Our Rhys: Two Years Old

(photo above taken a few days ago at Rhys' birthday.  it's one of my favorite photos ever of her.)

"A parent's love is whole no matter how many times divided."
~Robert Brault

As I'm thinking through the past, and looking at photos, I can't help but cry a little while I write this entry of our little Rhys.  She turned two a few days ago.  I haven't quite figured out why it makes me cry!  But it does.  It feels really bittersweet.  Having Ella come behind her so quickly made her babyhood go by even quicker than it usually does.  

Rhys is such a special little person to us.  She's amazingly patient and loving and silly and sweet and precious.  We love her so much and couldn't imagine our lives without her.  

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Facts about Rhys:

-  She's left handed. 

-  She likes to steal my makeup and put it on. (mascara under her eyes and on her legs...)

-  She will flick people.  (Kind of.  It's more of a "I think she just flicked me." type of thing)

-  When she throws a fit, often it seems like she's pretending.

-  She does not like using pencils.  She wants a pen or markers.

-  She is very easy going and gentle, but she is also very opinionated.

-  She can jump, run, and "roller skate" (that means she can stand in them as they barely roll)

-  She loves her pacifiers.  (She only gets them in bed now, has two of them at a time, and will rotate.)

-  She can talk in such a sweet, gentle little voice.

-  She can also sound like an old smoker woman when she talks, with a really rough, grating voice.

-  She loves to run away, giggling, when I'm changing her clothes, diapers, or when she has something she  doesn't want to give back.  

-  She is very intelligent and has a lot she tries to say, but she hasn't mastered the skill of speaking yet.

-  Her legs look soooooo cute when she runs.  (They kill me with their cuteness.)

-  She can swim with a floatie on.  (she can kick her legs and go places)

-  She loves Ella and tries to take care of her.

-  She loves to dance.
-  She's obsessed with shoes and must almost always wear some.
-  She likes to try to spit on people. (not sure where that came from! but it's pretty funny because she does it so sweetly!) 

-  She can make Ella laugh simply by laughing.  She'll laugh and Ella will laugh.  They'll keep going on and on.  It's so funny.  I have it on video and will have to post it sometime.

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REMEMBER THESE?

Here are some photos of Rhys throughout her little two years.  It's kind of hard to limit it down to just a few from thousands...

Here they are meeting Rhys for the first time.  They all look like babies!  Violet (her hair, hehe) was 22 months.  Crazy that she's close to 4 now!!  

Our sweet baby...9 lbs 7 oz.

Up late at night at the hospital & took a few photos with Rhys.

Her birth was a surpringly wonderful experience.  I never thought a c-section could be such a beautiful experience, but it was.  I remember after she was born, she cried and cried and cried.  Within a few short minutes they had her bundled up and brought her over to me, and she was still crying.  I softly said, "Hey, baby girl," and she immediately stopped crying and calmed right down because she knew she was near me.  The power of being a momma is amazing.

Hanging out outside with daddy when she was just a few weeks old.

A few months old.  (Violet didn't want Rhys' hand to touch her.  haha.)

About 9-10 months old:

Rhys was 15 months old when Ella arrived. (So, to clarify, this is Ella's birth now.  Not Rhys'.  And, yes, I'm wearing the same clothes as I did with Rhys' birth.  On purpose.)  We weren't sure how she would take to being a big sister.  She surprised us by being extremely excited about it.  She loved holding Ella and was soooo smiley and squealed and was so excited.  It's a very fun & special memory.

My new camera arrived into our lives at about this time.  I love this photo of Rhys (if only I had focused on her eyeballs!):

From just a few days ago, on her birthday, with her daddy:

(more birthday photos to follow)


Our little baby Rhys is turning into a beautiful little girl.  Thank you for being ours, sweet baby.  Hope you have fun being TWO!!  


"If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging."
~Diane Loomans


We only get their childhood once.  Let's treasure the time that we have.