PRESTON is TWO

Dear Preston,

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY! In some ways it feels like I just brought you home from the hospital, our final boy, our littlest little guy. In others, I don’t remember a single second without you. You fit so seamlessly well into the family that I can’t imagine a time when you weren’t there.

I need you to know, right now, that things are super weird around here. There is a virus in our country and in our world called the Corona Virus and it is so contagious and dangerous and new that we’ve had to drastically change our daily life. All six of us have been at home, together, for the last 7 weeks. Schools are closed, we have to go grocery shopping with a mask and gloves on, and we are not allowed to see our family. Daddy is working upstairs and the rest of us have been together. This has been very hard for everyone. You though, my sweet boy, will have no recollection of this at all- you won’t remember anything about it and that is so strange. I’d say you love this quarantine the most out of our family. We are all together! You get to play so much more with your brothers and Dad than in what was our normal life. We often hear you scream, "DADA" and then run upstairs to see Daddy in his office and 'help' him work.

Even though I know you love this quarantine, I’ve felt terrible for you. While Mommy is trying to teach and keep your three brothers engaged, you are left a bit on your own, which I HATE. I feel like we’ve all asked you to grow up really fast here and be able to take care of yourself much more than a two year old should. You are a champ though. I feel guilty a lot because I know I am missing precious snuggles with you and precious bonding time with you that is a perk of being the last child. Here you are actually being able to get windows of time to yourself with your mom and now all your brothers are home every second of every day. I’ve felt robbed. I hope you never do. 

Talking has been your biggest hurdle of this year. It’s not because you can’t do it or don’t know how- it just hasn’t interested you very much.  Everybody knows what you need and what you are communicating so why fix a thing that isn’t broke? I often tell the story of how, when you wanted water one day, you walked up to daddy and made him follow you to the bathroom door. You pointed at it. Then you went and got a cup and brought it there and did some more pointing and signed the word ‘please’. Then, when Daddy opened the door you walked over to the sink with your cup and made some noises and presto, we knew you wanted water. You will do all those things and go through all those steps instead of just saying the word ‘water.’ Not speaking much hasn’t bothered you. We did, however, start you with Early On and have a wonderful speech pathologist that’s coming to the house, Miss Cathy. You’ve made great improvements and really enjoy playing with her. The best speech therapy you’ve ever had has been having your brothers home. You’ve probably learned about forty words just in the 7 weeks since we’ve been all at home together. 

Even though your speech has come a little slowly, everything else about your is anything but slow. You are a runner and climber and jumper and scooter all over the place. You are also probably the best listener in our whole house. Preston, you are extremely gifted, athletically. You kick a soccer ball, shoot baskets, and throw balls pretty much all day long. If a ball is not in both your hands it’s odd, if there isn’t a ball in one of your hands it’s downright rare. We’ve been trying to get you to say or sign ‘ball’ for a long time and you were finally at a place where you were calling all balls ‘hoop,’ but you’ve recently learned to say that word 'ball' and we are THRILLED! Balls are your favorite things in the whole world. 

When you’re not playing with balls, you are pushing trucks or cars around ('beep beep' and 'zoom'), being annoyed when there is anything out of place anywhere, drinking water, following Prim around, or dumping anything in any cabinet. You are particularly fond of taking everything out of the recycling bin. The candy drawer has become your new favorite conquest- you put your little toes on the shaker part of the cabinet, pull up and try to stick your face or hands inside to find a treat. You call out ‘gum, gum.’ Mickey Mouse is your jam, you can't get enough of books (especially ones about Mickey Mouse, Pete the Cat, going potty, or vehicles), and if you're not holding a ball, you're probably holding your puppy Arf or you blanket. You LOVE to make your brothers laugh and are a fantastic eater- you’ll eat seriously anything. Your brothers absolutely adore you and will do just about anything to make sure you are taken care of and happy. They stick up for you and hate to hurt your feelings or make you sad even when you walk around destroying their creations ;)

I don’t know how we got so lucky to call you ours, but you are just a delight to us all. Whenever any of us are having a hard time with this quarantine, we can look at your huge smile or current surfer dude hair and just melt with happiness. 

We love you so much, Puppy! Happy Birthday.

-Mama