kiddos

Oh how we love you!  Peter, working on fuller and fuller sentences.  Understanding things more.  Imagination expanding.  Loud and energetic and Christmas obsessed.  "Let's make Christmas!" you said, as we saw Christmas decorations popping up around our city.  Still broadcasting that constant train channel in your brain.  Constantly humming "Eye of the Tiger," and even plunking it out on the piano on your own.

Joanna, going 100 miles an hour.  Eating everything you can pinch in your tiny fingers.  Using your four teeth (two on top, two on bottom) to the greatest advantage.  Crawling fast, sometimes on your feet like an elephant.  Pulling up, standing, sitting down.  Trying things, exploring things.  Climbing stairs.  Amazing at imitation.  Waving hello, mimicking sounds, signing "more," and "water."  Making us laugh with your scrunchy faces and silliness.  How can you already have such a developed personality full of humor we ask ourselves?

And you two together.  Peter is still trying to figure out what being "soft," means.  And he's pretty sensitive about your taking his toys, little one.  But mostly you play together and giggle and laugh.  I love it and I'm excited for you two to catch up to each other so you can play more consistently, with less danger from your big brother playing too hard. 

We love our little family and we love this time of year.

a letter to joanna

My Jo!

You're already four months old little girl!  Time has been a funny thing this year.  Going so slow and so fast at the same time.  I feel like I'm learning more and more about you every day.  You're different from your brother in a lot of ways.  You're definitely more introverted than he was/is.  Sometimes, when comforting you isn't working, I put you down on your play mat and you're good.  You just needed some alone time.  I totally get that.  But you're like me too in that when you need to feel connected, you really need it.  So, mommy holding you and squishing my face against yours is the only remedy to your mood sometimes too.  And that's fine by me. 

Peter makes you happy!  And that makes me happy.  He doesn't even have to be doing anything.  He'll just stand beside you and you will grin up at him and sometimes break out into a laugh just because he's talking to me.   I can't wait to see your relationship with him strengthen. 

I may not be interpreting this right,  so no worries lady.  But I get the sense sometimes that you feel things very deeply.  Your range of emotions is already so wide.  Your cries, coos, laughs, screams and squeals all display very specific emotions.  You're so little, so there are many things this could mean-- but I wonder if this is a preview of your passion and interaction with what's around you.

I'm excited to see what's ahead for you little one.  You're very vocal.  You moan a lot with your mouth closed.  "Mmmmmmmmm!  mmmmmmmmmmmm!"  You look just like a cabbage patch doll when you do it.  I find it adorable.  You squeal very loud when you're happy.  You're starting to laugh more and more and you're always very happy and smiley when we play with you.  You coo.  Sometimes your cooing sounds like you're telling us very important observations.  I look forward to those moans and coos turning into talking and singing.

You are super excited about eating solids already.  I've let you suck on an orange and a banana, and given you smidgen of avocado and every time your face was priceless.  A large open mouth ready for more, limbs crazy with excitement and eyes so big as if to say... "You mean there are different flavors?!"  All in good time darling!  

I love you.  I love you for sleeping through the night already.  I love it when you flap your arms and pump your legs when you're excited.  I love your grippy fingers on my clothes, fingers and hair.  Especially when you're eating.  I love that you smile with your whole face.  Your crinkly shining eyes, your scrunched up nose, your huge open mouth.  You light up our house!  I love you when you're happy.  I love you when you're sad.  And mad.  And tired.  And hungry.  And whatever else that comes with you.

Because you're mine.  And I am so grateful.

love you forever,

Mom

two

taken by your dad after you had brought all your trains into our bed one morning

You're two.  Really, absolutely, completely two.  It's hard for me to swallow how quickly you grew out of being a baby.  I focused so hard on how amazing it would be to have a baby-- and here you are.  On the way to being grown up.  But do you want to know the fun part?  I am loving every second of it.

