Doo-Wap-Doop!

Last night at dinner Lucy was singing away as she usually does but this time she made up a song that she sang over and over. Matt asked her if he could record it and she said "Yeah!"

And then she was interviewed but Matt's phone ran out of space so it got cut off.



Her responses to his first two questions are "about 7 weeks ago" and "This winter".

Lucy has so many fabulous personality traits at 2 1/2 and I am going to try to jot a few things down though it is impossible to remember all the wonderful things that come out of her mouth.

One of her favorite activities is wrapping up all her animals and her doll, Baka, in her own clothes and blankets and making them nests. She also builds "beds" out of her legos and little hand towels. While doing this you can hear her saying "Aw, it's OK Baka, it's OK, you're alright," over and over.  If only I could put a mini mic on her and record her every word because she goes on and on with words and stories about so may things to herself and her toys. It's really great.

Last night Lucy learned how to do a somersault, or as she calls the "summer-castles." This was right before Matt came home from work so when he walked in the door he had to "flip-over", as she called it, with her. She was SO excited and we had a hard time getting her to the dinner table. Needless to say his neck hurt late last night.

Lucy is stubborn and very independent. Neither Matt or I know where this comes from! For instance, we always hear "Let me do it!!!" with a strained shrieking voice or a more subtle shaking of the hands and head (like she is shivering) while watching us do something that she wants to do very badly. Every day at least several times this happens: I tell Lucy not to do something because it is not safe. Her response "It IS safe." I remind her it is not. She says "I don't want you to talk!" with a quivering voice. Usually we can just drop it there but I have to admit, it is pretty amusing. She's the contrarian about everything. "Lucy, I am going to eat some food because I am hungry," I say. "You're NOT hungry, mama, you're not!" she replies. You can apply this response to most anything during the day for us. I like to say she is passionate!

Lucy is also very very sweet. She shares all her food and water with us. She offers us both her sippy cup from the window sill in the morning. She gives tremendously loving hugs, kisses, bonks, nose rubs, and butterfly kisses multiple times a day. Her crinkle-nose smile is truly the best thing I have ever seen. We'll keep her!

Sushi and Chopsticks

We went out on a special family lunch together yesterday. Lucy was given her own custom chopsticks to use! She did well with them and ate almost all her potstickers and miso soup.

The Little Farmer

Every single day Lucy goes to the garden with me to pick carrots while I tend to vegetables and harvest others. She usually picks about 4 or 5. Sometimes she'll keep going and I have to distract her so she doesn't pick them all. Sometimes she also picks beets. It's such an adorable activity to watch as she picks them and knocks the dirt off on the side of the garden bed, and then goes to sit on our stairs to take the greens off for the chickens. I never direct her. She does this all on her own and enjoys it after watching me do it one day and lending her tiny hand. It's so wonderful having a little helper around here, especially a super cute one.

Lucy Runs

This video just completely captures Lucy's energy and chit-chattiness. I love it. Lucy woke up really early last weekend and I was just exhausted so Matt whisked her out of our bedroom while I slept, put some clothes on her and took her for a walk down the road...barefoot and all. Apparently, she was actually taking her dada on a walk. At the end of the video she says she is smelling the grass like Canute.  

A Smaller Friend

Our friend Inari and her daughter Saana (16 months old), who now live in Juneau, were in town and came up for a visit. Lucy and Saana played really well together and enjoyed sharing food as well. It almost became a game that they were sharing cantaloupe - it was quite cute.

Lucy Grooves to Dim Dim's Music

Lucy greeted her dada with a little dancing gig when he just walked in the door after getting home from work. She is always so so excited to see him. She agreed to shoot a video with him and danced some more!

Snapshots of our days

Lucy gives me so many hugs and kisses when I carry her this way. We vacuumed the whole house together just prior to this shot.  A good workout for me!

