Some things I like about you

:: You love to operate the microwave. Whether we are cooking Joel's food or reheating leftovers, you stand at the microwave ready to push buttons. Sometimes you count down waiting for the food to be done. "Ten, eighty two, seven."

:: You push the food to the roof of your mouth with your tongue while you eat. You have been doing this for a long time - 6 months or more. It has resulted in incredible tongue muscles. You can do the wave with your tongue. The sides go up, the center down. The center goes up, the sides go down.

:: You are starting to run and climb more. I love your little widdle, waddle run!

:: You passed through your really challenging obstinate crazy phase I mentioned last time fairly quickly. I do have to be a bit more patient and let you work independently sometimes, but we've reached a happy medium.

:: You've taken to saying cheese when I take pictures and give a funny, goofy teethy grin!

Holy Moly, you turned two!

Tafty, Taft! You turned two and the last couple of weeks have been evidence of it. I don't write this to make you feel bad, but to remind me that there are good days and bad days and that the bad days were real, and the good days were wonderful.

You have some very strong opinions about everything. The simple day to day activities that you used to do are now rethought in your brain and often reengineered. Bed? I'd rather sleep on the floor. Carseat? Please, no! Getting into my chair at the table...is there a trapeze I could take to get there? It has been almost insanity, but somehow we have made it through. Emily Stephens gave me a book about talking to little kids and I need it to talk to you! There are some days it zaps all my strength to invent and reinvent new things to help you do what you need to do.

But most of the time you are happy. You are growing and learning to do new things. You are asserting your independence and that is an important part of growth. I am grateful for who you are and I love you! You will always have the most kissable cheeks and endearing smile! You are my Tafty!

I am thankful for you!

In two and a half weeks you will turn 2! What a fast 2 years your young life has been! I wish I could stop and drink you in like the smell of the sweetest flower.

We are at James and Camille's. You know we have come to Nana and Papa's town. You keep looking for Papa. You hear James talking and call, "Papa! Papa!" Then when you find James and realize it is not Papa, you are disappointed!

You have enjoyed playing with balls and Chevron cars while you are here. You have won over James Young's (Camille's Father) heart. He plays with you and likes you. You win over everyone's heart. You are so sweet and chubby and cuddle-able. I love your chubby hands and I love the way you wave them and clap them and "zoom, zoom, zoom" them!

Papa and Grandma were in town last week. You and Papa forged a special bond. Papa took you to the playground twice and you would push a tractor down the slide and Papa would catch it. Every morning you looked for him to come. Again, you won his heart. He says he is on a Taft High and can't wait to see you again! You make everyone feel special in the way that you love them.

Towel!

Alyssa had gotten chocolate chips out of the fridge. She dropped a few on the floor and Taft pick them up. I assume Taft had eaten them. A few minutes later I went to put his shoes on and he opened his hand to reveal a melty chocolate chip mess. He started to cry a little bit and say "Towel towel towel towel." He wanted to wash the chocolate off his hands. He refused to eat it!

mmm My Tafty

Taft, I love you!

You play so happily and sing twinkle twinkle little star.

You love Legos and trucks and babies and food!

You love to be snuggled when you are feeling sad.

Your favorite books are "I Want My Hat Back" by Jon Klassen and "Brown Bear Brown Bear" and maybe "Mama, Do You Love Me".

We have started attending story time at the library in Austin and you love Lou the lion and "Little (animal), Little (animal) are you behind the (colored object)."

You love Joel and watch out for him by giving him blankets and such.

You are happy and smiley and passionate!

I am thankful for you!!

Update

Taft and Alyssa are good friends. They play together all the time and usually it is happy play! The last two weeks we have had Claire and Grandma visiting. There was an air matress set up in their room and Taft LOVED to go to the air mattress and plop down on it. It had become one of his coping mechanisms if he was feeling upset about something. The morning after Grandma left we deflated the air matress and put it away. I told Taft not to do something (probably to put the toilet brush away or stop playing in the toilet) and he was feeling a little upset. He toddled into the room to have his moment with the air matress and was very disappointed to find that it wasn't there!

The most current picture I have of him...he's so cute!

