Can You Show Me Two?

Saturday was my little guy’s second birthday party, and he had the time of his life.  Not only was he spoiled rotten and given every toy on his wish list, but he loved the attention our family members poured all over him…just another check in the pro column for moving back east.

 

I’ve heard other moms talk about the bittersweet feelings they have on their kids’ birthdays and on Mother’s Day, and they all hit me last night…as my almost two-year old slept for the first night upstairs in his big boy bed.  I sat downstairs listening as hard as I could, so worried about him, that he would fall out or wake up scared, and remembered feeling the exact same way the first few weeks he was born…standing outside his door, checking on him constantly, carrying the baby monitor with me around the house, ready to run upstairs at the slightest hiccup.   

 

I wanted this birthday to be special for him, since its his last one as an only child.  In a few weeks, I will be standing outside a new baby’s room, resting my hand on their chest every night when I check on them, and he won’t be the center of my universe anymore.  Tomorrow, his actual birthday, we have a very special day planned for him, and even though he’s only two, I hope he realizes how very much his daddy and I love him…and he’ll always be my baby.

 

Enough sappiness…I do actually have a project to show.  As is typical for most two-year olds, my little man is all about Elmo.  He has Elmo slippers, Elmo shirts, an Elmo doll that gets his diaper changed whenever we go upstairs for a diaper change and eats most meals with us…he loves Elmo.  So I attempted to make him an Elmo cake.  This was probably the part of the weekend that caused me the most anxiety.  I have never delved into cake decorating, and was feeling the pressure to produce a great cake.  (My mother and grandmother had a cake decorating business for years when I was younger, and so the bar was set very, very high.)  I did take one class years ago with a friend, but it was evident then that I did not get the cake decorating gene.  So, I was nervous.  Friday night, I put the little guy to bed, and wished I could have had a glass of wine while I made my icing.  And, after lots of experimenting and a few techniques that I’m sure would probably be frowned upon by a pro, I made my first cake.  There were definitely parts that I could have done better, but I knew I had done a good enough job when my husband came up and said I had done a great job.  (He is my hardest critic, which is one of the reasons why I love him…he is always pushing me to be my best.) 

 

Elmo was a hit.  My little guy loved him.  And as we sang happy birthday, and I tried to keep my tears in check, I made a birthday wish for him…that he never changes.  That he always knows he’s one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me, and that I think he is the coolest kid ever.  For the past two years I’ve spent every day of my life with him…and have cherished every minute of it.  I’ve never once wished for anything different.  Every day is more special than the last, and makes me even more excited for tomorrow.

 

Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea,

 

Nikki, In Stitches