Two: Letter to Alethea

From this.....

...to this! In just two short years!

My Dear Alethea,
It's hard to believe another year has passed. You have just turned two- two whole years since that clear Spring morning when you were born to us. Your Daddy was the first one to touch you; he brought you up out of the water and placed you in my waiting arms. Life, tiny and new. We were smitten.Two years have gone by fast; sometimes I feel I've already forgotten what you were like last week or last year or when you were a baby. That's part of why I write you these letters, so we can remember the little things that make up the days as you race past the milestone markers we call years and months.
How to describe you? You are busy exploring the world around you and you have very definite ideas about how you want that world to be. Sometimes you're just plain emotional and we have to chalk that up to the fact that you're a girl! Girly as you are, though, you but have no problem keeping up with your rough-and-tumble brother Peregrine. You love him and want to do just about everything he does. I think you're the only tiny girl I know who can roar and then look at me and say "pirate" in explanation. Swords and rockets, too, you're no stranger in that territory. On the rare occasion Peregrine's not around, you ask over and over "where's Ba-lah? where's Per-grin?" You know your family consists of you and Peregrine, Mama and Daddy, and when someone is missing you want to know why. Often one of the first things out of your mouth in the morning is "Where's Dada?" On the weekends he's always the one to get you when you wake up in the morning, and he's often home in the afternoon when you get up on the weekdays. You're always happy to see him; you reach your little hand into his shirt pocket to find little bits of dried fruit and "rainies" (raisins) he's put there for his girl. I love it when you come up to me with little arms outstretched and say "I want to hold you Mama!" I want to hold you too, little one.
You've become a real talker in the last few months. Daddy and I are surprised at how you're speaking in sentences now. We think it must be due to hearing your brother's constant stream of chatter. That, and all the books that get read aloud around here. You still love to "cozy up" with us and hear story after story. I'm glad that your attention span is getting longer and we get to read books now that have more than two words on each page. There are a few books you must know by heart because if we stop short of the end of a sentence you often fill in the rest! We think you're pretty smart. You would rather sit with us and read a book than watch a movie. I like that about you.
You like all the things most little girls your age do. You got a play kitchen for your birthday and are having lots of fun cooking. You look awfully pleased when Mama and Daddy ooh and ah over the things you serve us; we hope you always like serving others. You like to play with dollies and stuffed animals too. You carry them around and tuck them into little beds and share your food with them; we hope you always enjoy caring for others too. You squeal with excitement over dogs and cats and over the birds and squirrels that share our yard. We just got five fluffy chicks and when I sit down to hold them you race over and throw yourself into my lap to play with them too. Flowers and dresses and music and babies all make you happy. We hope that you're always excited about the life God has given you.
Alethea, my girl, you are such a joy. I love that you're still small enough to fit comfortably in my lap. You love it when I wrap you up in a blanket and hold you like a "bundle". But you're not really a baby anymore. You're growing up. And I'm enjoying getting to be part of your precious life. I'm so thankful that God made you who you are, and that He gave you to us.
Here's to a very happy third year my little Joy girl!
Yours,
Mama