Ode to a Two-Year-Old

I attempted to start this blog the day Lily turned two. I chickened out. At that point, I just couldn't admit it to everyone that Lily had any problems. However, when I found this old entry I wrote (but obviously never posted), I loved reading it and remembering all of Lily's little triumphs at that time in her life. So, I thought I would finally publish this post that I wrote about Lily back in January. Enjoy...

Tomorrow, well in three hours, our little Lily will be two! I can't believe that I have had this little friend of mine for two whole years! We really are the best of friends. In fact, she woke me up this morning at 4:30 a.m. What kind of a friend can do that without making me upset? The best kind. Lily.

I think of all the days I worried over her as a newborn. Unable to thrive on her own. Tests, millions of tests. Only to find no explanation as to why she didn't want to breathe on her own and kept shaking. Finally after a priesthood blessing (given by priesthood holders in the Mormon/LDS faith), she did start to improve. Heavenly Father listens. Lily started breathing, stopped shaking, began passing all her tests, and was home within days of her blessing. I do believe in miracles. I saw them then and I continue to see them every day in Lily.

When Lily was about six-months-old, I said to my husband, "If Lily would just smile..." After a lot of prayer on our part for a couple of months, she started to smile. Now she does it all the time!

Then after she started to smile, I said, "If only she would roll over." Finally at 16 months, she finally began to roll over to get to her toys. 

Another wish was that she would just put her binky in her mouth on her own. A month later (thanks much to the tireless work of my mother), the kid started finding that binky and putting it in her mouth as if she had been doing it for years! Or at least since she was only one, it looked as if she had been doing it for months!

A few weeks ago, I said to my husband, "If Lily would only sit up, do you know how wonderful that would be?" I walked out the next morning and Lily was sitting in the middle of the living room floor.

My next wish (since I know the odds seem to be in my favor) has been for her to start crawling and maybe just uttering a "Mama" or a "Dada."  Honestly, anything would be better than the hissing sound a cobra would make right before it strikes, which seems to be her sound of choice these days. So far, Lily still isn't crawling and definitely not talking, but I am hopeful. I have to be.

However, even if Lily doesn't ever crawl, walk, or talk, I would be happy with my little heavenly child. She reminds me daily of how Christ loved the little children. I don't think I fully understood that capacity to love until I had Lily. She has taught me patience. She teaches me what deep devotion is. If I walk in the room, really nobody else matters to her except me. This little two-year-old defies the infamous title of the "Terrible Twos."  In fact, if she could, she'd slap it in the face like most two-year-olds are known to do. Instead, she is quiet and kind and so very patient with me. But again, she's not like most normal two-year-olds. Her pace is her own. Of course, that doesn't mean that I am just sitting idly by. This kid has lots of PTs, OTs, and a speech therapist. I feel like we are covering all our bases as parents. But honestly. Simply. Lily has taught me and Martin how to submit ourselves to something greater than ourselves. Her condition is something that will only unfold as time rolls by. In the meantime, we'll happily and JOYfully sit and catch her, hug her, kiss on her, and love her like most crazy-in-love-with-your-kid-parents do.

So here's to being two, Lily!  May your days be filled with even more love from all your family who adores you. May you one day prefer the vertical world over the horizontal one in which you currently reside. May you always enjoy going to movies with Mom and Dad and relaxing on Dad as he feeds you popcorn while you pay attention amazingly well to the film. (It is uncanny how she pays attention in movies. In fact, if you try to block her view, she'll look around you to keep watching.) There is a genius beneath that silent exterior. But of course, I already knew that.  Love you, Lil!