Two is not so terrible

Tiny squirming boy,

You turned two on Thursday! You did it! What a happy day for you. You took the early approach - you got up at 6 a.m. and began your day with a nap next to Daddy on the couch. I can't remember when you got your first gift, but you were very entitled all day.

We went out for lunch and you feasted on Mac and cheese. Then you took a monstrous nap (3.5 hours!) while your southern grandma and I went shopping. We bought you even more presents! After you woke up, we went out for dinner at Fritz's Railroad Restaurant. The food is awful, terribly awful, but it is delivered by a small train. Trains circle the interior of the restaurant at all times. And since this was a very train birthday for you, it was perfect. You absolutely loved it! It was the first time we'd ever taken you out to a restaurant and then had to do very little to keep you happy. We will go back to Fritz's any time for you... But we might pack our own dinner. ;)

You opened more gifts at home - a cloth John Deere tractor book sewed together by Uncle Ken, a Thomas the Train set from Grandma and Grandpa Tractor, a load of train toys from your mom and dad, some Hot Wheels, and a school bus shaped Magna Doodle. We have more gifts for you but we're spacing them out so you can appreciate them better.

You rewarded us by sleeping through the night last night. I know, we thought we had conquered that! But then you and I took a trip to visit Uncle Ken and Auntie Kari, and sleep habits went out the window. We had to share a bed there, and you kind of liked that. You liked waking up at night and finding mommy there. I became your pillow. I stopped sleeping when you stopped sleeping. How very convenient for you.

How I love you, my darling. You are the cutest little boy in the world. You're very clever and you're sweet. We will do all we can to make sure you don't have a "terrible two" year.

By the way - your new words include bowl - "bow", shirt - "turt", and church - "turtch". You also jibber jabber about things, and usually the last syllable is a real word. "Bellabalala duredurga ba?" is something about a ball. I get it. :) It amazes me when other people hear you talk - they don't understand a thing. I feel like your interpreter sometimes. And I like that. I think we should always be together, ok?

XOXOX