My baby, my big girl! My spring born turned two-years-old yesterday, April 3, and I am constantly in awe of and appreciation for how much she’s grown, how smart she is, how loving, but strong she can be and how she’s blossomed over the past 24 months.

Faren Afua is truly a blessing to our big, wide, blended and extended family. The baby of the bunch, the youngest in the tribe, the person who has really brought fresh life and new breath into our family at a time when so much was going wrong in the world. My pandemic baby came amidst some seriously trying times, but like the magic that she is, she brought nothing but the peace and the calm (read all about my experience giving birth at the height of COVID-19).

To my Baby Shark loving, French fry devouring lover of chocolate and strawberries, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” singing gumdrop. You’re counting from one to 20 now, yelling out letter and numbers you see on mommy and daddy’s clothing and shoes and even shouting them out as you press them on mommy’s laptop. You’re enunciating the words to the your favorite songs, learning to play the keyboard, practicing a little more patience and even saying sentences like, “The fish is in the water!” and “Let’s go outside, mommy!” You try to repeat everything you hear and you are such a smart smart girl! You’re so observant, much smarter than we can even fathom, you love finding your own Pink Fong, Sesame Street (Cookie Monster is your fave!) and Peppa Pig episodes on YouTube. Ironically, the Happy Birthday song is your jam and you also love bouncing balls around the house.

The entire family was waiting and counting down to celebrate Fa Fa’s second birthday, so we planned an eventful, fun weekend for everyone. Here’s what we did:

Friday

• Class party – We threw a small class party for Faren and her classmates. We took sparkly cupcakes and the cutest pre-Easter party bags to her school for the kids to enjoy. What made me smile from hear to ear, was the video her teacher sent of the teachers and students serenading her “happy birthday” and her singing and clapping along!

Check out our mommy + me birthday photoshoot!

Saturday

• Messy Tots – Faren thoroughly enjoyed her first group playdate. We took her to Messy Tots, a mommy and me group play activity for toddlers that helps them to socialize, develop their fine motor skills and explore sights, sounds and textures. We painted, danced, played with squiggly things, met a few new friends and made music. This was such a great addition to our second birthday activities…and Faren was dubbed the “life of the party!”

Sunday

• Church – Faren loves church! So we headed to our place of worship to send up prayers and thank yous for the blessings on our family over the past two years and to pray for many many more years of favor and grace. She danced, she clapped, she had a blast!

• Family party – With a big white castle bouncing castle and a cute minimal set up on the front lawn, Faren’s family, godparents, god-brothers and god-sisters and friends gathered to officially wish our big girl happy birthday!

Happy Birthday, Faren!