February firsts

We've had an eventful month so far. Just wanted to make sure that I document these few things before I forget ... no pictures today, although I do have some videos and swim lesson photos to upload so hopefully I'll get those up this weekend.

1 - Luke knows all of his letter sounds and is spelling words! HUH!? I honestly cannot credit us with this. I don't know where it came from, but he now goes around the house naming objects and telling me what letters are in their name. Today, with a bit of my help sounding it out, he spelled the name "Piglet." I'm amazed. Is this normal? Love him, my brilliant little boy :)

2 - Mia is upright and getting around! It's funny, people ask, "is she walking yet?" as if just one day she will crawl and the next be walking. Thinking back, I remember it being a very slow progression over about a month for Luke. And I'm seeing the same with Mia. She's been taking steps here and there for several weeks now. Then, last week we were up to about 4 steps in a row. This week she's doing more like 6 at a time. I also see her attempting to walk first (before crawling) more often - nearly everytime she wants to get somewhere. I did take some short clips of her last night, so I'll post those. I'd say full-fledged walking is just around the corner!

More to come ...

A letter to my 3-year old

At my baby shower for Luke, my dear friend Joanna planned a wonderful activity where each person at the shower wrote a letter to Luke for us to open on a particular birthday. I have really looked forward to and enjoyed the letters that we have opened on each of his birthdays so far (and especially the one that my grandmother wrote for his BIRTHday that I read in the hospital after he arrived). What a fabulous idea.

I took two blank letters for ages 3 and 7 at the shower with every intention of sitting down to write them before Luke was ever born ... well, I never did write them.

So, the night before his birthday this year, I got out that blank letter for his 3rd birthday, and wrote him this letter:

Dear Luke,

On the eve of your 3rd birthday, I am finally sitting down to write you this letter, which was supposed to be done before you were born. The truth is: I had no idea what I wanted to tell my 3 year old little boy until now.

Luke, you are everything I could ever have hoped or wished for in a little boy. Before now I didn't know what kind of child would be my ideal, but I now know that he is you. You are perfect. A perfect 3 year old. You make us laugh so often; you are incredibly sweet and loving; you are wild and rambunctious; you are curious and inquisitive; you talk a ton...and then sometimes not at all; you challenge us (right now in particular, but I wouldn't want it any other way); you are incredibly CUTE and amazingly smart; you are the perfect boy for us.

Thank you for being you. Thank you for all of the joy you have brought us in the past 3 years - our lives and hearts have never felt so full. Happy Birthday, my sweet boy! I love you more than you can imagine.

XO and love,
Mommy