Happy Belated Birthday Note to Cartert

Dear Carter,
You've been 2 for two whole months now. And Mama is just getting to writing her letter to you. By the time you're old enough to really read this, you'll know that's pretty typical and A) roll your eyes, B) laugh, or C) A+B with a touch of love.

Now, I could wax poetic about how much I love you, and gush how, over the past two years, you've changed my life in ways that I never could have fathomed. I could tell you about the tears and joys you've brought to our lives. Or I could try to explain how the journey of adding a second child and first son to our lives has been such an adventure--one I never knew I'd enjoy so much.

Instead, I think I'll just tell you how cool and weird and wonderful you are. When I look back at these times, these are a few of the things I'll want to remember about you now:

• You have the goofiest sense of humor! Your father says it's from me, and he's probably right. One of your favorite things is to completely gross out Mama with boogers. You will pick at your nose--and in no small way!--then hold it out to me and say, with this *look* in your eyes, "Bite?" You don't do this to anyone else, just me. Because it freaks me out, and you like that.
• You're much more sensitive than your sister. Apples to apples, when Bun would get angry and pitch a fit, you become upset or have hurt feelings. You need LOTS of hugs. And boo-boo-gone kisses. You're not a wuss; you often do just get up and keep on trucking. But you're not above running to home base for some love.
• Man are you a picky eater! I used to have myself convinced my tactic of always feeding a small child the same meal as their parents, not bribing, and not sneaking in foods was a WINNER. I mean, Bunny eats everything and other moms comment on how she will gobble escargot en brioche or even begrudgingly take her couple of bites of kale. Then came you, little man. You, who survived on willpower and milk for something like 5 weeks in early fall. This again, you get from your mother. I went on food strikes, too. I'm a foodie now, so there is hope. Until then, there is The Sneaky Chef. Yes, I now hide veggies in meatballs. *sigh* Oh how low the mighty have fallen. You're just as stubborn as me, dangit.
• You still sleep with us. Kind of. You sleep in an adjacent futon to our queen bed, and we shuffle around as you wander over to find 'touch' with me, then I usually shift, Paul goes all the way to the far side of the futon... long story short, it is not at all uncommon for someone to end up UPSIDE DOWN in the queen bed as we accommodate you sleeping sideways, especially after your sister creeps in at about 5:30 insisting there is plenty of room. I shudder to think how we will make it so the baby can cosleep in this mess we created. I also longingly think of hte day when you and Cole will share a room and hopefully we'll get at least, say 4-5 hours just parents in the bed. But I know we'll miss having you 'nuggle' with us, too. Your Daddy has said it: we like having you guys close, as inconvenient as it is sometimes.
• You are at the same time a poop denier and a poop "wolf cryer". Hopefully it's something leading up to the day you use a toilet and your recongition signals are haywire with the latter. Either way, we can count on you to deny having very obviously soiled yourself or declare you *have* pooped when you're not even wet. However, you do manage to have a nasty bordering on blowout diaper at the park a good 4 out of every 5 times. Way to go dude, I really appreciate that. :-/
• You're pretty well mannered considering you're not all that verbal yet. You say please and thank you and you're welcome very reliably, which charms your adoring public to no end. Sometimes you lay it on a bit thickly, such as you thanking Bunny with much gusto for being a turd and chucking your juice at you because she was grumpy. Or was that your sense of humor again? Were you sarcastic? Hmmm. Again, that would be a wee bit from me.
• You kick trees. Dunno why. But boy does every tree need a good kicking in your opinion.
• You love music, but hate my singing. Which may simply mean you have good taste, as I have a 4 note range, more or less. HOWEVER, you did see Barry Manilow singing Copa Cabana on Ellen and screamed, "That's awesome!", so I am not completely sure of your taste. At least it wasn't Mandy.
  

Cartito, this is just a smattering of what makes you, well, YOU! Any day now you'll be a big brother. I try to forget that you'll also be the dreaded middle child. I try to couch it as that you're the older brother. I hope very much we're all able to help you with this transition and to keep you YOU. Because you're pretty awesome the way you are. Boogers and poop and all. I can't wait until we have real conversations and I can learn more about what you think about things. Except Barry Manilow. I hope you don't find him awesome very soon. Because that's just wrong.