Dear Luke

Hey little man! Have I told you that I love you lately? I do all the time; I just can’t help myself. Yesterday you turned 2! I can’t believe it’s been 2 years, yet in those 2 years I also can’t believe how quickly you’ve grown and how much you’ve learned. You are a little mimic, a very cute one. You are so cute that sometimes I can’t help but just hug on you, much to your dismay. Like last night. After you downed a huge piece of birthday cake, we then danced to the song that comes on after Sesame Street. I was throwing my legs around and snapping my fingers, both things we don’t typically do when dancing. But, without question, you jumped right in there, kicking your legs up and “snapping” too. I had to hug you. Did I mention that you are adorable?

Besides being a mimic, you also have a flair for originality. Just the other day at the dinner table your dad sneezed and you immediately chimed in with “Bless You Da-da”. That’s three whole words! It was one of those “I didn’t know you could do that moments”. I have those all the time. You continually surprise me. We have talked briefly about the fact that you turned 2 and just briefly a bit before you turned 2 about the big birthday coming up. We never practiced the “How old are you”, then you say “2” game though…never. There was no need. At the doctor’s office yesterday the doc walked in, asked you how old you were, and without even a pause you said “2”. And to think a year ago you were barely walking. I think clapping was about your only real trick back then. Now there are too many to count.

You also are a little engineer. You can do about anything with your hands that you see done on the first try. And if you haven’t seen it done you can do it quickly, correctly by figuring it out all by yourself. The other night at the dinner table you had your sauce on the far side of your plate. Since you were doing a lot of dipping you reached down and turned your plate around so the sauce was closer to your mouth, less drippage. It was fascinating. You just get stuff. I think you get that from me. Your dad thinks you get it from him.

But, anyway, so that you’ll be able to share the wonders of you at two with your own kids one day…here’s all about you:

Miscellaneous favorites: speed bumps, buses, planes, blue giraffe blanket, Red Dog, guitars, and guns

Favorite food and drink: chicken and fries, cantaloupe, jello, beets, chocolate milk, ice cream, BBQ sauce and ketchup

Favorite show: Elmo’s World

Big trips this year: Orange Beach to visit Ma and Pops, Jeff, Lynn, Michael and David; South Padre to visit Grandma and Paw-paw

Big sickness this year: Your 1 year old immunizations!

Favorite people: Mom-mom, Da-da, Noni, and Nori

Activities/Places: Gym class, Kindermusick class, Church nursery play time, Kid’s Playtime (a fav), the Park (a fav), the parade grounds at Lackland where all the planes are mounted, the mall, shopping with mom and dad, Chick-fil-A play place

Least favorites: Getting a haircut, Motrin, wiping your face, brushing your teeth, being told what to do (you have really started rebelling a bit, being your own boy)

Size: 24 months/2T, shoes 6.5 extra wide/29.8 pounds and 34 inches tall

Unforgettable firsts: Words, words, and more words; you got your first real hard soled shoes, your first haircut, your first tooth (now you have 12), your first trip to the beach

You wish you could forget them moments: having a baby sister to share the house with (you still aren’t completely trustworthy around her, although you will on occasion and only when you choose sign and dance to make her laugh—you are without a doubt her favorite person)

The world around you: The U.S., and because of us the whole world, is in a long economic recession. The first African American president was elected, Barack Obama.

About the only thing that didn’t change in some form, shape or fashion from day to day was your dad and my love for you. You are amazing. You are almost perfect. You make every day a joy. You bring smiles to everyone (because you say hi to absolutely everyone we see to include those passing by in cars). You are becoming independent, yet still rely on some quality rocking (i.e. “rock”) time before bed. You still want to sit in my lap to watch Elmo and to wrestle with dad on the floor (you think it is hilarious to push him over), but you don’t quietly comply with a diaper change or sit still to put on your shoes anymore like you used to. You will inevitably become your own boy…and a great one, I know. And, I’ll always have involuntary compulsions to hug you, I know. You are my big, little two year old Noodle. I love, love, love you.

-Mom-mom