Titus: 2 Years and 9 Months

Dear Titus,

At almost 3 years...

• Words I would use to describe you: creative, thoughtful, short-tempered, sweet, nurturing, repetitive, independent
• You have started pretending when you play. You like to make food with your playdoh (usually pickles and hot dogs) which you want me to eat. I also hear you occasionally talking to a toy about the rules and telling it to go to time out. 
• You have become way more obedient in the past few months. You spent a lot of time in time out (or just in your crib reading books when you needed to cool down) and you've become acquainted with the paddle. But I think it's mostly because your communication skills have really gotten to a point where you can explain yourself better. 
• You are doing better with your naps and starting to sleep in your big bed some. We haven't fully transitioned out of your crib, but we're getting close.
• You are the best big brother. You pile up toys around "Baybee Hahdee" and put her paci in when she gets upset. As soon as she makes a noise on the monitor in the morning or after a nap you will say, "Time doe det Baybee Hahdee! Doe det Baybee Hahdee, Mommy!" and you run in there and climb in her crib. Then you usually start saying, "mamamamamama! dadadadada!" because you know she thinks it's funny when I say that.
• Right now your favorite things are letters (still), playdoh, kids scissors (you just cut paper up forever and ever), youtube videos and anything you can write with
• Every morning you get up and say, "ready doe car?" meaning you want to get in the car and go somewhere. Then when we do get in the car you inevitably crawl in the front seat when I'm not looking and throw a fit when you have to get in your carseat. You love riding in the driver's seat down to Brooks' house!
• You have started sounding out words but you don't really like to do it with me very often, you'd rather write your letters and numbers instead.
• You get SO MAD if someone pushes or hits you or takes a toy from you and I don't let you push or hit them back. You just fall to the floor and cry, just let a kid defend himself, mom!
• Speaking of falling to the floor... You are still VERY dramatic. You throw yourself on the floor when you get upset, even about the smallest thing. You have very little patience when it comes to accomplishing a task, you usually give up after one try and start wailing. 
•  You have started asking me a lot of questions. "Are you told?" (cold) "Is dat good?" (food) "I look pretty?"
• You repeat a lot of things, including when daddy calls me "babe," then the next time you address me you say things like, "is dat good, babe?" Daddy learned the this lesson the hard way when you started trying to repeat him when he said "dadgummit" but it comes out like "oh, dammit!" He now says "goodness gracious." :)
• You usually want to pray before bed, but I've had to start telling you, "remember, we don't pray for letters and numbers" because all you want to say you're thankful for is every single letter and number (it's neverending!)
• When I ask you who your best friend is you usually say Mommy or Brooks
• Your favorite foods are hot dog, pickle, hamburger, apple sauce, yogurt, blackberries and strawberries, Mac n cheese, pizza, and ice cream, of course. 
• You love "school" (Mother's Day Out) and your teachers say you write and draw letters all day long. You also like our trips to the gym so you can play with the big kids. 
• When we are driving you will tell me to go "dis way" and then cry if we don't (even if you point through someone's yard). 
• Anytime you're cold you request a towel because that's what warms you up after bath time. 
• You like the idea of going potty, and if I ask you then you'll run in and pee on your little potty. But you are terrified of the "big boy potty" and won't even think about pooping anywhere but your diaper, so for now we are not pushing potty training.
• You helped Daddy take down your crib this month and now you are sleeping in your big boy bed. You didn't even seem to notice much!

You are such a special piece of our family, Titus James. You keep things from ever being boring and are constantly saying new things that get daddy and I laughing like crazy. But you are also very independent, so if I'm putting Haddie down for a nap or busy in the kitchen, you will play with toys by yourself (sometimes for 30-45 minutes!). You are also good about entertaining Haddie if I need to get dressed or go to the bathroom. You will take out a million toys and pile them up around her so she can "play" with you. She smiles at you unlike she smiles at anyone else; she is always watching you no matter where you go and just waits for you to look her direction so she can giggle at you again. I am so glad that you are the best of friends! Even though you're only 2, sometimes I feel like you are going on 12 because you are so smart and helpful. You are definitely the firstborn child, you love to throw things away and help me "cwean up." 
At night time when I put you to bed you and I have a little ritual that goes like this:
Me: I love you to the moon
You: And back
Me: To infinity
You: And eeyond (beyond)
Me: Forever
You And ever

This will always be true, my sweet boy! You were my first little baby and in a lot of ways you will always be that in my heart :)

Haddie Mae: 9 Months

Dear Haddie Mae,
At 9 months...

• You weigh 18.5 pounds
• You are wearing 9-12 month clothes and size 3 diapers
• You are in the 15th percentile for height, 50th for weight and 50th for head size (much more proportionate than brother at this stage!)
• You sleep from 6:30/7pm-7am (12 hours), and only take 2 naps (9:30 and 2:00)
• You still hate being on your stomach and have no interest in crawling, but you love to stand. The pediatrician said at your last appointment that you'll most likely just skip crawling and decide to take steps at some point (I doubt it will be anytime soon though!)
• Your favorite toy right now is anything with lights
• You have 1/2 a tooth and a lot of gums! You have been working on teeth for a while, and I think you have a couple more that will break through anyday, but right now we just have 1/2 a tooth on the bottom :)
• You have had 3-4 colds thanks to big brother sharing his germy love, but you handle them like a trooper. You usually have a couple of nights where you sleep bad (because you can't keep your paci in while you cough) but other than that you don't seem to let it bother you much
• You have started finding your pacifiers in the crib at night by yourself, which is awesome!
• We had your first Christmas! You loved watching the Christmas tree and playing with the lights when we took it down. When we boxed up the lights it was the first time I've ever seen you upset to have something taken away from you.
• When it's time for your nap we'll just lay you in your crib (sometimes after a bottle, sometimes not) and you'll just fall asleep! I seriously don't know if we can have another baby after you because you are so easy!
• You've started gumming some real food. You love baby crunchers (like fake cheetos), yogurt drops, cheerios, and sometimes banana. You've tried zucchini and strawberries and seemed pretty neutral.
• You have started saying, "mama mamama" but not much else. You mostly just smile at us bashfully
• You drink about 5oz per bottle and eat 3 meals a day, sometimes having snacks in between
• We've introduced the sippy cup as well as water, neither if which you care very much for.
• You LOVE your big brother. You laugh and smile at him anytime he's close by
• You have started crying when I'm out of sight, especially if it's night time and you think I'm leaving. It's sad but it's also very sweet :)
• You have what we call "jazz hands" where you constantly twist your hands at your wrists and it looks like you are always in mid-dance

The word I would use to describe you is content. You don't cry a whole lot and you don't demand very much. You are happy to sit on the floor and play by yourself as long as I am in eye sight. Even when we're in restaurants you'll just sit in your carseat and chew on your paci or play with your toes. Sometimes I'll bring you toys but mostly you're happy with just my car keys or a snack! I am so excited to see how your personality comes out more as you get older. Brother was into everything from at your age and would get frustrated when he didn't have what he wanted (he's still like that). But you, little one, you are happy to just be here, and I hope this means you will always have a spirit of contentedness. I could pray nothing more for you as a young woman than you would be satisfied with the body, talents, and life that God has given you and that you wouldn't feel the need to be jealous or envious of those around you. This is such a hard thing to accomplish in our world and I think God creates some people that just handle it better from the get-go. We love you to the moon and back, baby love. Never forget that you lack nothing that really matters in this world. You have the love of a Savior and the love of your family, stay content and rest in that.