2 {Max}

Max,

Oh sweet boy. You turned two this morning. I can't even believe it happened so quickly. The minute your floppy little body landed on my chest when you were born, I knew one day you'd laugh and run. I knew one day you'd turn a year old. And then you'd be two. I knew it would happen. But as always the year flew by and it happened a little too quickly. Your cheeks have slimmed over the last few months, your face is fighting to look like a boy not a baby, but your hands and your delicious thighs are clinging to more familiar tunes of toddler hood. And for once, I'm not complaining about all things chubby. Last night I procrastinated laying you down, bedtime was nearly two hours late - I was trying to avoid the obvious. But the time kept ticking and morning came. And two, well two years old, still happened.

You're language is erupting. It seems like each day brings a new word. One of my favorite things about you is the way you talk, your lips are plump and simply adorable. The way you purse them together to make words melts me. We've been practicing Happy Birthday with you and now it's your favorite song. I'm pretty sure you think it's a game. Immediately following the last line of the chorus, you begin blowing. Imaginary candles? Sure why not after all it is your birthday.

The minute you wake up in the morning you are giggling. You clutch to your blanket and still suck your thumb, but the minute we arrive at the bottom of the stairs you start asking for breakfast. Your breakfast of choice - COOKIES. You love yogurt and cereal too. Most morning you lick your bowl dry. A foodie in the making.

You have a new found love for swimming. I guess that would come natural for a summer baby. Some mornings you get all excited and bring me your swimsuit and loudly repeat "mem-ming, mem-ming!" Luckily for you we do go swimming most everyday.

 You are spirited. Determined. Full of life. God forbid someone try and assist you in getting down from your chair or out of your car seat. The phrase of the month - "DIE DO". Obviously, you got the memo that two means independence. You are ready to move out and start  live on your own. Most days you refuse any sort of help, which leads to backward shoes and shorts, major bedhead and a face encrusted in donut icing.

You love splashing during bath time, snuggling during nap time, and laughing pretty much all the time. You have a special little spunk in your step that makes you all the more YOU.

I can't believe you've been here twenty four whole months, yet I can't remember life without you. Two years gone and many more to come. My birthday wish for you is lots more giggles, many more sleepy slumbers, heaps of sloppy kisses, hundreds more brotherly quarrels and most of all that you keep marching to the beat of your own drummer.

I love you more then I knew was possible. I love you with every ounce of my being and every beat of my heart. I love you to the moon and back. Always and forever.

 Happy second birthday baby boy!

a half.

Max,
Oh you sweet little man you are one and a HALF today. Your mischief and happiness is still intact. You are quite determined and headstrong. Best put - you're down right stubborn. It is your way or...well, no way.

You've learned to hit and to whine for snacks. You have started to talk more and more. My favorite new word "turtle". You've really only said it twice but I love the way your little lips form to utter a T sound. Unbearable cuteness.



You lived through your first hair cut. Barely. With the help of none other than SWEETS. And bubbles. Which pretty much happen to be two of your very favorite things.

Saying you have a sweet tooth might be the understatement of the century. Child, you would live on candy and ice cream and anything covered in sugar. I'm certain it's why you are so sweet. Not only do you love sweets you know just where they are not-so-secretly hidden. You will race to the pantry or freezer at any given home we're at and wince and whine and point "dat" until you spot a golden wrapped Reese's. Suddenly ice cream appears from the freezer and you clap, race to the table and grin proudly. "Dat" is what you wanted and "dat" is what you got.


You've started to interact with your big brother and I love it. For the most part you just study him in full admiration. Watching each move to attempt and copy it later. you may be the younger brother but you are not submissive, you lash out if a toy is taken from you without your permission, you hit back fiercely, actually you often throw the first punch. You are a stocky, munchkin warrior. You are also quite the monkey, you can quickly scale a couch or bar stool, only to stand atop the kitchen table where you KNOW you do not belong. Instead of yelling for acknowledgement you wait until someone peeks around the wall and spots you. Then you smirk proudly and start to groan, because you know I'm coming to remove you.

You are totally growing up in to a little boy. The hair cut definitely helps make it more real. Oh but you are still such a little guy, a tiny baby. You snuggle with the best of them and have learned to suck BOTH of your thumbs at once. We love you Maximo. Keep on growing, thriving and being you.


And in the meantime, happy half birthday munchkin man!!!

shining through.

Personality is the first trait that I envision when I find out another baby is joining our family, but often the last to surface. Admittingly I spend many months wondering "who will this little muffin look like?" Yet upon meeting, you instantly get to see who's nose they got, what color hair and eyes they ended up with and if they unfortunately got stuck with your fat feet or not. But personality stays at bay months on end. You often get a tiny glimpse in to their personality the whole first year, between the frequency of smiles versus tantrums.

