Samuel: 33 Months

Dear Little Buddy,

This was a big month for you. It's like you keep getting older and more mature with each passing week. I'm not sure I'm quite prepared for just how quickly you are changing! Perhaps the biggest news of all is that you are potty training yourself right now! Three days with hardly an accident, and we just couldn't be prouder. We love how you call us in to observe the fruits of your potty labor and we especially love it when you wear your underwear on your head! It's never a dull moment with you, kid.

  This was a rough month for us, health-wise. A bad head cold for us all plus a case of the stomach flu for you and Maddie. Poor little people. :( Last night was our first full night's sleep in over three weeks. Many nights you called out, climbed in our bed, and wriggled and wrestled away in our sheets as you tried to get comfortable. My heart practically broke in two when you curled up like a sleepy little kitty on the top of the couch:

 You continue to love sticks, especially sticks that resemble guns. You will carry them around with an unending song of "Ba-doo! Ba-doo!" You love to be outside, running around, collecting treasures of all kinds, making piles of sticks, leaves and rocks. You love to play in the leaves, rolling and kicking and throwing your little heart out!

You are SUCH a big boy. It's hard to believe that my baby, my little monkey boy, is almost three. You run and jabber and climb and pretend and now, even, go pee-pee in the potty! It seems like things are going by so fast. You are so tall, so lean, and so muscular. I can't wait to see how your little body develops in the next year and all the things you will do!

You love to decorate and undecorate the tree. One day I found you standing, legs wide, grasping a baseball bat and hitting ornaments off the tree one by one, laughing as they went flying across the room. Just today you broke into one of your presents (you've been eyeballing it for a week now). After peeking at the contents, you proceeded to cry and carry on for about 40 minutes. "Woo woo (firetruck) man hat. Woo woo man coat. AHHHHHHHHHH! Woo woo man hat. Woo woo man coat!" I finally gave in. For the rest of the day you wore nothing but that hat, coat, and your fireman rain boots. Absolutely delicious.

You are full of life and fun and giggles. You are absolutely hilarious, always making us laugh by cracking jokes and flashing us silly grins. You can be very sneaky, grabbing Christmas treats and running away, eating M&Ms beneath the table, even stealing my cough drops from the side of the bed! You love you some "CANDY!" 

Everyone who knows you just loves you, Sam. You are fun and engaging, sweet and snuggly, fun and adventurous, exuberant and joyful. There's never a dull moment with you (and especially with you and your big sis). We're so, so glad that you're part of our family. Thanks for making us laugh, for giving us so many kisses and snuggles, and for filling our house with joy.

Love,

Mama