Two Years

Dear Karl:

One week ago, you turned Two. In recognition, I thought I'd write you a little note a'la my blogging rockstar idol, Heather.

I used to capture your birthdays in writing and not just the annual ones, but the monthly ones as well. It was very significant to me that we had all made it yet ANOTHER MONTH with a child in the house. As many of my own friends know, those first few months (okay - maybe that first year) were so very trying. You taxed and challenged everything your father and I had - which we thought was a lot and quite sufficient actually - but you always wanted more. Bulletin: babies NEED more!

The real issue it turns out, was not you at all but us. You were and are perfect in every way I can possibly imagine. Your father and I are the ones that needed coddling, reassurance, comforting and yes, even the occasional burping. But guess what? There was no time for that any more. There was you. That really left no room for anything else, at least for a good while.

Fast forward.

You're now two and it happened so fast. You speak in complete sentences with only the occasional stutter. You can run without doing a face-plant (most times) and can throw and catch a ball. Your favorite game is still "basketball hooooooooppthss" with daddy, which only a few months ago was a primitive "baball hoooopths". You somehow mastered the 'sket' part of 'basketball' when we weren't paying attention. That's how it goes now. Changes are rapid and furious because you are a total sponge and absorb everything around you. If you don't understand...you now ask for help! A far cry from the guttural cries, moans and shrieks you used as a form of communication not so long ago. Being able to ask for what you need or want has gone a long way in calming the tantrum side of things as well. Oh, you definitely still throw them, but now it is only after we've denied your verbal request. I'll take progress in whatever form you want to deliver it.

You are a curious boy too. "What IIIIIISS IT, daddy!?!", and my favorite, "What is going ON!!??", as if you've caught us in middle of some felonious act. Lately you've also developed this heart-achingly cute "How you doing, mommy/daddy?” which means lots of things really, because you use it on many different occasions. It seems to mean any number of the following: "Yo, 'sup?" or "why are you here in the kitchen cleaning when we need to be playing choo-choos!" and "what are you doing - and can I watch or get under your feet while you try to do it thereby preventing you from actually accomplishing ANYTHING"? We always try to indulge you though so that you learn, even though it now takes two hours to get a load of laundry into the washer or that the hallway in front of the bathroom is soaked because you wanted to give the cat a drink. I won't even go there about washing the car - just know that I have moved to Laser Wash for the time being. Your mantra these days is "I do it" with the emphasis on the "I".

Your new found independence is bittersweet. There are times where your father and I both miss the helpless blob that needed to be picked up and put down anytime he wanted to change positions. We do not however, miss the lack of sleep that era wrought. You love your bed and bedtime ritual and made mommy oh so proud when visiting Omi and Opa earlier this year. You hung on the back of my chair and screamed "Beeeeeeeeeeeddddd!!!!" at the top of your lungs because we were lollygagging around the (late) dinner table. It was time for bed dammit, and you wanted me to know that! Family around the table were wide-eyed when I scooped you up to bed and returned 10 minutes later. What 21 month old puts THEMSELVES to bed!? Ours does. Nya.

And can we talk about manners for just one second? You have astounded us by saying "please", "thanks" and "sorry".. regularly and all unprompted. You have a very sensitive and gentle nature, despite your burly toddlerness and are acutely aware of feelings, both hurtful and kind. I can see that you are going to grow up to be what my parents always wanted me to date: A Nice Boy. Lucky for me I landed one that's also totally hot and given the fact that you have inherited more of his genes than mine (except for my 'cankles'), the ladies better look out.

We have given up so much to you and for you Karl in these last two years. Yes, early on it was hard but you know what? I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. I'd do it 100 million times again now that I know how awesome being your mommy is and how fulfilled it leaves me. I don't ever want to imagine my floor without a choo-choo or teepee on it, my laundry without mac & cheese stains or my kitchen without you underfoot. Thanks for hanging in there with us. Happy birthday boy.

(P.S. I might be able to do without the diapers though - so maybe we could start working on that?)