Turning Two

Dear Aaron,

Where has the year gone? I feel like it was just weeks ago that I was baking carrot cake cupcakes and hanging the birthday banner to celebrate turning one. And now you're already two?!? From what I hear, the years fly by faster and faster from here, so I'd better get used to it.

Just like I did a year ago, I feel a little sad today. My baby boy is another step closer to being all grown up. There have been so many times this year that I've wished I could bottle you up and keep you this age forever. Your energy and enthusiasm for life just astound me (wish I could bottle that up, too!), and the speed at which you're learning new concepts is mind-boggling. You have brought joy unimaginable to our lives, Aaron, and that joy seems to be growing right along with you.

A quick look at my big boy...

• Your imagination is blossoming. One minute, Aaron the boy is playing with his Duplo blocks and building towers or houses, and the next minute I have Aaron the doggie scooting around on all fours, barking wildly. I love watching you use your creativity during playtime!
• Coloring is a new favorite activity, too. Your favorite things to draw are circles (you call them "mickeys," since they look like Mickey Mouse) and you are always picking up crayons, pens, and markers to scribble here and there.
• You've finally settled on Spicey Cat and your white blankie as bedtime buddies. I had to buy a second blankie that is identical so we could keep one in the wash rotation and always have a clean one on hand. Of course, your binkie is still your best friend, too.
• Baseball, baseball, baseball is all you talk about some days! Daddy picked out a t-ball set for your birthday, and you headed outside with Dad and Grandpa Lloyd last night to play a few innings. When the sun finally disappeared and you had to come in, there were a lot of big tears, and the first toy you asked for when you woke up this morning was your baseball bat.
• You're vocabulary and language skills are unbelievable. We call you our little copycat because you so frequently repeat whatever we say.
• Broccoli is one of your favorite foods. Sometimes I wonder if you're really my kid. :-)
• You're a dancing and singing machine! Current favorite tunes include "Sing, Sing, Sing" and "You Lifted Me Out" (you call it the woh woh song) by Chris Tomlin, and anything Wiggleworms. We sing a lot in the car, and I love hearing your little voice belt out a melody.

There are a million little details I wish I could record about who you are right now, but that would make this one very long letter. Instead, I'll just say again how much you are loved, how special you are to us, and how our family wouldn't be the same without you. Life is changing fast, little guy, and in just a few weeks you'll be a big brother, so I'm soaking in these final days of just the three of us.

Today I'm praising God for letting me be your mama, for bringing such a special boy into my life, and for giving me the tools I need to help grow you in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ. As Daddy said to you at dinner earlier this week, "You're the most wonderful boy I know!" I couldn't agree more!!!

Hugs and kisses to my favorite two-year-old,
Mama

I Heart Purple Cavaliers

When people ask me how Mike and I met, I often joke that it was in my backyard. That's true, since we met at a backyard BBQ my roommate and I were hosting. But to be more accurate, I should probably tell people I met him at my front door. I remember that summer night, six years ago, when I watched through the kitchen window as a purple Chevy Cavalier pulled up in front of our house and parked on the curb. A very cute guy got out of the car, and I hurried to fix my hair in the reflection of the microwave door as I silently cursed my roommate for not telling me any attractive, single men were on the guest list. I opened the door, our eyes met, and the rest is history.

Then came our wedding day. When our plans for transportation didn't work within our schedule quite the way we'd laid it all out, we just rolled with it and hopped into that same purple Cavalier. Mike insisted he spend a few minutes cleaning it out before letting his bride in, and I discovered that pounding dust out of the floor mats can, indeed, be a romantic gesture of the highest sort.


Most recently, Aaron and I begin watching carefully as the 5 o'clock hour approaches. We sometimes press our noses to the living room window, and other times take a little walk down the street. From inside or out, we're straining for that first glimpse of the purple Cavalier as it rounds the corner and heads for our driveway, announcing that daddy is home for the evening. What a welcome sight that rusty old car is!


