My Sweet Little Bitty Claycito:

You are "tchoo," which is really unbelievable! You are my baby. My last baby. And, you are tiny. So, in my mind, you are little. But, in reality, you are becoming a big boy in so many ways. You haven't been sleeping in a crib for a couple of months. You rarely sit in a high chair or drink from a sippy cup. You can express yourself so clearly these days and have recently learned your colors. And, just this week, you became very interested in using the potty, so you have been wearing training pants during the day, instead of regular diapers, and you've been doing a great job of keeping them mostly dry. You love the flushing part and, of course, the treat that follows a successful trip to the restroom. When I let myself, I can see you are truly getting big!

You are just the sweetest little thing, and you bring so much joy to our household! (And, frankly, outside our household, as well)! You give away hugs and kisses freely, and you are often content to snuggle in someone's lap for longish periods of time. And, you are maybe the smiliest baby I've ever seen. You can certainly light up a room!

When you are tired, you are more than happy to go to bed, as long as you have your "friends" and you get to say "noit, noit" to everyone. There is a whole multitude of stuffed critters and "blanks" (blankets) who attend you at bedtime, but you have two special friends that you ask for by name and cry for if they are unavailable. And, though they are two separate friends, you often call them by one name: Ooshybear. (Translated, that's "Fish" [who is really a dolphin] and "Bear"). It is really sweet to see you love on them. 

That's Bear in the lower left-hand corner
and Oosh's blue tail sticking up

It is also sweet how you love on your siblings. You think the world of them and want to be involved in whatever it is they are doing. You don't know you are little and sometimes get frustrated when they do things that are beyond what you are capable of. You adore them all but are especially fond of Max. He is also especially fond of you, and you two are great buddies. You spend most of your days not far from each other's sides. I pray you will always enjoy each other the way you do now. 

You love balls, and one of your first words was "hut-hut." You would say this when you wanted someone to catch the ball you were about to launch. You also think I am hiding "balls" in my shirt (in the chest area), which has produced a few awkward but hilarious moments in the last few months. 

You are a big fan of Elmo. And, you like to stack things up and pour liquids from one container to another. You also love hammers, which you call "barns," because Grandpa has a hammer for you to play with in his barn. You are enamored with Grandpa's black truck, and you think every red car is Mimi's. You like animals and usually call them by their sounds. The cutest are pigs and monkeys, but the one we probably get the biggest kick out of is when you call chicken that we eat "bawk-bawk." You are fascinated with the cows and calfs that frequently stop by the house. And, they seem fairly fascinated with you as well. 

sweet babies

You enjoy bath time and like to play and splash. But, when I pour water on your head, you sit perfectly still, with your hands in your lap, and look straight down at your belly. After your bath, I wrap you up in a towel and then turn to face the mirror. You always point and say "Momma baby," when you catch the reflection. It melts my heart. Every. Single. Time. Then, we brush your teeth, while you say, "AHHH; EEEE."

You always enjoy getting dressed and will point out that you need "bits" (pants) and "auks" (socks), and you know shoes are required to go "out-ide." If the shoes can't be found in your room, you are always quick to assume they are in the van. This is because you cannot sit in the van for more than five minutes without shucking shoes and socks. I have finally learned to just leave them off of you until we arrive at our destination. You also enjoy wearing hats and other family members' shoes that are way too big. And very often you can be found carry around a "boom" (gun).

You are moved by music...literally. Whether we are in the grocery store (or other public place), the car or at home, if you hear music, you start dancing. You don't seem to prefer a particular genre, but will rock out to hymns, country, pop and elevator music with equal fervor. It's like you just can't help yourself. 

Clay, I cannot put into words what a joy you are to our family, and even to those who are not related. You are loved beyond what you can even imagine. And you are a blessing to all of us. And, even though you'll always be my "Little Bitty," you are getting big, and it's so fun to watch. Dad and I love you, and we are proud of you! Happy Second Birthday, Claycito!

With much love,

Mom

 P.S. Here are some pictures from your party: