Dear Jude,

Well, Monkey–we made it! Two years of living and loving and laughing (interspersed with a touch of whining, crying, and screaming–but I’m not too concerned with remembering those times) are in the books. In the 24 months that you’ve been on the outside, I’ve barely ever left your side. We’ve woken up together and gone to sleep together; read together and played together; made messes together and cleaned together. You’ve made my life absolutely wonderful.

Last week we traveled to Pennsylvania to visit family and friends. Most mornings we played with Grandma Rose and Great-Grandpa. We ate breakfast at Abe’s a few times and played at Nay Aug park. You got to meet Jessica, a friend of mine from high school, and your Uncle Richie drove up from Philly to visit with you as well. We stayed with Uncle Scott and Aunt Demi for the duration of our trip, and you had so, SO much fun playing with Nolan, Eli, and Luke (and Chloe, their dog!). On Saturday evening, we prayed and played with the Peacemeal community (and your Uncle Doug). You really enjoyed yourself last week…so did Papa and I.

The cold weather has (finally!) broken here in Chicago *knocks wood.* This new development has made our days both easier and tougher for the both of us. On the one hand, we get to play outside! A lot! On the other hand, being outside all day makes it hard for me to get any cooking or cleaning done, and that has made our evenings a bit more hectic than I would like.

For your birthday, Papa and I got you a real toddler-sized acoustic guitar. You’ve been “strumming” your broom and push toy for a while now, so Papa and I though you might enjoy a real instrument. As soon as you saw the box, you started saying “a-tar! a-tar!” You quickly became accustomed to strumming the guitar strings, and in a matter of minutes, Papa had rigged one of his guitar straps to fit you! You had a great time tonight, rocking out and dancing. Your face radiated joy… I think you like your birthday gift.

Tomorrow we move into the third year of your life. I’m excited to see what lies ahead, but at the same time am sad that you’re growing up so very quickly. Sleep well tonight, little two-year-old. Rest knowing that Mama and Papa love you.

Love,
Mama