Dear Nathan,
Today you turned two years old. It amazes me every day how you are both my baby and my little boy. The baby moments are getting to be few and far between, so I cherish them. It's mostly when you are tired or hurt. You come to me crying, "Mi-mio! Nursie!" and you snuggle in my arms just like you did the first moment you came into the world. Only, then you weren't all gangly arms and legs. Well, actually, at 9lb 11oz, 22 inches, you were, but you are so much bigger now. So tall and lean that the little baby roundness is almost gone. Some days, from behind, I mistake you for your big brother. You are very taken with him, but you are very much your own little person. You do your own thing your own way. It is so much fun to watch you play and learn. Here are some of your favorite things at age 2:
Woo-Woo! - Thomas the Train. That was your choice for your birthday cake and you ask me to sing the woo-woo song to you almost every night. You have a woo-woo shirt, jammies, flashlight (2), whistle and kaleidoscope. I know there's more, but you do like your woo-woo.
Outside - You love to be in the yard, rain or shine. Naked or clothed. Barefoot or shoes. You'd never come in, if we didn't make you.
Wa-wa - Water. I can only imagine what our water bills will be if we let you play with the hose as much as you want to this summer!
Diddy-dat - Our kitties. You love them. They fear you. You chase them, saying "Nice! Nice!" And so it goes.
Bubbles - Self explanatory.
You seem to love just about everything, so I'm having trouble pinpointing your favorites. At nighttime, you like to have your bear and sheep. We got you your own Twilight Turtle for your birthday so you won't have to share Harry's anymore. You talk so much we've stopped counting all your words. That is so much fun. It delights us every day to hear your voice. So we don't forget, here are your names for your family.
Nathan: Nay-nay. I forget who came up with this. I think it was Daddy. But this is what we all end up calling you and what you call yourself. I know it is silly, but it suits you. Sometimes we say Natie (Sweet Potatie!), but Nay-Nay comes out most often.
Mommy: Mi-Mio. You came up with this yourself. You started by calling me Mimi, but then when my mom came, you figured out that we call her Mimi. So, you called her Mimi and me Mi-Mio. You never seemed enamored by Mama, since Harry and Daddy say Mommy. Your name for me is so special. Only you can really use it. Daddy and Harry say it to be silly, but it is your name, not theirs. We like to turn it on you and call you Natie-O. (And Daddy-O and Harry-O)
Daddy: Dada. You are now learning to say "Daddy" but it comes out "Da-ee". That's OK. Don't grow up too fast.
Harry: Ra-Ra. You also came up with this yourself. We tried to get you to say "Ree-Ree" and you did, but you preferred "Ra-Ra". Not sure if it is supposed to be short for "Harry" or "Brother" but Harry likes it and so do you.
Mu-Mu: Mu-Mu. For a while, you used this for every cat. But now you do different names and say "diddy-dat!" Sometimes, when you're sleeping, Mu-Mu sleeps with you.
Carmen: Bar-Bar. Poor Bar-Bar is scared of you, but you love her. Sometimes she lets you pat her, if I'm close by.
I'll close, my sweet Nay-Nay, by saying I cannot believe it has been two years already. I know from watching your brother that this year brings even more changes. This time next year, we'll be enrolling you in preschool. *Sniff!* You and your brother are so sweet, so funny, so smart some days it just overwhelms me. I am really the luckiest Mi-mio in the whole world. Happy Birthday, Nathan-Bear.
Love,
Mi-Mio
