Two Years Old!

Avary turned two recently, and I like what my friend Laura did on her blog when her daughter had a birthday. So I decided to do the same and post a bunch of pictures of Avary at different ages from birth to now.

Newborn Avary

Newborn Avary

3 Months

6 Months

One Year Old!

18 Months

2 Years Old!

The other I night I was rocking Sam to sleep, and a song from a lullaby CD that I used to rock Avary to sleep to when she was a baby, just came into my mind. Suddenly this wave of emotion came over me, and I was there in our aparmtent, two years ago, sitting in the rocking chair late at night with a tiny, sleeping baby girl in my arms. The emotion that overtook me is hard to describe, but the best way I can describe it is that it was a wave that started at the top of my head and landed in my heart and I got the feeling in my chest that I always get right before I cry. It wasn't that I was sad. I was just filled with emotion - love, gratitude, happiness, and a little sadness for the realization that every moment becomes the past and we can never have it again, except in memory.

Lately I have been noticing that as I look back on the years in my life, the more time that has passed since events or periods of time, the more they just seem to mold into one big, somewhat blurry, picture. But that night when I thought of the lullaby song, a small piece of that picture became so clear that I almost felt like I had gone back in time. Its amazing how music, smells, pictures, etc. have that power.

I'm grateful that time is moving forward. The longer I live, the more full my life becomes. And even though the realization that a moment has come and gone does cause a little sadness, I feel happy knowing that every moment, whether already passed or in the future, is still a part of my life. And even more importantly, a part of the great plan set forth by a loving Father in Heaven for all his children.

So Avary, you're two years old now. It's hard to believe! You're already a terrific big sister! Your Daddy and I love you more than words can express. Wow, what an awesome two years! We are looking forward to more!

Here are Avary and Sam the day I took Avary to get her picture taken. You wouldn't know it from the picture, but they are actually happy kids :) I think it was too early in the morning or something. Avary pretty much refused to smile the whole time.

Sam, on the other hand ...

was a very smiley kid! I could tell the photographer was having a lot of fun. She was snapping tons of pictures of him. I finally had to intervene and tell her we had plenty to choose from :)