Happy 2nd Birthday, Charlotte!

The day before her second birthday, Charlotte came into our bedroom first thing in the morning, all by herself. It was the first day she had figured out how to crawl out of her crib, and after startling me at first, it was cute to see her so proud of her accomplishment.

Today, Charlotte Grace Herschelman turns two years old, and it's been immensely fun to watch her accomplish so many things. From her first "da da" to picking out all the characters on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, we have loved listening to her learn how to talk. Kyle's favorites are "snicky" instead of "stinky" and "Goosey" instead of "Goofy." I told Kyle that one day I will miss trying to figure out all the things she is trying to say!

February 2019

She's also mastered so many other skills in her first two years, walking and then running, picking out her favorite toys to play with and giving hugs and kisses. Most of the time, Kyle and I just sit and watch her play, in awe of all the things she learns each and every day.

In some ways, as excited as we are that Charlotte is meeting all these milestones, it's a bit bittersweet at times. Charlotte has already far surpassed any of the skills Grace ever had when she was younger. Grace had a handful of words (my favorite was always "ma ma") and she knew all her animal sounds. She was able to cruise the furniture for a time and walk in a reverse walker, but she was never able to walk on her own. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. INAD has stolen so many things from her that she's not even able to sit up on her own anymore.

But INAD hasn't stolen her ability to smile, and when she smiles at Charlotte, it seems that my world is complete.

February 2018

I never had a sister, but I have always heard about the special bond between sisters. And it would seem that Charlotte and Grace have formed that bond already. Just yesterday, Charlotte crawled up on top of Grace just to give her a hug and a kiss. It was about the sweetest thing. Charlotte loves talking to Grace, and in true big sister fashion, Grace laughs anytime Charlotte gets scolded for something. That little bit of normalcy never ceases to make me smile.

Accepting that Grace has INAD means accepting that our dreams for Grace's future have changed. When Grace was a baby, we wondered what she would like to do when she got bigger. She always loved playing with soccer balls, and we thought she might like sports. We wondered if she would like school or become a writer someday like Kyle and I. Sometimes it's hard to accept when dreams change, but we also know that Grace has already made a huge impact in the world.

February 2017

The birth of Charlotte two years ago brought up all those same types of questions. We wondered what she will be like someday. Will she be the head of her class or the star of the basketball team? Will she want to join 4H or Girl Scouts? If the past two years are any indication of her determination and perseverance, I would say Charlotte will be able to do anything she puts her mind to. And I'm okay with that. I've also seen her compassion and empathy for her sister, and it's my hope that whatever she decides to do in this world someday, that she does it with kindness. That would be my greatest dream for her.

The past two years have flown by so quickly, and it seems like Charlotte has already been part of our family forever. We continue to be blessed by her spunky attitude and caring heart. We can't wait to see what the future holds for her.

mlh