Turning 2...can it be?

My baby turns 2 today. It's hard to believe.

From this:

to this:

to this...

She is a pretty happy and remarkable two-year-old. I think there's something to be said for being the third child - she definitely learns from her brothers - the good and the bad! She is outgoing and talkative, she loves Dora the Explorer. She will bring you a book to read and then get impatient with you and take the book away. "Me read now," she'll say to you, and settle back down with the book on her lap. She is very opinionated and particular about who can help her with certain things, bestowing them, almost queen-like, upon whichever of her subjects she is enamored of at the moment. For example, who zips up her coat is of great importance to her. She loves shoes and would be content to spend hours shoveling snow. She likes to color but today discovered that she could color on her face and decided that was a new fun pastime so might be without her beloved markers until she forgets about that idea. She has a pink blankie that she adores, a baby-doll that she takes care of, and two pacifiers that vie for the favored status. She will only take these two pacifiers, I'm uncertain if substitutes of identical make and color will suffice. To say that she is opinionated might be an understatement.

May she continue to blossom and grow.

Happy birthday, Yael!

(That last picture is my Best Shot Monday. Go see Tracey's new digs!)

P.S. This also basically means that my blog is 2 years old too! I started blogging back in February of 07, right before she was born. I didn't get really into it until about March of that year but still....2 years!? Wow.