Just posting these on the Internet, so that in case something happens to my computer, I won't loose them forever ( :

Sunday, August 7, 2011

My Precious Beau,

One week from today, my little baby will turn 1 year old. And, suddenly, you won't be so little anymore. In one short year's time, you developed from not even holding up your own head to walking and blowing kisses. My precious Beau, Mommy and Daddy love you so much! We call you "the Precious" as another nod to the Lord of the Rings. I wonder, when you read this letter years and years from now, whether we still call you "The Baggins" or not...

Your daddy and I were so eager to welcome you into the world, William Beau. From the day that we learned that I was pregnant, we so eagerly anticipated your arrival. Of course, you didn't arrive quite as we expected. Do you know what your naughty daddy used to call you? Retard Breech Baby. I know, not a very nice name at all! But indeed, you were in the breech position, and that's why you entered the world by caesarean.

I remember bringing you home from the hospital, to our small rental home in Osceola... You looked so small in the crib! Like a fish out of water, you hated that crib! And the bassinet... The only place that my precious Beau wanted to sleep was with his mommy and daddy. 12 months later, you still sleep with Daddy and I. Honestly, I would have it no other way. I have loved and cherished our co-sleeping arrangement. What can be more nurturing for a baby then falling asleep nursing, cuddled up beside his Mommy's warm body, listening to her heartbeat? Daddy and I both love to watch you sleep. When I watch you sleep, your sweet innocence simply radiates from every pore.

This first year was filled with so many amazing memories, many of them involving the entire Wheeler and Ketcham families. I remember your Baptism, carefully watching Grandpa Jay pour the water over your head. Grandpa Jay is so proud of you. Recently, you've started watching him during church. You little head pops up, as you listen to his voice, and you smile... I've caught Grandpa beaming in your direction many times. Today, you tried to grab the communion wine trays. Grandpa chuckled and his eyes twinkled, doing his best Santa Claus imitation.

Over the past years, I've discovered that the connection between grandparents and grandbabies is so profound. Your grandmothers absolutely adore you. As grandparents, your grandmothers appear to be re-experiencing moments from when your father and I were children.  Grandma Carol says that watching you is like déjà vu. You and Daddy looked so much alike as babies! When you eventually read this letter, I wonder if you will still look like your daddy? You definitely have his expressive eyebrow movements. Recently, we've decided that your smile looks more like mine. You furrow your eyebrows, lift your cheeks very high, and squint.

Your smile brings me such joy, Beau! You communicate so much with your smile! When you smile at me, you just radiate adoration and such pure, innocent joy and love. I feel so blessed and privileged to have received every one of your broad little grins!

Today, you and I spent such a lovely afternoon together. The weather was gorgeous: partly sunny, not too warm, with a gentle breeze. You splashed in the baby pool, while I read a book in the shade. It was so relaxing. You were so content to play independently, vigorously splashing and trying to climb up the little slide that I had placed in the water. My book mentioned the strength of love by a mother for her child, and I actually got teary...watching you splash in the water and smile up at me. I love you so much, my Bilbo Baggins.

Well, Beau, my plan is to write you a birthday letter every year. I'm not sure when I intend to give you these letters... Right now, I think that I will give you the first letter when your first child celebrates his or her first birthday. Because then, you'll know what I am talking about... You'll be well familiar with the  unconditional love and adoration that a parent feels for its child. You'll be able to fully appreciate how greatly your mother loves you. Please remember that, Beau. I'm sure that, over the years, I haven't parented you perfectly. For that I am sorry. But always remember, William Beau: I love you.  I love you so, so, much, and I cannot even begin to tell you what joy you have brought to my life.

Love Always,

Mom

P. S. This picture is from our lovely afternoon today. See what I mean about your smile? Beautiful!

Random Facts and Memories about Beau's First Year of Life

Favorite TV Entertainment:

                Sesame Street

Favorite Songs:

                The Office Theme Song

                Sesame Street - Elmo's Song

                Patty Cake, Itsy Bitsy Spider,

Favorite Comedian:

                Mommy

                Daddy

- You love the corner of our sectional couch: It is your personal trampoline! You coyly stand in the corner, while I attach you, tickling and blowing bubbles. You screech like a hoot owl, fall down, and quickly come back for you.

