Stella is now just about the age Maia was when the twins were born…and everyday I am amazed we got through the toddler/infant days (years) to this golden time of two. Yes, golden. Stella is developing into a lovely and very typical–what ever that means–two year old. She is climbing and a master of daring-do. Maybe not as frightening as Elsie at the park, but most definitely a terror at home. She jumps. She runs. She twirls in circles and dances. She is a marvel of toddler locomotion.

Her special skill is in opening bags, undoing zippers and turning out boxes. You can not leave a purse, backpack, grocery bag, or really anything you want kept together within her reach. She loves to find out what’s inside and I think her favorite birthday treat was being encouraged to open boxes and spill the contents out.

Her laughter fills the house and more than the other girls she loves to sing. Her speech is still coming–shes working so hard on words that just aren’t quite there yet–but man she makes up for that with singing. She’ll bop around the house humming or singing snatches of songs from our Music Together classes. At times, she tries to use song to communicate with endearing results. Of course, after starting our preschool activities she loves to sing the ABC song and is starting to recognize some letters.

Stella’s tantrums are epic. The screams. The tears. The kicking of strong little legs. The spitting. The hitting. And the calm after the storm accompanied by her wonderful hugs complete with back pats from her little girl hands.

And the best times are when we’re walking and she slips her little girl hand into mine. I can feel her strength and her fragility in her soft, warm embrace. I can not believe that in two years she’s grown from a teeny-tiny infant smaller than my forearm to a solid child. she is her own person. Stronger in many ways than we give her credit for. I am blessed with her as a little daughter and I can not wait to see what the rest of her “terrible two’s” will bring.