Dear Reagan - 12 months

I can't believe this is the last of Reagan's monthly updates.

I still can't believe he is one!

As a quick intro here is his progression over the year.
Newborn, 3m, 6m, 9m, and 12m.

My sweet boy, 

It seems like it has been a long time since your last update.

So much has happened this past month.

You weigh 22 pounds and are 31 inches tall!

You wear mostly 12 month stuff. Some 9 month stuff fits, but some stuff you need 18 month for the height!

You have 8 teeth.

You walk everywhere now.

Or actually run.

You are quick!

I took you for a walk yesterday...because it was 45 degrees...and you loved it!

You almost fell asleep in the stroller.

I let you out at the end of our road to see what you would do...and you just sprinted around giggling.

And you kept falling because it was really windy and it was pushing you and you were running so fast, but it didn't phase you at all...you just kept getting right back up and running.
You LOVE to be outside.
I can't wait until the weather gets a little warmer and we can be outside everyday!

 This is what 90% of our walk looked like - me chasing after you.
Don't worry...he wasn't falling. He was running away from me.

Per the usual: you are LOUD!

So so loud.

And you have this thing now where you scream.

Ugh...we are working on that...

You eat pretty much anything we give you.

You don't seem to like tomatoes though.

We mostly do finger foods, but we have been expanding to letting you eat 1/4 of a sandwich....or letting you hold a half of banana and eat it instead of cutting things into little pieces. You always giggle and act like such a big boy!

You are such a paci boy.

My goodness you love it.

I swear you store them in places around the house and then find them when you want them.

Your dad thinks it is hilarous.

I am dreading the day we go without...

You LOVE to dance.

It is so sweet :)

You always have to be moving, talking, dancing...
You always have to be doing SOMETHING.
There is no down time in your mind.
You even talk in your sleep quite often.

You are so verbal. Your doctor was amazed at your vocabulary.

You can say "mama, dada, oh, baba, hot, uh-oh, ball." As well as a whole lot of words that we can quite understand yet...

You still don't really have stranger anxiety. 

You love people.

You have always been independent, and that is following through as you learn more.

You don't want to be carried - you want to walk.

You don't want to snuggle - you want to be investigating the world.

You don't want us to brush your teeth - you like to do it on your own.

You are slowly figuring out how to use a spoon.

You like toys that you can figure out: Sticking pieces inside others, stacking stuff...

I think you would love puzzles...we may need to invest in a few :)

Welcome to one year, buddy!
We love you!

 

3 years.

Dear Matt,

I honestly cannot believe it has been 3 years already.

I remember waking up this day 3 years ago to a snowstorm.

I remember it feeling unreal that I was getting married.

I remember getting my hair and make-up done...and how everyone seemed much more anxious than I did. Numerous people commented on how calm I was.

I remember the chaos of having so many little ones a part of our ceremony.

I remember your mom crying...A LOT!

I remember getting our pictures taken and how cold it was.

Seriously SO SO cold!

I remember standing together and reciting our vows.

I remember driving to Grand Rapids and opening letters from our loved ones.

I don't remember much about the details.

What people said, or things we did.

If there is anything I learned these past three years though it was that we were just babies and didn't know much.

I remember several people telling us that we were too young and it was too soon to get married.

And I remember blowing them off and getting so mad.

Who knew that you would, ever so lovingly, point out later in our marriage that controlling my anger is something I need to work on.

Looking back now...we were young.

So young.

I didn't finish college...and don't have a career and initials to put after my name.

But that is a decision we made together.

We have struggled with you finishing college...especially now with a baby.

But in just TWO MONTHS you will walk across that gymnasium and receive that darn piece of paper...and we will be able to say...we did that! 

We were young and married...and had a baby...and you still got your degree.

And we paid for it on our own.

AND you were on the Deans List every semester.

I am proud of us!

We have bought houses...sold houses...moved...bought cars and sold cars...paid off a lot of debt.

We have gone through a long and pukey pregnancy!

We have had a baby.

We have known being TIRED!

And we have had so much fun together.

We have seen each other at our worst...and best.

We have found out just how selfish and strong-willed we both are.

We have struggled with learning to budget...and we have known financial freedom.

These past three years have been SUCH a learning curve for us both.

I remember standing on that stage reciting our vows.

I have no idea what those promises that I made to you were anymore...but I am pretty sure I have broken about 95% of them. We had good intentions, but we had no idea the reality of marriage when the lovey dovey honeymoon stage wore off.

We were young, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

We did all of our growing up together.

All of our decisions were made together.

We really learned to understand each other and truly know each other.

I can honestly say I love you so much more now than the day we got married...or the day that I was completely infatuated when you facebooked me way back in the fall of 2008!

It hasn't always been easy, but it really has been such a blessing.

Happy 3 years, my love!