Dear Jude & Emily,
It's been a busy autumn so far, and it seems like the two of you are growing as quickly as the weeks are passing by!
Emily, you are 17 months old now ~ the same age Jude was when you were born! Your vocabulary has grown to about 18 words, with "mine," "Daddy," and "Jude" still being your favorites. You absolutely adore your big brother and love to follow him around and get into whatever he's getting into. And I think you're acquiring his love for singing, as you'll often "sing" along with us; and your favorite songs this month are "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "If You're Happy and You Know It..." You also love to give hugs {to us and your dolls}, make a kissy noise with your lips, and throw your arms up anytime you hear "Touchdown!"
You've acquired quite a few new teeth in the past two months, which has made for some fussy days weeks. But it's also meant lots of cuddles for me, which I love. And because of your teething, your eating has been very sporadic. Some days you'll eat very little, and some days you'll eat more than Jude! You're growing like a weed, though, so one way or another you seem to be getting exactly what your cute little body needs.
This is the age of exploring everything around you for the first time, and I love watching your bright eyes light up as you experience and learn about something new.
Jude, this is your last month of being a two year old, which is hard for me to believe! You are rapidly making the transition from baby boy to little boy, and you've become quite the helper to me and Daddy. {And you're quite the teacher to your little sis.} You love learning and doing new things, singing songs, reading books, and playing outside; and your new interest is all things trains! Your vocabulary is also increasing, and your sentence structure is developing very well. I'm daily amazed at the mini-conversations you and I have! And as of this week, you have all of your baby teeth in - hooray!!
Your Mimi {who came to visit this month} has told me that three years old is the best age, and I'm quickly seeing why! You are such a sweet, caring, compassionate and obedient boy; and though you have your rowdy moments {as all boys do}, most of your days are filled with smiles, giggles, hugs and kisses!
Love you {both} like cream cheese frosting,
Mommy
