An Itsy Bitsy Gift of Life

Today my beautiful daughter is 29 months.  In one short month she will be 2.5.  Wow!

My beautiful daughter is many things...

She is funny.  Recently she said two hilarious things (which I think she may have swiped from the Bubble Guppies), but her context and timing were spot on:

(A few leaves fall off of a tree while Iz and I walk.)
Me: The leaves will start to fall off of the trees this time of year.
Iz: Watch out!

Walking through concord mills mall past a Halloween shop.
Isabella: Spooky consumes
Me: Yes, those are spooky costumes.
Isabella: Let’s get out of here!

She is athletic.  Be it running, kicking, climbing, jumping, throwing, dribbling...this girl has moves.  She also has grace and agility that I could only dream of at her age (well, if I'm being honest at any age!).

She is smart.  She knows her colors.  She knows her shapes.  She is a book worm.  At her request we begin each day and end each day reading books and "Mama, read please" is a constant refrain throughout the day.  She has even begun retelling some of the books by "reading the pictures" (also known as memorizing-I think!).

She is an animal lover.  Be it dogs or cats, ladybugs or spiders, cows or elephants.  She adores them all and declares them "Soooo cute" on the regular.  Her animals (plastic, stuffed, and real) and play sets are by far her most treasured belongings.  She's even added some imaginary ones into the mixed as she currently takes care of invisible chics (and now fish!) almost every day.  They are by far my favorite as we can never lose them and can make them appear at any moment.

She is kind.  The other day A.J. was calling for his mommy.  Isabella went right over to him and said "Mommy's at work.  It's ok buddy."  And patted him on the arm.  She also says "excuse me" when she bumps into inanimate objects (now if I could just get her to say the same things to strangers when she runs into them:).

She is passionate.  She knows what she wants, how she wants it and when she wants it.  I particularly admire it when it's not in direct defiance of what I need for her to do.

She is an amazing amalgamation of two people who met and fell in love and one kind stranger.  Each of us contributed to the attributes listed above as well as the ones that haven't yet emerged.  Without each one of us she wouldn't be Isabella.

One book Isabella requests regularly is a book she calls "The Bunny Book".  The actual title is An Itsy, Bitsy Gift of Life.  It is the story of two rabbits, Comet and Pally, who desperately wanted a baby bunny but couldn't have one on their own because Pally doesn't have any itsy, bitsy seeds left in her tummy.  One day they are surprised by a kind, lady rabbit who shows up at the door who has LOTS of itsy, bitsy seeds (I know, show off, right?;) and wants to give one to them.  They accept and allow Comet and Pally to put his itsy bitsy seed along with her itsy bitsy gift of life into Pally's tummy which results in their beautiful baby Nicasha.

As we continue to read these stories and tell Isabella her story over the years, some day it will click and she will have questions about the kind lady who gave her mommy an itsy bitsy gift of life when she had no eggs left in her tummy.   I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a little grim when thinking of this day in the not so distant future, but I know God will give me what I need so I can give Isabella what she needs.  At the end of the day without that specific gift of life, my funny, athletic, smart, kind, passionate, animal loving daughter wouldn't be who she is and that would be more than grim--that would have been a misfortune.  She may be tiny, but this girl is sure to move mountains some day and that I can't wait to see.