Dear Heaten,

My little cuddlebug. You are still such a happy, happy baby. Where your sister constanly frowns you constantly smile. You are so fun and so funny we laugh and laugh everyday. You have taken up screaming. Not in the bad, angry way - in the ‘I’m so happy I can’t contain myself way’. You stare up at the ceiling and just scream away in the highest pitch that your voice will go. You do this over and over and over and over until your little voice gets tired.

This past month has just flown by! I am amazed at just how big you are and at the same time still so little. You used to fit snuggled up on my chest, now your legs and arms dangle every which way. I love to hold you like a baby - only now you struggle to get away. You want to be sitting up exploring the world, not lying down cuddled with mama.

You love your big sister, even when she is beating you up. You love to play with her and “talk” to her, it is so cute to watch. I think she is going to be the bully in your relationship, but I’m not worried that you’ll be able to hold your own. If nothing else works you can always just scream at her - you’ve got the lungs for it!!

You also love your dada and mama. Your little face lights up and you get the biggest smiles when you see us. You love to sit on your daddy’s lap and when I move you over to mine you cry.

These days pretty much anything that fits goes in your mouth. My fingers, daddy’s fingers, toys, bibs, Shenzie’s hand, blankets, stuffed animals, anything goes! I still suspect you have a tooth coming in, but it is taking its sweet time getting here. I feel a little rough edge, but nothing has yet popped up. I think I might cry when it pops through. My little boy is getting too big!!!! The other night you grabbed your binky and put it in your mouth all by yourself! You also can hold your bottle, but most times you choose not to. I hate to say it buddy, but you are the lazy baby. Shenzie wants to do everything herself while you are content to sit back and let me do it for you.

You are very easy to get laughing. All I have to do is sneeze, cough, or snort and it gets you going. Once you get going with the giggles you can’t stop so we sit on the floor just laughing away at nothing. Your laughs are one of the greatest things in the world. I also love to snuggle your nose with mine. I give you butterfly kisses and we sit and stare into each others eyes. You get real still and just look at me….it melts my heart everytime we do it.

You have a really big appetite just like your sister. So far this month we’ve made bananas (those we just peeled), squash, pears, peaches, peas, green beans, blueberries, mangos, sweet potatos, applesauce, and carrots and you’ve loved them all! You also love to suck on grapes in the feeder thingy.

Life couldn’t get any better for us little guy. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family. You are such a sweet, cuddly baby and I love you so much I want to pop!

I love you Heaten Grey,
Love,
Mama

Dear Shenzie,

Wow, where oh were to begin. This past month has been wonderful. You and your brother are getting easier and easier as each week passes. You now nap on schedule (for the most part), you still sleep through the night (minus one or two nights of misery), you laugh, smile, talk, and yell. The past few days you’ve learned just how loud your little voice can be and you never pass up an opportunity to share it with me. You love to yell. You lie on the floor and just yell to your hearts content - it is so adorable.

You are going to be our little dare devil. You are not scared of anything. You love to hang upside down and constantly throw yourself back to see the world from a different view. You love to sit up and then drop back falling onto the pillows. You also love to “fly”. Anytime I want to get you to smile I just hold you over my head and “fly” and you always give me the biggest smiles! You are getting ticklish under your chin so I make it a point to “get you” there daily just so I can hear you laugh.

This month brought on severe stranger anxiety. You DO NOT like people to look at you. The only people you like are me and dada. While out shopping if anyone gets too close or looks at you too long your little lip starts to quiver and you cry. Daddy’s like ‘Yes!’ in hopes that this will continue until you’re 25 and married.

You are still very quiet and frowny and apparently I was the same way as a baby. Now, not so much. I have a big mouth and I am very, very loud so there is still hope for you.

You are such a big girl and can hold your bottle. You have a very big appetite and eat as much as brother. Your poor little legs are so chunky they won’t fit into some of your bloomers! Your legs got stuck in the Bumbo chair today and pretty soon they won’t even fit in there!!

You now like bath times. You love to lie on your belly and splash the water with your legs. You constantly look up at me like ‘Are you watching me? See how cute I am and how much I can splash’.

You love, Love, LOVE to pull on your daddy’s beard. Daddy is using you babies against me when it comes to shaving it off. “But the babies like it, I couldn’t possibly take it away from them” yadda, yadda, yadda. And just like a sucker I give in because I don’t want one of your favorite things taken away from you. Yes, I admit it, you have me right where you want me…wrapped around your little finger! If Dada’s beard is unavailable my hair or brother’s hair will do.

Shenzie you are so, so cute and sweet I just love you to bits. I enjoy every single day we spend together and want you to stay this way forever while at the same time getting so excited to see what’s next.

I love you pumpernickle, forever,

Love,

Mama