letter to Jayden

I have started and stopped, started and erased, and then started and stopped this letter many times. This letter to my firstborn, my sweet sweet Jayden boy. But tonight I was reading my friend Andrea's blog and her letter to her "twinks" who turned 2 today (happy birthday, sweet ones!) and I was inspired to finish it.

Jayden, it is so hard to believe that two years have passed since you came into the world. I remember how wide your eyes were, how you stayed awake for a full hour after being born, taking everything in. Not much has changed since then. You have such a zeal for life, for people, for the things around you. You are enthusiastic about the seemingly smallest things. But, to you, they are big deals. The "man" who trims the trees in our neighborhood, the trash trucks on Friday morning, Eli, playing on the floor with Mommy Daddy or Stephanie. All of these you love with wild abandon.

You also love people. I chuckled at your 2 year check-up. On the list of milestones you may have accomplished is "can name 3 or 4 friends." Jayden boy, you know the name of every single one of Daddy's co-workers, all the kids at church, our next door neighbors, Mommy's friends, Daddy's friends. You are social, and want to love everyone. One of our biggest challenges has been getting to express your love less...uummm...lovingly. Hee hee. Your daddy and I love watching you engage people already. You are charming, loving, and full of antics for everyone you encounter.

There are so many things I want to remember about this time. You pat the floor next to you and say, "Play, play" and we know you want us to sit with you and play, with anything and everything. When I go to get you from your nap you say, "Eli, Eli, play, play, bed." I put Eli in the crib with you and you both just burst into hysterical laughter. We sing "God We Thank You" before dinner and then you bow your head and whisper and then say "amen." I love that you pray already. Just this morning you said, "Dear Jesus, please help. amen. hannah." You were trying to pray for our friend Hannah who was having a rough day. My heart melted at your tender spirit. You jabber a mile a minute about everything. When we go anywhere in the car, I hear "Mommy, mommy" from the back and I say, "What, Jayden?" and you tell me something. Then I hear, "Mommy, mommy" again and this repeats over and over the whole drive. You now will say to me, "Mommy, hold me." Oh how i love those words. You still love to snuggle, and will wrap your arms around me and lay your head on my shoulder and sigh, "Mommy...."

My sweet wonderful miracle boy, you are loved beyond what you can imagine. Your daddy and I delight in you. In your sweet spirit, in your passionate heart, in your toddler antics. We fall more in love with you everyday. We are so thankful Jesus gave you to us to raise, and that we have the privilege of being your parents. These past two years have been so filled with joy because of your life. We love you sweet boy.