Monthly Archives: August 2015

Happy 2nd Birthday – A letter from Mom

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Dear Grayson,

As I sit here writing this letter on the eve of your second birthday, I can’t help but feel so very lucky to be your mom.  You are truly the most funny little boy. You have a huge personality, strong will and the sweetest heart.
This year you’ve changed so much. You have grown into a fiercely independent boy who knows exactly what he wants (and doesn’t want!)     Even though you want to do everything by yourself, you never want to be by yourself. You are such an affectionate cuddle bug and give the best hugs and sweetest kisses.
You are so bright and have a lot of patience with figuring things out. You love puzzles and blocks and books and love pointing to things you know and yelling its name. 
 
You are still working on sharing but seem to think you are entitled to all toys, regardless of who has them first. That being said, you are so kind and if you ever see anyone upset or hurt you ask if they are ok and give them a big kiss.
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You have the best smile, I swear. Your smile melts my heart and lights up a room. Your laugh is infectious and your dad and I act like goof balls just to hear that giggle.
You are also ALL BOY. You climb on everything and jump off everything. You don’t walk, you run. You like balls and cars and you laugh at farts and burps. You have so much energy and you don’t like missing out on anything, which is probably why you don’t like to sleep! Putting you to bed is a full on battle every night – one of your favorite night time phrases is “no bed, no seep!”
These last few months, your vocabulary exploded. You know your numbers but count out of order (2,4,8,9). You know all primary colors and some of your letters (M, D, K, B), which I attribute to your love for Elmo’s songs letter and number of the day. Currently your love for Elmo is pretty strong but your greatest (and strangest) obsession is the blender, which you have named “yelo.” You ask for it first thing in the morning, you ask for it before bed and about 17 times in between. It’s pretty bizarre but also hilarious and one of the many quirky traits that make you, you.
Watching you grow this past year has been so fun and such a joy. This next year is going to bring some pretty big and exciting changes for our family – as we grow from a party of three to a family of four and welcome your little sister into our world.  I have no doubt that you will be the best big brother but no matter how much older you get, you will always be my baby boy, my son.
I love you to the stars and back xoxo
Mom

Happy Second Birthday – A Letter from Dad

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Dear Grayson,

You’re turning two in a few days, so it’s time I post another “letter” about you and our growing family.  That’s right, our family is growing.  The most important update is you’re going to be a big brother on September 21, 2015.  Lana [middle name TBD] Arteaga will be here soon to compliment you and add to our adventures as a family.  Every time we ask you, “where is Lana,” you look and point to your belly as if you’re growing your own baby.  That’s a small example of your comical personality.  Not a day passes without you making us laugh.  Your mom then turns to me and says, “I love him.”  I have to agree.

Maybe you’d like a visual aid of what life is like with Grayson.

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You’re looking at the consequence of daddy babysitting while your mom performs a wedding.  These two pictures involve you eating blueberries while watching some combination of Peppa Pig or Sesame Street.  We also had pictures of you clean and neat while mom was babysitting and I was working, but we lost the photographs when your mom’s iPhone 5 was eligible for an upgrade to an iPhone 6 Plus.  I wonder what iPhone you’ll have when you’re old enough to read and control this website.

Speaking of technology, on the day you were born and then on your first birthday, I purchased shares of Disney and Twitter.  I’ll teach you more about investing when you’re older, so when you read this let’s sit down and follow the progress of your shares.

Perhaps the most interesting (and possibly odd) characteristic about Grayson the two year old is the following.  You own every sports ball, stick, bat, you name it I could possibly buy you and you’ve learned to swim so clearly I’m steering you in the direction of sports (though we’ll get to learning about investments and coding in the future), but the one thing in life you love more than all other things is our blender.

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Every day starts and ends with your request for a “yelo” which apparently is your word for smoothie.  We honesty have no idea how you developed your obsession.  All we know is you must get your “yelo” and it’s an obsession.  Milk, banana, strawberries, and blueberries.

You’re a loving little guy, and this you developed from all the people in your life who love you: mom, dad, omi, opi, abuela, abue, your uncles and aunts, Zachy, and Carolina.  Be good to Lana, and be great in whatever you desire to do.  Your mom and I will always be there to support you.

Here’s one last video of the time you completely went bananas and your mother quickly captured the moment.