Britt,
Happy Birthday! It is so hard for me to believe that you could possibly be two years old today, but you are. It seems just a few short days ago, that I held you for the first time, and was a tiny bit miffed that the nurses wanted to take you away so quickly to weigh and measure. The first time I looked into those blue, blue eyes so much like your daddy's it took my breath away to know that I now had someone in my life, so small, so dependent on me to care for and protect.
You don't need me quite as much these days. You are more and more independent each day, doing more and more for yourself. You have mastered the art of turning on my camera and scrolling through the pictures, opening any door, climbing on or over just about everything, just to name a few. There are a few things you still ask for help with. You haven't quiet mastered using a fork and spoon efficiently, mainly because Momma didn't want to clean up a mess. And at least for now, you still can't manage to pour your own milk. The day that happens you won't need me any more since you have already master the art of climbing to get the Cheerios and chips. You are so active, running and climbing and playing.
It's amazing, the more and more you learn to say, just how that little mind works. I have known for sometime that you are listening when we talk, but I'm seeing proof of that more and more. Back a few months ago when Bro. Jay was introducing services at MacClenny he said that you don't plant peas and get popcorn, and you jumped up and looked all over for popcorn asking "ca-corn? ca-corn?" That same Sunday when Bro. David began preaching he was talking about the use of dogs in the Bible, you kept leaning over and whispering "ruff-ruff" to me as if you were sharing a secret insight. You are clearly remember more and more of the things you've seen and heard too. Out of no where one day you kept asking for "grace" and when I finally figured out that you wanted me to sing Amazing Grace you sang several of the words with me and beat time, and you had never done it before. The fish that Grandmother and Granddaddy have that you are so terrified of sings be happy, and last weekend Bro. John was preaching that God does things that make Him happy. When I told you to stop squirming and listen, you pointed to him and said "Fish be happy." I am continually surprised in the car when you hear something Daddy and I are talking about and you give your two cents worth.
You love to drive your trucks and trains, and bounce tennis balls off my kitchen floor. You have also become a little tv junkie. You want to watch Cats (Aristocats) or Gogli (Jungle Book) or Big Bird over and over all day long. When we aren't watching a movie, you want me to read to you. I often feel as if nothing is getting accomplished and why oh why are we reading this book for the 40th time today, no joke. But then you snuggle up in my lap, the only time my active non-snuggly child slows down, and ask "Uck, Uck, Moose. Gen?" and like magic I read "Duck, Duck, Moose" for the 41st time.
You've gone from Momma's baby boy, to the big brother this year. Most days you are stellar. You love on Ruth and like to sit and talk to her, and she just smiles at you. You pet her hair and tell her where her nose is. You tell her to shake and show her how to shake hands. You bring her books, and "read" to her. You share your toys, and of course help yourself to all of hers. You love to randomly give her kisses and hugs. You are incredibly loving toward her, and while sometimes you get whiny with me and often fuss when I don't give you attention immediately, you are never mean toward her.
The last month has been more difficult with you because you have quit taking naps more than about once a week, and you aren't sleeping well at night. Of course, this results in a cranky Britt and Momma all the next day, when you refuse to mind and pick fights all day. I'm hoping these bumps in the road smooth out again for you soon, because when you are happy your smile and laugh are contagious. Even when you are rotten and give your toy train kisses but run laughing and refuse to give me kisses, we wouldn't trade you for the world.
I love you ever so much,
Momma
Saturday, on New Year's Day we had our annual picnic down at the Church. We enjoyed playing cards in the morning after breakfast and before lunch. After lunch the kids spent a lot of time playing outside, the women talked, and the men played corn hole toss.
It was a nice relaxing day. We had a great time.
Sleep has been hard to come by lately in our house. With a toddler and an infant I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. We've slowly been getting adjusted back to normal after the lengthy trips home to see both families. Ruth is finally back to sleeping through the night, however, she is currently not going to sleep until 2 am, so we've got to work on that. Some night she still ends up sleeping with us or in the swing, but we are trying each night to put her down in her bed, and I would say she's sleeping in it about half of the time. She's like Britt in that she wants to sleep either in the corner or up against some kind of stuffed animal. She's improving in her sleeping.
Britt on the other hand has gotten worse, and worse about sleeping. Even before we moved, and before he moved into a toddler bed he was waking some in the middle of the night with nightmares. Now however, they have progressed to a nightly ordeal. He throws a fit when we put him to bed, because he's scared of sleeping now. He wakes up usually twice once between midnight and 2 and again between 4 and 6. I think he may be having night terrors, because when we go into his room, he's frantic and throwing himself around, but he's not awake. Gary usually has good luck with waking him up, calming him down, and getting him back to bed the first time. However, we've had no such luck the second time. Britt will scream for well over an hour if we don't go in there, and if you go in to calm him down, and then leave he starts all over again. As a result he has spent the last part of the night for a week now in the bed with us.
I can remember Granddaddy getting down in the floor with me and later on the boys and Maghen and wooling us. I have no idea what that word is suppose to mean, but he would get down on his knees with us laying in the floor and "wrassle" us a little and "wool" us real good. We use to love it, and get so tickled. We would always wanted more. In Granddaddy's words "It was just a good way to love on you without you knowing what I was doing." Granddaddy has never really been one to say "I love you" to us out loud, but he has always been there supporting us in his own way, and loving on us grandkids.
