Two Years

Dear Tate,

Today you turn two-years-old. I am in disbelief that it’s already here! I took off the month of December to spend more time with you, and here we are, almost at the end. I am at a loss for words, but I’ll do my best, since this will be the last letter until your next birthday, and you deserve a little love, my darling boy.

In the last couple of months you’ve become the little boy I know you will be forever. Active, smiling, happy, temperamental, independent, stubborn, sweet and loving. You’d do anything to get a laugh, and your sister is your favorite audience. You’ll scream something strange or make a weird sound out of nowhere and she falls over laughing. The minute you see her smile, you get this impish grin and keep doing whatever it is that’s making her laugh over and over. And over. Many times I find myself telling Lu she has to stop laughing or you’re never going to stop growling at her like a deranged feral cat. But we can’t help it, I’m usually laughing too!

In the last two weeks you have gone back and forth between two dramatic stages. You either desperately want me to do everything for you (“Help you, Mama!”) or you want to do absolutely everything on your own (“I DOOOOO IT!!!!”). I know at some point you’ll find a happy medium, but for now guessing your mood is a crapshoot. It infuriates you if people can’t understand what you are saying, and you will not give up until they repeat you word for word, proving they got it. Your top phrases are “big truck,” “I see airplane!” and “wuv uuuuuu.” I admit, the last one’s my favorite.

I am loving being at home with you, little guy. And I can tell you’re in to it too. You’ve become a bit more clingy to me, and those two days a week when you go back to daycare so I can work are pretty hard. Whereas you used to run into your classroom waving and yelling “bye, mama!” as you pushed me out the door, now you claw at my legs and beg me to stay. It’s no fun, dude. But I get it. This schedule is new for all of us and it’s going to take time to get used to. I know it will be worth it though, seeing your face more hours every day. The days when we are at home alone and Daddy and Lulu go to work/school are so much fun. We hang out in our PJs all day, you playing while I do chores or work on emails. You watch Sesame Street around midmorning and that’s when I do a bit of work on the computer. After that we usually get outside for a while, then we have lunch and you go down for a nap. I work during your nap, and then when you get up, we go get your sister from school. Your face lights up when you see her and she’s so proud of you, showing you off to all of her friends. “This is MY baby brother, isn’t he a cutie?” she says to anyone who will listen. She’s a smart cookie, that girl.

Speaking of cookies, you have a ridiculous sweet tooth, Tater. You are obsessed with cookies and will do anything to get one. Just yesterday morning you were downstairs for about two minutes while I got your sister’s coat on her so she could head off to school. When I found you, you were sitting with an open box of Girl Scout cookies and had already eaten four. At 7:45 a.m. “Cooookkkiiieeee!” you scream, sounding just like the Cookie Monster, who I think is probably your life coach.

Tate, thank you for another incredible year. Thank you for listening to my awful singing voice every night. Thanks for letting me smell your hair (it’s a mom thing, and yes, I know it’s weird) and snuggle into the crook of your neck. Thank you for all the tears, laughs and smiles this last year. Thanks for not making us take you to the ER yet (although I’m sure we’re close). Thank you for all of it, my perfect little man.

Love always,
Mama