My Max,

My sweet Maxwell. I sure love being your mom. For the past two years and two months it has just been me and you, you and me. I have loved it. Some days seem long, other moments pass too quickly, but I know in the long run these years will just be a moment in both of our lives. With the arrival of your baby brother soon I want you to know that I absolutely have loved this time and will always remember and cherish it. It has changed and shaped me as a person and has brought me closer to Heavenly Father. It has helped me know what is needed of me as a mother and understand my role in God's plan for you and our family. You will love having a brother. I know you need a sibling and a playmate. I love laying down with you or sitting with you on my lap (which is a little tricky with this big belly). It's so fun to cuddle with my sweet two year old and at the same time feel your little brother kicking and squirming. He pokes you a lot when you sit on my lap, I'm sure you feel it.

I think you know there is a baby coming. We talk about it and I show you blankets and clothes that are for the baby. You'll pull them out later and tell me they're for the baby. Today I put the baby carseat next to yours. You knew it was for a "baby!" I told you we were going to put the baby in our car soon. "Baby in our car!" you repeated. When I ask you what is in my tummy however, you tell me "choo-choo". I asked you what we should name him and you said, "Bob-boo", looking me straight in the eye, very seriously. Daddy asked you again the other day what we should name him and you said "scary monkey", hee hee. You really love babies. I know you are going to help me take care of him. You've never been jealous seeing me hold another baby. When we take care of friends babies you always bring them toys and snacks and you always want to give them their "milk!" when they cry. You know bottles are for babies, although you've only had a drink out of a bottle about 5 times in your whole life, the last time when you were 3 months old. You love to point out babies in books, also mommies and daddies. If you have a big stuffed animal or toy it's always a mommy or daddy and if you have a smaller one it's the baby. You put them in groups this way and tell me which one is which.

You are growing and talking so much. You say words that I've never even pointed out or read to you, like "wagon" and "kite". You have such a personality and are doing more things that are just Max and not necessarily imitating me or daddy or a friend. You like to give your friends hugs. Your nursery leader emailed me the other day and said you were following the same girl around the whole time trying to hug her. Another nursery leader mentioned you were hugging kids until they fell over when I picked you up. You can now say "hug" and like to hug your stuffed animals too. Grandma White just adopted two new kitties and you say "gentle" when you touch them. When they were eating their food you were telling them to "go play!" it was funny. You love books, especially car books. You really like books by Byron Barton, you like the pictures and they're mostly about vehicles and cities. We always look for those at the library when we go for "story time" which you say so clearly as well. Other three syllable words you can say are "dinosaur" and "strawberry". You love to eat cereal, bunny milk (strawberry milk), and applesauce, and yogurt. You could live off these things right now! You are pretty picky when it comes to anything else but occasionally you'll try something new. You are getting more strong willed, this morning it took us 15 minutes to get your shoes and socks on because the socks you really wanted to wear were dirty ("truck socks") but you finally decided it was ok to wear the socks with the "canes" on them (cranes). You love all things trains, we get out your "choo-choo track" every day with "Thomas" and "James". When you want us to play you'll say, "Mommy Thomas" or "Daddy James" which means you want us to come make them go, while you move the other one.

Just a side note, you are right now in your crib. You told me you were "sleepy" and wanted a "nap" but at this moment you are singing the "ABC's" and saying "Here we go!".

You are getting better at colors. You can point out pink, yellow, orange, green and purple pretty consistently. You will sometimes line up your cars and start counting them, "1,2,3. . . " and then start over. You recently started holding up two fingers (well trying) when you're telling me there are two of something, like two bunnies out on the grass.

You are good at holding my hand when we walk outside or are on an outing and you stay close to me. I love walking and holding your little hand and when you reach for mine. I love your long blonde curls (strangers often comment on them!), your hazel eyes and your sweet smile.

I will always love you my little Max! The world is yours!

love, Mom

May 10, 2011

P.S. I just have to add this. Since about Christmas time you DO NOT like to be messy. If you have a little drop of milk on your hands or tray you tell me "messy!, messy!" until it is cleaned up. It's pretty cute, and a little funny. You've tried foods like Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Cheetos but hate that it leaves your hands "messy" and will ask to have your hands wiped in the middle of eating. The other day we had popcorn after dinner (maybe it was FOR dinner, haha) and a lot of it dropped on the floor. I was bathing you upstairs and you heard daddy turn on the hand vaccuum. You looked up at me and said "messy popcorn!" because you knew daddy was cleaning it up. At easter you had some yellow Peeps in your basket. You picked it up but the marshmallow got on your hands, you were no longer interested in eating it, "messy chicken!". Then the other day you scraped your knee and started bleeding. You kind of though it was funny and of course said "messy!".