart again. She tried putting pieces together but is still a little young to do it.

She liked the cooking utensils:

She spent some of the morning with the paper:

   

All in all it was a typical Sunday for us. I feel a little guilty not doing anything really special for her, but she was so grouchy all day, glowered at us a lot, refused to nap, crying at the drop of a hat, and generally being really emotional, that I don’t think doing anything public would have resulted in a pleasant experience. She seems to be able to show a good face in front of others, but you never know, so I am glad we did not risk it. After I am finished with work and school I might have a meet up at my house in the afternoon. I just need to get through the next week.

Happy Birthday Fiona my love! I love you more than ANYTHING, more and more each day. You never cease to amaze me, entertain me, teach me, and make me melt with one look from your beautiful eyes or one cry of “Mommy”. I look forward to watching you grow and develop and become whoever it is that you will be when you grow up. But for now, you can stay little and cute. Love, Mommy.