Dear Shep,

You’re almost two! What on earth? I mean, I get that you’re growing up but two is like …. well TWO! I can’t handle it. I just can’t. I’m so excited to plan your birthday party and finally celebrate another year as your Mommy. No pressure, but you could actually CALL me Mommy by that time. I mean, these folks with 6 month olds shouting “mama” are starting to tick me off….it has to be said.

As far as your month went, on top of being a big brother (the best around by the way), you went to your first circus, had your first mommy and me yogurt date, and managed to spend a ton of quality time with your Dolly who came for almost two weeks just to hang with you.

Big bother status? Well, you ADORE River. You have not once in over 4 weeks shown any animosity or anger towards him. You simply love on him and bring him loves/pacis/ you name it any time he cries. Every morning while I’m feeding River in our bed you leave breakfast with Daddy, bust the door open, and say “hi bee bee” and get onto the bed to pet him while he eats. I say “pet” bc that’s precisely what you do. You pet his head so gently and like to show me where his “ICE” and “HOSE” are. Don’t worry, you’ve only poked his eyes 10% of the time. I’m so excited to see how you guys grow and become best buddies.

Speaking of best buddies, you and Jude have been spending a lot of time together since River was born. His sweet mommy has been such a huge help with me adjusting to my new life as a stay at home mommy of two. You run up and hug him (don’t worry. he’ll hug you back one day..) and you guys play trains and run up and down the hall while we giggle watching you two from the couch. On top of being best buds, you guys also had your first circus outing together this past week and oh my gosh you guys were in AWE! You “oohed and ahhhed” the entire time and kept waving to the elephants and tapping Jude to look at each new thing that came into the ring. To make things even better? You guys got your very own souveneir elephant cups with snow cones and came back to our house afterwards for yummy pizza and fun at the house (where you guys coincidentally had another first of staying up way past your bedtimes).

Dolly had so much fun with you while she was here and managed to spoil you even more than you already are. Several  sleepovers, tons of new toys, and some pizza dinners managed to make you love her harder than you already did. Thank you for being so sweet to your Dolly and being such a wonderful nephew to her. Just promise to never make her play the tent game for hours upstairs again the next time she visits. Ask her all about it, it was fun at first but she learned pretty quickly why I can’t pick up the phone or take a nap now and then. You are a ball of energy.

New words, sounds, animals, body parts, and games. Your little vocabulary is growing each day and I am having so much fun with our little conversations starting to grow. Now, get those molars in and let’s enjoy a life of no teething. Mommy is pooped.

Mommy Xx

A few fun tidbits:

1. Turtles growl according to you

2. you now know how to tell us what you want to watch “george” or “pooh”

3. Apples still rule

4. naps start at 1

5. We only take you out to eat Mexican bc let’s face it, instant cheese dip is always a win