Dear Sloan Lee,
Here we are at your SECOND birthday, and it is no secret, two is one of my very favorite ages. There are days I am still in shock that you're a boy. When they laid you on my chest two years ago the first thing I asked was, "And it's for sure a boy?!" I couldn't wrap my mind around you then, and there are days now I'm still trying to figure out how you made your way into our family of girls. However, it's very apparent you were supposed to be the caboose to our family train, and there is not a day that goes by we are not grateful for you.
Cars. Cars. And cars. These are your interests. And food. And sleep. You make sounds for every single thing-- you've perfected all vehicle sounds [My favorite of which is "hont hont" for "honk honk"]. You [STILL!] drool nonstop. If there is food around, you want it. And you love your blankie and paci and as soon as we give them to you you snuggle right in for bed. You are a great sleeper and still go to bed around seven most nights and stay content in your bed until around eight in the morning [thank you!]. You also love your afternoon nap, and I realized recently that normally at this time we have to interrupt the sleep habits of our two year old to transition them to a big bed to make room for another baby in the crib. But not this time! You're so content in your crib, and there is no reason to kick you out, that I think we will let it ride for awhile.
When you were born I think we had about four toy cars in our house. That has changed and now I find them everywhere and step on them when I'm making supper. You say, "weeee ooo weee oooo" for any emergency vehicle, constantly survey the sky for airplanes, and love when Richard comes to hay the field behind our house in his tractor. However, you have a tender spirit, it seems, and find a lot of loud noises "too scawey". You love to be read to, and a favorite of yours is "Time for Bed" where you find the "little tiny moon" on every page. You love to point out the "little tiny moon" any time you see it in the sky too.
You go non-stop, and when Daddy gets home you immediately start saying, "I'mmmmm....I'mmmmm... I'mmmm...." and wait for him to finish "....gonna get you!" And then you try to taunt him by saying, "Can't catch me!" But you're so excited it comes out as mere syllables of sound as you peel out around the corner, running away from Daddy in your favorite "get you game." I feel so fortunate to get to be home with you all day and watch you grow and learn.
You are not the easiest to understand, but you make sure you get your point across. We call you are little JOY MACHINE, because from the moment you wake up you you are bursting with life and we can't help but be happier when you're around. You keep me on my toes, though, for sure. Whether you're pulling things out of the pantry or running around the neighborhood because you've snuck out the back door which you can open on your own, or you've climbed up on something, it's easy to lose track of you! You've given us a few scary moments when we couldn't find you for a bit, but you're usually not too far away, just playing happily with something when we're frantically searching for you. When you make "muscles" it looks like you are about to explode, you're entire body constricting and your face getting red. And that's you Sloan-- all in, about to explode.
Your sisters ADORE you. There are times you have to push them away because they are covering you in kisses. But affection and help and love is never far from you. Often I find you on one of their laps listening to a book. There are times though that they insist I keep you upstairs or inside or in your room or in a specific location because they have built something and they just know you will destroy it. One time Blythe said, "I kind of miss when Sloan just laid on the floor because then he didn't mess up all our stuff." You're learning though and even know, at two, I see you beginning to have a great imagination and joining in play with the girls in fun ways.
Our most frequently asked questions of you are as follows: Where does he get his red hair?! Is it different having a boy? Is he built differently than your girls? Where does he get his red hair?! And... Where does he get his red hair?! To answer: you have lots of red headed aunts and uncles and a grandma that had red hair. Yes. And decidedly so-- the girls were all petite and you are not.
Many times in the morning while I'm reading my bible you find me. Inevitably you drive your cars across the pages of scripture, and eventually I welcome you to "pat the bible" as I have done with all your sisters. You put your cars aside and we pat the bible and we say, "God's word is true." And I pray, Sloan, that through the years you will learn the beauty of that seemingly simple statement; that you will learn that God's words are true forever and always, for you and for everyone. And I pray that those words in scripture will change you and mark you and move you to action.
Looking at pictures of you now-- stout, strong, and heftier than any of your sisters were at this age-- I know your dimpled hands and pudgy cheeks are going to change over the course of this year. I know when we hit three next August you will be decidedly less baby and more little boy. And while I do mourn the passage of this stage-- the end of an era with toddlers-- it is a joy to watch you grow. While I will be sad when you no longer fit on my hip so easily [though it's getting more difficult now], know that it is a joy to simply be near you. We love you so much, Sloan. And the toddler years are sometimes etched with lots of discipline and lots of boundaries. But know this: When we have to sit you in time out for throwing a fit, know we are trying to teach you that immediate gratification and always being told "yes" are not as valuable as patience and learning the art of dying to self. When we force you to say "thank you" over and over and over again, or make you "ask nicely" instead of whining before you get something, know that we are trying to teach you that the people in your life are important, and that being kind shows them you value them.
But ultimately: Your dad and I hope you always understand the why behind our no-s. We hope you feel safe in the boundaries we set. We hope you feel freedom in the wide open places we leave for you. We hope you see God in our actions and words. We hope when you leave our little home for good and go out on your own that you'll look back on this simple little life we had together-- chaos and mistakes and messes and all-- and see that it was Grace that held us together: that you see that it was God's daily bread that provided it all.
Happy second birthday, Sloan Lee! There is nothing you could ever do to make us stop loving you.