- You love Sesame Street. When we need to keep you occupied while we do something, we put you in your exersaucer in front of Sesame Street... It won't win Daddy and I any parents-of-the-year awards, but you LOVE it.

- You think Mom is the most hilarious comedian of all time! Seriously, all I have do is make a funny face or sound, and you crack up!

- Favorite Toys: a musical frog, a rubber ducky, your books (You love to take your books off the shelves and then rummage through then- oh, and you also like to do the same to our DVD collection!)

- You've recently discovered how to open the toilet lid. Lifting the lid like the hood of a car, you excitedly splash in the toilet water.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Happy Birthday Eve, Bilbo Baggins! After 24 minutes of wrestling around in bed, you are finally asleep upstairs. Tomorrow you turn 2!

Random Facts and Memories about Beau's Second Year of Life

Favorite TV Entertainment

                Sesame Street Clips

                Barney videos

Favorite Musical Group

                Celtic Thunder!!!

                Karmin

Favorite Toys

                Train Set that Grandpa Ketcham bought you for your 2nd Birthday

                Cozy Coupe

                Elmo and Cookie Monster Stuffed Animals

Favorite Food

                Mandarin Oranges

August 15, 2013

Happy Third Birthday, Bilbo Baggins!

As I write, you are taking your afternoon nap. It's that magical time when both you and your brother are asleep, and Mommy takes one looong, deep breath of relief ( ; You've been such a good boy today, Beau! I would like to thank you for the reprieve from your behaviors yesterday. As I told your Aunt Emily, I am pretty certain that you were trying to fit in every last "Terrible Two" tantrum possible, prior to "officially" turning 3 in the evening.

Beau, it has been a wild year. You have grown in SO many ways. Watching you become a big brother has been SO amazing! You love Lincoln so much, and he just ADORES you. Don't get me wrong: You two ALREADY fight. A current example: You'll be watching Curious George on the Ipad, and Lincoln will use his new crawling skills to chase you down, trying to touch it, too. You'll then screech like a monkey and sprint away... only to have Lincoln dutifully chase you to the next place ( : Do you remember that we currently call Lincoln "Tito La Tortuga"... He just LOVES to dutifully, persistently follow you around.

Watching you interact with our family CONTINUES to be one of my favorite parts about being your mother. Your grandparents continue to adore you. Honestly, it's a little sick. Both grandmas think you are the most amazing, wonderful, smart, well behaved little boy they have never met. Boy, you've tricked them! ( ; Both grandpas adore you, too. You are always SO SO excited to play trains with Grandpa Ketcham, "Train Grandpa". And you and Grandpa Jay just have a casual, easy relationship. He lets you eat all the Pringles you watch, watch Celtic Thunder over and over again, and go on long walks together. Your grandpa thinks you are a pretty funny guy ( ;

Oh, and you became potty-trained this year. Woohoo!! Once you learned how to pee-on-demand, the process was pretty easy. I remember one night, you jumped up from playing to trains to run to the bathroom.  And from that night on, you consistently went in the potty. Now, don't get me wrong. You went through a phase where you pooped and peed wherever your heart desired! You would literally feel the need to go to the bathroom, pull off your pants, and just let loose! You had a favorite spot to pee, behind the couch, in front of the window. I would just suddenly hear the sound of pee splashing on the carpet! You also peed on top of my Hope Chest twice(what were you trying to tell me with THAT, huh, William Beau?) Yes, you've pooped and peed about everywhere in the house. Grandpa Jay thinks that you consider that a source of pride ( ; You still wear a diaper for naps and nighttime, but I am SO PROUD of how quickly you learned to use the bathroom.

