8:54 AM

Seth at 8:54 AM, February 01, 2012. Exactly two years old.

• • • • • • •

For Seth, my last:

Two years ago at this exact time you were born. Your brother was the first one I heard cry, but you were the first one I saw and I always liked that it turned out that way, so that you both got to be first right from the start.

At two, you love to barrel through life. There is no around with you – you have always been my little bulldozer. You are physically confident and incredibly strong, despite a perpetual case of the skinny. I've made reference to you along the way as a "tough guy"– which you certainly are when it comes to physical challenges – and as much as I hate to blow your cover it's time to set the record straight for those who don't know you as well as I do and say that the "tough guy" stuff ends there since your insides are about as tough as a bag of kittens.

As it turns out, you are a pretty sensitive guy.

You aren't as big on kisses as your brother, but you sure do love your cuddles. Your Gamma Rita said it best when she said you fit like a puzzle piece. You really do.

While your brother might take the title of chatterbug, you have your own way with words and have an amusing way of alternating between your sweet toddler voice and resembling a drill sargeant. Home just wouldn't be "Hum!" without you.

Your favorite games to play with Mommy are "hiding" and "chasing". You would do both all day if I had the stamina for it.

Your favorite things to do include building things, the proper order of things (within the general chaos of course), puzzles of all kinds, "abbets" and "numbahs" (especially those bath toys!), managing your "library", and anything tactile. You love soft things on your face especially.

Flirting with cuties is also pretty high on your list of favorites. You have a swagger and a look that no one at two has a right to have, but you've pretty much had both since you were born.

You like to laugh, but love your own jokes best and are rather good at coming up with them.

You are ridiculously ticklish.

Your very favorite things are Mommy's eyeglasses, your aloo-shoes* and your combat boots. Your favorite color is also orange, you favor your right hand and I think your favorite number is 20 ("twen-twee!"). You love helping Mommy and I love that you love that.

You are the purveyor of leggy-bugs*, uh-oh's* and things that "go"*, as well as co-conspirator in the great tse-tse capers*.

Big cuddles to you today, Seth. I hope you have the happiest of happy birthdays.

All my love,
Mommy