Dear August,

Somehow, you are two! In these two years you have brought more joy and beauty into our lives than I can even believe is possible.

At two,…

You are sweet: You still take breaks in your play to come give mama a cuddle.

You are so smart: It was apparent early on that you could understand so much more than you could express—and now that your communication skills are strong and continue to grow, you blow us away every day with all you know and can do.

You are an entertainer: You walked down the aisle at Uncle Max’s wedding like you were born to do it and were the first to bust a move on the dance floor later that night.

You are easygoing. I think this partly has to do with having a demanding older sister, but it is mostly just in your nature.

You are humorous: You randomly strike muscle man poses and have an arsenal of goofy faces and dance moves.

You are persistent: You want to “do it!” yourself, and want a “big piece!” when being served any type of food, and if you don’t like something you will let it be known.

You are precious: Your soft baby skin, fluffy baby hair, chubby little cheekies, and smile that takes over your whole face are almost more cuteness than I can bear.

You are our Morning Joe: You are the first one up every day, but most of the time you will snuggle with mama for a bit which is the perfect way to begin a new day.

You are independent: You’ve always been content to play by yourself, and the older you get the less willing you are to go along with what Scarlett wants you to do.

You are musical: Instruments have always been one of your favorite toys and you’ve been humming along (on key) with mama since you were itty bitty and have the sweetest little singing voice.

You are sweetly sensitive: Sad songs make you weepy and you get concerned when others are hurt or unhappy.

You are joyful: You almost always wear a smile and even your resting face has a hint of a grin, and when you’re not laughing or giggling, your eyes still are.

You are peaceful: Just being near you puts me at ease, and holding you brings me such a feeling of calmness that it is sometimes hard to let go.

You are enchanting: People, especially children, have always been drawn to you—and I often find myself unable to take my eyes away from your sweet face.

You are my sweetest baby boy: Mama loves you more than I could possibly describe.