Birthday (Part 2)

My princess is two today!  (Yes, I have two princesses with birthdays in the same week.)

On Tuesday I lost her at the library, and yesterday I almost lost her in the pool.  We went to a friend's lovely backyard pool to swim.  Amidst the sunscreening, swim-diapering, and floatie inflation, my friend and I got distracted.  I looked up to see my day-shy-of-two year old eight feet away from me, flailing under the water.  She had just wandered down the steps and right into the pool...no fear.  I dove in with all my street clothes on, popped her up above water, and got her to the edge.  She was pale, sputtering, and shaken, but otherwise perfectly OK.  I hugged her tight and began to sob, thinking of what could have happened, and imagining how likely it was that my husband would find me unfit to ever leave the house again with the children.  [And my family who are just now reading about this for the first time may make a similar determination.]  He didn't, by the way, and I love him for his grace and his belief in me. 

So you can imagine my increased feelings of tenderness toward my sweet L, especially with her birthday approaching.  She and I went to W@lmart last night, just the two of us, to buy another life vest and 57 other things.  I delighted in all that she had to say, and her particular way of speaking--with pauses in between every word.  "See. It." (referring to the inflatables set up outside a church for VBS)  "Dis. Way."  (to tell me where to look)  "Dis. Kind."  (when asking for something she wants, e.g. the brownies on the counter or my sister's Chinese food, which I find highly preferable to "gimme" or "I want")  And my personal favorite:  "Shu. Sceam."  Then she runs out to where he is, points, and yells, "Stop! Stop!" 

I am incredibly thankful to the Lord for protecting and saving my daughter, and for blessing us with a second daughter as precious as the first.  I am increasingly aware that no amount of wisdom and diligence on my part as a parent can ever take away my desperate need for God's mercy, His help, His power to save and deliver and heal.  May I never take these for granted!  

A few more pics from our morning of birthday fun during which no one was lost, drowned, or otherwise injured: