Brady at 2 years

Dear Brady,

Holy cow, little boy.  Where has the time gone?  I know that’s an overused statement, but it is so true when it comes to your children.  You turn around and another year has passed.  You’re taller, smarter, funnier.  And just when I think I couldn’t possibly love you any more, I do.  I didn’t know I even had this much room in my heart, but you, your sister and your daddy have taught me otherwise.

Now, let’s talk about you.  You are quite an ornery little boy.  You do all the things you know you aren’t supposed to do like jumping on the couch and climbing on the entertainment center.  Then you look back at us like, see what I’m doing?  Are you going to stop me?  And telling you no the first time never works, you simply ignore us.  It takes us starting to walk over to you or reminding you that you will go to time-out and then you smile and say ok! and stop the bad behavior.  You always push it as far as you can.

You and your cousin Matthew are best buds, but you fight like brothers.  I can’t tell you how many times a day you are told not to hit or bite or are forced to apologize to him.  You love to yell, “Stop, Matthew!” for no reason at all, over and over again.  But you love him.  You really do.  Right now you two are racing down the hall with plastic guns shooting what you call “Ombies” – zombie’s without the Z.

We have been going to daddy’s softball games and you are loving it.  Although at last weeks game you took off running into the parking lot and you had to sit on the bleachers with me for the rest of the night.  It’s a constant struggle to keep you from running onto the field and interrupting the game.  You love to cheer for everyone and clap, and when someone comes up to bat I tell you their name and you yell, “Go Jimmy!” as loud as you can.  Everyone watching gets a laugh.  And for some reason, you have yelled, “Shut the ball!” many times.  I’m not sure where that expression came from.

You have a baby sister now which really, doesn’t seem to faze you much.  You like to kiss her and pet her head but I don’t think it usually comes out of love, but for the reaction you get when you do it.  You aren’t real happy about the fact that mommy can’t just do what you want me to do when you want me to  do it.  You aren’t used to me saying, just a minute, I have to feed your sister.  And you get impatient waiting sometimes.

You make our lives chaotic and crazy and lots of fun.  You really are a joy and you keep us laughing every single day.  We are so thankful for you, Brady.

Love,
Mama