Alden Roy,

This week you turned two years old! I really cannot believe it because I am pretty sure it was last month that you were a teeny baby in my arms. Where did the time go?

For your birthday this year you woke up to balloons, presents and cinnamon rolls. Your siblings each drew you a picture and Lila made you a special bracelet you wore all day. Your babysitter Amanda took you to Imagination Station during the day. At night we went to dinner at a hibachi restaurant where you loved watching them cook in front of you. Then we drove around looking at Christmas lights and had homemade hot chocolate cake. It was a great day!

You are such a delight in my life. Truly you make me so happy and I just love being with you. And while you are a fiercely independent Sagittarius like your daddy, you know just how to melt my heart with your hugs, “momeees!” and sly smiles.

While I would love to keep you little, you want nothing more than to be a big kid. You follow your brothers around and want to do everything they do. At parties we can always find you chasing after the big boys trying to do whatever they are. We also ended up giving your high chair away because you absolutely refused to sit in it and demanded to sit in a big boy chair like everyone else, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

You are a very coordinated and physical little guy who started scootering to and from school (1 mile away) at just 18 months. Every person we pass on the way marvels and how good you are on your scooter for being such a little guy. It cracks me and daddy up when you start lifting your leg to the side and doing swerving tricks just like your brothers.

You’ve never met a ball you didn’t like and will regularly inch your way out onto the court at your brother’s basketball games. Recently when I took you to a store they had baskets of balls sitting out front and you about lost your mind screaming “BALL!!!!!” over and over until I let you load a bunch in our cart.

You are obsessed with eating. Mostly eggs. Not only eating, but also cooking. Each morning you bring a carton of eggs to Daddy and demand he put you on the counter so you can help him cook them. You do the same when I’m making dinner. Its not unheard of for you to consume 4 eggs in one sitting and then go back for some fruit to finish it off. I think that may be the reason you’re in the 99% for height.

(Also note the mario boxer shorts of your brothers that you regularly refuse to take off)

If there are two things you’re not that interested in, it would be talking and smiling. Grunting and pointing remains your preferred method of communication and I usually have to explain that you’re a “stoic baby” to the little old ladies cooing at you to smile in the store. Although you refuse to smile for mommy when I take pictures, you’re more than happy to cheese it up for your babysitter! I think you’ll be the type to know your mind and not be swayed by others.

You’ve been thriving despite having hemophilia. I honestly forget about it most days thanks to your medication. You’ve still never had a bleed and hardly notice when we do your monthly injections. We feel so lucky that if you had to have a chronic illness, that it is hemophilia, because it’s been very manageable.

My sweet Roysie Boysie, Baldi Aldi, Boo Boo. I love watching you grow up and and cherishing your toddlerhood as my last baby. It’s clear you’re going to be spoiled because as I tell your siblings “what baby wants, baby gets!” All joking aside, I love being your mommy.

Hugs and kisses forever baby boy!

Mommy