To my sweet littlest Valentine, Lucas,
One of my favorite times of the day is nap time, when you and I snuggle under your big quilt and read a story. Then you get frustrated, and start to wiggle and whine because you know what it means when the book is finished...nap time! But if I just talk softly to you about anything, how important a nap is, how much fun we've had, how hard it is to leave the party, you snuggle in, enjoying my sympathy and understanding. Then we rock and cuddle, and you get all drowsy, so when I lay you down in bed you just roll over and go to sleep. Sometimes I rock you all the way to sleep, just because it is so wonderful to be near you and have you all to myself. Holding your tiny little body close is such a treasure in my day. You are never happy about waking up, but once you see the fun to be had, you forget you were devastated about the disruption to your sleep and go for it!
I love this limbo you are in. You want so much to be a big boy like your brothers. You follow them upstairs or downstairs, wherever they go, just to be near them and be included in their games. Sometimes just as you are arriving, they are leaving and you get so mad! When a wrestling tournament is drummed up at the end of the day, you are right there in the fray, fearless. But there are times you just want to be our baby, too. Like at meal times. You give the fork a try, only part of the bite makes it, and then you put it down, point to it, and turn to me with a look that says, "You do it, Mom-slave, this is beneath me." And it doesn't help that you don't like getting your hands dirty. If food gets on them, you hold them up for me to wipe off. It's OK to ask for help, I don't mind, but don't get too mad at me when I want you to do it yourself. You do need to learn after all. And then there are the times when you are unsure yourself what you want...you want to walk yourself, you want me to carry you, you want to walk yourself, you want me to carry you. It is hard to be 20-months-old and have such huge decisions to make!
You don't talk a lot, but we can tell how smart you are. You are always watching us, picking up new ideas, learning every move we make. You love when we get excited or laugh at some new thing you do, like peek-a-boo through mom's legs when she is sitting in one of the tall counter stools. And you are doing new things all the time! I feel like a linguistic genius when I finally figure out some word you are saying in your nearly all-vowel language. And the pride and joy on your face when we finally get something you are trying to tell us is priceless. That is, if you are allowed to have or do what it is you are asking for. 
One of my favorite times of the day is nap time, when you and I snuggle under your big quilt and read a story. Then you get frustrated, and start to wiggle and whine because you know what it means when the book is finished...nap time! But if I just talk softly to you about anything, how important a nap is, how much fun we've had, how hard it is to leave the party, you snuggle in, enjoying my sympathy and understanding. Then we rock and cuddle, and you get all drowsy, so when I lay you down in bed you just roll over and go to sleep. Sometimes I rock you all the way to sleep, just because it is so wonderful to be near you and have you all to myself. Holding your tiny little body close is such a treasure in my day. You are never happy about waking up, but once you see the fun to be had, you forget you were devastated about the disruption to your sleep and go for it!I love this limbo you are in. You want so much to be a big boy like your brothers. You follow them upstairs or downstairs, wherever they go, just to be near them and be included in their games. Sometimes just as you are arriving, they are leaving and you get so mad! When a wrestling tournament is drummed up at the end of the day, you are right there in the fray, fearless. But there are times you just want to be our baby, too. Like at meal times. You give the fork a try, only part of the bite makes it, and then you put it down, point to it, and turn to me with a look that says, "You do it, Mom-slave, this is beneath me." And it doesn't help that you don't like getting your hands dirty. If food gets on them, you hold them up for me to wipe off. It's OK to ask for help, I don't mind, but don't get too mad at me when I want you to do it yourself. You do need to learn after all. And then there are the times when you are unsure yourself what you want...you want to walk yourself, you want me to carry you, you want to walk yourself, you want me to carry you. It is hard to be 20-months-old and have such huge decisions to make!You don't talk a lot, but we can tell how smart you are. You are always watching us, picking up new ideas, learning every move we make. You love when we get excited or laugh at some new thing you do, like peek-a-boo through mom's legs when she is sitting in one of the tall counter stools. And you are doing new things all the time! I feel like a linguistic genius when I finally figure out some word you are saying in your nearly all-vowel language. And the pride and joy on your face when we finally get something you are trying to tell us is priceless. That is, if you are allowed to have or do what it is you are asking for. You do not like being told "No." I love that, too. You don't like it especially if we say it sternly. Especially especially when we say, "No," and you know we know what you want; you lay on the floor and cry your heart out. It does make me feel badly, but as your mommy you must know that I can't let you have all the candy you want, and standing on the counter-top is just not safe. And I know it is silly, but I love that you love to throw out your garbage. I will hear your little "clunk shhhh clunk shhhh" feet and knees coming up the basement stairs, then "pad pad pad" across the kitchen floor, then the "tahnk" of the stainless steel lid on the kitchen bin, all to throw out your fruit snack wrapper. 
