Happy Second Birthday, Robert Franklin!

It's been two years, buddy.

Two whole years since our eyes met for the first time.

I can still remember it - 7:08pm, Wednesday, October 24, 2012 when a 9 lb., 7 oz. big boy made his debut.

In a moment I became even more of a woman than I had been before you arrived - you made me a mom.

Your smile.

Your laugh.

Your love.

Your passion.

Your fire.

Your curiosity.

I've thought for weeks about what to write to you on your second birthday, little man. For weeks I've wondered if I would be able to accurately convey just how much you mean to me. For weeks I've looked back at pictures from those early days and melted into a puddle of tears.

Just as the seasons change you have changed over this past year, my son. You have become such a fun-loving, excited, inquisitive little man and I am beyond thankful that you chose me to be your mom.

My head spins when I think back to everything that we have experienced over this second year of your life.

You've had your first haircut and your first trip to a zoo.

You've learned how to use utensils and feed yourself.

You've learned your colors, your shapes, and how to count to five in Spanish.

You've experienced your first (and hopefully only) week-long hospital stay.

You've learned to sing nursery rhymes - like Itsy-Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus (your favorite) and Twinkle, Twinkle Littler Star.

You've experienced snow (i.e. ice in Alabama…) and created your first art project.

You've learned to run and give real hugs and kisses.

You've learned to follow directions (most of the time…) and how to climb (those Hawk genes kickin' in…).

You've learned to drink from a real glass and how to rough-house with your daddy.

You've learned that you don't always get what you want and that actions have consequences.

You've learned how to plant seeds, water them and watch them grow.

You've learned to observe out the car windows to know where we are. You yell "Lola's house. Papa's house," before we even turn into their driveway and "Robert's street" as we turn onto our street each afternoon.

You've learned to slide down a slide all by yourself.

You've learned to apologize for inappropriate behavior and to ask for help when you need it.

You've learned how to do puzzles and experienced the beach for the first time.

You've learned that you love ice cream and splashing in the pool.

You've learned how to hit a ball off a tee and how to scarf down a Krispy Kreme doughnut in 30 seconds flat.

You've become a big brother and an awesome little helper.

You've smiled.

You've laughed.

You've cried.

And through it all you are teaching me more and more about who you were meant to be.

You've been teaching me how to be a better mom.

You've been teaching me how to be a better person.

You've taught me that the toys strewn about aren't as important as the people in the room.

You've taught me the simplest things can be the most awe-inspiring.

You've taught me to stop and watch the world around me.

You've taught me that being in the moment matters.

You've taught me patience - that you will do things in your own time, in your own way, as you are you.

As we leave for school each morning you love to look up and find the stars and the moon (yes, we leave for school early enough that the stars and moon are still quite visible) and no matter how much of a hurry I feel as though I am in, those moments of you just standing and staring up at the big sky above you are all that matter.

You are my sunshine.

My first-born.

My sweet, sweet boy.

My favorite TWO year old. :-)

I love you, Robert Franklin - with all my heart.

Happiest of birthdays to you, my little man.

Love,
Mommy

Month #3 for JE and Birthday Week for RF

JE is three months old today and in less than one week RF will be two.

Three months old. Two years old. My big boys are continuing to grow up right before my eyes.

JE is still a perfectly content little man. He is completely go-with-the-flow. He's smiling, cooing, and has rolled over a few times from his stomach to his back. He's sleeping in his crib every night and, knock-on-wood, has had multiple nights in the last week where he has slept from 7pm - 6am without a single wake-up.

Seriously.
Not.
One.
Wake-up.

Every night I make a bottle or two just in case, but he has been proving me wrong and sleeping all night long. Now if we can just get the two-year old to do that consistently. JE is still spending his days with his Lola and gives her sweet smiles and coos all day long. I've been remembering back to when RF was a newborn and reminding myself just how strong the human connection is in that I can look at JE or hear his squawks and know what it is he needs/wants.

RF has really become more of a little boy in the last month and it is amazing. He communicates with us in complete sentences. He has begun to love cartoons more, too. He's always been a Curious George fan, but recently he has become a pretty intense Thomas the Train and Cars fan. He is loving life and is amazed by the simplest things. He makes me smile everyday. I find myself stopping and committing myself to the moment as he observes and comments on the world around him.

Last weekend I was putting him down for his nap and I said, "I love you, buddy" and he responded with, "I love you, too mommy." He saw my eyes welling up with tears and said, "Don't cry, mommy. I love you."

With the good comes the not-so-good in the form of typical two-year-old meltdowns . We certainly have our moments where I have to take a deep breath and remind myself that he is a child and I am the adult. He is learning how to deal with his emotions (and that dad-blasted Hawk temper). My job is to help him learn how to understand and deal with his emotions. But in the moment I usually want to run screaming into another room (but I don't, I promise).

Here's to hoping that I don't cry too much over the next few days as we get ready to celebrate his birthday this weekend. :-) 

Such a silly boy...