Eila is celebrating her second birthday today and really enjoying it! We started the day with a round of "Happy Birthday" complete with cake and candle, which she blew out very well on only her second attempt (with a little help from Maman). She then opened several presents (and crumpled up the paper and threw it in the bag) and proceeded to play for a bit with them. Eila had lots of phone calls and loved all the singing of her new favorite song. She really liked the second round of "Happy Birthday" with cake and candles when she got to eat some cake too! We may even do a third take after dinner...

As Eila turns two years old, she is a lively red-head with smiles and spunk to share. She now weighs 26 pounds and is 32.5 inches tall. Her favorite foods are cereal, cheese, cookies, and candy; she also really likes milk, water, and orange juice. Brushing her teeth and hair are great fun as is cleaning just about anything (with a wipe, broom, or just picking up) and cooking (or cuisine as Eila calls it). Eila is a fantastic dancer and sings about 6 or 7 songs that are recognizable to others. She can jump a tiny bit off the ground now and loves to spin and climb. Eila runs quickly and sometimes stops when we ask. In French, she says at least 50 words and some 3-word sentences. In English, she says at least 150 words and says some 4 or 5-word phrases. In sign language, Eila knows about 30-40 signs. You can usually hear Eila saying "C'mon" or "This way" and occasionally "I love you." Reading books and coloring are popular afternoon activities. Her favorite books are currently: Frosty the Snowman and Jesus Loves Me. Eila has spent hours in the past weeks keeping track of who is who and what they are doing. She also loves to watch TV, especially Barney and Elmo or the trailer for Happy Feet (kwoingwin). As a special treat for Eila, there was a little snow on the ground this morning, which she was super excited about!