29 Months: Jacob

Dear Jacob,

Oh my gravy, this last month has FLOWN by! You are now officially a big brother, and what a great big brother you are. From the moment Cody came home from the hospital, you knew that this baby was special and different from the other babies that you know. You like holding him and touching his nose (and talking about the boogers in his nose), cuddling up when I feed him, trying to feed him cookies and toast. Good sharing, but let's just stick with the boob for a few more months, mmmkay?

This last week, however, I've noticed a change in your lovey dovey big brother attitude. Your gentle caresses have become a little more pokey, with a focus on the eyes. You are roaring in his face more frequently, and you seem to have figured out that Daddy, Cody and I are staying home while you go to daycare, and this is SO NOT COOL. However, I'd like to remind you of how much you love daycare, and prefer E's tacos and lasagna to anything that I pack in your lunch bag.

Dude, your puzzle making skills have ex.plo.ded. When I went on the Melissa & Doug buying binge a few weeks ago, I figured I'd introduce one puzzle per week, but you got through each one so quickly that I just broke them all out in one week! It's been really fun rotating the puzzles; I want to do puzzles with you forever.

I don't know if it's the responsibility of being a new brother, but you really are starting to seem like a big boy these days. It feels like yesterday that I was just swaddling you, and now you are this little person, a real live little boy. When did that happen? How can I slow things down? Sometimes, I just want to take moments like this morning, when Daddy and Cody were sleeping and you and I ate breakfast and did the fishy puzzle, I want to take those moments and capture them in amber before they fade away to "No time for breakfast Mom, I gotta get to school!"

I know this is a big transition for you (in addition to all the standard growing and learning and developing), and you are being a champ. I hope you know that Daddy and I love you so much, even when you are moody and clingy and whiny, even when one of us can't play with you because we are tending to your baby brother. And it's okay to feel weird right now, it's okay to love Cody and also kind of want to sit on his head. While we won't let you DO that, it's totally okay to want to.

Keep in mind though, that while you can steal all his baby gifts now, sooner than you think he's going to want that Sophie the Giraffe back, and he'll be willing to fight you for it. I'm just saying, you might want to think about cultivating a friendship down the line, and you have the upper hand here. While he may end up taller than you, he'll always love his big brother.

Love,

Mama