they barely reach over the edge of your chair as you sit at the table. they are always in constant motion, as if they can't wait to reach the ground.
you, my sweet olivia, are always in constant motion.
always.
even in your sleep (thanks to the squeaky spring in your bed...) i can hear you.
in just 3 short hours you are going to be 2.
and i wonder where the time has gone.
i think of the challenges of your first year - the sleeplessness, the walking at 8 months, the determination to be older than you actually were, the problems with your neck...i still don't know how we all made it through that year with our sanity intact.
and now we are facing *2*. though, if iwas going to be honest, you were two the moment you turned 1...you, my love, embody the definition of "strong-willed".
your strong will has brought me to tears, has caused me to laugh, has left me wide-eyed at 2 in the morning, praying and pleading for wisdom in knowing how to guide you as you revel in your independence.
you are determined to do everything the "big kids" do, even if you get a few bumps and scrapes along the way.
my heart has stopped a few times watching you channel *evil knievel*...
even at such a young age, you are passionate. passionate about your feelings, your wants, your views on no longer being the *baby* of the family...*sigh*
i'm pretty sure there will be no *middle child* syndrome with you - you won't allow us to overlook you.
and i wouldn't want to.
because i know, olivia, i know that God has given you that unbreakable will for a reason. a great reason. He, if you let Him, will use you for much more than i could ever dream for you. and so, your daddy and i continue to place you in His hands...we continue to pray and ask for wisdom in guiding you so that we don't break your precious will in the process, because there truly are times when the responsibility of being parents becomes a tad overwhelming. (for me anyways...)
and that makes being wide awake at 2 am worth it. as i place you in His care, i am reminded that His heart is infinitely bigger than mine. so baby girl, you. are. LOVED.
miss livie, know this, whatever He is preparing you for, wherever He will send you, your precious feet that barely reach over the edge of the chair, will someday leave the safety of our home. but you will never, never leave the safety of His love for you.
i love you, sweet olivia grace. i always will.
love, mama
