A birthday letter: What a difference a year makes!

Dear Rhett,

Your first birthday letter! How is that you are already one!? Time to reflect and share with you some of my favorite moments and memories from his very special first year:

You had us guessing for a few weeks about when you would arrive and then just like your older sister you came three days before your due date, sending us to the hospital in the middle of the night. Labor started about 12:30 in the morning and you were in our arms about 6 hours after that at 6:31am. You captured our hearts from that first hello! There are a few things that I enjoy being awake for at 6:31 in the morning but meeting you was one of the best reasons I can think of and it really did overshadow being awake all night! 

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You were such a calm easy baby from the earliest days. From the moment you arrived you fit so very perfectly into this family in this space that must of been yours all along. Your sister adores you and I can tell you adore her too. You light up when you see her, you often crawl down to her room to find her or to play. Seems she can get you to laugh better than anyone. I know we will have typical sibling conflict and fights as you both grow but right now I love this season of the easy ways you love and interact together. 

*Photo by Courtney Waugh

You have a few regular nicknames around our house, seems we rarely call you by your actual name: 

Rhett-Rhett, Rhetty, Rhetty-Betty, Bub, Bubs, Bub-a-roo. 

You traveled to Arkansas and Texas this year to visit family and Friends. 

You were a pretty good little traveler. 

*Photo by Daicia

*Photo by Daicia

You had so much hair! by now you've had 4 hair cuts. I loved your newborn fuzzy head. I had so many cute hats for you but that head of fuzzy hair was too cute to cover up. It has grown lighter over this year. Your eyes were deep gray for awhile but then they settled into a shade of blue. Your dad was hoping they'd turn brown like him but I was pleasantly surprised when you took after me instead. 

You love water. Bath time is one of your favorite activities and sometimes I have put you in the bath when you are teething or fussy because it works such magic on you. You also love climbing our stairs if anyone forgets and leaves the baby gate open you spot it quickly and crawl as fast as you can to try to get up them. Actually you love climbing anything you can.

We had fun celebrating your first holidays! We went to Orr family farm for the first time during fall and enjoyed it so much think we will make it a yearly tradition. You were the cutest little frog for Halloween and showed off your costume at the fall festival at church. 

You never would consistently take baby food so we just waited it out a bit and now you are eating regular solids while you are still nursing some. Your favorites are avocado, any kind of cheese, pasta, gold fish, bananas - but your favorite of them all has been steamed apples I make for you with a little bit of cinnamon on top. 

Your sister went to preschool 3 days a week this year and I made a change in my work schedule so you and I get to spend some time just the two of us on those days. I loved sharing those quiet mornings together!

While you have been an easy daytime baby you have not slept through the night but a few times this year. On a good night you get up once but sometimes you get up multiple times. You nap pretty good and I am crossing my fingers that all night sleeping isn't far around the corner! 

*Photo by Annaleise

*Photo by Annaleise

So Happy Birthday sweet boy! We can't imagine our lives or our family without you! You have captured my heart in such a special way. Being a mom is a whole new way to fall in love and we have all fallen so head over heals for you. So looking forward to first steps, first words and all the other fun the coming year holds!

Love you! 

Your Mama

A birthday letter: Turning 4!

 Dear Ava,

What a big year this year was for you! I hope this little letter will again capture for you a few pictures and memories to tuck away for safe keeping from this special year.

First up this year, you welcomed your baby brother! As predicted you love being a big sister. You loved it so much you didn't even really deal with much jealously at all. Watching you take him in during that first meeting was one of the best moments of my life. You are a natural nurturer and care taker. You have been so sweet, gentle and protective from day one. I love that you both light up when you see each other in the mornings or after naps, even the smallest separation gets an enthusiastic reunion from each of you. You've already been asking me about a sister and named a doll you got for your birthday "sissy". I think if it was up to you would love to have lots and lots of little brothers and sisters because you enjoy them so much.

We took you to your first movies. We saw Despicable Me 2 in the summer and then Frozen at Christmas time. Since you saw Frozen you have loved playing out the scenes, singing the songs and often tell us and others that you are not Ava but that you are Elsa. One night you prayed at the dinner table "and please don't let Elsa hurt anyone with her powers".

Not long after you turned 3 you gave yourself a pretty drastic hair cut. It was one of our first days home with just the three of us after Rhett was born. You didn't understand the permanence of your new short hair do, asking often when if we could "cut it long again". We followed up the same day with a professional cut to even things up. So slowly but surely it is growing back and once we both got over the initial shock it has grown in nicely and you looked pretty cute in your little bob.

You also started at a little preschool 3 days a week and you love it! You are always excited for school days. Even your first day since you are often unsure about new things I thought it might be tough for you but you literally skipped down the hall and waved goodbye with no tears. You are learning letters and can now write your name! I love when you come home singing a new song or telling things about your friends, or fun art things you did. You often play school at home where you are the teacher and we are the kids. You have this new little world that is all yours apart from us. When we talked the night before your birthday about being four your first question was with deep concern in your eyes... "but when I'm four can I still go to school with Ms. Robin?" Yes you can, we signed for the same program for next year. I hope there are many Ms. Robins in your future and I am so glad you've had this great experience with your first one.  You have thrived here and even though its one of your favorite places I still love that you run with open arms to me excited to see me at the end of your day. 

