21 Month Spirit

It is no joke how fast time goes.
I can't believe Bina is fast on her way to 2 already! It's so hard finding that balance between being overly excited for the next milestone achievement, (like when the heck will she just start communicating in sentences instead of frustrated tantrums? and why does she poop her pants all the time, doesn't she realize that is just gross?)...yet begging the clock to stand still because the moments are so fleeting and I just can't keep up with how much I want each moment to last forever.
I suppose that's why I take photos. I know I'll be old and senile someday, and sometimes I already feel old and senile. I can't remember what it was like to hold her as an itty bitty tiny baby. That makes me so sad. But what I can do, is look back at her photos and remember those moments. They trigger memories of who she is...I can remember how she smells and how her hair feels in my fingers when I see a photo. I can remember how she chipped one tooth on the ladder at the park and the other after falling off her tricycle because she refused to let go of her stuffed animal and face-planted onto the cement...which triggers the time she made me drag said tricycle across blocks in blazing heat from someone's trash while pushing Brielle and Bina in a stroller, because if I didn't do it, she was absolutely going to do it herself. She is one tough cookie, full of spirit and determination and I love that about her. I love that she gets dirty and plays hard. I love that she has wild crazy hair that she refuses to wear bows or headbands, yet twirls in front of a mirror whenever she finds herself in a dress. I love that she shows every emotion so clearly on her face and her smiles still melt me. I love that she is her very own person and I have the privilege of watching her grow into that spirit. What a blessing she is. Love you Beans.