Our Sweet Bitsy Turns Two!!

We had such a ball celebrating our little Elizabeth's 2nd birthday. In fact, even now, more than a month later, we still have a sign taped to the kitchen window that Charlie made -- it says, "Happy Birthday, Bitsy Boo! Lovely Baby." She has been such a gift to our family.

Since we would be in Italy for her actual birthday, we had our first party the night before we left. The kids decorated with balloons, signs and homemade cards. We whipped up a cake and all the kids helped Bitsy blow out her candles. She loved the new table and chairs that were just her size, and then she opened all her other gifts from loved ones.

On November 3rd, we marveled at how Bitsy spent her first birthday in London and her second on the Amalfi Coast (a "pinch-me" moment for sure). An 82-year-old Italian doctor did a house-call at our home because she was fighting a nasty cold; when he discovered it was her birthday, he serenaded her in Italian! Later that day, Rob and John brought home a gorgeous bouquet of fragrant lilies and a balloon bouquet for our girl. We took a hairdryer to the clothes the kids had worn into the Tyrrhenian Sea earlier that day and got dressed up for dinner in a seafood restaurant the homeowner recommended to us. The staff was fabulous. Bitsy was tickled and catered to and generally adored right up until the moment when they turned out all the lights in the restaurant and rang what sounded like a cow bell; out came a band of happy singing Italians with a special cake for Elizabeth, which she devoured. Funny baby. As we left to walk back up the stairs that led to our home, a young newlywed couple complimented the kids on their manners. Those moments make my heart swell and ended the festive celebrations on such a lovely note.

In true toddler form, Elizabeth is into EVERYTHING. She can reach counters, climb from chairs onto tables, open drawers and she loves to dump things out. I watched her spellbound one day while in ten minutes-time, she overturned all the toy food in her play kitchen, spilled a cup of milk that was on the kitchen table onto the chairs and floor, emptied the Lazy Susan cabinet in the kitchen, dumped over a bin of markers (but only after ripping off the bin labels and coloring all over her face and wood floor), opened a dresser and removed all our golf gloves from their packaging, found grapes on the counter (which she chewed and spit out on the living room rug), and spilled my lukewarm coffee down her coat. She's industrious alright.

Bitsy loves playing babies

Bitsy loves Toddler Group at ISL on Wednesday mornings

She's also talking up a storm, parroting everything she hears. She even makes jokes! Once she imitated Madeline's exclamation in the car, saying "Baby Goat!" We all laughed so hard in surprise, that now she says it out of the blue to entertain us. And the other day, a little sissy dog was crossing a street with its owner -- I laughed so hard to hear Bitsy saying, "Meow, meow!" from the backseat of the car. We love the sound of her voice.

Elizabeth Marion. This baby girl is a bright light, a JOY to us all, a source of humor and incredible contentment. It is because of her that I've barely slept for two years, and I hardly mind because her waking hours make me -- make us ALL -- so happy. Her disposition is easy and playful; she's agreeable and easygoing. She's a little ray of sunshine.

Happy birthday, Bitsy. We love you so much its ridiculous.

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