                                                  

One of my other favorite things right now is when you read cards to us or say the prayer for us at dinner. You read several birthday cards to Rhett that he got recently. You usually go on and on with much confidence about what they say including lines like "love you also" and in your prayers "help me to be kindly"  and other interesting sentence combinations that crack me up but also warm my heart because I can tell you get it. 

You were a princess fairy for Halloween this year. You love dressing up and this costume has been worn and worn all year long along with your other dress up dresses, wings, crowns, etc. Even when we come home from church on Sundays you are eager to stay in your dress for as long as possible. 

You are a daddy's girl through and through. You only want him to put you to bed these days. I can hear you and him laughing and singing songs at a crazy volume and I am not sure how that prepares you for the transition to sleep but it works. He surprised you and picked you up from the school the other day and you went on and on about it. Recently you also go to go to his office with him for part of the day and you were so disappointed when I came to get you and asked me if next time you could stay all day with him there. I love the way you love one another. 

You love to be at home in what you call your "comfy clothes". You prefer being home rather than going out most days. I find you are inward, thoughtful and prefer smaller settings with familiar faces. You love your family and close friends fiercely and are cautious with new people and places. You seem to test limits mostly at home with us or those your comfortable. 

I love your spontaneous "I love you mommys" and when you are sick you often want me to be the one to hold you. While we've had lots of fun and beautiful moments together this year, you and I have also had some rough days and moments with your will and mine intersecting. At this stage you have an emerging natural drive towards independence, at times you are very strong in your own ideas, preferences and your emotions can be hard to regulate.  And even though I am a professional in the field and have lots of professional parenting training there are moments I have felt lost, unsure and sad that I lost my patience or didn't handle things the way I wanted to with you. I decided one of the best things I can model for you is to say sorry when I know I made a mistake and get back on the train to being the parent I want to be for you. I pray you know my hearts desire and intentions and that will cover the mistakes I make along the way. 

You keep us laughing. I love your humor and when you get laughing and can't stop it is one of my favorite things in the world. You are that stage that bathroom humor is funny to you, we have a house rule that we save bathroom talk for the bathroom , so sometimes when we are home you will ask me if you can say bathroom words while you are in the bathroom and I will say yes and then you will shout out a string of words during this moment of liberation cracking yourself up with yelling "poop, pee, bum" or any and every other related word you can think of.

So as we say goodbye to year three it is another bittersweet time. Time seems to keep flying by when I think about you being 4! Just the other day I was putting away a cookie monster that your brother got for his birthday and I had small wave of sadness that you already seem done with your sesame street phase. Then I changed your clothes in your closest out for summer time and packed up another round of clothes that your little body will never revisit again. But for these few waves of sadness of letting go there is a vast sea of joy and excitement to behold where we are now and all the promise the future holds. So happy birthday sweet girl! I wish you all the best in your adventure into year four, excited to share it along side you! 

love, 

you mama

Birthday Letter: Year three!

 

Dear Ava,

 

Your three years old! As always for your mamma's heart its still hard for me to believe your already that old. I have loved this year in so many new ways as we watched you grow. As I have each year so far I love to reflect and document what's been special for you this year. I do that so I can hold these moments for you these years you won't have clear memories of your own to hold on to just yet but also because I want to treasure them in my heart also. So here we go...

 



 

 

We went on your first big vacation to Florida, staying at a beach house for a week. You loved the pool and sometimes you loved the beach and ocean depending on the size of the waves. Your daddy and I loved all of it! We hope to return at different times as a family to make more memories through your growing up years.

 

 

You met your cousin Adley that will be your closest cousin in age. You have been taken with her since the moment you met her. Every baby doll in our house you have named "Adley". Again playing with your babies is your favorite thing to do, there is usually always one on your hip when we leave the house.

We survived the tripple digit crazy summer heat with lots of pool time and outside water play. I love that you love water as much as me and your daddy.

We cheered you on as you accomplished lots of big time milestones this year. In the fall you said goodbye to the Paci and were potty trained. You also found out your were going to big sister! Then, after Christmas you tranistioned from your crib to your big girl bed. Most of those tranistions were smoother than anticipated. All of them were markers on just how big you are now.

Another favorite for you this year is playing "ballet". You were such a beautiful tiny ballerina for Halloween. You love to put your hands over your head to show us your "ballet" as you make slow deliberate spinning circles. 

 



 

I love continuing to get glimpses of you will be. Your such a fun girl combo - you love getting your nails painted, going to the tea room, wearing a pretty dress but you also love making mud pies, riding your tri-cycle and being outside. You are tender hearted, compassionate and so loving.

