Dear Gabe,
Happy birthday! Today is Wednesday, November 21st, but I wanted to make sure I got your birthday letter done this year! :) And I was reminded to write your letter today because we're under a snow advisory for our first snowfall of the season. In 2004, we had our first snowfall of the year on the day you were born - also the day before Thanksgiving! I love remembering the time you were born and all of the events surrounding that experience. Dad and I are SO incredibly blessed to have you. Of course, it makes me tear up to even think about how many blessings you have brought to our lives.
We are entering what I consider to be a "hard" phase. You are very verbal and opinionated and stubborn. Can't imagine who you got that from ! :) I am trying so hard to figure out how to help you learn about anger and frustration and disappointment. It is by far the hardest job I've ever had. And I am learning so much about myself in the process. I need to learn how to do a better job with those emotions myself. It was very poignant the other day when you told me you don't like it when Mommy is mean! Yikes! You think I'm mean when I won't let you have your way - which is my job some of the time - but it did make me chuckle and have second thoughts about how I must come across to you. I just want you to know I try really hard to get it right! ;)
Your vocabulary is very funny. You say things like, "I fell down graciously" or, "I would surely LOVE to do that!" or, "Actually... probably." You have a lot of grown-up words, and it is really funny to hear those thoughts coming out of a small child. You also have a really strong ability to reason, so you keep us on your toes! And you ask, "Why" almost constantly!
We are still struggling with the infertility stuff, and I feel guilty that you don't have a sibling with whom you can play. I hope we'll be able to figure something out on that issue before you turn 4. There are a lot of times when I have so much on my mind that I don't play with you as much as I would like. I'm not naive enough to think you'll never face a challenge this difficult, but when you do please know we're here for you, and we want to be the kind of parents who walk with you through your struggles. I am learning that difficult situations are always made easier when you have people to walk beside you in the midst of the darkness.
I love you so much! I can't wait to see what this fourth year of life will bring for you!
Love,
Mom
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
You today
Dear Gabe,
I haven't listed tidbits about you in a while now, so I thought I should catch up!
* You mostly wear 3T clothing. I just noticed some of the pants are looking a bit short on you. However, I can still pull them off you without unbuttoning most of them; you're pretty thin!
* You are about 40 inches tall, and you are over 35 pounds but less than 40 pounds.
* Your eyes are mostly brown, although I still hold out hope that I can see a little blue! :)
* You love watching Clifford the Big Red Dog and Todd Parr dvds. You also like
Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder, but you haven't asked for Bob the Builder in a while.
* You call Ty Lowstetter your brother or your son.
* Amelia Barger is your girlfriend.
* You like playing "drive through" with your car.
* You like eating candy, Life cereal, Cheerios, and Wheaties. You tolerate some vegetables and meat, but you have to be coerced to eat most of our meals.
* You sing "The Moon Song" every time you see the moon.
* You love Disney Cars characters, and you especially love cars, trucks, rescue vehicles, and tools.
* You like singing "wooship" songs at "hahvest chooch."
* You love to take photos.
* You love to work with Daddy in his shop.
* You are excited for your birthday and Christmas, but not as much as I am!
* You love playing drums.
* You know all your letters.
* You can no longer spell your name.
* You love eating pumpkin candy corn.
* You go to bed around 8:00 and wake up around 8:00. However, you don't go to sleep until about 10:00. You play in your bed until you go to sleep.
* You love your Blue Bear and Oshi Bear.
Love,
Mom
I haven't listed tidbits about you in a while now, so I thought I should catch up!
* You mostly wear 3T clothing. I just noticed some of the pants are looking a bit short on you. However, I can still pull them off you without unbuttoning most of them; you're pretty thin!
* You are about 40 inches tall, and you are over 35 pounds but less than 40 pounds.
* Your eyes are mostly brown, although I still hold out hope that I can see a little blue! :)
* You love watching Clifford the Big Red Dog and Todd Parr dvds. You also like
Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder, but you haven't asked for Bob the Builder in a while.
* You call Ty Lowstetter your brother or your son.
* Amelia Barger is your girlfriend.
* You like playing "drive through" with your car.
* You like eating candy, Life cereal, Cheerios, and Wheaties. You tolerate some vegetables and meat, but you have to be coerced to eat most of our meals.
* You sing "The Moon Song" every time you see the moon.
* You love Disney Cars characters, and you especially love cars, trucks, rescue vehicles, and tools.
* You like singing "wooship" songs at "hahvest chooch."
* You love to take photos.
* You love to work with Daddy in his shop.
* You are excited for your birthday and Christmas, but not as much as I am!
* You love playing drums.
* You know all your letters.
* You can no longer spell your name.
* You love eating pumpkin candy corn.
* You go to bed around 8:00 and wake up around 8:00. However, you don't go to sleep until about 10:00. You play in your bed until you go to sleep.
* You love your Blue Bear and Oshi Bear.
