Dear Miller: You're two.

Dear Miller,

Can I freeze you? Right now? You are the sweetest thing I could ever imagine.

You love your "Big Book of Trains" and can tell me every color of every train in there. You have a really big crush on Jessie from Toy Story. You want to be Buzz Lightyear for Halloween but also every day up til then and after. You just learned this past week to say the word "Buzz" instead of calling him "Bee" like you did for months. You also just learned how to call your sister "EmmyLOU" instead of just "Emmy." You are starting to notice letters and think every letter is "I" or "B" or "O." (You point at the HEB sign and say "I! O!") You love brushing your teeth and using your Sponge Bob toothpaste.

You are (drum roll, please!) finally a better eater. After 24 months of eating habits ranging from ho-hum to atrocious, we had a green bean showdown last week that seems to have been the ultimate cure-all. I wouldn't let you out of your chair until you took a bite of a green bean and although it took almost an entire hour and a few tears, you finally took one bite, declared it "nummies!" and then proceeded to eat five more whole green beans. The next day was the hot dog showdown (yes, that's how desperate I am- forcing you to eat hot dogs) which took about thirty minutes. Again, "nummies!" and "more hot dog!" We eventually got through pizza and rotisserie chicken and yesterday I noticed when I asked you to take a bite of something you took about one second to think about it and then put it straight in your mouth. I'm not sure I have ever felt as victorious as I did those nights! Thanks for making me feel like Super Mom, I needed it.

This last month has been a big one for you. You are talking so, so much about anything and everything and trying to do everything your sister does. You even peed in the potty yesterday for the first time!

You love school. When I turn into the parking lot in the mornings you shout "yay!" which is great on the mornings you get to stay. The trouble is on the two days a week that Emmylou goes to school and you don't. You get so upset when it's not your turn! I was so proud of you those first couple of days. You were so happy to go and start playing! You love your teacher, Ms. Marci, and you love having Tate in your room with you.

I keep asking you if you're a baby and you say "no, big boy!" I try to explain to you that you can be both, but mostly I just have a hard time not gobbling you up. You fill my heart with joy.

I love you so much, Miller!
Mommy

Your new favorite reading room:
You and Emmylou in the sleeping bags Grammie got y'all out at the lake last week:
And you in an outfit that both you and Emmylou thought was a great idea (once I told Emmylou that you couldn't wear panties since you aren't potty-trained):
And to be fair, it wasn't just you: