The girl with two birthdays. and A TON of pictures.

 I think we are going to just have a double celebration every year!  Because her birth day doesn't actually exist most years- it creeps up on me. suddenly I wake up and it's february 28th. and tomorrow is already March! and her birthday disappeared somewhere in between.

Here's a wrap up of some of her most hideous moments of last year.  Most of them are cell pics.  Her first year of life was ROUGH. LOTS of crying.  She was a bad baby.  So I sent cell phone pictures to Kent often so he could see just how difficult she was.  I've continued to send the ridiculous pictures during her SECOND year of life.  Kent needs to see what we do every day- right?  this year- there have been far more smiles :)

there are a ton!

Zeb doesn't believe me that these are even pics of metta!  he says he can't remember her looking like this!

 Her hair was so nappy and boyish for awhile there!

she still likes to shriek.  But- all of my kids like to shriek sometimes.

she just looks so darn little here.  She's definitely grown up.

her hair finally got long enough for pigtails right in the middle of summer.   thank heavens!!  

she loves to eat EVERYthing.  definitely my best eater.

she's my only kiddo to NOT be terrified of Halloween decor.  Here's hoping I can scare her next year!

She's got the VERY best tears of any of my kids.  Such big crocodile tears.  Since she was born!

In some ways she is SO different than her brothers.  She loves to wear accessories. loves shoes and clothes, too.

But in some ways- she's exactly the same.  Active, loud, and a little bit of a rascal.  

She's crazy rashy, here!  but has actually been our healthiest of the kiddos.  She rarely gets sick.

Her little red piggies get us stopped daily.  People LOVE them and she LOVES that people give her attention for them.

Sometimes I feel like she's the toddler version of a cat lady.  I've got to keep her hoarder/cat lady tendencies in check. 

She sleeps with 13 creatures/dolls.  I counted.  And she wants to lug them all around with her wherever we go.  I usually only let her bring one or two.

She still really loves her binky.  But I love it, too.  It will go after our big move this summer.  We'll need it for our international flights :)

It can be really hard to parent this age of kiddo!!  right now metta thinks that pushing and hitting is a form of communication.  She doesn't even do it out of anger or frustration.  She'll just walk up to kids and slug them.  we're working on it.

this is her today.   proving that she has - in fact- turned two.  Colored all over her legs AND the walls.  way to go birthday girl.  She can NOT be trusted with ANY writing utensil.  We hide them and she finds them.  we throw them away and she goes dumpster diving.  She'll steal them at other people's homes and use red sharpie to color all over their walls and floors.  

Metta spaghetta is my redheaded rugrat.  She's really cool.  and I'm really happy that I have her.  Happy pseudo-birthday little leapling!!