Jack's 2nd Birthday

Dear Jack,

This coming Tuesday, you will be two years old! For the last two years, we have fondly referred to you as "Jack-a-baby," a name which your sister gave you when you first came home from the hospital, or my version "Jack-my-baby" or sometimes just "Baby Jack." Recently, we have had to switch to "Jack-a-bee" and "Little Man Jack" because you are simply not a baby anymore.

Today we celebrated your birth, your life, your last two years, in a party that was all about you and the things you currently love: bugs, fish, and cars.

When your Grandma arrived last night from Houston, she came bearing a new pet for you... a fish of course! We told you it was a Beta fish, but you call it a "Baby" fish. I guess something in this house has to still be a baby!

For your party today, the plan was to play in the backyard and then come inside and do cake. To make the backyard even more exiting than it usually is, I had rented a bounce house. I thought you kids would really enjoy it, and you did, but there was something funny about a bounce house for a party which, including your sister and you, had three children in attendance.

I had purposefully planned a small party for you... you are still just two years old, you get overwhelmed by too many people, and honestly, these days, you play best either by yourself or next to friends who understand the meaning of "side by side" play and leave your side alone. Of course, I didn't quite plan it this small, but the Hazens represented two thirds of the kids outside of the family who were invited and they were sick, so there you go.

In addition to Andrew and his mom, your Grandma and Gram came, as did Mrs. Edwards. The Fords are on their babymoon and couldn't make it.


I was right, though, to have a small guest list. You pretty much played on your own the entire party and enjoyed the undivided attention of many special adults.


At one point, though, you and your sister were playing in the bounce house together with your dad and had a bit of a head bump. Mrs. Edwards took this picture and mentioned how tender a moment it was between you kids and your dad and how big and strong and yet how gentle your daddy's hands can be. She is so right and I love that she captured this moment on your birthday.


Your big birthday gift this year was (wait for it, Bob Barker) a brand... new... CAR!

Your daddy's family, Gram, Nana Roberts, Aunt Rachel, Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Nolen, Grandpa and Nana Nolen ALL went in together to get you this power wheels for your birthday and you loved it!

At first you let Andrew and your sister drive you all around the backyard, but then you got bolder and decided to drive it yourself. You do very well and pushing the accelerator. I'm sure the steering will come later....

In the meantime, your dad and I walked around the yard course correcting for you and eventually you found that you could sit in the passenger seat and press the accelerator while your sister did the steering.

I am always giving your dad a hard time because as handy as he is, I'm always the one putting together Christmas and birthday gifts. It turns out, though, that he makes exceptions for all things automotive and seemed extraordinarily happy to have this little scene in the garage.

He also took the time to "pop the hood" and show you and Andrew the battery compartment, which both of you boys thought was just as cool as he did.

After about an hour of outdoor play, we went in to open the rest of the presents and eat cake.

Mrs. Edwards also got this photo of you and your dad and I have to say that it is one of my new favorites of the two of you... so sweet!

You had your choice between cupcakes and cookie cake and chose, no surprise here, both. You also kept sneaking tastes of icing off the rest of the cookie cake and seemed a little surprised that no one stopped you.

It was a lovely birthday party, and I so appreciate Andrew and his mom for coming, even though Andrew's party was later that day, and Mrs. Edwards for taking so many darling pictures of my darling boy, and mostly your grandmas for driving in from Houston just for you.

I know you enjoyed having time with them, especially.

After the party was "over" I took the requisite group photo... well, is three a group?

And the family photo... with you playing in the water table because by then you were beyond reasoning with and Mrs. Edwards wisely suggested that our family would look happier if we just let you play.



And then it was time for your nap. Obviously, it was going to be a challenge to get you to lay down after all of that fun and especially all of that sugar, so I started thinking....

One of the funny things about me is I really do love the outdoors; I just hate dirt, bugs, bright sunlight, wild animals, somewhat domesticated animals who lick too much, etc. So when I looked outside at that bounce house, that clean plastic, contained little bounce house, I thought, how nice would it be to take a nap in that!

EXTREMELY nice would be the answer! I love your dad, my final thought before drifting off was, "I hope Jeremy knows to take a picture... zzzzzzz."

After your nap you were refreshed and ready to play some more.

We had the bounce house for the entire day, so we stayed outside, going from the water table and the pool, to the car and the bounce house (with many outfit changes in between as the bounce house and car both needed to stay dry).

Your Gram had to go after the party, but Grandma stayed until late afternoon, so you got some more time in with her as well.

At 5 o'clock, an hour until the bounce house people came to pick up their house, the whole family got in the bounce house for bounce house last hurrah.

We bounced and played until we were all too tired to bounce any more. A family of tired Tiggers, I think.

It was a wonderful day, a magical day, a perfect day. I love the celebration of all things Jack, because I love all things Jack.

You are two, sweet boy, and you are a baby no more. My little man Jack, Jack-a-bee.

Love,
Mom