Dear Adrian

You are my love.  You are 2 1/2 years old today.  I wish you weren’t growing up so quickly.  I have enjoyed every moment that I have had as your mother.  I can only imagine what the future will bring.

You continue to change every day.  You have always been smaller than Isaac, but you have recently hit a huge growth spurt.  Everyone comments on how tall you are getting.  I think you are about the same height as Isaac and you may be taller than him next week.  

I can’t believe how much you eat.  We call you “Cookie Monster” because you demand cookies on a daily basis.  You would eat as many as we would allow you.  How do you stay so skinny when you eat so much?  Oh, yeah . . .  it is all of that running you do.  You are constantly on the go.  Sometimes you just run around the house just for the sake of running.  

I love your facial expressions.  You have quite a range of expressions from furrowed brow to shock and surprise. You have always been very expressive.  You use your hands when you talk, too.  You get that from me.  

How did you get so smart?  I think I can actually see the wheels spinning sometimes.  You are constantly trying to figure out how things work.  We call you “The Little Engineer”.  I think you have the most beautiful thick, curly brown hair.  You get the curls from Grandpa B.  I love your big hazel brown eyes, too.  All it takes is a look in my direction from your beautiful face and my heart melts.  You love to snuggle up with me after your bath at bedtime.  It makes Papa so jealous, but I love it.

The qualities I admire most in you are the ones you naturally get from Papa.  You have fierce independence and confidence in your decisions.  You are a natural leader.  You usually get Isaac into trouble because you come up with mischievous ideas and he executes them.  You are smart enough not to get caught.  You recently started saying “I do it all myself!”  

Most nights, right before bed, you instigate a chasing/wrestling match with your brother.  You two are so rough with each other, but you have always been so tough.  It takes a lot to get you upset.  You are so even keel.  I love that about you.

Being your mother is the greatest joy of my life.  You (and Isaac) are my greatest accomplishment.  I am already so proud of you on a daily basis.  You give me a sense of purpose and peace that I never knew existed.  I have so many hopes and dreams for your life, but most of all, I want you to be happy.  I will always support you in your quest for happiness.    

Never lose your zest for knowledge.  Never let anyone take your independence and confidence away.  Those are your qualities that I love and admire the most.  I am learning from you how to be more independent and confident every day.  Thank you.  Show gratitude in your life.  Your combination of intelligence, independence and gratitude will make you a very successful person in your personal life and your professional quests.  I am in awe of you.  I am so excited to see who you will become, but, for now, please slow down a little.  You are growing up too fast.  

You are my love.