When your baby turns 2.

To my baby who is no longer a baby…

You were my fastest and most convenient birth.

We called the midwife by 8 am, and stopped for coffee for Dad at 9 am. We got our own room at the hospital at 10:30 am, and by noon you were on my chest looking up at me with your big brown eyes. We were home by 6 pm and devouring a fresh, hot, delivered pizza at 10 pm because we suddenly realized how stunned and hungry we were from the events of the day.

What a day it had been.

There was a huge knot in your umbilical cord, your first acrobatic trick was when you were still inside the womb. I bet you were proud of that first cool trick and smiling like how you still do when we find you standing on a table, or precariously climbing your brother’s bunk bed ladder.

You’re a bit of cheeky monkey, which we expect and adore.

Today you woke up in your crib and called out for your mama just like you do every morning. But today I picked you up and you smiled and exclaimed, “Balloon!” when you saw them all over the living room floor.

We’ve been singing Happy Birthday to you all day, but we’ll put candles in your pie and officially sing to you again after supper.

Your biggest brother, he only had a banana with two little candles burning in the end of it as his 2 year birthday cake. He also got a new pair of shoes instead of that incredibly detailed pizza shop Duplo set you’ve been playing with all day.

Maybe we spoiled you a little today, but it was fun to see your brothers help with the spoiling.

“We made him two cards each Mom!” I wonder if another toddler who can’t read a single word has ever received 8 cards on his birthday. They love him.

“Can Ethan sleep in our room tonight Mom?! You said he could when he’s 2!” I meant a little longer than 10 minutes after he had turned 2…

Ethan, you made our family bigger and louder, and you made us upgrade to a minivan because otherwise you wouldn’t have had a seat in the car. And I’m so thankful that you did.

I’m so thankful for you, my sweet boy.

I’m thankful for your pudgy little arms that squeeze around my neck.

I’m thankful for how you always find me and sit on my lap, like you have the absolute rights to forever owning that lap.

I’m thankful that I can hear you call me mama and say I love you in comprehensible toddler speech.

I’m thankful for how you’ve made us learn to share better… our time, our hearts, and our stuff.

We love you so much, and we’re so glad everybody now has a buddy to team up with. Happy Birthday dear Ethan, my little boy who turned our group of 3 sons, into 4.