Pun intended! My happy, beautiful, precious second child who fills the house up with her light and love, and sass! Sass and how baby doll! Wish you the happiest second birthday, but in my heart I know that the intensity of my wish for you is feeble in comparison with the sheer, independent force that I see in you. You don’t need a wish. You’re you without it. You’re you irrespective of it. What an absolute delight it has been to watch you grow from an infant to a toddler. A boss toddler. Totally.
Your family is crazy about you. You have all three of us dancing to your tune. Your brother adores you. You love him to bits as well, but of course there is the flare up of temper every once in a while and you manage to either scratch him or pull his hair. He bawls. You show him your puppy eyes, say “Dada” and he melts. Gosh he can never be angry at you. Frustrated, sure, but never angry. Nani, bhapu, and especially kotu dada- everyone sees you as a force to be reckoned with.
As for me and dadda, baby doll we still are trying to wrap our heads around the fact that you chose us to be your parents and came into our lives. Our very own baby girl. It’s so difficult to not kiss you all the time. Literally all the time.
You learnt to talk very, very quickly. And you learnt to talk smart even fast, Three to four levels of complexity, complex sentences. All done. You are talking at the same level as Meher, your 3.3 year old friend. In fact, you talk more than her. I would have given you examples of things you say and the way you talk, but i can’t because it’s fairly evolved. You’ re fairly good at “KickBa” and at singing. Favorite songs as of today-chanda mama door ke, kalu madari aaya, hare rama hare Krishna, Shri Krishna Govind Hare muRARA.
I said it last year, and i’ll say it now. What’s with your temper Gauri?! You are always getting angry at someone or the other.”Bad Anupa””Bad Mamma” ” Bad Dada” and the list goes on and on. And what’s with the hitting hmm? Sweet baby doll, hath se pyaar karte hain, marte nahi hain. This is what we tell you.
I can tell that you are ready to go to School, but I’m not ready to let you go yet. It will be the end of an era, and I want to just hold on to the time I have with you. I want to hold on to the memory of the time when I am still the most important person in your life. I want to nurse you just for a little while longer. I want you to be my one year old just for one more second. Please Gauri. Don’t grow up just yet. I’m not ready. I’m not close to ready.
You’re sleeping next to me, so excited for your birthday. You have a list of freinds who will be at your party, and you know that list. Fairly mature for a 2 year old. You want people to sing out your birthday wish, and cut a cake. I only just want to hold your little body so close to me. 1 year old for the very last time. My heart is shrinking. Should i not be happier that you’re turning 2? Because right now, I just want to stop time from turning. Really. And while it is physically and emotionally impossible for a mother to hold a bigger birthday wish than I do for you, just stay 1 for a little while longer. Please please.
Anyway, you have agreed to not go to college, not get married, and to forever stay with me. Because when i ask you “Gauri mere pass kahan se aayi?” you say “Mamma ke dil se.” So that’s done. I’m not letting you go.
Forever yours,
Mamma
