Wow little boy! You're two years old already. It seems like nothing, and it seems like forever.

You're no little baby anymore, that's for sure. You're a real boy now. You walk, you talk...in full sentences even! You say "please" and "thank you" and even "sorry" from time to time. The best is when Daddy or I say "thank you" and you respond with "There you go!", which I guess is your version of "You're welcome". We never got around to learning the sign language for "You're welcome", so it's very creative of you to come up with that response on your own. I mean, it's no sillier than "Don't mention it" or "No problem" or other things people say in response to a thank you.

You are a real pleasure to be with most of the time, I have to say. I wasn't ever a real fan of 2-year-old boys, but you've convinced me that 2-year-old boys can be quite charming indeed. You're utterly adorable physically...I can't stop kissing you all day long. You are very sweet and loving to your mama too. You get such enjoyment out of life..the list of Things Julian Loves is endless. Trains, planes, animals, other kids and babies, your Daddy and Doggie, playing on the playground, riding your bike, playing music, dancing, helping me cook...well, helping me do ANYTHING really. You are quite the helper, and I'm really shocked sometimes at what you are capable of doing. You're very careful and meticulous with putting scraps of paper in the trash, or letting me know when your hands are dirty and need washing.

You're very much a do-it-yourself kind of boy. We were having problems with going potty recently, until I figured out that you didn't want me to take you, thank you very much, you wanted to sit on your potty all by yourself, and be in control of your own pooping and peeing, on your own schedule. So I put a little potty out by your play area, and another one in your room, and you've been stellar at using them. Bravo, my boy. Sorry it took me so long to figure that out.

And by the way...how on earth did you learn to operate the CD player already? I showed you "Power On/Off" and "Play", but you've already figured out how to program a song to endlessly repeat. I'm sorry, but that's just too crazy. It's the smallest button on the entire device (which is FULL of buttons, since it's a radio and a cassette player too) and it doesn't even say "Repeat", it says "Program", so just in case you can secretly read already, there's still no way you could have known. I'm trying to figure that one out. You know all about the volume controls too. Sometimes I think you know too damn much. But of course I'm proud.

We seem to have the same taste in music. Every time I think a song has a really good beat and feel like dancing, I see you already breaking it down. I bought the new Thievery Corporation CD and put it on. Daddy and I were starting to get our groove on and shake our booties, but you blew us away by going over by the speaker and launching into all-out rapturous lost-in-the-music trance dancing for the next half hour. I don't even think you knew we were there. It's so funny, because it's not even like baby dancing. You've got some serious moves! You work your arms and your legs and your head, and you keep the beat, and bop and prance and boogie down. There's a sort of a gallop-in-place move that you do that is so great. We're really proud of you. It's obvious you come from dancing parents! Daddy and I aren't so great at partner dancing with pre-defined moves, but we've definitely got rhythm, and apparently you've got it too. Right on.

I love to take you places. You have a very clear sense of adventure, and you love to see and experience new things. Whether it's the beach, the pool, a playground, a museum, or just going for a walk outside, you take it all in and enjoy every minute. I try to point things out to you, and you eagerly absorb any info I dish out. We were supposed to take the train up to San Francisco to go to the SFMOMA today, but you have a cold and were feeling too crappy to nap, and it didn't quite work out. We'll go another time, I promise. I think riding a real train would be a dream come true for you, so I won't wait too long. Get well soon. And try not to pass that cold to me or Daddy this time either, OK?

Daddy and I are going to try for a little brother or sister this spring. Like you're not enough already, I know. But given how much you adore babies, I know you'd be a great big brother, and you probably wouldn't forgive us if we left you as an only child.

I think of something my Aunt Polly said to me, "It was so overwhelming at the time having two young kids, we decided to stop there. But really, that period of intense 24/7 caregiving was so short, and the enjoyment of our children just keeps getting better every year. Now I wish that we had had FIVE kids!"

That sounds crazy, and yet when I hear people talking about preschool I can't imagine sending you away on a regular basis. Well, on bad days it sounds blissful. On good days it makes me sad to imagine you growing up and going away to school already. We might delay that preschool thing a while. We'll see.

Happy birthday, sweetest boy.

Love,
Mama