3 Year Old Love Letter

My sweet Owen,
You are three years old. The day you were born will forever be the best day of my life. You made me a mama and changed the world as I know it. I will never forgot the euphoria I felt when you laid on my chest for the first time or the tears of joy that I couldn't stop for hours. You are an amazing gift and I am thankful for you every day.

You are growing up before our eyes and have turned into a little boy. You love going to school and have made lots of developmental leaps since you started a few months ago. Your favorite part is the fruit loops they give you for snack and going to the bike the room where you get to run around a play with the ride on toys. You are talking up a storm and starting to say some hilarious things. You are a little sponge and repeat our expressions. Some of my favorites are; "You need to be careful, mom" and "Don't worry, I got it!" You're not a big singer but you've busted out a few songs in the last month. Your favorite one to sing is "Welcome to New York" by Taylor Swift. You love trains, trucks  and are especially into airplanes. You love running errands and you're not a fan of going to sleep at night.

You are really kind. You are mindful of others and have the sweetest disposition. You're like you dad in that way. Watching you with your brother and being thoughtful with your friends warms my heart. Kindness makes the world go round and with it you can change the world. You are destined for great things, my son.

Being a three year old is a big job. There are new, overwhelming emotions to cope with and an innate desire to test the limits. You were a really easy two year old so I have a feeling the third year is bound to come with some parenting challenges and power struggles. I know that your heart is pure and you're doing your best. I promise to always attempt to understand where you're coming from and why you're behaving the way you are. I promise I won't micromanage your every move and will do my best to teach you how to make the right choices and trust your intuition. Watching you and your brother grow is my greatest joy. I'm looking forward to another year of loving and learning together.

xoxo,
Your Loving Mama

One Year Love Letter

My sweet Weston,

You are one year old. This year has flown by quicker than any before. It feels like you were just born but at the same time it's hard to remember life without you. Being the second child I've spent less time documenting your milestones; not because I love you any less but because I've learned that the most important thing is actually living in the moment. I have focused on enjoying you and the fleeting moments that have transformed you from a newborn, to a baby, and into my precious little one year old. 

I couldn't have dreamt up a better addition to our family. You are sweet, funny and love to dance. You're such a content and joyful baby. You love music and anytime a song comes on you stop what you're doing and start bobbing your head or bouncing up and down. If you're crying, my best rendition of "You are my sunshine" usually cures whatever is ailing you. You're a little jokester, too. You have a great sense of humor and a contagious laugh. You love to play with toys, read books and you're obsessed with your blankie. You love to eat. Satsumas, apples, cottage cheese and frozen peas are some of your favs. 

You are crawling all over the place, have started standing and can almost pull yourself up. If you want something you scream to make sure I know it. You've said "mama" for quite a while and recently added "dada" to your vocabulary. You wave bye bye and clap your hands. You are just starting to get into the stranger danger phase where you cry anytime I walk out of your sight. You still take two naps a day and go to bed around 6 pm. We finally moved you out of our room and you sleep much better in the nursery by yourself. Sometimes you wake up once at night and sometimes you sleep all the way through. No crying it out required. I just let you do your thing and you naturally fell into a rhythm. Another advantage to being the second born-- I am way more laid back.

There are many more changes to come now that you're one. This year you'll learn how to walk, to talk, and the foundation of how to cooperate. As you grow and change I pray that you always know I am your biggest fan. You and your brother are my life's greatest work and I will love and support you with all that I have and all that I am. I know you have big dreams behind those bright blue eyes and God has a beautiful plan for your life. I can't wait to learn more about who you are as your heart and personality continue show. I love watching you grow and I will cherish the memories of this past year all of my days.

xoxo,
Your Loving Mama

Halloween 2015

A police officer and a little tiger. Halloween has quickly turned into one of my favorite holidays, so much fun with kiddos!

Maui September 2015

Ty's parents booked the same amazing house we'd previously stayed at, in Maui, for the first Leitz/Rallo family vacation since we've all had kids. Before we left I was rereading my blog post about taking Owen to Hawaii when he was 15 months. In that post I concluded that going to Maui was still a vacation, even when you have kids. Now that we have two I wasn't so sure that would continue to ring true. I was really looking forward to the trip but wasn't convinced I was going to do much sleeping or relaxing.

I was pleasantly surprised. Traveling in groups in the way to go when you have little kids. It was nice having multiple sets of hands and the toddlers entertained each other. Sleeping went much better than anticipated and despite Wes waking up around 5 am every morning, we all got rest. And the thing about vacationing with your kids is they make it so much fun. Seeing them experience things for the first time with childish wonder is magical. Owen was SO excited to ride on the airplane, play at the beach and to have a whole week with Grandpapa. The toddlers had ice cream cones every night, ran around naked and swam until we drug them out of the pool at dusk. I'm not sure if Owen is old enough to remember this trip into adulthood but he remembers it now and speaks of it often. Weston was just along for the ride, as always. He loved swimming in the pool, playing in the sand and partying with his Uncle Aaron. He was a lot of work because he can't be left alone and there was no where to put him. At home I just let him roll around on the floor or hang in his exersaucer and high chair, but that wasn't an option. There was a lot of lugging him around but I had plenty of time to relax while he was napping and he slept well so I was completely content. Being in Hawaii with no other agenda than the beach in the morning and the pool in the afternoon was dreamy.

Ty and I have always been big family people. I was pregnant the last time we traveled with this group and remember feeling incredibly grateful that I was bringing my baby into such an wonderful family. We continue to feel the same sentiments. I am thankful everyday for the love and support of our family (on both sides) and the wonderful memories our boys are making with them.

Grandpapa took most of the photos so I only have a few on my computer. The best ones are here:  http://www.aaronleitz.com/maui2015

Pumpkin Patch

After a year hiatus, Owen cooperates for photos again. The pumpkin patch is such a fun place to take pictures and we got some super cute ones this year. Happy fall!