To Veronica, on her Second Birthday

Dear Veronica,

Happy Birthday! Two years old! We sang happy birthday to you before and you were NOT thrilled! When we ask you how old you are today, you hold up two fingers and Maria says "two!" for you. You are some team, you and your sister. Oh, Veronica. We love you so much. Whenever I get nervous or scared about having another baby, I think of how surprised I was that I was having you when Maria was still so little. And then you were born and you were so sweet and good and smart - I remember how hard it was for you to learn to nurse after being in the Constant Care Nursery for two days but you did it and then you were so good at it, you never wanted to stop - and I really, really believe in the joy and happiness a little person can bring to your life. I didn't think you'd be a big sister, I thought you'd always be my little baby, but here you are, going to be a big sister! I think you'll be great at it. We all love you so much, Veronica, we wouldn't be our family without you. I hope you have a great second year and 150 more. With love from Mommy and Daddy, Anthony and Maria

Saturday

This was actually taken on ... Thursday, I think. Now that I look at it, it was Thursday, because I remember when they asked me at the Y "what was Veronica wearing?" I told them, she has on a cute white shirt, with little people around her neck. The woman next to me, who was also waiting for her kids, said "that's comforting, isn't it?". We laughed but it's a pain, that Childwatch at the Y is good but I just keep thinking there has to be a better pickup procedure. Since I don't know what that is, or really anything about it, I can't complain. Anyways, she is great at the Y now, she is doing well with her interim speech therapist. This was our first week of therapy with Maria here and ... well, it's hard. I just want Veronica to be able to get the whole hour and in order for that to happen, I have to practically sit on Maria. But the therapist is really nice about it and we are trying to use Maria's powers for good, for Veronica's good and I think overall it's working.

I can't believe she'll be two years old a week from today! She is a sweet thing, I know I say it all the time but it's true. Sweet Veronica.

Dr.

I know this is blurry, but she was SO cute with this stethescope. She kept putting it on my wrist, VERY solemnly, and nodding her head up and down.

Almost Two

Here's Veronica's posters I had made of her first 52 weeks. I only ended up with 45 pictures, somehow. What can I say, it was a long year? I suppose I'll be lucky to end up with 30 of the new baby. I took the posters to Michael's to have them framed and it was super, super expensive. This is my third one of doing these pictures and I am still shocked every time, by something. Usually I have been shocked at how hard it is to put them damned things together but this time I was definitely shocked by the price. Oh well, I am hoping it will look really nice and it really is a once in a lifetime thing. I never get their pictures taken at a place or anything, so that is how I'm justifying it. They were 60% off, so that's good too. I am desperately trying to justify spending $275 on this, can you tell? Maybe I won't get her a birthday present, ha! What does she know?

We have our second appointment with the new therapist tomorrow, she seems very nice. Mike was off from work last week so he took Maria when Veronica had her first appointment. Tomorrow will be our first appointment with two of them, I imagine it will be pretty rough. This girl seems very nice and she has two kids, also close in age, so I'm hoping it works out. Oh, Veronica, why won't you just talk more, already? Why do we have to do this stupid therapy over and over?

I'm not always this impatient, but as she turns two, I would really just like some more talking from her and LESS from her sister. She is such a sweet thing, so loving and cuddly and smart, I just wish - I wish I wish.

Museum

Mike is home this week and we took the girls to the Children's Museum this morning. Veronica was great and seemed to have a really good time. She was SPRINTING around the place.

Friday

I still have no camera but I am trying to do an update on everyone's blog at least weekly.  Veronica is doing well, she is bounding through speech therapy.  She is also getting really terrible, just in time for her terrible twos!  She cracks us up, when she gets mad, folding her arms over her chest like she sees Maria do.  It's hilarious because she's not that great at it, so she just looks like maybe she is getting ready to dance and not like she's full of anger.

She is sleeping well (shhh!) and eating well and doing well in speech therapy.  Her therapist went on maternity leave this week and we will miss her for the next two months.  I'm hopeful that Veronica will do well with her replacement.

She has been so great at the Y in the childwatch, two weeks in a row, she has gone into it with absolutely no problems and this past week, we had NO tears at all, even when I went to pick her up, which is a first.  I would like to publicly thank everyone who told me to just keep taking her because it has really worked and I love being able to get to this class and just not think for one hour.

We are all hoping for some better weather here soon, the rain and cold is just ridiculous.  I think we've had maybe five nice days since the beginning of the year and that's just not enough.  It's hard for me to take, but it's really hard for the kids.  It's going to rain from now until next THURSDAY or something but at least it's supposed to warm up, I might just take them out in the rain as long as it's warm.  Our rugs are ruined from the mud already but I don't care.  I would just like for us all to be happier and I think getting outside would do wonders to help.

So pretty

Isn't she just the most? She had her haircut this week and she did NOT like it. Ha, she reminded me of Anthony, he used to do this too, just STAND UP while the girl is cutting, just like "thanks, that'll do, Pig, I'm OUT!". She was up before 6:00 today, which stinks, but at least she took a nap. Wednesday and Thursday she took no nap and I love her as much as anyone but that is too much time to spend with a small child! Plus there is no opportunity for me to eat or clean or go to the stupid bathroom and it makes me super cranky. She has not been sleeping well, she either cries like crazy before she falls asleep, wakes up in the night, or won't nap. I think she is getting her canine teeth, she chomps the heck out of her hands and FEET, and she seems unhappy about it, but come on, already! It's been quite a while that we have thought she was teething. Otherwise, she is as sweet as ever, she is moving along in speech therapy, things are fine. She is gorgeous and sweet and healthy, what more could we want?