No, really.  I thought so much about having a baby, I didn't focus a whole lot on all that would come after.  And you're so fun.  Your personal stamp on life is coming out more and more all the time.  You are obsessed with trains.  You say "trinn-ah" more than anything else.  You recognize any sort of train track, railroad sign, train-like thing everywhere we go.  I feel grateful that we live in Lexington where we have the RJ Corman line so close, you can hear the distant whistle and see moving trains regularly.  I don't think there has been a day that you haven't built your tracks and connected your magnetic trains.

Your other obsession is drawing.  It is your most frequently asked question.  "Draw?" You'll ask.  You prefer mommy's notebooks, and journals with pens and markers to the coloring books with crayons we bought you.  I suppose it makes sense.  Crayons don't color on your skin the way that pens and markers do. I love seeing all your marks and drawings in my current journal.  It is the best reminder of us right now.  I know your scribbles wouldn't mean much to some, but I'm noticing how precise you're becoming.  I see the circles you're practicing.  I'm excited to see where your drawings will take you.  And hey-- you've really pushed me to be good at drawing trains.  There are so many in my journal.  I think you like the process of watching the ink turn into a train more than you like the finished product.  I get that.

You're *officially* in your own bed now.  That is probably the main reason I wanted to write this post.  I'm feeling nostalgic for the baby you're moving further and further away from.  It's a good thing we have that new baby on the way, eh?  Perfect timing I'd say.  I cannot wait to see you become a big brother.  You're already so good and kind to the kids around you.  Like that little girl at the doctors office who you handed all your crayons and coloring book to without expecting anything in return.  I sense that you're getting tired of playing with me.  What better time than now to train a baby to become your play mate?

And just for my own memory, here's a list of things I'm crazy about right now:

-Even though we're working on audibly saying "sorry"... I love that your response when I ask you to say sorry is a hug and a kiss

-A few times you've said "please" (which sounds more like "cheese" right now when you say it) and put your toys away without me having to ask

-You've calmed way down with the kitties, and you and Scout seemed to have bonded.  You're very snugly with her and I'm so glad that she allows you to get up right in her face to smile and give her kisses.  I think most cats would scratch you.  The throwing things at them to get a reaction is getting a little tiring, but you know.  We're working on it.

-I love it when you knock on doors and call out "Heh-doh?" (hello) really loud 

-Instead of saying "yah" when you want something, you've started to nod.  But you don't just tip your chin up and down.  Your whole head is involved, which ends up requiring a lot of your body too.  It's the cutest thing.

-You call Pappy "Hap-py."  It's everyone's favorite.

-Kipper the Dog is the only show you'll sit all the way through for.  I like it too.

-One of the reasons we've upgraded your bed is because you don't feel the need to be confined to your crib/bed anymore.  Most of the time you do well sleeping through the night but then occasionally you'll decide 3am is a good a time as any to be awake indefinitely.  I laid down with you last night in your new bed to try to help you settle down, and you scooted up close to me until our faces were inches apart and you put your hand under your cheek just like mine and began to whisper and giggle for all the world like we were having a special slumber party.

I know there's more.  There is always more.  My list of reasons for loving you is endless.  But I wanted to remember this little picture of you at two.  I'm so glad you're mine.  I'm so grateful for the bond we share that continues to deepen.  You're pretty great, kid.

