Happy Birthday Baby!

Dear Sammie,

Lovebug, Sam, Sammie Pants, Baby, Ladybaby, Boo Boo...and Samantha (on occasion, if I'm mad at you). You are gorgeous and daring. In fact, you just arranged all the pillows on the floor so you'd have a softer fall when you leap from the couch. And the entire time you kept telling me "one minute, one minute". You want to do it all whether you are tall enough or have the language skills too or have the strength to...you try it regardless.

Your talking has taken off. You are one of those babies who went from nothing to sentences. Your favorite phrase and one of the first recognizable was "I want to do it!". You are easy to please and your favorite pastime is reading. Did I mention that you are gorgeous? You have this frizzy, curly, cute hair that everyone comments on. You like wearing bows this year, for a little while, anyway. You like to pick your own clothes, which is tricky as matching isn't yet a priority for you. You like to dance to the Vacation Bible School music and you are up for just about anything that entails going...you are begging to go if we aren't on our way before 9 or so. You don't however like being dropped off. You have to be handed over to a worker (i.e. at the YMCA or at church nursery, etc.); then you just hold on for a good ten minutes before you get in the swing of things. And most memorable...you can outlast the best of them with your pouting. You pout for almost any reason and it is unfortunately pretty cute. You turn your head down and stick your lips out. There is no moving you either...nothing can deter you when mid-pout.

I hope that you will take all your smarts, good looks, and persistence to the moon. I want you to do it all and be whatever you were meant to be in God's plan. I want you to know who you are. I want you to be kind when no one else is; I want you to be capable of empathy; I want you to be a great judge of character and vulnerable at the same time. I want you to have fun and be able to handle sadness. I want you to be comfortable and accomplished all by God's definition. I want you to know what you want. And I want you to know that you are loved, loved, loved.

Favorite food and drink: fruit, bananas, mac and cheese, bananas, mashed potatoes, bananas, goldfish, bananas, milk, strawberry oatmeal, bananas, cinnamon toast

Favorite show: Sesame Street

Favorite toys: your blanket, your Husky puppy, your wolf, other people's shoes, hats, the doodle pro, your stroller, your Madame Alexander baby doll, and the kitchen

Favorite books: anything Pookie, Little Bear Little Bear What do you See?, anything Olivia, and just about anything else someone is willing to read you (you read about 20 books a day!)

Trips: AL before Christmas, Omaha for Christmas, Dad's friend Brad's house

Least favorites: vegetables of any sort, cereal

Size: 18-24 months and 5 shoes

The world around you: BP oil spill, Obama is president, big Governor election in WY this year, Fayette City voted to go wet, 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, huge Earthquake in Haiti, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ongoing, Tiger Woods divorcing, and Lebron James is going to play for Miami...of more significance: you moved from the nursery to the 2/3 class in Sunday school are are doing great and you completed your first swim class session (your favorite part is jumping in)!