Since we’ve been working nonstop to get our house ready to put on the market, I’m a bit late on posting this, but our sweet Mathias turned TWO last Friday! We kept our celebrating pretty simple with an afternoon spent at the park (the first time since the pandemic hit in March) and a pizza dinner and cake and ice cream with grandparents, followed up with the unveiling of the presents (which nearly all had wheels, as those are his favorite). It was a small but perfect celebration of our small but perfect little boy.
To help myself remember what he was like at this age, I penned him a little letter.
Dear Mathias,
With the onset of my autoimmune disease after your sister’s birth, which meant our timetable for getting pregnant again was delayed, and a prolonged miscarriage that my body took almost a full 9 months to recover from, my pregnancy with you was long-awaited and filled with equal parts relief and anxiety. It felt like we had to wait a long time to get you here, but you somehow managed to surprise us by coming three weeks early, on the dot.
My labor with you was sudden and quick and beyond intense. We had no idea how close we had cut it until we were speeding towards the hospital (a 20-minute drive away) with contractions coming 90 seconds apart. You were born just over twenty minutes later, without leaving time for your aunt Sarah to get there in time to help me with the hypnobirthing process. We’ve since said frequently that you were just in a big hurry to get here already since you’d had to wait such a long time yourself!
Even though I had afterbirth complications once again with the placenta, the rest of my time in the hospital with you was peaceful and perfect. My energy levels were high, and I had lots of time to soak you in, all peach fuzz and so different in your appearance than your sister.
Since your sister never slept like a newborn supposedly should (and neither does your younger brother now!), I was shocked by how easy you were that first month, which was a real blessing since you later got never-ending ear infections that made you a difficult sleeper until you finally got ear tubes put in when you were around 10 months old.
You took your time walking, even though Daddy and I both knew that you were strong enough–and had enough of a sense of balance–long before you chose to. And, if it hadn’t have been for the arrival of Hyrum and Grandma basically making you walk while she was around helping for the first couple weeks after his birth, it would have taken you longer still. You’d never know it now, though—you graduated from walking to running in a matter of about two weeks, and you seem to have a natural athleticism as you maneuver your way around obstacles, climb up on whatever you can, and figure out anything with wheels that is put in front of you. In fact, when we took you to the park for this birthday, you showed no fear in trying out everything (including the tall metal slide), even though it was the first time you’d been since you started walking and could try out things other than the swings. (And ironically, the swings were the one thing you were nervous about!)
Other than those months with the ear infections, you have a naturally happy disposition, and your eyes crinkle down when you laugh just like your daddy’s, which makes my heart melt. You love to make us giggle at your antics, and we’ll often bust into laughter during mealtimes especially as we’ll look up from our plates to see you hamming it up over at your high chair, making silly faces or doing goofy things with your hands or food or mouth.
Right now, your great loves are cars (the toy), cars (the automobile), and Cars (the movie trilogy). You insist on announcing “Car!” loudly every time you see one, and more often than not, it seems to be the answer to most questions. You will sometimes deign to watch 101 Dalmatians or some other such animal-themed movie with your sister (since animals are another one of your Favorite Things Ever), but your older sister knows that when it’s your turn to pick the movie, it will be Cars (1, 2, or 3–it doesn’t seem to matter).
Because of your great love for your pacifier, Grandma was worried about you being slower to develop your speech, but lemme tell you, NOTHING is slowing down your speech! You pick up new words at an astonishing rate and have started stringing them together into sentences, and you basically will keep on speaking and speaking until we have understood, or until you have worn yourself out. (You’ve even recently mastered the “r” sound! I’m so impressed!) You love sharing a room with your sister, and most nights when you’re both put down to bed, Daddy and I can hear your sweet whispered conversations together about everything and anything, including plot summaries of books and movies, rehashing what you did together that day, mini church lessons on whatever you learned from the scriptures, or rhapsodies about your favorite things–“crackers! airplanes! trucks!”
That’s perhaps been the sweetest thing of all–watching the sibling relationship blossom between you and your older sister, and then recently between you and Hyrum. Sometimes Raven can drive you crazy–especially when it comes to wanting to share your toys–but boy, you sure want to do everything that she does! More often than not, the two of you really get along well together, with ample amounts of giggles, some shrieking and loud jabbering, all intermixed with the usual sibling squabbles that are almost always quickly resolved with hugs and apologies.
I was nervous having your brother so soon after you–the two of you are less than 18 months apart, and I didn’t know how you’d react to him since you’ve always been my little shadow. But I shouldn’t have worried–you absolutely love your baby brother! First thing in the morning, when we get you out of bed and allow you to walk bleary-eyed through the house to the living room to get your diaper changed, one of the first things you say is usually to inquire after your siblings. “Where Raven?” or “Hi, Hyrum!” You frequently like to give your baby brother hugs and snuggles, and you *usually* do an excellent job of being exceptionally soft with him. I can’t wait until he’s a bit older and you realize that you’ll have another built-in play buddy, especially since Raven will start kindergarten in the fall.
What a gift to see the three of you grow together.
I used to be scared of two-year-olds, but with Raven and now with you, I have discovered that this is one of my favorite stages, where nearly everything you do and say is hilarious and/or adorable, and that nothing beats that jaunty little run-walk with your belly hanging out and your grin wide.
You bring so much sunshine to us each day, sweet boy. We sure love you!
Love,
Mama