Love,
Mom
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Sunday before you're three
Dear Gabe,
I decided I would keep all my letters to you on a separate blog. I have weirdly irrational fears that if I died you'd never see my letters to you because they'd be lost amidst the rest of my journal entries. I know... I have issues. ;)
Right now you're upstairs. Dad just gave you a bath, and I can hear you playing with him. It is one of my favorite sounds in the world. I am downstairs making a pie. YUM! You've been eating pumpkins (the candy corn ones) all morning, and I think that might account for some of the screaming and craziness I can hear!
Nothing big... just wanted to start this blog for you!
Love,
Mom
I decided I would keep all my letters to you on a separate blog. I have weirdly irrational fears that if I died you'd never see my letters to you because they'd be lost amidst the rest of my journal entries. I know... I have issues. ;)
Right now you're upstairs. Dad just gave you a bath, and I can hear you playing with him. It is one of my favorite sounds in the world. I am downstairs making a pie. YUM! You've been eating pumpkins (the candy corn ones) all morning, and I think that might account for some of the screaming and craziness I can hear!
Nothing big... just wanted to start this blog for you!
Love,
Mom
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Today is a big day!
Dear Gabe,
Today is a very big day - for me, probably more than it is for you! Today is the very first day in your whole life that you haven't nursed. For your nap, I thought I would experiment and put you down without nursing and see what you did. Well, you went to sleep with ease in about ten minutes. At night, I thought I'd see if you wanted to go to bed. Often you tell me you want to nurse. Today you just wanted to get in bed with your duck and your teddies.
I'm very proud of you!
I'm very sad for me.
And if I'm to be totally honest, I feel scared for me, too. Nursing has always been the time when you were calm with me and we could just spend time together. I have looked forward to those times because I feel connected to you, and like it's very easy to care for you. It's not so easy to care for you when you're running around getting into things and wanting to read the same story a hundred times or yelling because you're upset you can't go outside to play in the water. Nursing you was something I could do, and do well.
I really do want to be a good mom and I know that means gradually letting you go and giving you up. This is just one more sign of that and it makes me sad because I love being your mom and every stage you're in goes by too quickly. I hope you remember that when you have children. Every stage seems like eternity when you're in it, but in reality they're gone in moments and you're onto something new. You can never hold, cuddle, or love a baby too much.
I hope you'll indulge me and let me call you my baby for a while longer. I know you're big and I know you're independent and I know you love exploring and discovering. But in my heart you're still my baby and I promise I'll work hard at learning to let you grow and go!
Love,
Mom
Today is a very big day - for me, probably more than it is for you! Today is the very first day in your whole life that you haven't nursed. For your nap, I thought I would experiment and put you down without nursing and see what you did. Well, you went to sleep with ease in about ten minutes. At night, I thought I'd see if you wanted to go to bed. Often you tell me you want to nurse. Today you just wanted to get in bed with your duck and your teddies.
I'm very proud of you!
I'm very sad for me.
And if I'm to be totally honest, I feel scared for me, too. Nursing has always been the time when you were calm with me and we could just spend time together. I have looked forward to those times because I feel connected to you, and like it's very easy to care for you. It's not so easy to care for you when you're running around getting into things and wanting to read the same story a hundred times or yelling because you're upset you can't go outside to play in the water. Nursing you was something I could do, and do well.
I really do want to be a good mom and I know that means gradually letting you go and giving you up. This is just one more sign of that and it makes me sad because I love being your mom and every stage you're in goes by too quickly. I hope you remember that when you have children. Every stage seems like eternity when you're in it, but in reality they're gone in moments and you're onto something new. You can never hold, cuddle, or love a baby too much.
I hope you'll indulge me and let me call you my baby for a while longer. I know you're big and I know you're independent and I know you love exploring and discovering. But in my heart you're still my baby and I promise I'll work hard at learning to let you grow and go!
Love,
Mom
Wednesday, February 8, 2006
Ways You Communicate
These are the ways you currently communicate:
You can point to:
your head
your teeth
your belly
your nose (this one is new - you need a little prompting)
You can say/repeat, but we're not sure you know what they mean:
Oprah
gracious (you said this when playing your "gracious" game with Grandma)
mama (you occasionally say this when we've put you to bed but you don't want to go to sleep)
da (you seem to say this when Dad comes home)
no (we told you, "No touch" and you said "no" a number of times)
tick tock (you say this while we change your diaper)
tickle tickle (you make noises that sound kind of like this when you tickle yourself)
Definite words:
dropped
stuck
buh (for "bye")
boom (when you fall down)
up (when you want to be picked up or put down)
You understand:
when we ask you to close the cabinet door
when we ask you to turn off/on a light switch or the tv
when we ask you to sit down so you can have a snack
when we ask you to bring us a book
when we tell you "no touch"
when we ask you to dance (you don't do this much anymore)
You can point to:
your head
your teeth
your belly
your nose (this one is new - you need a little prompting)
You can say/repeat, but we're not sure you know what they mean:
Oprah
gracious (you said this when playing your "gracious" game with Grandma)
mama (you occasionally say this when we've put you to bed but you don't want to go to sleep)
da (you seem to say this when Dad comes home)
no (we told you, "No touch" and you said "no" a number of times)
tick tock (you say this while we change your diaper)
tickle tickle (you make noises that sound kind of like this when you tickle yourself)
Definite words:
dropped
stuck
buh (for "bye")
boom (when you fall down)
up (when you want to be picked up or put down)
You understand:
when we ask you to close the cabinet door
when we ask you to turn off/on a light switch or the tv
when we ask you to sit down so you can have a snack
when we ask you to bring us a book
when we tell you "no touch"
when we ask you to dance (you don't do this much anymore)
Monday, January 16, 2006
First Birthday
Dear Gabe,
Happy first birthday! I can't believe you're already one! Everyone told me how fast time flies when you have a child. I believed them but didn't understand how much it really speeds by. I feel sad today because I know how quickly the first year has gone and I don't want the rest of the years to pass me by so fast. But I'm also so happy to see how you've grown and to reflect on the wonderful little person you're becoming!