I've been so busy having fun with Lucy spending time outdoors for the majority of our days that I haven't been on the computer much this month. Here is an overview of some activities from the last few weeks. We're so happy the sun has been out and winter coats are put away for good! The snow you see in the first photos is long gone and the roads are dry. Seeing as it is Mother's Day it is so wonderful to reflect on all the photos I recently took of our little Lucy. It was hard to choose which ones to post.

The evening after Lucy's birthday party last month we went for a wet walk. She was so excited about her new gardening bag from Keet.

Dada ended up carrying the new garden bag for most of the walk.

We just added water to the dried peat to start sowing some seeds that Lucy received in her gardening bag from Keet for her birthday.

Very excited to plant some seeds.

Simply happy.

Adding sunflower seeds to the wet soil in excitement.  I helped her move them to the pots.

Lucy amuses herself while I cook dinner. Looking good!

Lucy and I transplanted vegetable seedlings at the kitchen table. She is always so focused and interested.

She was supplied with her own water, soil, a spoon, and dried chickpeas so I could get my work done.

The aftermath of the two-year-old's gardening project area. It was worth the mess. You should've seen the floor!

Lucy found dada's hat and wore it outside to get chicken eggs with me one day.  She didn't want to take it off until we ate dinner. This water spray bottle is one of her favorite toys.

Testing out our new 6-person tent for our trip to McCarthy with Grandma Nono.  Lucy LOVES being in a tent.

Lucy wanted to make a nest in the laundry basket one afternoon right after lunch. It's too bad she wouldn't just nap there...I would!

Wide open grass to run and run and run! We met Matt at Creamer's field for lunch on Wednesday.

Hanging out with "wolfy" in her arms. Enjoying the beautiful day and open space.

Lucy and Beckett (he's about 15 months old) who came over to play this week...I am amused that they are similar in size. Lucy is such a peanut!

A Birthday Brunch Party for Bug

Salted-caramel chocolate layer cake.

We had an extraordinarily fun day celebrating Lucy's birthday with friends yesterday. Lucy had four friends over (and their parents) and we ate, hung out in the warm sunshine, and chatted for hours and hours. It was perfect. This kids had a great time and there wasn't even one tantrum!

Serving Lucy her plate first.

Our spread minus the home fries.

The birthday girl.

I do believe Lucy liked this cake!

Blowing the first candle out.

Trying to blow out that second candle.

Lucy singed her eyelashes on one of her eyes as she was getting close to blow the candles out.  Here I am checking to make sure she's OK.  It didn't even faze her!

Tired Lucy noshing on some cake.

She's rapidly becoming more awake with every bite.

I just love this view. Happy girl sitting on her tree stump seat carved out by dada.

Our friends :)

Fabulous nursing mamas. Maya has a 3 year old, Keet, and Carrie has a 4 month old, Ana.

Hanging out. Lucy claimed this chair as her own.

A gloriously warm and sunny day on our deck with friends in honor of Lucy.

Lucy also had her 2-year check-up at the doctor's on Friday and she now weighs 22.4 pounds and is 32" tall. I can't believe my two year old is already more than half my own height! 

The birthday girl!

Lucy turns two today! 

What a perfect age to be. 

It has been more fun than we ever could have imagined...our time with Lucy so far has been incredible and our days are forever brightened by her perfect little presence. Our little crinkly-nosed daughter is as happy as can be and we couldn't feel more fulfilled.

More milk please.

Well, it's no wonder Lucy loves breastfeeding so much!
Apparently my milk tastes like maple syrup.

Tumbling

A smile for dada.

 I took Lucy to Gym Inc. for the first time this week. It took her a few minutes to warm up but before long she was running around, hopping up and down on the mats and mini trampoline, and meeting other kids. We even met another Lucy! My photos all came out blurry - definitely a sign of how fast Lucy was moving around. I found a few that are OK.

I love this photo because Lucy was just hanging out watching all the kids flop around around her  who she didn't know.

A bit tuckered out right before we packed up to leave. In case you are wondering,  Lucy did NOT nap well this day - amazing. The girl never stops!