Reece Turns Two...

A letter to my son on his second birthday…

Dearest Reece,

Today you turn two…and finally your age will match your attitude.  It already seems so long ago that you outgrew all those parts of babyhood and began barreling, full-force, into becoming a toddler.  And what a toddler you are! 

Not long after you turned one, you earned your nickname “the hurricane.”  It was coined during the two weeks that Grandpa watched you while Daddy and I were down at the hospital.  It’s a perfect description of who and what you are.  You can enter a room, and destroy a room, in 30 seconds flat.  You bring chaos and energy wherever you go.  You are ferociously independent, which earned you a broken arm at 18 months old.  You were attempting to climb the big kid stairs at the playground when you slipped and fell right through my hands and landed on your right side.  Your cast was blue.  The first night, you stuffed black beans into it.  Like I said, you are ferociously independent.  

You are so inquisitive and so smart.  Most of the time, you have a look of concentration on your face.  You are always watching, trying, babbling, and reacting to the world around you.  You rarely ask for help.  If you do, it’s only because you’ve tried it 10 times over by yourself.  You are so much like your daddy that it makes me laugh.  You are talking in four word sentences and most of the time, we know exactly what you are talking about.  If there’s ever any confusion, you are sure to let us know we are not getting it right.  You walked at 13 months and began climbing out of your crib at 20 months.  Luckily for us, after a fall off the other side, you’ve decided it would be better to stay within the bars (for now).  You scrub yourself in the bathtub, use utensils appropriately, insist on brushing your own teeth, and are becoming increasingly interested in potty training.  

You are adorable to look at.  You have these looks of mischief, contentment, goofiness, anger, pout…the list of your many faces goes on and on.  We are never in any doubt as to your mood and you are very good at letting us know how you are feeling.  You test the limits often.  It usually takes two, three…eighteen “nos” to get you to stop something you shouldn’t be doing.  Temper tantrums occur everyday.  You are also so loving.  When Daddy and I get home from work, you run at us screaming our names.  Then we scoop you up and we get a big hug and an opened-mouthed kiss.  You love your blanket and lovies, cradling them while you sleep.  You still have a pacifier.  You love to meet strangers on your own terms, often waving to people in the grocery store and saying “hi” to them  However, if a stranger approaches you, you become quite shy and reserved.

You continue to adore your brother.  You follow him everywhere and often steal his toys when he is not looking.  He plays with you well, until the sharing gets tiresome, and the two of you start swiping and hitting and crying at each other.  Daddy and I feel like referees between you two at times, but I love to see your love for him.  You mimic everything he does.  You two push each other to discover new things and develop new skills.  It’s a wonderfully dynamic friendship that I hope lasts your lifetime.  

I feel like if I close my eyes I will wake to find you three years old and beyond.  You are growing up so fast!  While it does make me sad to see my baby disappearing, I’m also so excited to see the boy you are going to become.  You are anything other than predictable and I know you will have many surprises for us as you become our toddler boy.  We love you so intensely and so completely.  Happy 2nd birthday Hurricane!

Love,

Mama and Daddy