The thing I've loved most about your first year is being your mom. I know that sounds a bit trite and typical, but I've never been a mom before and I love it. It is a huge honor to take care of you everyday, to teach you little things, to comfort you when your sad, to play when you're happy, and to cuddle you when you're tired. I know all those things will be continue as you get older, but I really have liked them this year.
There are lots of things I would wish for you, but these are a few of the highlights that come to my mind...
I hope you come to know Jesus as your own personal Savior. I want you to know Him the way I know Him - as a wonderful, loving, holy Father who desires amazing things for your life.
I hope you learn to feed yourself. I love feeding you, but you're so picky on the textures you like. I hope you start liking a variety of foods and that you like to try to eat them with your own spoon.
I hope you learn to enjoy peace and calm. Those aren't always available in large quantities at our house since your dad and I are pretty intense people, but I want you to have opportunities to experience them and know how to seek them out for yourself.
I hope you always know I love you fully. You don't have to meet any standards or goals to be loved by me. You just are.
I hope you escape my hangups. That's probably too tall an order, but at the very least I want you to know that I know I have my own hangups and issues and I'm sorry that they'll probably effect you.
Happy first birthday to my very precious son! I love you!
Much love,
Mom
Happy first birthday! I can't believe you're already one! Everyone told me how fast time flies when you have a child. I believed them but didn't understand how much it really speeds by. I feel sad today because I know how quickly the first year has gone and I don't want the rest of the years to pass me by so fast. But I'm also so happy to see how you've grown and to reflect on the wonderful little person you're becoming!
The thing I've loved most about your first year is being your mom. I know that sounds a bit trite and typical, but I've never been a mom before and I love it. It is a huge honor to take care of you everyday, to teach you little things, to comfort you when your sad, to play when you're happy, and to cuddle you when you're tired. I know all those things will be continue as you get older, but I really have liked them this year.
There are lots of things I would wish for you, but these are a few of the highlights that come to my mind...
I hope you come to know Jesus as your own personal Savior. I want you to know Him the way I know Him - as a wonderful, loving, holy Father who desires amazing things for your life.
I hope you learn to feed yourself. I love feeding you, but you're so picky on the textures you like. I hope you start liking a variety of foods and that you like to try to eat them with your own spoon.
I hope you learn to enjoy peace and calm. Those aren't always available in large quantities at our house since your dad and I are pretty intense people, but I want you to have opportunities to experience them and know how to seek them out for yourself.
I hope you always know I love you fully. You don't have to meet any standards or goals to be loved by me. You just are.
I hope you escape my hangups. That's probably too tall an order, but at the very least I want you to know that I know I have my own hangups and issues and I'm sorry that they'll probably effect you.
Happy first birthday to my very precious son! I love you!
Much love,
Mom
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Since Your Dedication
Dear Gabe,
I've been meaning to write this for a few days now, but I just wanted to tell you how special your dedication was for your dad and me. It was exciting for us to be "recognized" as a family and to commit to being a family that honors God and teaches you about who He is and about the relationship He wants to have with you. It's very overwhelming to think about how to teach you about God; He's much bigger than I can understand. So how can I teach you something I don't fully know myself? All I know is I need to build my relationship with God so He can teach you about Himself through me.
You're crawling now, and you just got a tooth! It makes me a little bit sad to see you growing up. You're getting very big now and you look like a little boy more everyday - you're not the little tiny baby you used to be. But everytime you change, I find new things I love about you!
Okay - I just heard you getting up from a nap so I'll have to cut this short! I love you heaps and loads and bunches!
Love,
Mom
I've been meaning to write this for a few days now, but I just wanted to tell you how special your dedication was for your dad and me. It was exciting for us to be "recognized" as a family and to commit to being a family that honors God and teaches you about who He is and about the relationship He wants to have with you. It's very overwhelming to think about how to teach you about God; He's much bigger than I can understand. So how can I teach you something I don't fully know myself? All I know is I need to build my relationship with God so He can teach you about Himself through me.
You're crawling now, and you just got a tooth! It makes me a little bit sad to see you growing up. You're getting very big now and you look like a little boy more everyday - you're not the little tiny baby you used to be. But everytime you change, I find new things I love about you!
Okay - I just heard you getting up from a nap so I'll have to cut this short! I love you heaps and loads and bunches!
Love,
Mom
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