We went to the zoo with Lauretta and Atlas Price to see a dinosaur exhibit they had there. Taft was not a fan of the dinosaurs. He would turn his head away from them, with a big pouty frown as we walked by. He did like the other animals though! He was particularly fascinated with the flamingos.

Taft likes to sing. He will lay on the floor or walk around the house singing fun little songs to himself. He loves "The Wheels on the Bus." He moves his hands in cute circles when he wants to sing it. I recently found him sitting with the book we have of "The Wheels on the Bus" circling his hands. It is fun to see the connections he is making! He will often go pull some books off the shelves and look through them. I am glad he likes books!

One afternoon Ben and I were sitting on the floor reading Taft books. He walked over to me and fell across my belly and started giving it open mouth kisses. I think he knows his friend is in there and wants him to come out and play! Sometimes he will also stand at my feet and look up at my belly and pull my shirt away from underneath like he's trying to figure out what is going on!

My One Year Old!

Dear Taft,

You are ONE! I cannot begin to fully describe what a delight the last year has been! It has flown by as if on eagle's wings and now you sit before me, a jolly one year old! 

Having you become part of our family on earth was no easy task. We prayed and waited and fasted and worked to get you here. You were supposed to come to this earth at a very specific time! We are so grateful that you are here and for the joy that you have brought our family. 

Alyssa likes that you are laughy, smiley baby. Dad does too, and that you are so fun to play with! I love your cuddles! When I pick you up and rub your back you lay your head against my shoulder. You let me kiss your sweet, soft cheeks and breathe in your little baby scent! It is euphoria!

When you talk, your tongue is at the forefront of your mouth, making "lolling" type noises. You like to make "O"s with your mouth! You can say Dada for dad and you have tried out Mama, what, and wa - for water. Recently you like to put your hands over your eyes and play peek a boo. When I laid you down this afternoon for a nap, you put your burp rag over your face and we played peek a boo! I think it is safe to say that peek a boo brings you a lot of joy! You're favorite books are books with flaps and peek a boos like Peek a Who and Baby Loves Peek a Boo. 

You are so easy going. I can put you on the floor and play with you. Eventually you find something that interests you and you will entertain yourself for hours! You sometimes study something very closely and kind of do singy songy grunts while you look at it. You love to put Lego tires in your mouth, but you know most other Legos are not for eating! 

Alyssa is your best friend! She will run around the house trying to get you to chase you. She screams and you crawl back and forth trying to catch up to her. You are so blessed to have a wonderful sister and she is blessed to have you as a brother! She always wants to make you happy and she is very glad when you are not crying.

Last night you both went to bed very late. She put your new Little People School Bus in bed with you. She said you needed a toy. She would then run in and out of the room singing "one year older and wiser too - happy birthday, to you!" You would let out peels of laughter at this gesture!

Music is in your soul. Any time you hear a little tune you shake your bum to dance to it. You enjoy putting fingers to keys on the piano and tapping on the drums. I practice the violin after lunch and you just listen and play. We always talk about how right after you were born Dad played "Sleigh Ride" for you and you loved it!

You are definitely a crawler! You can get where you want to go, but you don't go searching for new places. You like to pull yourself up and occasionally you stand on your own. You are still finding your internal balance and it might be awhile until you walk!

So much has happened this year! Some highlights include:

:: The time you were sitting in you chair at the counter and you pulled an entire burrito out of the pan and started to suck on it.

:: Experiencing TWO Archibald Family Reunions - one in February at Nana's house and one over Thanksgiving in Branson, MO.

:: Visiting Utah to see Claire after her mission.

:: Playing with bubbles. 

:: Having Grandma and Papa come visit when you were blessed and again in October.

:: Having all the Nelsen's come visit in July.

:: Kristin Allen holding you, cuddling you and rocking you. You would always fall asleep on her shoulder!

:: Playing "Are you a cow?" We would ask you if you were a cow and you would emphatically shake your head no!

I worried a little bit about having a second child because I had outgrown the baby years since Alyssa was almost 5. But you have made the transition beautiful and easy! You are such a joy and I feel so blessed to be your mother! You are cute and friendly! You are happy and easy! You have brought an incredible amount of peace to my life and I am so grateful Heavenly Father has allowed me to be your mother!

Love,

Mom