Dear Hayes,
My Hayesy-Boy, Hazer, Hayesbo.
May 5, 2012
We love you so much!
Your Daddy and I were just saying today how it’s so special to us that when we mention you to anyone, they always say, “Oh! He is just the sweetest kid.”
And you are. You have the sweetest little heart.
Summer 2012
You have grown up so much this year. You finished up with your doc band around 14 months, and then we got you started with speech therapy around 17 months. We’ve been doing speech with Mrs. Sarah since October, and recently started occupational therapy through Baby Net with Mrs. Juliet.
Your fine motor skills have improved so much. But your speech is just incredible! The improvement is so remarkable. This is all due to your hard work and Mrs. Sarah’s help. She has helped me understand how to help you. And you have been so focused during our sessions with her.
Your vocabulary, Hayes, is so big! I can’t even list all of the words that you say now, and, I don’t take one single word for granted. You and I worked hard for those words!
Fall 2012
There was a time when I just ached to hear you say, “Mommy,” and now you probably say it one thousand times a day. And I am just so thankful.
Hayes, you are so happy. Of course you have your moments. You’re a toddler, and those “terrible twos” are upon us. But you are always smiling at everyone. You say, “hey!” to anyone that you see. Whether they’re a stranger or not doesn’t matter to you one bit.
You run into Hudson’s class every morning when we drop him off, throw your hands up in the air, and shout, “heeeeyyyy!!” You’re just so friendly.
Fall 2012
Hayes, you give the absolute best hugs. You rest your head on our shoulder and throw your chubby little arms around our necks and say, “awwww” when you give us a hug. And I really don’t think there’s anything that feels better than that. (Your Daddy wanted me to be sure that I mentioned how fantastic your hugs are.)
You are also a wild thing. Goodness gracious. You love to go, go, go. You love to dance. You love to jump. You love to run. Anything active and fast is your jive.
But now you’re also starting to enjoy more focused, indoor activities now like puzzles, reading, and anything having to do with using your fine motor skills.
April 2013
Hudson is your favorite person in the world. The two of you can irritate the mess out of each other, but you are always asking for him. The days that you don’t go to school, you ask me about Hudson no less than 20 times per day. You’ll say, “Mommy!? Where Hudsy go?”
And when I tell you that he’s at school, you always try so hard not to cry.
You always try hard to be tough. If you’re throwing a tantrum, you let the tears go, but if you’ve gotten your feelings hurt or if you’re sad, you very quietly start to sob and try so hard not to let anyone know you’re crying. This absolutely breaks my heart. I hate for you to be sad, and I hate for you to feel embarrassment for anything at all.
You adore your grandparents. All of them. You’re always asking for at least one of them and you just love them all.
Hayes, your laugh is so infectious and full of joy. Hudson can make you laugh like no one else can. That’s what makes you so fun to be around.
You still take excellent naps and sleep a good 12 hours each night.
April 2013
When I look at you, my heart just aches. Because of your cuteness, your smallness, and your unbelievable sweetness. I’m always having fun when I’m with you and your sweet, wild, adventurous little personality shines through in everything that you do.
You and Hudson are so very different, but the relationship that the two of you are developing is something that is so special. There’s a bond that can’t be spoken and it’s hard to put it into words. And watching this relationship develop is one of the greatest joys of my life.
Hudson knows exactly what you want before you ever open your mouth to say what you want or cry for something. It’s something that I imagine only brothers or sisters share, but it is so special.
Your favorite toy is the train table. You and Hudson, both, stand around it all the time and just play with the trains. You fight, of course, but you both love that train table. You also love your Little People Wheelie track and cars. You’ve had so much fun with that toy.
But mostly you want to be outside to run and try to play soccer like Hudson.
You’re a big little boy and are still off the charts in height and weight. I’ll know exact numbers soon. But you’re a bruiser just like Hudson was.
May 5, 2011, the very first time I saw your sweet face
Thank you for your sweet heart. I am so thankful for another amazing 365 days with you. I’m so thankful that I got to hear your sweet voice say, “Morning, Mommy!” to me almost every day this year. I’m so thankful that you giggled at me every time you get your diaper changed. I’m so thankful for the times that you said, “again! again!” when we listen to “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” in the car on the way to school, despite Hudson demanding to listen to “Life Is A Highway.”
May 6, 2011
And I am just so thankful that God chose us to be your parents and your family. What a precious gift you are. I am so proud of you and how smart you are, how sweet and fun you are, and how you love everyone.
We love you so much, Hazer!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy (and Hudsy, too)
