Two, two

Dear Darling Sailor –

You are now much more aware – you seem to be able to see and focus much more than before.  I am pretty sure PoPo will be shocked to see how much you’ve grown since she has been gone!

It really does take a village to raise children – we’ve had countless play dates with friends (to occupy your brother in the afternoon so you can nap in your room), had one really nice friend come over 2 nights in a row when your dad was out of town to help with you and JJ, had numerous Auntie Yarbs visits, hired a morning time helper (just until PoPo is back in town), and your GongGong even came down to watch you so I could take JJ to the dentist.  It really is amazing how someone so small can instill such fear in people!

But, everyday it gets a little easier.  We are all just trying to figure it out.  Of course, some days are better than others, and I am still usually pretty tired…

…but overall you are a really amazing baby!  You are a great eater and night time sleeper – you’ve “slept through the night” and you are just a wee one!  It helps that you are a real fatty – 95th percentile for weight at 2 months (and 50th for height).

Like Auntie Yarbs says, it is good to be a fat baby – it is the only time in your life that people will think you are cute when you are fat!

We are currently working on your daytime feeding / sleeping schedule and you seem to be adapting very well.  The hope is that you will soon be sleeping from 7pm – 7am (yay!).

Your brother loves you very much.  He still loves to give you gentle pat pats and now he really loves to give you kisses!  and just the other day I saw you following JJ with your eyes – soon enough you’ll be able to really follow him and you guys really are going to be the best of friends!

Of course you know that dad is one of your biggest fans – he loves you and your brother so much!  As do I – we always talk about how lucky and blessed to have such a great family – the two best little boys in the whole world!

You really are a laid back, chill baby.  Maybe more so than your brother was, and that is pretty amazing.  Your smiles and ah-goos are just too adorable!  I love your chubby cheeks and thighs!  I just want to gobble them up!  and I think you are furrowing your brow less these days, which is good.  Maybe since you can see better you are not quite as concerned.  You do get upset when you are over tired, but don’t we all?  I know I certainly do.

I love you more than I could ever express. Thank you for being such a good, good baby.

Love,

Mama

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Happy 40th!

Happy birthday to the best friend and sister I could ever ask for!  Don’t worry, you don’t look a day over 39 🙂  Hahaha – but really, people always ask who is older, you or me.  So you should be flattered (and I should be highly offended!).  Remember, 40 is the new 20!

The boys have a little something to say to you as well…

Dear Auntie EE – I love when you come over to play!  You are so much fun – although you do demand a lot of kisses.  You make me laugh and I love when you chase after me.  Love, JJ

Gurgle gurgle… I love how happy you always are to see me!  Burp burp… poop. Love, Baby Sailor (aka Little Buddha)

They are really lucky to have you as an auntie! XOXO

Smile!

Baby Sailor has started smiling in the past week (or two) – and that has been amazing!  He is much more alert these days – and I think he can see me and focus on my face much better than before.

His double chin and chubby cheeks always make me smile!

And the big brother of the house also always makes me smile:

Here I am singing “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” to get JJ to look at me – and he is doing the motions along with my singing – as you can see.

Love you both!

Happy Belated Mother’s Day…

To my mom, whom I don’t give enough credit to.  She, along with my dad, raised me and Yarbs to be who we are today – and we totally kick a$$  🙂

Mom, you are amazing.  Yarbs and I are truly lucky to have you as a mom, and JJ and Sailor are especially lucky to have you as a grandmother!  You are so awesome to the boys.  Everyone should have someone in their lives that love them as much as you love JJ and Sailor.

And to my boys – you both are making me a better person and mom each day!  I love being your mom – more than I ever imagined possible!

And to my many mom friends – you all inspire and teach me so much!  Glad to have such an awesome support group and not have to face the challenge of raising children alone!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day!

Seventeen

Dearest Bubba –

This month you have become much more vocal.  You have added so many words to your repertoire, such as: hot, hat, please, blue, red, green, duck, milk, Lina, Elmo, just to name a few.  Some are a little hard to understand – you say “Na” for Lina, and “Melmo” for Elmo, and “boo” for blue, and “peas” for please”, and “ha” for hat.  You love saying things are hot, and it comes in handy when said thing (water, ground, bite of food) actually is hot.  But sometimes it is not.  You also know that the coffee maker, coffee mugs, and toaster are hot.

You have also begun to make lots of connections.  When you see a duck, you put your thumbs near your armpits and flap your “wings” up and down.  You love seeing Mickey and Minnie on your diaper – you point to where they are (as stuffed animals) in the living room (and also on the diaper box).   At the end of your “Christmas Baby” book, you say “PoPo” and “Nana” at the picture of the grandparents!

You are a boy through and through.  You love trucks and fire engines and “choo-choos” (trains).  and when you toot, they are loud – and you laugh!  You think it is hilarious when you toot.  I guess that could be nurture instead of nature, as your dad and I also laugh when you (or your brother) toot – mainly because they are so loud coming from such small guys!

You still love your books!  Especially any with fire engines.  You can point out all the fire hydrants (in the book and when we take walks) and know that “s-s-s-s-s” goes the water from them!  I heard somewhere from a early childhood person that reading 20 books a day to a child is optimal.  I know we hit that number on Saturdays and Sundays (we counted one Saturday, and we were at 17 before noon!), might be a little shy during the weekdays.  But still pretty close.

We are working on jumping with you – you have the motion down, just don’t really catch any air.  I know that is a 2-year-old milestone, but can’t hurt to try now.  You have your high knees down, and sometimes you can gallop on your stick horsey, but sometimes you use it like a mop.  You think it is hilarious when I skip – and you try to, but usually you just go back to the tried and true high knees.

You love your softies – these days puppy dog is about equal to elephant in terms of your lovies.  And you know elephant has to stay in the crib – you are good about putting him down when we ask you to.  You also love having bear in your crib – he is so soft so you love to use him like a pillow.  Dad said the other night you insisted on having Eey-ore with you when he was reading you stories before night night.

We are still doing art class – and you love it!  You love paint and the tactile feeling of it on your hands and between your toes!  No matter what the activity is, your motto is “the messier the better”.  I am glad you are getting to experience a whole range of things, with art class in there.  You also love music class – you love the shakers and instruments.  And you finally went “bu-bu-ba” into Miss Kay’s play microphone!  It was a big day – as you had watched the other kids do so a few other times, and this time, at Miss Kay’s second attempt to get you to sing into the microphone, you did it!  and you loved all the accolades you got afterwards.

I usually really try to keep you from sleeping in your carseat, as it has the potential to mess up your napping.   It mainly happens after art class or going to  a really fun and tiring birthday party.  I always know you have fallen asleep when I can no longer hear you sucking on your fingers.

As unimaginable as it seems, you have hit your terrible twos.  You sometimes get easily frustrated and will just throw a tantrum (ie laying down and kicking and crying) for no reason of spectacular note.  I have found it is best to just wait out the tantrum and then talk to you in almost a whisper.  You seem to listen that way.  The teachers at school say you are wonderful and they haven’t seen any tantrums out of you – so you save that just for home.  Which is fine – you know it is safe here and that we will always love you, which we will.  You’ve had a lot to adjust to, and you are doing really well, considering.

You are a really, really great kid.  Your bad moments / days are not really all that bad, and hearing you laugh (my favorite sound in the whole world) makes everything better for me.  You have shown patience when I have to deal with little Sailor and you only have love for your brother.  Sometimes I get a little stressed out with everything going on, but just seeing you smile or say “mama” makes me feel so much better.

I love you so so much and really am so lucky to be your mama.

Love,

Mama