My Matthew Man

Dear Matthew,

Obviously Mommy is not so great at writing these letters regularly!

You are seriously just the cutest little boy around.  You will be two in a few weeks, and I can't believe how much like a boy you are and not a baby now.  You want to do everything the big kids are doing, and you get very frustrated and struggle to understand why when you're not allowed to.  You especially feel betrayed when I put you down for a nap but let Natalie watch a show for quiet time.  Someday you'll understand, I promise!

What a vocabulary you have, and it's growing and growing.  You can identify all your letters, most of your numbers, you count objects up to ten, and sometimes further.  You know your colors fairly well, and you're figuring out your shapes right now.  I am AMAZED at how quickly you learn and retain information.

You are also a little stinker.  You have the cutest little grin, and you know how to use it.  When I tell you not to do something, most of the time you'll grin at me and try to get away with it anyway.  You also can run away, pretty fast.

We're starting you in gymnastics tomorrow, and you also took a Mommy and Me swim class this summer.  You are so comfortable in the water, and want to do your own thing.  The teacher allowed the students to go off the diving board the last day (because you wanted to!), and you literally wanted to jump in.  I handed you down in jumping position to the teacher.  Your example prompted all the other kids in the class to go off the board too!  I hope you'll continue to be a role model for GOOD things during your life.

Nursery is one of your favorite places to be, and you've really been easy to transition there.  I hope that will be the case when we move to Utah at the end of this year.

You keep life fun, and my heart is just full of love for you.

Love,
Mommy

Dear Matthew,

My adorable boy.  Just looking at you makes me smile.  You are a happy, sweet, and loving little boy, and you have well established yourself in our home already.

You've been a little sick recently, with a horrible cough.  Yet, you never seem to get upset or overly-frustrated about not feeling well.  You nap a little more (which means you nap like you're supposed to - my little power-napper that you are!), and you have that cough, but that's the only give away that you're not feeling well.  This just seems to be how you are about everything:  happy.  I love that about you.  I hope that I can learn from your ability to just be happy no matter what.

Today I was reminded how much I love you and what you mean to me.  I was holding you and saying our nighttime prayers.  In the middle of the prayer I just kissed your cheek and was filled with love for you.  You are so special to me.

I love you.

Love,
Mommy