Happy Birthday Bri Bri!

Two years ago, we went to the hospital expecting a 7 pound baby boy. We left with a 9 pound baby girl. She has been surprising us ever since. Luckily, most of the surprises are pleasant.

Things I want to remember about Brianna at this age:

1. She speaks in full sentences. When she has something to say, she composes a complete thought.

2. The way she says "Get out of my chili!" when someone bothers her.

3. She loves babies. All of her dolls are named after babies she knows. (Emmy, Kate, Brionna . . .)

4. Her comfort items are her 'binki', her 'blue one blanklet', her right index finger and a strand of hair.

5. She likes me best. For now, I am her favorite person. (That will change, but I intend enjoy it while it lasts.)

6. The way she asks for 'chlocolate".

7. No matter where we are going, just like Grandma Kathleen, she wants to go too. "Wanna come, wanna come wish you."

8. She loves baths so much she has been know to climb into the tub fully clothed. Making 'bubble beards' is a favorite bath-time activity.

9. She can be trouble. If there is a mess, she is generally in the middle of it.

10. She can (and does) sleep anywhere. She has been know to fall asleep pretty much everywhere. The easy chair, the laundry room floor, the car, the kitchen counter. She has even been know to climb into her own crib and go to sleep when she is tired.

11. Crazy-Uncle-Tony calls her feral. I prefer to think of her as self-sufficient. Her favorite thing to do is eat off of her siblings' plates. As soon as they get up from the table, she gets a mischievous grin and a twinkle in her eye, climbs down from her chair, climbs into the recently unoccupied one, and eats whats left on the plate.

12. The nicknames she has for her siblings Own Kay-Kay, Crisis, On-Dune and Elbow.

13. The way she says "My Daddy home!" when he walks through he door. Whether he has been gone one minute or one week, she is delighted to see him.