Sept 19, 2013 (Aug 16, 2013)

Miss Marianne turned two (a few weeks ago)
I've been meaning to do some two year old pictures for her for weeks.  We finally did it today.  Kate and Sam were at school, Bethany was asleep and her and I needed something to do.  So we  put on a pretty dress, packed up a few blankets, her favorite babies and a tea set and set out for an adventure.  She just thought we were going to have a tea party- in a new location- we drove in the car, she didn't know I had alternative motives- like a photo shoot.  She set up her tea party with delicate little hands, placing each cup precisly where she wanted sure to now let it tip over. She is such a sweet girl.  She helped me pack things in a suitcase I provided for her.  Was great to listen and put the things away when I wanted her too, and spent a lot of the tea party offering me goodies and helping her babies touch the leaves high in the tree.

About Marianne at age 2.
height: 36 inches- 94%
weight: 27.3lbs-56%
head: 49 cm 86%
I already mentioned that she is projected to be 5ft 9in.  Really- she is a big beautiful girl.
She is still missing some teeth and her birthmark on her forehead shows up really well when it is a bit chilly. of course dimples never go out of style either.  Her hair has turned to a very blonde and long and thick.  She is a real beauty.

We call her "Mer, Mari, Marianne, and sometimes my angel or MaryAndy.
She likes babies- which I believe she may think are real people, block, doll houses, cartoons- especially this strange one called "oogiloves" minnie mouse, coloring, playing with kids, helping with the baby, riding her swivel car like a pro and going anywhere in the car and eating fruit. She loves to pretend to and read books, and brush her teeth. She just recently mastered going to nursery with out crying.
She actually seems to like just about anything.  She is always such a sweet happy girl.
She doesn't like eating dinner.And had just barely started to be a classic two year old.  There is an occasional fit from her but it is usually because she want something and we can't understand her.

Her vocabulary is adorable.  She is always saying funny things like "come get me, come get me"  when he wants the kids to play with her, or "uh oh Mommy Bethy babys awake" when she hears her sister cry. She also always says "hi mommy, hi mommy" whenever I might be getting angry at the other kids in an attempt to make me happy and smile. It usually works.  She sings a few songs including some "oogilove" song, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, and I love you a bushel and a peck, and the abc's too.  She knows all of her letters and all of there sound, but still doesn't know all her colors.  Her gross motor skills are super advanced it seems. She can play soccer, rider her little bike, throw, and even jump with the bigger kids on the trampoline.

It has been such a wonderful year watching her grow and learn.  And even a delightful surprise that her happy baby temperment has mostly followed her into her toddler stage.  It is crazy to think that one year ago she was learning to walk and now she can jump on a trampoline, kick a soccer ball, climb on the counter to make herself a nutella sandwich, put her shoes on by herself, and ride her little bike super fast down the culda sac.  That combined with how smart she is and how tall she is and I feel like sometimes I accidentally skipped a year and she is really 3.

It has been so fun these last couple days with the two older kids at school and Bethy down for a nap, her and I hang out together, go see the pets at the pet store or run an errand and she love every minute.  Marianne just has a love for life, that spreads to each of us in our family.  She is always happy and wants to make other happy too. She has a special concern for babies real or pretend and is always trying to help.
She really is a special girl, who has taught me so much already about how to love and be happy and has brought us so much joy.

Happy TWO YEARS OLD Marianne- a bit late.