It's official. Jessica has made it through two years of our parenting, or should I say that we have made it through two years of Jessica's growing!
We had a couple of days of practicing the Happy Happy song, and it all boded well. On the morning of the B-day, Jessica woke happily and was relocated to our bed for her morning bottle as per usual, and something that was of immense excitement... Ooh, presents! The first of what proved to be MANY! And lots of lovely wrapping paper too! Our 2-year-old loved tearing the paper, waving the gifts around and then tearing more paper. Mum's card was wrapped in multiple layers and was a real hit to open! Anton and Oksana gave Jessica a lovely book of nursery rhymes and stories, with Disney characters. Jessica has not stopped asking for it either day or night, and with all the different stories, it is really great for parents too :)
Adam took the day off, so he was there when some of Jessica's friends came over for a play date. Emily arrived bearing an umbrella (a big "wow", but we had to use major distraction to get it away), Isabella brought a lovely backpack (immediately put on and not removed until time for an afternoon sleep) and Emma brought a tea set. The little girls enjoyed some songs, some crafts, some drawing and opening up all Jessica's toy boxes to check out what was there. Luke distinguished himself by falling asleep on his bouncy seat, and slumbering through the entire event on the dining room table safely out of reach.
That afternoon, after a big girl sleep, we all headed to Silvermine for a walk. The weather was clear and not too cold, so we headed up to the Hout Bay lookout and almost made it. Jessica wanted to walk a lot of the way, which did slow us down as she kept collecting rocks, inspecting handfuls of sand, and then practicing her jumping. But we had a little picnic at the top of the pass, and then headed home for supper and big-girl bed which is working out well to date - especially as she is in her sleeping bag which does limit her manoeverability (sneaky move by parents).
I kept thinking back to the day of her birth, the cramps, the pacing up and down the hospital, the lovely epidural four hours later, the almost birth and then the C-section. So much, and I was so clueless as to what to do with this tiny person. And now she is two, and I still feel a bit clueless. Somehow I have the power to kiss an owie away, by my presence to make the world all right, the charm to read a story, the ability to dance to the radio ("wiggle wiggle wiggle") and resources of a hundred songs with actions.
And Jessica? She catches my heart when she grabs my pants and says "Come mommy, come!" or laughs, or shouts "squeeze" as she wraps her arms around me. She can drive me to distraction with her "no's" and refusing to eat veggies that I have tried EVERYTHING I know of to make them taste delicious. She brings a smile to my face when I listen to her splashing in the bath and talking to Adam and Lukey. She makes me giggle when I walk into her room and find her asleep with her book ON her face. I don't mind washing countless outfits which she has muddied, play-doughed or dropped food on. I pray daily for more patience and more ability to educate, entertain and experience life through her eyes and help her to expand her horizons. I have to hide my amusement when she tries to get her way and be strict.
Jessica is my daughter, my small person. My piece of Adam... well, she's "mine" in trust only. But what a trust to give me a Jessica to hold, love, cuddle and swing. May I be found worthy, Lord. And may I have many many years of having a Jessica. Please.
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