Oh Joseph, my Joseph!! You're two years old now! And oh my goodness, are you every bit the two year old!
You have had quite the year of learning and growing. You're still a bit on the small side, which makes me chuckle to even think about. But I don't worry that you'll be as large in stature in time as you were at birth. I think the real issue is that you don't like to hold still long enough to eat! You've got places to go and people to see and stuff to destroy...who has time for something as boring as eating?! :) You are, by far, our most energetic toddler. You are busy every minute that you're awake, and you love to work on something. Most of the time, that means making a huge mess or destroying something around the house. But every once in a while I see you sorting dinosaur toys, or making piles of cars, or building block towers. I love the look of concentration on your face as you work, but it pales in comparison to the look of exultant triumph when you complete your work. Your eyes just shine so bright and it melts my heart every single time.
You are such a dare devil, Joey. You love to climb, jump, bounce, fly into the air, spin around until you can't see straight...the works. You not only love to wrestle and rough-house around, but you seem to need it. In a pinch, you'll settle for watching other people push the limits of their physical bodies...hence your love for football. And when I say "love", I mean "very obvious obsession"! Your first words were, as expected, "Mama" and "Dada". Your very next word was "football". And you can spot any BYU paraphernalia from a hundred feet away, at which point you'll emphatically proclaim "Football!" Even the letter "y", in any font or in the middle of any word..."Football!" You loved the fall, with the hours spent on your Daddy's lap watching college football games. And you really watched! It's the only thing in the whole world you'll sit still for. For months after the football season ended, you'd hand me the remote and ask for "football" every single morning. For your birthday you got some BYU jerseys and a jacket, and you want to wear them every day! I don't know another 2 year old that is quite so delighted about sporting their team's logo. I'm sure you get it from your Daddy. :)
Joey, you are beyond cute. Which is good, since you are also beyond naughty and beyond difficult sometimes! You're definitely stretching your Dad and me more than the other four did. :) But like I told you in your letter last year, I knew from the time you were in my womb that you'd be like this! And even when you've extended me past any level of patience a mother could be expected to have, I know you are exactly who you should be and that you are still exactly what I need right now. And I have a feeling that this spunky, impish, mischievous, too-cute-to-get-into-too-much-trouble personality of yours will continue to be just what I need as we move through life together. Between the years I have left with you at home before you go to school and the years after Johnny graduates but before you do, it's going to be a lot of you and me. I'm excited about that.
You are a lot like your brother Luke...which I hope never bothers you. Luke was an old soul, and had such a knowledge behind his eyes. I see the same thing in you. You have a love for Jesus already that I don't remember the other kids having a quite so young an age. You love the temple, and love pointing them out in pictures or as we drive. You struggled a little bit with nursery in the beginning, mostly because I don't think you were used to being without one of us, but you're a pro now. In fact, you have figured out how to be sufficiently naughty so that I have to take you out of Sacrament Meeting...at which point you head right to the nursery room. :)
You are the center of our family, Po. The kids adore you, and Danny and I do, too. Sophie is especially fond of you still, and is the one of your siblings that is always patient and happy to play with you. You adore each of them in return, but particularly love Johnny. You are a boy's boy through and through, so that makes sense. :) You are still great buddies with Maese, and he still tolerates your borderline physical abuse. ;) You love your grandparents, and they sure love you. You have a special relationship with Great Grandma Lovell and Great Grandma Call. Your big hugs and kisses make them so happy!
Oh Poseph, I feel like I could write novels and still never say enough about how wonderful you are and how much I love you! You are still such a gift to me. Even though you're making me gray at an accelerated rate, you are still a gift to me. I won't lie when I say I'm anxious to be done with this toddler stage, but it also hurts my heart to watch you grow up and be less and less my Baby Po-po every day. But I'm excited to continue to get to know you, and watch you take this world by storm. Happy Birthday, Joey! My sweet baby boy!
Love,
Mom
