Happy 2nd Birthday, Eli!

Happy 2nd Birthday, handsome, Eli! (I had some great photos of you with your Santa Claus birthday pancakes, but thanks to a computer crash, they may be lost forever. Thankfully, I did at least have some on my camera of you in your birthday pads and crash helmet )

According to Dr. Ransom, you are in the 50th percentile for weight and height. You are solid as a rock and 100% boy. (And you've had more than your fair share of bumps and bruises to prove it!)

You are our resident comedian, making us laugh daily with the creative sentences and words you string together. (You have recently taken to saying, "Hi Grandma" to any elderly women we see in public)

You love riding your tricycle (or "my bike" as you call it), playing with trucks, trains, and are extremely adept at making a phenomenal mess in a very short amount of time. (You're also a great helper when it comes time to "Clean-up, clean-up")

You have inherited your father's love of technology, and manage to navigate the computer, telephone, and tv remote with ease, in spite of the fact that you aren't supposed to be touching any of these devices.

Your favorite foods are meat, cheese, and chips. You despise bread (even cinnamon rolls!) and usually find creative ways to eat around it, even if it is part of the main course (such as pizza or quiche). You ask for a "hog dog" for lunch nearly every day, but thankfully will eat most anything I give you. You love fruit, especially oranges and blueberries.

You have been potty trained during the day since you were about 18 months (and it came even easier for you than your sister, despite the rumors that boys are harder to train). You are very proud of your "Choo-Choos" (Thomas the Train undies).

You love your big sister, "Norwah" with all your heart, and want to be with her almost all the time. (Unfortunately, she seems to value her solitude more than you do on some occasions, but you take these instances in stride, and play very well by yourself). You cannot stand to see her punished (even if it is for hurting you), and you beg for her pardon often times when she is in trouble.

You love sleeping in a deep, dark room...but will forsake your own, dark den for Norah's bright bedroom when she's afraid in the night and wants someone to snuggle with her. (She often relies on you to protect her from darkness, scary sounds, or simply the throes of loneliness)

Your favorite books are "The Tale of Tricky Fox" and "The Three Little Kittens". You've requested them so many times that you can pretty much recite them to yourself, but prefer to have company when you read.

Your favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 40:31 (thanks a song Norah taught you), and you like to say The Lord's Prayer at bedtime.

You have the most kissable cheeks in the entire house and you love to cuddle. Nearly every time you take a nap or go to bed you implore me or your daddy to "Cuddle me...please!?" (And I am thankful to be able to hold you in my arms for a little while longer.)

You are extremely obedient (most of the time), and can stand in the corner better than most 5 year olds I know. Your personality is very much that of a people-pleaser. You seem more injured by disappointing us than by any other form of punishment (though you still see your fair share of those) you receive.

You have a naturally gentle and hospitable spirit. You (without fail) invite company to "Please have a seat" and are always sad to see them leave. If our company happens to leave while you are sleeping, the first words from your mouth when you awaken are, "Where's ________ gone?"

You seem to grow even faster than your sister did and if I weren't so proud of the kindhearted, big boy you are becoming I would probably shed a lot more tears at how quickly you are leaving your infancy behind. Happy Birthday, sweet Eli. I love you!