Time is Flying!

Dear Marcus,

And just like that, it's been three months!  Story of my life. :)  Time is just FLYING by and I wish I could slow it down a little.  You are seventeen months old, going on three.  You want to do everything Jordan does and for the most part, you can.  And if you can't, you look awfully cute trying!

You are still such a sweet guy.  As long as you are rested in fed, you are content just to hang out, although you much prefer to hang out on someone's lap if you aren't playing.  But you have learned to play by yourself some.  You really enjoy stacking legos or picking up cars and putting them in the right place.  Yes, you heard that right.  You like picking up.  I don't know why, but you do and I'll take it!

One of my favorite things about you is that you always look a little confused.  You want to be a part of whatever is happening even if you don't get it!  So, if your brother is wrestling with dad, you want in on it.  If he is writing on the chalkboard, you get your chalk.  As an older sister, I can understand why sometimes Jordan gets a little frustrated with you, but he loves you!  If you two are apart for too long, he starts asking about you.  Every once in a while, he asks to hold you and on very rare (but wonderful!) occasions, you two hold hands.  I love watching you interact and am so thankful for your patience and your calm spirit.

I hope that I can keep updating.  Life is getting a little easier and more manageable as you two get older!

I love you, little man.

Mom

 

Falling!

Dear Marcus,

You have gone from walking to running to climbing...and falling.  A lot.  I feel like I can't turn my back on you for a second.  You get on the table, you get on the chairs, you stand on the recliners...and you fall.  A lot.  It's that age where I feel like I need to keep a helmet on you at all times.

Even though you are busy and keeping me on my toes, you are so sweet.  Your Dad was gone for eleven days to Eastern Europe and you were such a great kid.  You had your moments, of course, but you just were in a great mood and gave me so many smiles that it helped pass the time.  So many people comment on how you have grown up so fast.  I agree with them!

Part of the reason why you seem so big is you got a haircut!  I have to admit that I hated it at first and teared up, but now that I am used to it, I love it!  You look so handsome and I can really see your smile now. :)

I love you!!

Mom

 

Attitude

Dear Marcus,

In my last post, I talked about how you were walking.  Now you are running!  You love to go fast.  You love to be chased and to chase others.  You are so cute and such a little wild man. :)  You are in the age where I feel like I need to put a helmet on you all day. :)  You are such a mess.  I have found you standing (and sometimes falling off of) some very tall things...tables, chairs, etc.  And it seems like every time I pick you up from child-care at church or the gym, someone says "Well, Marcus had a little fall."  My response is always the same..."Well, he seems fine."  Silly kid!

You are still very sweet, but have started to get an attitude.  Or maybe I should call it, "an opinion"!  You know what you want and you have learned to assert yourself.  You are to the stage where you won't willingly give up a toy.  And you fight and push Jordan away if you have to.  He still wins most of the battles, but you are much more assertive!  And you are much more likely to scream at one of us if we don't meet your expectations.

We went to "Touch-a-Truck" a few weeks ago and it was so fun to see you turn into a little boy.  It's like a light switched and you are not a baby anymore.  You loved seeing the airplanes flying at Ozzie's and you were so excited to get to climb on trucks.  You make the best "proud of myself" face and we saw it all morning.

You are such a blessing to our family.  I cannot imagine what our lives would be like without you.  Certainly duller and much less sweet.  There would be fewer snuggles and fewer smiles.  You are happy and silly and perfect for us!  I love you!!

Love,

Mom

 

My Happy Guy

Dear Marcus,

You have always had a very calm and sweet disposition, but you definitely went through the whiney phase.  I think every kid does when they can't keep up with the people around them.  I couldn't blame you!  Who wants to be left by themselves in a room when everyone else can go everywhere they want. :)

Well, since you started walking, you have not stopped smiling.  You love walking!  Your favorite thing to do is to pick something up (preferably something really heavy!) and carry it to me.  You don't want to give it to me, but you just want to show me that you can carry it.  You have this very cute "proud of myself" look that just makes me smile!  And when I pick you up at the gym, you are usually just walking around smiling.  You are just so happy to be able to keep up with the rest of us!

We went to Granny and Papa Bill's house for Labor Day and you did great!  You had your moments where I was ready to go home (like during the entire OU game!) but you slept great, you played well and you just enjoyed walking around in the great outdoors!  My favorite was when Jordan caught a fish and Pappa put it down right in front of you.  You weren't quite sure about that, but you enjoyed poking at it!

Yesterday, we went to the Cleveland County fair. It was such a blast!  Jordan rode rides and you watched.  I took you on the carousel and you really enjoyed it.  You didn't smile the whole time, but you had a wide-eyed look as you soaked it all in.

