Dear Landry,

TWO!

My sweet little Thanksgiving nugget, you are two years old already!

We figured each other out a little better this year--that first year was pretty rough...  You are still extremely needy; and you're always on the extreme--either super happy or super whiney.  You have one heck of a temper, but it balances out with the best belly laugh and squeal.  You're our little firecracker!

You are still such a wiggly little thing!  Unless you are absolutely passed out asleep, you are never completely still.  You are constantly climbing and dancing and swaying and bouncing and moving.  Constantly.  Nanny and PawPaw kept you this summer, and because of this wiggling, they dubbed you "Ricochet"--you always bounce off and you never know where you'll end up!  It's such an appropriate nickname and it has stuck!

I was a little worried about your lack of vocabulary at the beginning of the year--you weren't even attempting to repeat us or make any consistent sounds (aside from "dada" happily, and "mama" whining...).  I wasn't too concerned yet, but I was aware (you were very obviously understanding what was being said, just not speaking).  And then some time after 18-20 months, you just let loose!  Now you can pretty much carry on a conversation in bits and pieces; you communicate your wants and dislikes and emotions with words; you use your manners so, so well; you know lots of animal sounds; and you call everybody by name!

You also, obviously, have no problem making yourself comfortable, haha

One of my favorite things that you started saying pretty quickly was "love you" (luh chew).  You give daddy and I huge hugs and kisses every night and bed time and tell us you love us.  Absolute perfection.  As far as your manners--that's a close second favorite!  You have recently learned how many things a "please" will get you...and you'll be darned if anybody does something for you and they don't hear you say thank you!  I love that we rarely have to encourage these polite interactions anymore--they came very naturally to you and it is so, so sweet.

Little Landry, you love to be the center of attention.  If Arabella or Kaplan come sit with me or snuggle or are held, you literally climb into my lap and push them out of the way--you don't like to share your mama, haha!  You will dance and giggle every single time you hear a good song (which is all of them)--you've even started "singing" along with some of our family favorites we listen to a lot (and get some of the tune right too!).  You say hi and wave to people in the parking lot and grocery stores.  And you'll give any person you meet a high five.  You're just friendly and outgoing and fun.

It's no secret that you have some short little legs.  However, this has given you a really low center of gravity and makes it possible for you to be really agile--you climb everything.  And you started jumping (both feet off the ground simultaneously) a little before 18 months!  You always seem to have a little pep in your step :)  You also LOVE to swim and have amazed us with how well you do it!  You have no fear about pretty much everything (which terrifies me sometimes).

Something about you third Browning grand babes...heads of curly hair!  I waited way longer than your daddy wanted me to to get your first hair cut.  And then we waited a long time to cut it off again...(even though you looked like a shaggy dog!)  I love your curls--so different from your brother's and sister's board straight hair.  

Obsessed is about the only appropriate word for your relationship with any kind of ball.  As soon as daddy walks in the door every evening, you immediately go grab a ball and start throwing.  You will do this as long as someone will throw with you...literally.  You have an incredible arm for such a tiny person--and you have gotten really good at catching as well!  It's impressive; and also the easiest way to keep you entertained/cure a cranky mood.

You're still my little outdoorsman.  You get plain ticked if someone is outside and you have to stay inside.  Daddy lets you and Kaplan play in the ditch when Mama's gone and you're both in hog heaven.  You also love to dig in any kind of dirt (which has led to you playing in an ant pile about three times...hopefully we finally learned that lesson...).  The only bad thing about this is that mosquitoes love to bite you (particularly on your face!) and you are extremely sensitive to them.  The bugs may be a deterrent for me, but you couldn't care less if it means you get to be outside.  

You also finally love being on the boat--but only if you're sitting up with daddy where you can see.  And you don't miss many side-by-side rides (and none by choice)!

Arabella and Kaplan are your absolute best friends.  They have used you as their life sized baby doll--you don't always go along with it willingly, but sometimes you think it's the most fun ever. 

They tackle you and spin you and smother you with hugs when you don't want them...but you still follow them everywhere and mimic everything they do.  Watching all three of you playing together and giggling and getting along (somewhat rare) is the absolute joy of my heart.  This world is crazy, and I am beyond grateful that you'll always have each other. 

Landry Cohen, you have added so much joy and love to our little family...and a little bit of craziness too!  You have taught me more about patience than I wanted to learn, and you have pushed me to the very brink of sanity (often) before smiling just right to suck me back in.  You know how cute you are and you know how to work it!  It is so much fun to see little pieces of who we are come out in you.  You are such a cool kid.  I hope you never lose your curiosity and determination, tenderness and kindness...and your JOY!

Your daddy and I will fight for you, protect you, teach you, and love you every single day of our lives.  You will always be our precious, perfect son; our third baby; our beautiful, blessed gift.

Happy birthday, sweet boy!  I love you more than you will ever know.

xoxo, mama