Dear Max,
We had a very exciting month! The biggest surprise was that is SNOWED! IN TEXAS! I remember the Thanksgiving after you were born that it kind of “snowed/iced”, but you were just a baby and obviously don’t remember. That being said, this was really your first experience with snow. I was so excited to show you the snow that the night that it snowed I took you and Jake in the backyard for a few minutes just so you could watch the snow fall from the sky. It was so windy and definitely too cold (and late) for us to be outside for very long, but I did manage to snap a picture. The next morning I took you and Jake outside to play in the snow before it melted. You had fun running around and picking up snow and licking it. We attempted to build a snowman, but you decided it would be more fun for you build up a mound of snow and then kick it over. Then Zeke peed on it. So much for that. You got some new toys this past month, and that is always exciting. You got a Power Wheels Jeep. You absolutely love it. We let you ride it in the backyard, but you haven’t really figured out how to steer it. It goes forwards and it can also go in reverse. Jake likes to sit in the passenger side and usually we just turn the wheel so that you can just go in circles and not run into anything. I decided to buy you the Tag Junior reading system. It is really neat. I bought you 5 books to go with it and so far you have really enjoyed it. It’s really cool because when you put the “wand” on the words it reads the words to you. It also has lots of interactive stuff too. I need to really sit down and learn all that it does so that I can show you, but so far you are just enjoying “playing” with it. Something that Jake got was some different shaped blocks, and of course you love them. You love trying to figure out how to fit them to make different things and Jake let’s you play with it, for now.
Even though it has been freezing (literally) lately, it was actually warm enough to go to the zoo at the beginning of this month. We met some friends there and you boys had a great time. I’m glad I got a zoo pass last year and I plan on renewing it! Unfortunately, the penguin exhibit was closed. In March the zoo is opening up a huge new addition and it looks like it is going to be really neat and add a bunch of new animals. For some reason you kept telling me you wanted to see the peacocks, but after we went to the kids petting and play area you got distracted and forgot about it.
We took a trip to Oklahoma this past month and got to see a bunch of people at the New Years meeting. You and Jake did GREAT in the car. The portable DVD players were life savers. Jake even watched a Baby Einstein DVD! One day we went to a bounce house and even though it was small and very crowded, you kids had a great time. There was a big inflatable Batman that you loved. I think you had so much fun because Dada jumped with you most of the time and I jumped with you some too. We managed to get one picture of you and Jake with Eliana and Ian. It was a good trip and you have been asking about “all your friends” in Oklahoma. You are so funny.
You have started to sing a lot more. You mostly sing your ABCs, 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Row Your Boat, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and then lots of church songs. The other day you started singing “O Why Not Tonight?” It was very random because I can’t even remember the last time we sang that song. I got video of you singing it while you were eating dinner and it was the first time in a long time that I was crying because I was laughing so hard. You are hilarious. You have also started praying by yourself, and it is truly precious. We have been reading a lot of Bible stories lately and you always want to read about Jonah, The other day Nona was reading you the story of Jesus walking on the water. When she asked you what happened you exclaimed, “He saw a SHARK!” I guess you have watched that Batman episode with the exploding shark one too many times!
Lately you seem to be a little more daring. You have started finding things you can jump or climb on. You like to jump off the ottoman onto the floor or you jump from the ottoman to the couch. You and Jake love the laundry basket and sometimes you turn it over and stand on it (or jump off of it) or you sit inside of it and then tip it over and fall out of it. This week you gave yourself your second black eye when you were sitting in the laundry basket and tipped it over a little too close to the TV stand. I really figured that the little 3-foot slide I bought you when you first became a toddler would be something you would just play with for a little while. That was the best $35 I spent! You love that little slide and you are always discovering new ways to use it. Jake loves it too and almost always comes over to it when you are playing with it. You have been jumping off the slide lately and I got it on video. You fall pretty hard and it looks like it has to hurt, but you just keep getting up and doing it again.
I really wanted to have kids close together, but as Jake’s birth drew near I started to feel a little bit guilty. I was worried that you weren’t going to get as much attention or that we were going to miss out on spending time with you. Seeing you and Jake together, and watching the two of you “grow up” (to this point, at least) is better than I ever expected it to be. I really think that having Jake has only made your life better and if we hadn’t had Jake yet we wouldn’t get to see the two of you interact. It has also taught you a lot. You have learned some patience (as much patience as a toddler can have) because you understand that sometimes I have to do things for Jake and you have to wait for something. You have also learned that you have to share. You have learned that you are not the only one that needs things and it has helped you become more helpful, not only to us, but to Jake also. You are always helping him get a toy that he can’t reach, or giving him snacks out of your bowl. You really are a great big brother and Jake is very lucky to have you. You really do genuinely care for Jake and I know that he cares about you too. Whenever you get put in timeout Jake crawls straight to you and starts climbing on you. I guess it is his ways of “comforting” you. I have absolutely no regrets about having you and Jake only a year and a half apart. I think that it has, and will continue to make both of your childhoods better because you have each other. I love you so much!
Love,
Mama
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very cute pictures! you (and the boys) are going to love the power wheels…best money we have ever spent on a toy!