Luke, you make me laugh all the time! Your laughter sounds like it is bursting out of you, like you couldn't keep it in if you tried. And the smallest things are hilarious, like jumping on the trampoline in Daddy's arms. Your laughter is infectious and you love to do it. So we get to hear it often. Which means we laugh a lot. You make me laugh even when you don't mean to, like when you are throwing a tantrum because I don't understand what you mean when you point to one blanket and then the other saying, "Eeuoo!" Your tantrums are done with such passion and fervor (you really mean it!), I can tell you are going to be a determined kid. I love that. You have a cute way of sticking your tongue out when you are having fun, concentrating, doing anything! And it cracks me up how much you love jammies. You are so sad when I have to take them off of you in the morning so we can start our day, and your eyes light up when we pull them out after bath time. Especially the sock monkey jammies you got for Christmas. And how could I leave out the endearing way you wave, with your palm facing up instead of out, and your little arm scooting back and forth? "Eye!" (bye) you say. 
Luke, you make me laugh all the time! Your laughter sounds like it is bursting out of you, like you couldn't keep it in if you tried. And the smallest things are hilarious, like jumping on the trampoline in Daddy's arms. Your laughter is infectious and you love to do it. So we get to hear it often. Which means we laugh a lot. You make me laugh even when you don't mean to, like when you are throwing a tantrum because I don't understand what you mean when you point to one blanket and then the other saying, "Eeuoo!" Your tantrums are done with such passion and fervor (you really mean it!), I can tell you are going to be a determined kid. I love that. You have a cute way of sticking your tongue out when you are having fun, concentrating, doing anything! And it cracks me up how much you love jammies. You are so sad when I have to take them off of you in the morning so we can start our day, and your eyes light up when we pull them out after bath time. Especially the sock monkey jammies you got for Christmas. And how could I leave out the endearing way you wave, with your palm facing up instead of out, and your little arm scooting back and forth? "Eye!" (bye) you say. Another thing I love about you is your passion for things in the air. You love balloons floating on strings, airplanes noisily churning the air, birds soaring and diving, hot air balloons bobbing like corks on the breeze, clouds billowy and white...oh! and the moon! You are desperately in love with the moon. I am excited to see where this joy of all things skyward carries you, or will it fade as a new love takes its place?
I love watching you play when you think no one is around. Your concentration is fierce, and you really know what you are doing! You put that shape puzzle together with ease now; you get all the people on the bus in their matching color seats and pull them around; you stash Legos in all kinds of odd places, shoes, vases, your ball popper, Tupperware from the cupboard; you sit and look at the pictures in books, pointing out the things you know, saying "ba" (ball) "eeer" (ear) "eeee" (cheek); you play drums on the Nambe bowl with my knitting needle; you find the fun in everything!
You adore your family. Your brothers are your best friends, and your Dad and I are your heroes. And you love your Ruby, of all you boys, she's really yours. But you know what? We all adore you too. If I could freeze time right now, right here, in these precious moments with you, I would. You are so loved, Lucas! Happy Valentines Day!
You adore your family. Your brothers are your best friends, and your Dad and I are your heroes. And you love your Ruby, of all you boys, she's really yours. But you know what? We all adore you too. If I could freeze time right now, right here, in these precious moments with you, I would. You are so loved, Lucas! Happy Valentines Day!