happy birthday Cece!!

and just like that, our Sidewalk Baby is two. (yes, she was born on our front sidewalk a little after 10 pm. yes, our amazing neighbor caught her head, while my mom and Nick held flashlights for the EMTs, whom we found out later had never attended a real delivery, but remained calm and resourceful as i proceeded to have a baby in the open air. yes, my labor really did last only one hour from start to dramatic finish. and yes, we were both fine! for the birth story to top all birth stories, see here!)

Cecilia Marie, you make us laugh every single day. you do everything in your power to keep up with your big sister, both physically and verbally -- you climb, walk backwards just for fun, and actually manage to push yourself along on Greta's scooter. you talk up a storm, and i love listening in to your "conversations" on your play phone. here's a transcription from yesterday: "Hi Father [Aron]! It Cece birthday! BYE!" you often transpose "m" and "n" sounds, so we hear phrases like "what dat moise [noise]?" and "i see a nouse [mouse]!" frequently. you roll your eyes and talk in a strange deep voice sometimes, all to get laughs, of course.

you loved having your own kiddie lantern when we stayed in a cabin in the Alps without electricity last week

you absolutely love to eat. i've never seen a toddler pack it away like you do. while you clearly prefer sweets (especially your beloved "choc-wat" and gummies), you also love noodles ("moodles") and green beans (eaten frozen right out of the bag, weirdo). you prefer "fizzy wana" (mineral water) to still water if we're out at a restaurant.

you still use your binky for sleep and whenever else you can sneak it. you call it "minky" or sometimes just "mink", which cracks me up ("WHERE MY MINK?!"). i'm hoping that you transition to just sucking on your finger soon. at your last checkup, your pediatrician was concerned about your dental alignment because your top teeth were already narrowed and crowded, so she recommended you stop using the pacifier entirely. you really do love it and i couldn't imagine taking that away from you as we underwent such a big move, but a few weeks ago, you bit the tip off it. i've already noticed an improvement in your teeth since you're not getting as much suction now, but instead of giving up entirely, you now just stick your finger through the tip and happily suck away.

with the Rylee half of your favorite duo, "Cahlee-Wylee" (Carly Rylee), on our trip

up until two weeks ago, you were still drinking a bottle of warm milk before bed. however, on our European road trip, we often didn't get back to the hotel until 10 pm and you were so exhausted you just went to bed. and now that we've been back, you haven't asked for the bottle once! so there's one transition taken care of.

the best photo i managed to get of you wearing your dirndl in Salzburg

you're wearing 2T clothes and size 7 shoes. some of your 2T clothes are already seeming a little small, but i think you'd be swimming in 3T! one of my friends here recommended a local pediatrician, so this week i'm going to schedule a 2-year well visit for you, and we can find out your stats. at your 18 month checkup, you weighed 23 pounds and measured 33 inches tall.

you usually behave pretty well in church ("big chuch!"). you like to announce "Daddy pay oh-gan!" and "Be ky-et! [quiet]" (sometimes you whisper that last one, sometimes it's paradoxically loud). you're always excited to go up front while i receive Communion ("i go see Jesus") and you like to point out every crucifix or depiction of Mary in the church. just today at mass, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for adoration after mass. everyone was praying silently and i was packing up our bags as quietly as i could. suddenly you started singing and i started to shush you before realizing you were singing "Jesus Loves Me". He really does, kiddo!

riding your scooter at St. Peter's ... as you do

just like your namesake, St. Cecilia, you do love to sing. your favorites include "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", "Baa Baa Black Sheep", and "Let it Go" -- which you usually sing at the top of your lungs while we're walking around town. on our recent road trip, when you got tired of being in the car, you would yell "Baa Baa Black Sheep" like you were in a death metal band: "BAA! BAA! BACK! SEEP! HAVE OO ANY WOOOOOOOOOOL! YES! SIR! YES! SIR! FEE! BAGS! FUUUUUUUULLLLL!" (it's a good thing you're cute!)

this trip gave Father a new appreciation for the gift of sleeping babies

our birthday celebration for you today was simple. we went to mass, followed by brunch at the college. every week, they announce the birthdays for the upcoming week, and Daddy made sure to tell them to include yours. sure enough, after the other announcements, the seminarian said: "and now, we have a very special birthday in the house. the youngest member of our community, Cecilia Will, turns two!" the whole room erupted in applause. you just sat there, not sure what to make of all the fuss, but your older sister was so excited and kept telling you "it's your birthday! it's your birthday!"

birthday brunch at the seminary: pancakes, donuts, chicken, kiwi, and scrambled eggs. she's a fan! 

then we came back to the house and you opened your presents -- a shirt, a Muddle & Match book, a fish bath toy, a HUGE chocolate bar (from Daddy!), and a set of a Mega Blocks. you carried around that fish while making fishy faces until it was time for your nap. 

happy birthday Cece, indeed!

late that afternoon we took a family walk down to St. Peter's. you were still pretty sleepy but i caught a sweet moment between you and Daddy (my camera flash makes it look much darker than it actually was!). 

then we had a dinner of chicken nuggets with Ranch (!! many thanks to the Pongracs for bringing us two huge bottles from the US), and cake and ice cream. 

now here's a confession for you. i'm not much of a baker. i have never made a birthday cake for you or your sister. i've either ordered it from a store (or, for your first birthday, Autumn made your delicious coconut cupcakes!) or made it from a boxed mix. and i had every intention of using a mix this year too. except guess what they don't sell in my local grocery store here? that's right, cake mix. or pre-made frosting. nor do i have my KitchenAid stand mixer. so, darling, Mommy made your cake (white with chocolate sprinkles) and frosting (vanilla buttercream with rainbow sprinkles) entirely by hand. and you know what? it really wasn't hard.

Greta helped with the sprinkles

Daddy lit the candles and set the cake in front of you, and you immediately blew them both out before we could even sing "Happy Birthday". so we had to light them again and keep the cake a safe distance away for the photo op. 

"you better give that cake back to me"

yum yum!!

the sweet ending to your birthday was a video chat with your beloved Auntie "Kiwa". we hope you had a wonderful day, sweetheart. you bring us so much joy. we love you!