Well, I suppose we should talk about this, too: your talking (rather, lack thereof). All year, you've been seeing a speech language therapist from AEA: Nancy. She is very sweet. You really weren't making any progress. In February, we started a sign language class, once a week for an hour. And THAT, my William Beau, is when things started to change. You took to sign language like a fish to water. In the first 4 months, you had learned over 100 signs. It's like I had FINALLY given you the tool that you needed to let your voice be heard. Your tantrums decreased. My frustration decreased. It was wonderful. Grandma Carol said she thought you seemed happier and more outgoing. I was NEVER more proud of you, darling ( :

I remember one of the first times when you REALLY used your signs without prompting. We were having a rough morning (aka, you were driving me CRAZY). I was sitting on the couch with Lincoln, tearing up. You came over to me, signed "sad", and gave me a hug. I could have BURST with joy ( : Another fun sign language memory: One morning, you came downstairs, pantless and holding your morning diaper in your hand. You looked at me, grinned broadly, signed "poop" and "dirty". Sure enough, Mommy had some fun poop nuggets awaiting her on the stairs ( :

In April, we started private speech therapy with Miss Jen. We see her twice a week, for a half hour. You LOVE Miss Jen. Whenever I ask if you want to see Miss Jen, you always give a big smile and nod yes.  You've made some great strides in therapy! Actually, this week has been HUGE! You said purple! PURPLE (well, puh pl)! FOUR times on Monday! And yesterday, on your 3rd Birthday, you said "more" for the very first time. Oh, and for the record, the first "more" came in a request for more Salt and Vinegar Pringles while shopping at Wal-Mart. Did I mention that you like chips? ( ;

The whole apraxia thing sucks. It just sucks. Dad and I are still working to come to terms with it. Nancy first casually mentioned apraxia last November (you were 27 months). Then she mentioned it again in January then February... well, Mommy finally overcame her denial, educated herself, started looking for private pay therapy, and found our sign language class. I will never give up fighting for you, Beau. I promise, I vow, I pledge, that I will do EVERYTHING in my power to help you find your voice. You have my word. I wish I could time travel to whenever you are reading this letter someday. I would give anything to hear your voice, to hear you tell me that everything's gonna be OK, to keep fighting, because that beautiful voice is indeed inside just waiting to come out. But I don't need to time travel to know that you will talk someday, because I have hope. I have hope. And I have faith.

Well, I should probably close this letter. Lincoln is awake from his nap now. You are still snoozing. (Thankfully, after a couple of tough nights getting to bed, you really need to catch up on sleep.) I love you so much, William Beau. You know, as I reflect on the past year, I realize that apraxia has only made the year more special. I think that I cherish and appreciate your every accomplishment even MORE, because I know how much harder you have to work for it. My favorite smile right now? How you smile when I praise you for talking. Like, when you said "more", I just squealed in delight, hugging you so tight. Then you giggled and did this little grin that says "Geeze, Mom, it's not a big deal. I'm this awesome all the time."  I know, son... I know.

Love,

 Mom

(This Picture is From our Immediate Family Birthday Party on Your Actual Birthday.)

Random Facts and Memories about Beau's Third Year of Life

Favorite TV Entertainment

                Curious George

                Toy Story

                Cars

                Super Why

Favorite Musical Group

                Signing Time?

Favorite Toys

                Trains, Trains, Trains, Trains, Trains! Yes, STILL!

                Toy Story Figurines: Oh, you were SO SO SO excited when Mommy gave those to you as an early birthday present. Actually, you discovered them in the back of the car one day after speech....    and I just didn't have the energy to say no ( :

Favorite Food

                Peanut Butter Toast (You eat this at LEAST once a day)

                Chips (whenever you can get your hands on them!)

                Ice Cream (usually, courtesy of the grandmothers)

Big Events

                Went to the ER, because we thought you swallowed a battery. The X-ray showed you didn't

                Lincoln was Born

                Went to Your First Movie! Despicable Me 2! You did SO good! You sat there TRANSFIXED!            Popcorn in your lap, pop in the holder.... You didn't even move for the first hour. Then you ran           out of popcorn. We got more, and you were good to go ( :

Best Friend

                Teagan!

Random Funny Memories

                After Lincoln was born, trying to nurse your stuffed animals on your belly button.