Max your personality is finally shining through in big ways. It's been long awaited since I first met you and saw your deep, dark eyes and your chubby little feet (sorry about those by the way, it's all mama's doing). You looked so different than I pictured you, so far from what I imagined, you were even better. Suddenly, I knew the same would go for your personality. And I was right - it's better than I could have ever dreamt. Through hopes and dreams and high anticipation you beat all the expectations I ever conceived.

I could write you a letter telling you all of your accomplishments and which milestones your hitting, but that is so routine. We know you love bananas and clapping and balls and can "woof". We know you hate your carseat and bathtime. But I want to let you know the joy of your disposition.


You are a boy's boy. You walk outside and the minute the air touches your face, you light up. Dirt, sticks, splashing in water and skinning your knees all take precendence over being read and sang to. You shine brightest when outside. Even if your shorts get damp or your hands are stained with mud you never whimper, not even a whisper of discontent. Anger and sadness are not your forte. Deep belly laughing and remaining easy going despite any obstacles are your specialities. Your nature is what makes you so special to me, because you are like no one else I know. You are unique in this way that I can't fully grasp because it is so far from me that sometmies I question how I could essentially create someone as exceptional, extraordinary and remarkable as you.

You are a smiler and your smile is full of teeth and emotion. You love so deeply, so affectionately, so openly. You hug with the strength of multiple grown men, possessing so much strength in such a small being. See, size really doesn't matter. You are this tiny little guy with undiluted, simple and pure, joy for everything, each and every moment of your day you shine. Your smile shines like your personality - blazing vividly, a lustrous beam, a radiant sheen.

You my dear assuredly have incredible potential, with character like yours the world is at your fingertips. You love unconditionally, smile from your heart, you warm a room immediately when you laugh, you make everyday better. You are so unique and I love you so much - every bit of you that is so foreign from me. This personality you've got is starting to shine and baby boy, somethings telling me that your little light is pronounced and bold; your little light will never burn out.

Keep shining sweet Max in all that you do and all that you are.

maximo, you're ONE.

And a year ago, this was us. The four of us. Not just three. This time last year we had just welcomed a fourth member to our family. Yup, this time last year we were four.

Which technically must mean that my baby is now officially a year old. A whole year ago we were snuggling a brand new baby boy, now that baby isn't so new, but we still snuggle him a lot. the best part is now he snuggles back, most of the time.

We have a walking, major babbling, super cute, teething, will eat anything one year old baby boy! We celebrated nearly two weeks ago with a pirate party. He was in love with his foam sword and his icing topped cake.

Maximo you have added a dynamic to this family that is irreplaceable. You are a perfect fit. I will never forget the feeling of anxiety and uncertainty I felt about adding another baby to our family. The minute I saw your dark eyes I felt silly for ever wondering if I could love another baby the way I already loved your brother. Simply foolish really.

I still like to stare in to your eyes when your tired and willing to lay quiet and still cradled in my arms. I have tried so many times to tilt you just right to see your pupils gleam in the light and yet, a whole year later I've still never seen them. Your eyes are so dark and mysterious and beautiful. Your eyes shine when you smile - which has pretty much what you've done the last 300 something days of your life. The first grin was just the beginning. And you know what? I think the world is really damn lucky that they get to see your smile so much.

I wanted to write you a letter telling you how much I love you and how much the past year has changed me as a person and a mother. How lucky I feel to have you as my son. How lucky your father is to have you as a son. How lucky we all are to have you in our lives. I wanted to tell you how much work it really was to have a second child and how worth it it's been. I wanted to tell you how exciting it was when we saw you take more than two consecutive steps. We may or may not have yelled like we won the lottery - it was pretty damn exciting. I wanted to tell you how entertaining it was watching you hold a pinata stick that easily had 12 inches on you.

But mostly I want to tell you how incredibly awesome you are. I don't really know how to put in to words my love for you. You have shown me unbiased, nonjudgmental, pure love. Love at it's rawest form. The kind of love you don't think twice about. And I've only know you 366 days. that is how truly incredible you are. I mentioned earlier the beauty of your smile - but it barely touches the surface of the beauty you possess. There is something about you that is really special and I think your smile just reassures everyone of that.

You've come a long way in just one short year. It flew by. It was filled with tons of laughing - deep, contagious, makes people smile belly laughing. It was filled with lots of sippy cup refusing and throwing. It was filled with stained onesies, many changed diapers, a ton of midnight (and all hour of the night wakings). It was filled with smiles, excitement and many milestones. It was filled with birthday cake and doctor visits. It was filled with a few bumps, bruises and 8 new teeth. It was filled with love. Pure love. Raw love. Genuine love.

I love you more than I can even explain, but I hope this came close to touching the surface of the love I want you to know you bring. Happy first birthday, to you, Maximo William. Yay, we survived our first year!