 

We let you watch PBS, Dora and movies. Dora and Daniel Tiger are your favorite shows. Your favorite movies have been Lady and the Tramp, Despicable me and Lion King.

Of course the child therapist in me loves that you've mastered most of your feelings identification this year. Feelings words regularly appear in your conversations. My favorite is when you describe happy and you will randomly tell me things like "mom goats make me so happy". Lately you like to use the words frustrated and disappointed. Those big words sound a little funny coming out of your tiny self.

Regulating your emotions, as will be the case for a few years, is still a struggle at times. As is the case for most two year olds sometimes your moods shift dramatically and suddenly. You tested more limits this year and we've had to be more determined and consistent in our response to you to teach you obedience while we try to also honor and mold your drive toward independence. I didn't always respond with the patience and kindness that I wish I had. Getting to parent you continues to refine me and your dad. I pray to our heavenly father that our parenting continues to grow as you do, that we will be who need to be so that we can help you be all He intends you to be.

I am excited to watch this next year unfold for you. I think you will be a natural at this big sister thing. One of the things I am most excited about in meeting your baby brother is the connection you and he will have with one another. While you are growing bigger, you will always be my baby girl in so many ways. Know there is nothing that can ever happen or you can ever do that will make me love you less or more than I do right now. I don't have words for the gratitude I feel for the blessing you are to your dad and I, that is confirmed every year and every day we get to share with you. Happy 3rd Birthday sweet girl!

Love,

Your mama

Dear Ava,

Dear Ava,

I think I will continue the tradition of writing you a letter on your birthday each year. As I look through my favorite pictures of you over this past year, its clear just how much you've transformed again this year.  Its hard to explain from a mom's perspective just how fast and slow it is all at the same time. These days you are so funny, curious and sweet. We can have little conversations now and I love getting to know what's in that little head of yours. 

Your dad and I have an ongoing friendly fight. I say you look like him but inside your just like me. He says your like him all the way through. I see me in your quiet side that waits first in new situations, in the way you like to observe before jumping in and how sweet and kind you are and your dad says he sees your strength, independence and determination and just knows your a blue print of him. I'm glad you have all of that, either way I think we both agree you're the best of us.

and there are those moments still where you are so clearly one of us or the other. Just this week daddy was teaching you how to blow bubbles in the bath, You were doing so great he called me in to see you. You got pretty confident and stuck our nose down too far and got a bit choked up. I expected tears and avoidance following that but waited for you to have your own response, with teary eyes from the coughing you simply said "woa" and went back for more, learning from that already how to do better at it. That is so the fearlessness of your dad and such a great way to go about life! 

I fall in love with you in so many new ways as you grow. I still love your petite frame and delicate features. Your pretty brown eyes regularly get comments from others. You are still so much fun to dress each day and now the added bonus of doing your beautiful brown hair too. 

I love also that you love to snuggle with me and be rocked daily. I know one day you will be grown and I will so miss this part. I recently read about this mom who is now a grandma, sometimes she dreams at night her children are still tiny like you and she wakes up a bit sad to the reality that they are full grown with kids of their own. That's really resonated with me and I think of that sometimes when we are rocking, trying to soak up every bit of that precious moment. 

I do love the balance we strike most days at this stage with your independent play and the way you still need us too.

You have friends now! There's a whole great little group of kids your age at church as you were part of quite a baby boom. You go to mother's day out on Fridays sometimes at church. I ask you on those mornings if you want to go play with friends and you repeat over and over with a big smile, "Go play with friends".

Of course since we spend so much time with Isabella I can tell she already has a special place in your heart. Your eyes light up to see her. Recently you two have been into trading your shoes with one another as soon as you are together. You love to give her hugs, kisses and pats on the back. If she cries you go over, tilt your head to the side and pat her back and say "Its okay Iz" in the sweetest little voice. She's pretty into you to, She enthusiastically greets you whenever you are reunited running towards you and joyfully saying your name over and over. Friendship is one of God's richest blessings and I'm so glad you are already knowing that joy at this tender age.

Another favorite person of yours is Aunt Amy, you talk about her often, sometimes want me to call her on the phone, ask me where she is. You even declared at one point this year that one of our kitchen chairs is  Aunt Amy's. You go spend Saturday afternoons with her, here and there. Your also pretty wild about your cousins, Chloe and Allie and their dogs. Out of the blue you will bring them up and ask me where they are. When I tell you we are going to be seeing them, you will ask me about them throughout the day. I am so glad you have a close bond with them and I am also so excited for baby girl cousin that is due this summer that you will be close to in age!

As I reflect on this past year I come to the same simple conclusion that this journey of parenting continues to have its challenges at times that change as your grow but so often it seems insignificant compared to the reward and fulfillment of getting to be your mama. So happy second birthday sweet girl! Buckle your belt, this next year holds big things for you! the phasing out of the paci, a change to a big girl bed and potty training to name a few. Can't wait to share more of the big the small and everything in between. Love you!