So last night was bittersweet when we traded that purple Cavalier in for a newer family van. We were a little sad to see it go, to say goodbye to all those memories. "I've driven every one of those 155,000 miles," Mike said proudly. He was just 21 when he bought it new, and it was hard to let go of a car that has been a faithful friend and carried us through these early years of our marriage journey. But the road winds on ahead, and we'll be navigating it in our Toyota Sienna, with a couple of kids squawking from the back seats. Here's to the next 155,000 miles...

I'm a copycat

At the dinner table...

Daddy: Mama, these meatballs are yummy. What's in them?
Mama: Turkey, cranberries...
Aaron: Cranberries! Cranberries!
Mama: ...cheese...
Aaron: Cheese! Cheese!
Mama: ...and two apples...
Aaron: Two apples!

Mama and Daddy laugh at the little copycat who repeats everything, then Mama decides to play a little trick.

Mama: I'm a copycat
Aaron: meow!

:-)

Tiny Talk Tuesday

There's a lot of talking happening at our house lately, but today, one word did the trick...

I met with our midwife, Hillary, this afternoon, and took Aaron with me to the appointment. He loves to help her take my blood pressure and listen to baby's heartbeat, although his interest in my belly is usually interrupted by the big box of toys in her office. But today, as the cold gel was squirted onto my bump and the Doppler began to draw circles, broadcasting that family whooshing of a heartbeat, he whispered only one word: WOW!

Couldn't have said it better myself.





And because a blog post is naked without a photo, here's a fun one:

Do you get excited by mail? We do!

Mail is a very exciting part of our day. Aaron gets quite upset if I make a trip to the mailbox without him, and he's a great helper, carrying all the junk mail back into the house for me. Today's mail was particularly exciting, since three packages arrived on our doorstep.


What could be in there? Lots of good stuff:

Aren't these cute? I won a contest on Glimpse last week, and got to choose my favorite pair of Jack and Lily shoes. I didn't expect them to arrive so quickly, or to be such great quality. Thanks, Glimpse!

Second package opened was this:

I've been researching diapers for a long time now, checking out all the deals on eBay and DiaperSwappers.com. These are Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Sized Diapers, for those who are wondering, and I bought 6 mediums. I am a big fan of one-size diapers, and did order 12 FB one-size, which should arrive next week. But this print isn't available in the OS, and I just couldn't pass up the deal. Hello, pink!

At this point in the mail opening, Aaron thought I was going too slow, so he grabbed the scissors and tried opening box #3 himself. Here's what we found inside:

More diapers! This is our stash of newborn prefolds, which I picked up on Diaperswappers.com for about $1 each. One size diapers are usually too big for newborns, so these will be our supply until baby girl packs on a few pounds. Who knew diapers were so exciting, right?

Of course, playing with the boxes was Aaron's favorite part of the whole process. He promptly made a boat out of the biggest one, and made "Toot, toot" boat noises while I examined my treasures.

You have to admit, this does make mail pretty exciting. :-)

Vote for Aaron's messy face!

We usually don't enter cute baby photo contests, but the prize for this one caught my attention. $1000 gift card to one of my favorite photo equipment suppliers always comes in handy, right? :-) So I searched my photo archives and entered Aaron's messy face in the Messy Baby Faces Contest. Now we need your help. Would you take a minute to vote for us? His entry is here and you can vote once per day until the end of the month. Thanks!

Aaron's "Mowmower"

This is what it looked like the last time Aaron helped Daddy cut the grass.


A lot has changed since then, but A's enthusiasm for helping with chores has not. Any time he hears a lawnmower engine whirring somewhere in the neighborhood, he'll look at me quizzically and ask, "Dada... mowmower?" So when Dad pulled the lawnmower out of the garage yesterday, Aaron was just too excited - and Dad thought it was too cute to say no when Aaron wouldn't stop being helpful. They cut the whole front yard together...