Happy Birthday, Dear Mazie

To our Amazing Mazie,

Two years ago, at right about this time in the evening, we were spending our first amazing moments with the tiny little brand new Mazie James Dickinson. When you were born, we found out one part of your identity that had been a secret until that moment: you were a little GIRL! Other than that, we really didn't know anything about you... except that you were absolutely perfect.

Over the past two years, it has been so wonderful to watch your personality develop and emerge. While it's still hard for me to picture you as a 15 year old, for example, it's suddenly not such a stretch to think of who you'll be at 5 or 7. You are absolutely your own little being, so full of your own ideas and character. The word your daddy and I use most often to describe you is BRIGHT. You are such a bright person in so many ways -- smart, of course, and clever, but also cheerful, curious, engaging, alert, kind, and funny. With few exceptions (you ARE two years old...), you are an absolutely delightful person to be around.

Here are some of your recent accomplishments:

You've been potty "trained" for at least two months. Really, there was very little training involved. Last fall, you started to show an interest in the things that happened in the bathroom, and Daddy and I let you dabble with using the potty for a while without any real commitment. A couple of months ago we bought you some underwear and spent a week or so setting a timer and putting you on the potty every hour, and that was pretty much all it took. You still have accidents and wear a diaper at night, but our days of changing poopy diapers seem to be behind us... until your little brother or sister comes along.

Your vocabulary continues to expand and amaze. Sure, Dad and I taught you silly things like "stethoscope" that make good party tricks, but what I've been really impressed with recently is your use of more mundane words and phrases:
actually
probably
right, Daddy?
okay, Mom?
no, thank you
now?
NOW!!
The concepts you're able to communicate just keep getting more complex and subtle. A few days ago when Daddy caught you getting into some candy at a friends house, you said, "Don't look at me, Daddy!" Daddy also recently explained to you where your shadow came from, and you recited it back to me: "Sun shines on me, and shadow goes on the ground. Sun isn't there, then no shadow!" You've even started to branch out into other languages: with your Portuguese "obrigada" and French "bonjour," you're a budding polyglot!

You are a very social little girl. You love your friends and talk about them all the time: Julia, CharlieHenry, Morris, and even cousins who you haven't seen in months (but will see a lot of very soon!). You're generous with hugs and kisses, and love to play, often narrating as you go: "We playing together! We running! We having fun together!" It's so much fun to watch the enjoyment you get out of being around other people.

Happy birthday, Miss Mazie. We love you so, so much.

Love,
Mom and Dad