Dear 2011, Farewell...

You really dazzled me...

{Cotton Bowl}

 {My favorite March Madness ever}

{Wedding weekend with the Browns}

{Easter at the farm}

{Canadian River Music Festival}

 {Memorial Day at the ranch}

{Lots of sandbox, swing and pool time}

{Concerts in the Park}

{Plenty of trips to the park and the Discovery Center}

{Trips to the Fort Worth Zoo and OKC Zoo}

{Father's Day}

{July 4th with the Coles}

{Idalou Centennial}

{Galveston}

{Labor Day at the ranch}

 

{First Day of School}

 

 {Living Proof Live with Mom}

 {Weekend in South Padre}

{A&M v. Arkansas Game}

 

{Taylor Swift Concert}

 {Fun at the Pumpkin Patch}

 {Halloween}

{Bo turning 2}

{Christmas}

May 2012 show off as boldly as you did!

 

Dear Bo, A Bozeman Christmas...

When I was growing up, we did the gift exchange between immediate family members on Christmas Eve then Santa came on Christmas morning.  We still do Christmas Eve together, but now instead of 6 of us, there are 21!  We have Mexican food, and this year, all my Bozeman aunts and uncles were able to join us, too.  Lots of fun (and pretty loud).

{The most well behaved one there-Bronte's first Christmas}

{An attempt at a grandkid picture without adults}

 {A little better with Pop}

{But definitely better with Mimi and Pop}

{My little brother's fam}

{My big brother's fam}

{Another great pic of us in front of the tree.  Ha!}

{My big sis's fam}

{Opening gifts with Daddy}

{Playing with your new tractor}

Sunday morning we went to church together then had a lazy day.  You spent most of the day in the garage play area watching Nemo.  You cannot get enough of that show right now!  I can't believe I missed getting a picture of it, but we had a white Christmas!  You have been here 3 Christmases, and two of them have been white; that's rare, son.

{Watching Nemo with Pop}

{Watching Nemo with Brody}

Dear Bo, Santa 2011...

I don't think you really "got Santa" this year, but you surely enjoyed your gifts...

And I can't pass up an opportunity to snap shots of a handsome little guy in Christmas plaid!

Dear Baby 2, You had a Merry Christmas...

We had our third and last Christmas as a family of 3!  I just kept thinking, "next year, we'll have 2 kids".  It's a great thought.  We celebrated at home, then went to the farm to celebrate with 11 of your cousins.  On Christmas Eve, I put Bo in his Big Bro shirt and let Bo "tell" the Bozeman family.  They are all excited to meet you!  Mimi and Pop are especially excited that 2012 will bring them their 12th grandbaby!  Your daddy sent a pic of your brother in the same shirt to his family so Bo could "tell" that side, too.

A couple of family members asked if we are hoping for a girl.  I can say with 100% certainty that I genuinely don't have a preference.  I'm so glad we don't get to choose whether you're a boy or girl.  I think either will be so great!  I so want Bo to have a little brother to pal around with, get in trouble with, argue with, and stand up with at his wedding.  At the same time, I want him to have a little sister to protect and want him to be doted on by his little sister.  And as for me, I want two little boys to raise and dress alike, but at the same time, I want a little girl to have tea parties with and dress in everything smocked!  Whatever we are given will be just what we want!

What you're up to this week (8 weeks):

You're about the size of a kidney bean.  Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your hands and feet, your eyelids practically cover your eyes, breathing tubes extend from your throat to the branches of your developing lungs, and your "tail" is just about gone. In your brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. Your external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're a boy or a girl.

These were my prayers for you this week:

My first Christmas with your brother was on my mind a lot this year.  He had a lot of tummy troubles which we found out about shortly after Christmas.  I just keep praying that you will have a strong tummy and will not experience the MSPI he did. 

Dear Bo, You're 25 months old...

Now that the changes aren't so dramatic month to month, these will be quite abbreviated:

Stats: You wear a size 4 diaper, a size 6 or 7 shoe, 24 months pants and 2T tops. 

Eating:  You are in a huge eating phase right now.  You eat everything we give you then some!  You tried popcorn this month and love it; you've been having it while we watch Christmas movies in the evening.    You also were into powdered donuts this month!  Man, oh man, do you enjoy those.   Another favorite is seasoned oyster crackers.   Other than that, it's really been whatever we put in front of you.  With the holidays, there's been more junk than usual.  Maybe that's why you are a bottomless pit right now.

Sleeping:  I'm not sure what is going on with you, but I miss my 8-7:30am sleeper!  You still go down easily, but this is the third week you have been waking up super early and waking crying (you usually wake up and play in bed happily until I come get you)!  The first week, it was consistently at 5:30am.  Whoa.  I don't mind anything after 6am, but anything in the 5's is off limits.  Then last week you switched to 6:30ish.  You've even woken crying in the middle of the night (but go back down easily) recently.  Fortunately, on those mornings you sleep later.  I think it might be your teeth, but I feel like that's the excuse I use for everything.

Talking:  One new word you used this month is Nemo.  You started saying it the very first morning you watched the show.  You also put two words together, "bye Nemo".  You were more verbal this month and made more attempts at trying to say words we encouraged you to say.

Favorite Things:  Nemo!  Oh, my word.  You can't get enough of it.  You would watch it over and over if I'd let you.  You're really into cars and trucks, making cars and trucks sounds, and you still love books and puzzles.

You are still such a happy little thing.  You are all boy; that's for sure.  You are affectionate and love to give hugs (which you do by laying on someone's shoulders), give kisses (with a loud mwaa! afterwards), and sit in our laps.

We love you little buddy!