This morning was a rare morning - the kind where I woke up before the boys without an alarm reminding me that, if I wanted a shower, my day needed to start before theirs; the kind where I got a few precious moments to sit, relax, and reflect.  God used this lovely Valentine's Day morning to remind me to pray for my sons; to remind me how precious and innocent they are right now (sometimes it's easier to see it when they are fast asleep) and how much I hope for them to stay this way as long as possible.

Today I pray...

That they will personally know the love of their Heavenly Father who will never leave them nor forsake them.

That they will grow up as friends, supporters of one another, and confidants who spur one another on to good deeds.

That they will be men of strength and integrity who are humble enough to admit their weaknesses.

That they will live lives of passion and adventure.

That they will not let fear keep them from being whoever God has called them to be.

And that they too will believe in the power of prayer.

Happy Valentine's Day boys!

I love you.

Dear Eli,

Today is your second birthday.  I simultaneously cannot believe you are 2 years old already and have a hard time picturing my life without you.  For the last 2 years you have brought us so much joy.  Yes, you have certainly tried our patience at times, but the times you have brought a smile to my face far outweigh the other times.  Thank you for being such a happy child.

You have taken on being a big brother with amazing gusto.  I have yet to see you be truly jealous of your little brother.  Instead you have welcomed him with open arms and rather aggressive hugs and kisses.  You have taken the adage “the more the merrier to heart.” Thank you for continuing to bless us with your openness to change.

Your vocabulary in both Spanish and English continues to grow exponentially.  There are still many things you say that we don’t quite understand and some consonants you haven’t quite figured out, but the things you say clearly continue to amaze me.  You use please and thank you lavishly and at surprising moments.  Thank you for reminding me to tell people I appreciate the little things. 

You love whole-heartedly.  Some of that love is given to “choo choos” (anything with wheels), Buzz Lightyear, and Dora (who we’re pretty sure we can count as your first crush), but so much of it is poured out on those around you.  You love your cousin Isabella incredibly and have not quite learned that her need for personal space is much greater than yours (which is virtually non-existent), you adore talking over Skype with your grandparents and showing them the new things in your life, you tell your little brother you love him often even though he’s not yet able to give you any kind of response, and you melt my heart every time you suddenly grab mine or Daddy’s leg and proclaim “I lub you.”  Thank you for being an amazing example of why our Heavenly Father said “let the little children come to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

I love you, Eli and I’m so proud to be your mommy.  Happy birthday, Buddy.

Love,

Mommy

To my second son,

Sorry, we have not decided on your name yet, so I cannot address this to you more specifically.   You are expected to arrive 3 months from today (however, your big brother had no desire to arrive in a timely fashion, so I will not hold it against you if you follow in his footsteps).  Time has flown by since we first found out that you were joining us.  We are very excited to meet you, to see your sweet face, to know the touch of your skin, the color of your eyes, the warmth of your smile, and to gradually discover your precious personality.

I admit I am a little intimidated at the thought of raising two boys, two kids in general really.  I grew up as an only child, so sibling interactions are not exactly my specialty.  However, you are a precious gift to this family and I know that, somehow, God will prepare me for all that is ahead of me.  Please be patient with me, as I am sure there will be a bit of a learning curve.

Your big brother is just starting to get the idea that something is happening in Mommy’s tummy.  He saw you at my last ultrasound and was not quite sure what to make of the whole thing.  He’s probably going to be a little jealous of all the time and attention you get for a while, but it is my prayer that the two of you will come to be good friends.  He’ll have lots of lessons to help teach you and he’s very good at giving hugs and kisses.  We will continue to work on making sure they are gentle enough for you.

Most importantly you need to know that your Mommy and Daddy love you so much already and are looking forward to your arrival. 

Love,

Mommy

Dear Eli,

Today is Mother's Day, well in the U.S. at least (we celebrated Dia de la Madre on Thursday here in Mexico). Today I get to celebrate because God graced me with the special blessing of having you in my life. For that I am incredibly thankful. Sometimes I think that you make being a Mom easier than it is supposed to be. And at times you try my patience, but these are far outweighed by the times you make me smile. You are an amazingly happy child with an incredible zest for life. I pray that you keep these qualities throughout your life.

I pray for you often, but in truth I spend more time praying for me. I pray that I will be a good mother to you, that I will have patience, wisdom, and dedication in teaching you the many lessons you have yet to learn in life. I pray that I will be a Godly example to you and the sibling you will meet at the end of the summer (I realize that you have not grasped that he or she is coming - it's going to be the biggest surprise of your little life so far!). I pray that in my life I will be able to give you a small example of the grace and unconditional love your Heavenly Father will bestow on you throughout your life. I pray that I will be quick to listen, slow to speak,and slow to anger throughout my life, but particularly in your presence. But the most important prayer is one that I began to pray before you were born and continue to pray. I pray that you will have a personal, life changing relationship with your Father in Heaven - that He will be the one you lean on when Daddy and I and others in your life fail to set the example we should. This is the greatest gift you could ever receive and one I long so deeply for you to accept from an early age.

You are a gift from God, my precious son. You have been in my life for only a short period of time, but I cannot imagine what it would be like without you now. I am so thankful that I get to be your mother.

I love you,
Mommy

Dear Eli,

In a few short months you are going to be a big brother.  I’m not going lie, your life is going to change pretty drastically.  You will not have nearly as much one-on-one time with me and Daddy.  However, this in no way means we love you any less.  In fact, the amount of love we have for you will never decrease - I have a feeling it’s only going to continue to grow. 

For the past 14 months you have been an amazing delight.  We continually thank God for the blessing you are in our lives.  You are an astoundingly happy little boy with an infectious smile.  We are enamored with your thirst to learn and experience new things, and we pray that you keep that thirst throughout your life.  You’re already an adventurer who fears almost nothing (sometimes I wish you had just a little more fear as you dive off the couch headfirst or shove your hand inside the dog’s mouth).  I know that you can take on this next challenge with the same gusto.

I am looking forward to seeing you learn to be a big brother with the sweet, adventurous spirit that has made you such a joy already.  More than one person has said that our next child has a lot to live up to, and they are right, you have set the bar high. 

In the short time you have been alive you have already experienced drastic changes to your little world.  You have traveled and moved from place to place like a champ.  You make each new person you meet your friend in practically no time.  You have adjusted to this new life in Mexico more seamlessly than the rest of us, and for that we are so thankful.  Yes, your life is going to go through another drastic change in just a few months and you’re probably not going to like all of the changes, but I am confident that you can handle it.  I am confident that you are going to be an amazing big brother.

Thank you for all the ways you have blessed us already, sweet boy.  Thank you for making being your mother such a joy.

Love,

Mommy