Today you are two years old. I am so immersed in raising you that I assume I’ll remember every aspect of how you are right now. But when I try to recall the little details of your infancy, and oh! how I treasured them, the memories are fuzzy and I’m thankful for every photo and recorded moment. Today I’m taking the time to write down what I never want to forget about how you are right now.

I want to remember:

• Your pigeon-toed run- it looks unsteady but you’re actually quite fast!
• When you are excited, you jump a few inches off the ground with BOTH feet.
• The way your soft hair wisps around your ears. It can’t decide if it’s going to be brown or blonde.
• Your voice. It’s a mixture of squeaky and raspy. It can be ear-piercing but when it’s not, it tugs on my heart strings.
• How you say, “Bye Mom!” when you want to do something by yourself.
• How you add “my” to all your actions and double them: “my down my down” for ‘get down,’ “my tub my tub” for bath time…
• How you say, “nanny boop boop!” When you’re teasing your siblings.
• How you say, “mom,” so short and sweet and also say “Poppa mom” when you don’t care which parent responds to you.
• You are so quick to get cozy on the couch with pillows and blankets and will sneak into your siblings beds early in the morning.
• Whenever you have an apple all to yourself you get great delight in sharing it with everyone.
• Your intense enthusiasm for music and singing of any sort with your favorite being Poppa’s ukulele playing.
• Your diligence in making sure everything is returned to its owner: the correct snuggle toys to the appropriate siblings, Tehillah’s blanket, Poppa and Mama’s phones and drink cups (making us extra careful to put them out of your reach), Poppa’s shoes, Poppa’s instruments.
• Your hulk strength! You can lift the coffee table, throw the Roomba, carry 10-12 pounds items and pull yourself up the side of your crib faster than we can blink. Your strength leaves us dumbfounded at times!
• The softness of your features. They always take me back to the bliss of your birth.
• And my all time favorite: how your laugh consumes your entire body. It starts in your face with your mouth,little chipped tooth showing, opened wide as the laugh bubbles out. Your whole body becomes a Tigger spring that you can’t contain. And you laugh almost as much as you shriek- when you’re excited to see us, when we understand what you’re saying, when you’re playing.

It’s impossible to record all of my heart in one birthday letter. I adore every inch of you so it’s a good thing I have a lifetime of birthday letters to write. I hope you know through my tones and actions how much I love being your mom. I will never stop thanking Jesus for giving you to us (even when my ears are ringing and I’m sweating after wrestling you into your high chair for the umpteenth time).

I cannot stop loving being your,

Mom