love you forever,

Mom

a letter to peter

You and Your Pappy

What an amazing boy you are.  Just when I think I couldn't possibly love you more than I already do, a wave of new happy, gushy, perfect love washes over me for you.  I imagine this will only continue.  You're a great kid.  You're happy and funny.  You're kind and caring.  Whenever we are playing with other kids, you are quick to give your toys away or easily move on to something else when the toys you have are taken from you.  You love to play with your train set-- and you are extremely confused and frustrated at the repelling magnets on your trains.  We are working on asking for help, and being calm.  You never miss the sound of an airplane and rush to the window to try and see it.  This happens several times a day with the airport so close.  You're obsessed with water in all forms.  You would take a bath every hour if I let you.  But instead, you find ways to play in water in whatever way you can.  You seem very thrilled that I've let you help me with the dishes, for example.  Which for you is an excuse to play in the sink and spill water on the floor.  You pour out any drinks I give you to splash in.  This is why you aren't left alone with your cups. You love to be outside, especially in the front yard which we don't explore as much as the backyard.  You have a way with animals that I myself have never had.  You've already made great friends with our neighbors puppy Charlie-- and I am sure the dog appreciates all of the things you throw over the fence for him.  You're my snuggly boy.  When you're feeling like a snuggle, you will pull your blanket out of your crib and roll up on the floor with it.  You hold my hand when we read together, watch movies or when we're in the car.  I love it when you hold my hand. Your favorite books are "Brown Bear, Brown Bear," and "Green Eggs and Ham."  I think we've read them over a hundred times.  As much as you chatter, you aren't saying a lot we can understand.  I know you're asking questions, and I know you understand what you're saying.  I'm excited for the day we can talk back and forth.

However, in some ways, I wish I could capture you just as you are now and keep it forever.  You are a boy with an agenda.  You are constantly moving, doing and learning.  I know that your plans will continue to increase in importance as you move onward.  So for now... I bask in the fact that your current goals are: to move the kitchen chair to the counter so you can see what I'm doing.  To switch on mom and dad's lamps on and off again, back and forth.  To rearrange the labels in mommy's garden.  To be in the driver's seat to make "vroom-vroom!" car noises and move the steering wheel.  To dance, "jump" (lift up your legs one at time.  It is so cute), go in circles, and play.

You remind me of whats important and I love you.

Forever and ever,

your mom

half birthday

We recently celebrated your half birthday, little one.  How can that be?  How are you through half a year already?  Well, I can tell you one thing.  It's been some of the best six months of our lives with you here.  You're so great.  Right now you are rolling all over the place.  I'm sure crawling all over the place is not far behind.  You are so sweet and you love the morning.  Most mornings you wake up cooing to yourself in your bed to let us know you're awake.  And when we finally do get you out of bed, you smile so big at us that we laugh and provide commentary for you.  It's as if you're saying "This is my best day!"  You've officially started eating.  Mostly just rice, but you'll try anything and everything we hand you.  You've gotten pretty good at letting us help you drink from a glass.  I joke that it may be because you're not aware of your baby state--and assume you're just like us with a few drawbacks (not walking for instance..)  You finally met most of mom's side of the family for New Years and you were so sweet and excited.  Especially to meet your cousin Mary who's just over a month older than you.  The most frequent comment we received about you was concerning your distinctive eyebrows and your obvious strength.  You're tall like you're Daddy.  You love to scream and make monster noises.  You are interested in just about everything.  And we love you.

forever and ever,

mom and dad

boogus

Right now you are almost four months.  You are a happy baby, especially after a good sleep.  You've slept for eight hours for three nights in a row!  This makes me happy too  :)  You are really working on controlling your movement, especially your ability to grab things to stick in your mouth.  Sometimes I can sense your frustration that you aren't able to grab things exactly as you'd hoped the first time.  I appreciate that you keep at it, especially with all that concentration.  You become better at your control all the time.  You laugh at the sound of a zipper.  You're starting to move a lot.  A couple times when I've come to pull you out of bed you've completely turned upside down from where I had you the night before.  You've rolled over a couple times but you don't seem all that interested in it yet.  You love dad's hair.  You pull on it and try to eat it.  Sometimes you laugh when dad yelps in pain over it.  I love your bashful smiles up at me when you're eating.  I love how excited you are when we help you stand. I love to watch you discover things and check things out.  You've always been so alert.  I love that you sleep with your arms over your head.  And that if I put a blanket up to the side of your face you will cuddle up to it and close your eyes.  You are the sweetest boy.  And we are so glad you're here.

love forever,

mom and dad

*the word 'boogus' is a word granD (my mom) used/made up with her babies and i guess it stuck with me because this is what i call you.  of course, your dad and i have embellished it like we do.  you are also "the boog,"  or "boogus supreme," or my favorite, that doesn't make sense, that your dad coined "boogus the train."