22 Months and counting...

To my dearest boys,

This weekend was your 22 month birthday. How did we get here so quickly? It was just yesterday that you were just over 2 pounds and struggling to keep warm. Now you are almost 2 years old and I'm struggling to keep you contained!

Cole, the last few weeks you have turned into a different kid. Now that you can walk, you're so much more confident and happy. Not that you weren't happy before - but you definitely were so frustrated. I don't think I realized how much so until I'm seeing you now. You've got a whole new lease on life being able to get to where you want to go. You are starting to verbalize more and more each day - and boy, do you know what you want! When you don't get your way, we know about it. Some of your favorite things include hanging upside down, rough housing, playing peek a boo, chasing around in circles, ring around the rosie (especially the falling down part), throwing balls & climbing. Oh, and you love those balloons that you can bat around. You will try to climb anything and everything - and most of the time, you do it on your own. You can eat and eat and eat - but you don't gain an ounce! You're still very skinny but growing longer by the day. That belly of yours sticks out like an olive on a stick. You are such a love bug and still enjoy some cuddle time. I'm so thankful for that. On our recent vacation you didn't like the sand at all - in fact, you hate getting anything on your hands. But you really enjoyed swimming in the pool. There isn't a night that you go to bed without wimpering because the day is done. But most of the time, after a minute or so, you're down for the count. You wake up by 6:15 everyday, almost on the dot. And you wake up raring to go! You imitate your brother a lot - and try to say whatever he's saying. Monkey see, monkey do!

JD, you have blossomed so much in the last few weeks. Your vocabulary doubles on a daily basis. It's amazing! You will repeat ANY word, including the bad ones. It's so much fun to hear you talk every day - you have started to put short sentences together now. Your favorite things are the lawnmower (ma-mo-mo) and the wagon (wa-gm). Just this weekend you stood at the window watching Daddy cut the grass for at least 20 minutes. You were fascinated. You are running full speed now - and that arm of yours swings back and forth as you run. Most of the time you have a huge smile on your face and are just plain happy to be around. You've started to learn how to push my buttons - particularly when you take your play golf clubs and bonk Cole over the head. Repeatedly you do this while smiling and looking at me and after 2 times, I take the golf club for the day. For some reason, you do it again the next day and the same thing happens. You love to have snacks (nack) but you don't always eat your meals. Usually your brother is eating your leftovers. You are like your Daddy in that it takes you a few minutes to wake up in the mornings - you usually sleep almost til' 7am. And you're a bit grumpy for the first little while. You are a very concerned brother to Cole. Whenever he is not around, you search for him. And most times you will bring him a toy or drink or whatever it is that you have just so that he has one too. As of late, you have started calling him "Cole baby". You love to go to bed each day and you will even say night night when you're tired. You are still fascinated with brooms and anything else with a long handle; you call these items "mess". If we try to take one from you, it's not a pretty sight. You also love balls - and are learning the differences between basketballs, soccer balls and baseballs. You love ice, especially your "ice wawa".

Both of you are the light of my life. I miss you so much when I leave for work in the mornings and relish in the weekend time I have with you. You have turned into such little boys now - time just seems to be flying by much too quickly. It's amazing that you will be 2 in just a couple short months. How did we get so lucky? I love you both so very much and can't imagine my life without you.

Love,
Mommy