To Sumner, on his second birthday

Dear Sumner,

I still remember you in your incubator, your back covered in fuzz. You looked like an angry old man. You'd cry at diaper changes. You loved it when we paid attention to you.

When we got home, we called you "the tank." To us, you were huge...you looked like a potato. You used to make the cutest sound like a billy goat. Sometimes you sounded like a backfiring car. You used to nurse on our noses. One of my favorite pictures is you nursing Jack's nose.

Now you are two. Where has time gone? We were so proud of you when you started walking in October. You aren't always the most motivated, but when you put your mind to it, boy do you do it! You love cars, wheels, fans, cats, pretty much any animal that will hold still for you, elmo, and pacis. You have just started asking a lot for a "hug" and you can be so cuddly when you want to be. You talk all the time. You're always telling us "it's alright" "shut the door!" "I don't know." You love to repeat what you hear. You always have something to say. You love to sing, especially "twinkle twinkle" "row row row your boat" and the elmo's world song. Last week when we went out to the car, you sang "row row row your boat, gently down the street" because that's how you think it goes. You know each of our cats by name and tonight you chased Bode around for 5 minutes. You just started a "mama" phase this week and I am secretly overjoyed with it.

You are so kind to your brother. Today he brought your blanket and you said "Thank you Jack Jack." You always call him that.

You love your daddy and you are so proud when you get to wear your hockey jersey like he has. In a lot of ways, you remind me so much of him. You still sometimes have night terrors, and you have been known to get scared over small things, but you also have a laugh that is infectious. Last week you were in the lobby of a restaurant and you laughed so hard you had 10 other people laughing with you.

Your big blue eyes are so deep, I could see for miles. When you sleep, you always sleep with your butt in the air. You love stuffed animals.

I couldn't be prouder of you. I love you.

love, mommy.