Dear Daniel,
You’ve just turned 2 and this is all about you. What you love, how I feel about you and our life together. I hope one day you’ll enjoy looking back at this and gain some insight into a life you mostly won’t remember.
Toys you love
Primarily, anything with wheels you love. Cars, trains and planes. You love connecting trains together and will often line cars up, then throw them around. No matter how many cars you have you love the thrill of a new one. You drive them everywhere round the house, all over me, using my legs and arms as slides. Everywhere is your road. Tunnels and tracks are made from household objects. You make sound effects to go with them. Thomas the Tank Engine is your favourite character, he’s the only TV programme you’ll actually sit and watch. ‘Trainy!’ you say whenever you see him in his various forms, and you’ll bring me the remote control saying ‘Trainy’ when you want to watch it. You also love books, and will bring me stories to read and you like to turn the pages and point to animals and characters. ‘Anmal,’ you say. You like to cuddle cuddly toys, but don’t have a particular favourite.
Your Speech
You are learning new words every day, some very clear and others not, but I know what you mean. You spent most of December every time we were out in the dark shouting ‘Mismas Mee!’ at every twinkling light. ‘Santa’ was another word you mastered in the festive season. Your first word was ‘Mama.’ You’re stringing small sentences together now and what you can’t say you make up. It all makes sense in your head though.
You go everywhere at a run – taking off at an enthusiastic speed, whether it’s putting some rubbish in the bin or running towards me at the end of a day at nursery. You’re so happy and sociable, you make everyone smile with your gorgeous blue eyes and straight blonde hair. You have a cheeky personality and aren’t afraid to show it. You absolutely adore music and can’t help but move to the beat. You have some cool moves about you, despite no lessons! When you’re a bit older I shall take you to dance lessons, out of all my children you’re the best dancer at this age. Your favourite rhymes are Row row the boat, Twinkle twinkle little star and wind the bobbin up, but you love having a rave up with loud music and lights.
You’re always on the go and exploring. You’re good at problem solving, which makes us exasperated at times, but we can’t help but admire your ingenuity. When you can’t reach something you’ll get a chair. You climbed out of your cot at just before 2, and you’ll get into weird places. One of your favourite things to do is
JUMP!
Off the sofa, off the window sill, out of the car, into my arms, out of my arms, just plain up and down, off the kerb, basically anything, and your prowess on the trampoline impresses me.
You have a funny sense of humour developing and your laughter often rings through the house. Whether you’re playing peek-a-boo or tickling, you love to laugh and make people laugh.
When you’re tired, seeking reassurance or hurt, you crawl onto my lap or reach up to me and ask for Boo, your word for breastfeeding. You’ve just started to call it milk as well. If you had your way, you’d have it a lot more than you do now, but most mornings, every evening and occasionally during the night is what we’ve settled on. You’re so close to me, your mother and if I’m around no-one else will really do. I may complain here and there and wish Daddy would get a look-in, but I so enjoy our close relationship and bond. I like nothing better than snuggling up together and playing with you. It’s just sometimes there are other things that need to be done. When Daddy comes home after work though, you greet him excitedly, shouting his name and running up to him with such force he has to brace himself, giving him a huge hug and a kiss.
You’re so affectionate and loving, giving kisses and hugs. Your relationship with your sister is the sweetest, she’s the first person other than me and Daddy that you seek out in the morning. You play together and she looks after you tenderly. I hope this carries on into adulthood. You love your big brother too, and love to share with him. You look up to him and want to be like him, I know this will adapt and grow as you grow up together. William can’t wait to play games with you and show you all he knows.
You love helping, and will always try, from when we’re putting washing in the machine to trying to fix something, you want to do it too. You always say thank you and are so keen, I hope that stays with you a while. If your older siblings and cousins are doing something you want to do it too, even if you’re just too little, you don’t understand why not! I can tell you’re going to be tough, loyal and loving and you’ll make a wonderful husband and father among other things.
Sometimes you just don’t want to go to bed, you want more time on the world, and we just roll with it. Sometimes you get up in the night and like a little homing pigeon, find your way to me, even though I’m the furthest from the door. A lot of the time I’m too tired to put you back to bed and I just have you in with me, where you’ll wiggle and kick me in the face, mostly kicking Daddy in the back. Although I’d like my own space most of the time, Some of my favourite snuggles have been in the still of the night, your face pressed to mine, inhaling your baby smell and knowing there’s no place I’d rather be.
