turning two!

Dearest Karsten,

My sweet baby boy is turning two! Happy Birthday to my most mechanically-minded, outdoor oriented, stealthily determined and quietest child. I really can't believe you are two.

Oh sweet boy, may you always keep your tender heart and gentle spirit. You have a rough and tumble side that wants to poke things with sticks and break things. But you also have an innate compassionate understanding that I pray is revealed in greater capacity with each year of your life. You love your Momma, and find the taste of her hair strangely comforting. We hope you find new ways to show your love with each passing year. I hear it isn't very popular in high school to rub a clump of your mother's hair over your face before saying goodbye.

You are still chubby in the most delicious way. We get to admire your chunky legs often because apparently it is a genetic trait of our children to not want to wear clothes. You'd better learn to keep your pants on by the time you hit puberty, however. Good thing we have a few years left.

You love your sisters dearly, shown by your frequent unannounced kisses and hugs, and unprompted "I la loo" (I love you). They love you back, as shown by their patience and kindness in sharing with you and forgiveness of you destroying their hard work, beautiful pictures, and creations of all sorts. You want to be like them and have taken to wearing their dress up clothes and accessories. You have a particular fetish for shoes and socks of all color and style. It is definitely hard being the only boy amongst sisters. Take heart, I am told that boys with older sisters make the best husbands.

For a child that doesn't talk much, you sure manage to communicate. A shortage of words is not a shortage of opinion. If the gestures don't work, then a good breath-holding spell seems to get your point across. Breath-holding is when you get angry enough that you forget to breath and your face gets stuck in a silent scream for a minute, or more, until you turn purple and pass out. The doctor has assured me that you will outgrow this... but I am still waiting.

It also needs to go in the record here that you beat both of your sisters by many months to the first stage of potty training. On your second birthday you went pee pee in the toilet four times in one day - a young record in our house. Surely this means you are destined for brilliance!

Since I was given free reign on your cake, I went with a favorite theme of yours: tractors! Unfortunately, you were quite upset to see one of your toys on top of the cake. Perhaps you thought we were going to eat it? At least I got some photos before returning the tractor to you.

You didn't understand the birthday thing because it seemed to you like we were singing "Happy Birthday" all week long to various different people. Finally, someone started handing you some presents to open too.

It has become a fun family tradition to give our 2-year-old his or her first backpack. You were proudly excited to wear your new fox backpack all day long... as long as you didn't have to wear anything else, of course.

"I'm TWO", you say holding up all of your fingers.

And... the many silly faces made by your and your precious little personality...

We love you little boy! You make our family much better rounded. We can't imagine life without you. Keep growing into the little man God has destined you to be.