to jeremiah on your 2nd birthday.

June 09, 2014

Baby J,

You are two! My mind is having a difficult time processing this fact. It seems impossible that this can be so, because I promise you were born just yesterday. And yet, it also feels like you have always been here.

Love is a funny thing, you know. No one could have ever explained how much we could possibly love you. What I mean is - when we found out God had gifted us with you, my mind knew I would love you, but my heart never could have anticipated the depths of it. Though your two brothers came before you and I had experienced this kind of love before, it's miraculous and heart expanding every time. You have brought so much joy, so much adventure, so much laughter, and so much personality already, I seriously cannot even wait for what's in store. You always have us on our toes. You are funny. You are smart. You are disastrous like a tornado and sweet like a cupcake. You have such a way about you, that it's hard to look at you without smiling. You love attention and are the best performer ever. Give you a laugh, and you start putting on quite the show. You are full of energy from the first light of dawn to way beyond dusk. You always want to go and life is your grand adventure.

This year you learned to walk. You learned to feed yourself and already say more words than I'd have thought imaginable for your age. You love to water the grass, help momma clean up the messes, throw things in the trash, play with your brothers, go to the pool and the beach, and love to ride your bike. You love hot dogs, pop pop, yogurt, smoothies, oatmeal, pizza, and the list goes on and on. Really, you are a great eater in general. You love to run, jump, and dance. Your favorite part of the day may be your bath. You are obsessed with shoes - I think because you always want to "go". You love to run with momma in the stroller and like to say "beep, beep, BEEP!" as the cars pass by. You are also obsessed with cars and say it with the funniest accent ever. Daddy's car is your favorite. You refer to yourself as "JJ". You have a number of nicknames including: bug, bug-a-boo, JJ, Baby J, and more recently have been labeled Dennis the Menace, which couldn't be more fitting! You are a mess. You adore Mickey Mouse and Disneyland has become a place of pure wonder. You love anything that goes up. You love to talk on the "hello" and know all about laptops, iPads, and all those fun toys. You have a special chair you have to sit in every morning while you drink your milk and watch a show. You're such a creature of habit - loving your daily routines, yet also love spontaneity. I love when you say "yellow" and more recently, how you respond with "yeah", "yup", "hmm?", or pause to say "umm" before responding to something. You talk so big and understand so much, it blows my mind. You're just such a big character - you continually make my heart smile.

Oh bug, I love, love, love you. I wish there were words to explain how much. I love being your mommy and cherish all the special times we have together. Since your brothers are bigger and in school, we have many moments of one-on-one time. Knowing how fast the times flies, I have relished every moment with you. I'm so thankful for your life and even for the gap in between your brothers to just enjoy you. You have brought me so much perspective and filled my heart in a way I didn't know it needed to be filled. I can't wait to continue this journey of growing up with you. You are deeply loved by us all. I am thankful for your first two years of life and cannot wait for a zillion more.

Love,

Mommy