Dear Rafael

Happy birthday Rafael!  2 years old already?  This year you have grown so much; changing from an adorable newly-toddling baby to an independent little boy with an amazing personality.  I love that you have turned into my little jokester, doing everything you can to make people smile and laugh.  Your little smile and your chuckle can diffuse any tense situation, and you always seem to know when I could use a good laugh.

Of course you are as full of trouble as you are of laughter!  You are like a little tornado running through my house!  It takes you mere seconds to destroy a perfectly tidy room and you seem to have a knack for trying to kill yourself, like when you jump off the arms of the couch gleefully.  You are becoming so independent and are starting to want to do things, like getting yourself water from the refrigerator, all by yourself.

At the same time, you are intensely dependent on your sister.  She is your absolute best friend and you always want to do exactly what she's doing.  You love doing "school" with her - and are constantly following her around and enjoying your playtime with her.

I am so proud to see how much you've grown this year, and I can't wait to see what another year brings!

*I found this in the unfinished posts folder and am just now publishing it several months later.  Oops!  Sorry kiddo!