The Big 0 3

Levi My Love,

My baby

You are turning three this week.  Three years old. Sigh.  It seems like just yesterday you were turning two and we were scared!   I wanted to be able to write some endearing letter to you that would
reflect the love I have for the person you are right this very moment.  But there are not enough words.  I am not eloquent enough to convey all the joy you bring into our lives.   Instead I will tell you how you are at this given moment.

Your tow-head is starting to show signs of darkening, its oh so slight, but I see it.  You will have hair like me I think.  You are built like my dad's family (according to your Great Aunt Adell).  Your clothes must be bigger on top than on the bottom so I see a continued short inseam (like your Dad and your PaPaw).  Your legs, actually your entire body, is constantly bruised and battered.  I wondered for some time if the daycare would call CPS because of all of the bruises.  But the truth is that you are just so physical.  You climb and run and swing and hit and jump and bounce and roll and fall and get right back up and do it again.

And by God, you know what you want and you are willing to fight for your cause.  But what you want can change five times in 15 seconds.  This is driving your dad insane these days.  And speaking of your parents going insane, you rec such havoc on our lives.  The glorious schedule that has ruled our lives since you were born, you have completely thrown out the window. You figured out how to open the bedroom doors which has open a proverbial door to freedom.  Your sleep patterns have changed and with it our night lives. You refuse to wear jeans and if forced (by both of us at the same time) to do so, you will go down fighting.  You prefer the warmth and comfort of soft snugly sweat pants and would rather be shoeless, like us.  You are addicted to juice.  Apple to be specific.  I giggle that when you ask for it, and we make you say it politely, it sounds like, "Jews, Jews Peas."  It is in these moments that all of the bipolar-ism of having a toddler in the house melts away leaving me a puddle of love for you.

The much loved Winnie

This year also introduced us to Winnie.  When you were a baby you gravitated to one blanket.  While people around you called it your blankie (or lovely or whatever) I would correct them to just blanket.  While I'm sure people thought I was a little pushy (not surprising) I did it for a reason.  I wanted to know what you called it.  You love that blanket to no end and I wondered what you called it in your little head.  One day a few months ago, in the middle of another battle of wills, you cried for something and I didn't understand.  You were asking for winnie.  When I figured out that your blanket was Winnie, I gave it to you and the pure joy you show when its given to you makes me want to be the only person to ever give you Winnie again just so I can be the recipient of those smiles and squeals of delight.


Determined, may you always
be this determined

Oh and speaking of your talking, man alive you have made leaps and bounds!  I am Mommy, no longer Daddy! That is my biggest joy this year. And while we call them your grandpas you call them PaPaw.  You have a way of talking that just makes me look at you in awe and wonderment and love.  You will chat about just so much and we follow right along.  Granted we don't always know what you're saying but you're talking and that is sweet music to our ears (most of the time).  You are really loud (like your Daddy - sorry Juanito but its true).  We work on being quiet but really all that has gotten you to be quiet was saying Baby S was sleeping, ssshhhh. But that which you can't find the words for or that which we don't understand, you still find a way of communicating to us.  Even if its by grabbing our hand and saying "meer" which is your way of saying "come here." And even though I don't always have time to "meer" I go anyways because some day you will go off on your own and you won't need me to "meer" so I will "meer" as much as I can now. 

I can hardly believe that my little serious baby who looked like an old man is this person who can send me on the highest highs and the lowest lows. You are really just a wild, wild monkey that I feel like I am struggling to keep up with.  We try harder everyday because we love you.  I can't imagine what the next year will bring, but I know that we will make it another stellar year. 

Happy Birthday Levi.