I'm so thankful for you!  I'm blessed to be your Mom.

I love you!

Mom

 

The Big One

Dear Marcus,

Happy Birthday!  I cannot believe you are one.  This past year has gone by so fast and I just want to stop time.  But I'm glad that I can't, because I would have stopped it a year ago and missed out on the special little boy that you are.  Every stage of this past year has been wonderful.  You were a pretty easy baby, but even when things haven't been easy (the spit-up days, the "don't-leave-me-alone" days)...well, your sweet spirit just makes everything better.

You are the  perfect bend of sweet and wild.  You are patient and kind and gentle.  And yet, you are the first one to start a wrestling match or climb up on the couch and fall on your head.  (Thankfully, you've learned not to fall on your head, so that makes life easier!)  You are smart and silly and love to be with people.

You are not as much of a snuggler as Jordan is in the morning, but you make up for it throughout the day.  If someone is holding you, within a few minutes you will just lay your head on their shoulder.  Even if it is the briefest moment, that little gesture just makes my heart want to explode.  And you are sweet to just about everyone who will hold you.  You love people.

Your two favorite people: Your Dad and your brother.  Both of those guys just make your day.  When Dad comes home, he can't walk  by you without picking you up or you will follow him crying.  You will stay in his arms all day if he would let you.  You can't get enough of him.  And Jordan makes you giggle and laugh and all you want to do all day is follow him around and play with him.  He doesn't always enjoy that part of being a brother, but he loves you.  Your Dad and I get so much joy from seeing you two love each other.  A couple of days ago, while we were on a walk, Jordan reached over and held your hand.  It is such a wonderful thing to see you two grow closer.

You are a precious gift from God and I hope you always realize that.  You are miraculous, not just in how you came into this world, but the way you've made it a better place, even in just one year!  You are loved by so many and most importantly, you are loved by Him.  He created you just the way you are...and I am so thankful to have you as my son.  I wish I could find better words to let you know just how loved you are!

I love you, buddy.  Welcome to year #2!

Mom

 

You love your birthday presents!!

 

Walker

Dear Marcus,

You had been taking a few steps here and there, but it's like a switch has flipped and all of the sudden you are walking more than crawling.  It's funny, though.  First thing in the morning you crawl. It's as if you've forgotten that you can walk.  But pretty soon, there are you are making your way across the room.  It is so cute to watch you.  Every time you do something new, you are so proud of your self!  You're always looking to see who is watching so you can giggle at them.

You've also started squealing when you see someone you know.  On Sunday night, you saw Grammy through the window of the nursery and just started going crazy.  She was so excited to know how much you love her!  And then you were heart-broken when you still had to stay in the nursery.  Although, that didn't last long because you love Miss Beth and Miss Hope and had their full attention when I checked on you a few minutes later.

Your poor big brother...one of the consequences of you walking is that you can keep up with him easier and the poor guy doesn't get a lot of free time when you're up.  You can climb up on the couch with him or stand next to him while he watches tv.  As a big sister, I understand the patience it requires to put up with the little siblings when they get in your business.  So, I sympathize with Jordan.

The other day, you two were in the back of the van just giggling at each other.  I love to see you guys love on each other.  The older you get, the more Jordan enjoys having you around and of course, you adore him!  I can't wait to watch you grow closer to one another.

Your birthday is next week!  It's hard to believe that it's here.  I'm so sad to see you grow up, but excited to celebrate YOU because you are such a special little guy.

I love you,

Mom

 

Taking Steps

Dear Marcus,

I love how babies have an innate sense of pride in accomplishments.  No, you're not winning Olympic medals (yet!) or receive honors for your intellect (yet!), but you are standing on your own and taking steps.  You get this look on your face that is priceless and you always stare at the people around you, like you are saying "Hey, did you see that?  I'm kind of awesome!"

So, yes, you are taking 5-6 steps now.  You toddled from Grandma Nietzie to me yesterday at church to show off for everyone.  I love how at the end of your journey, you throw yourself into the arms of the person you are arriving at.  It's almost like your victory hug!

Speaking of hugs, you are not the morning cuddler that your brother is, but you do enjoy a good hug.  On Wednesday, you saw me at church for the first time all afternoon and just sat in my lap with your head on my should for a long time.  Boy, it makes me feel loved!

You are a sweet little guy and I cannot believe we are getting close to your birthday!  I sent out the invitation to your pool party yesterday and already have so many guests coming just to celebrate YOU!  You are worth the celebration, too!

I love you,

Mom