My boy,

How did you get so big and so smart so fast? Most certainly you are no longer a baby...All of the sudden you talk in short sentences and sing songs. You count to 13 (except sometimes you skip 4). You can say your abc's up to P, then you make the rest up. You even know your colors (most of the time). Today we went on the trail with the dogs and you held the leash and walked Mayer the whole way. You tell stories and practically read your books to us at bedtime. You are so strong willed, such a mule that you thoroughly wear us out each and every day. You are dirty, messy and silly. And so so curious, always learning, always absorbing, always manipulating, always repeating, always trying to get your way! But we love you for it, and it makes us wonder what you will be when you grow up.

Daddy came home recently from a trip and you told him, "Missed Daddy." You love your daddy. I asked who your best friend was and you answered DA-IE. I think your daddy is your hero.

When you are in the mood to eat, you eat everything. When you're not in the mood, you'll have nothing and we can't force more than 2 bites into you. You love bacon and broccoli. You love going out to eat. You eat sushi, no you devour it. You are crazy about fruit and cherry tomatoes. You hate chocolate, you won't even eat cookies with chocolate chips!

You love the park, the ocean, sand, books, trains, big trucks, the moon and COOKIE MONSTER. You LOVE wearing BOOTS. Your green froggy boots are your favorite and you will actually throw a fit if you can't wear them, so we have to hide them.

You run like Phoebe on Friends, arms flailing, head bouncing, and never in a straight line.

You call music SIKIP and you LOVE your SIKIP. You call pineapple GRASS APPLE (which makes perfect sence because it looks like there is grass on top). Hippopotamus = HIPPOMAMAS. Crocodile = WOKEE DAR. Instead of strong you say SQUONG. We love your words! You are getting better and better at pronunciation, and soon we won't here your cute interpretations! The funniest things come out of your mouth. Today after we got home from shopping you looked at us and said GOOD TIMES.

You are always loud and your voice is deep. You are very specific -you know what you want and you know how to tell us. As strong as you are, you are just as sweet. You love your family. You talk about your Ama and Papa, Grandma and Grandpa and cousins and friends constantly. Your memory is astonishing for your age.

Sometimes you say THANK YOU and PLEASE. Sometimes you say GOOD MORNING MOMMY and GOOD MORNING DA-IE. When we sneeze, if you're paying attention, you say BLESS YOU. You say I WOV OO MA-ie and I WOV OO DA-ie. We wov oo too, more than you know!

This is you, right now. You're not even 2 and you are bursting with personality.

I am a tired mommy of an energetic little boy! But I love being a mommy to someone who is so full of life. It is incredibly hard, undeniably fun, and altogether amazing!

Love you,

Mommy