Elena Turns Two...

Elena’s 2^nd Birthday was awesome!! An absolute perfect day from beginning to end! This is how we started our day:

I stole the idea from Gille (I steal ideas a lot) & the video doesn’t even show the most precious part, she right away opens the door & calls for my mom as if to say, “Grandma, you have got to see this!!!!”

We then headed upstairs for breakfast & surprise #2…a larger than life Dora Balloon!!

After that we headed out to the Doctor’s office for Elena’s 2 year well baby visit…at a whopping 37 inches tall & 34 lbs, the Dr says Elena is the height & weight of an average 3 year old! It’s so precious to see her with other 2 year olds; she is usually a head taller than them all! I hope I can keep her from becoming self conscience about being a tall girl!

I was glad to be able to chat with the Dr about Elena’s language skills, or lack thereof…it’s not that I’m overly concerned as Elena definitely understands everything, much more than we sometimes give her credit for, but I worry that she’s lagging in vocabulary. I’ve mentioned before about Elena’s “Elenaglish” but wasn’t sure if that would count as speech…our Dr reassures me that any sound or “word” Elena uses consistently for something counts as a word…in this context, Elena has a vast vocabulary…it’s just we don’t understand 2/3 of it!! I grew up with a speech impediment & was in speech therapy until I was about 10 or 11 so I want her to have the benefit of that if she needs it. In my area there is an Early Words program. It is covered by our provincial healthcare & self referral so I’ve made that call, for peace of mind if nothing else. Our appointment isn’t until May though…

After the Dr we headed to Elena’s swimming lessons…Elena has lessons every Monday & my Mom takes her so I don’t usually have the benefit of going…I was worried that with me there, she would want me in the pool too, but I told her I’d watch from the viewing window & she was happy with that! She was so excited to have me there to watch & I was so glad to get to observe her. She really is a little fish & just loves the water! She jumps in, dunks her head & face, blows bubbles, slides down the slide, does her floats…she’s amazing! Aside from 1 public swim a month ago, I haven’t been in a pool with Elena since our trip in November & I am amazed by how far she’s come!!!

Next stop on our Birthday Extravaganza was home for lunch & a nap! When she woke up, we did presents & I gave her a Radio Flyer Balance Bike (this idea I stole from Claire)!!

Then it was time for cake!

"Cool cake! Can I touch it?!!?"

" 'kay...how 'bout now?"

"Now?"

"NOW!!!"

"Yummy!!"

In case you hadn’t picked up on it, Elena is all about Dora the Explorer lately!

It really was an awesome day!

This past Sunday, we got together with my brother & his family & that was a great day as well…we went to Maple Towne…very Canadian!! It was a beautiful day & we had a tease of Spring with 20 degree temperatures (Celsius, 68 degrees Fahrenheit for my US friends)!

There was an amazing play barn!

Yes, even at 20 degrees I made her
wear her toque...there was snow
on the ground still!

We had to cross a railway track to get from the Conservation Centre to the Sugar Bush & on the way back we got to see a train pass up close & personal! My 1^st thought was of Tate & I snapped a few photos…

If I hadn’t been so concerned with keeping Elena back, I would have had the presence of mind to video it…but I was so afraid she was going to run up to it! (I had a horrible flashback to a movie I watched as a child, The Dollmaker with Jane Fonda, in which a child was run over by a train. It scared the crap out of me back then & out of nowhere the image popped into my brain as this train passed.) On that happy note…

We also had our photos done…we’ve used the same photographer since Elena was born & she is amazing!

It really was the best 2^nd Birthday for Elena…I was most touched by how many people wanted to celebrate her birthday with us & spoil her with presents. We are blessed to have so many great people in our lives! Having so many people want to be a part of her birthday (both the day of as well as separate get togethers) really made me feel so very lucky.

The fact that Elena is now 2 years old is still sinking in for me…as the days & weeks pass, it doesn’t feel like they are going by too fast…I feel like I am drinking in every moment & enjoying life with Elena to the fullest (yes, even the rough patches)…but when I think about the fact that she’s been in my life for 2 years (plus 39 weeks & 2 days)…it’s unfathomable! A part of me feels that Elena’s always been a part of my life…then again, it feels like just yesterday I was pregnant! I am just so very grateful for every single moment.