At this time two years ago...

We were just getting home from our trip to Manti while I was 6 days overdue. I took a quick shower and went to bed because I was feeling sick. 5 hours from now I woke Sabin up after having some extremely intense back contractions that were 2 minutes apart. 9 hours later, Marcus Orion came into this world without a sound, just looking around the room.

I can't even believe how fast time has gone. It totally baffles me. I swear I was just bawling my eyes out because his first year had just flown by.

It amazes me the total difference a year can make.



All the sudden I find myself not with a baby Marcus, but with a little boy Marcus. There's no baby about him anymore. He's smart, he solves problems [even if that problem is only "How is the best way to get that thing off the fridge that mom is trying to keep from me?"] and is testing his limits. He can even hold his own pretty well. One day when Jamesen was only a couple weeks old and screaming constantly, I forgot to eat and so I forgot to feed Marcus. The kid went into the kitchen, climbed on the counters and tried to open up all the boxes of food he could find and finally found some candy that he was trying to open when I had noticed that I hadn't heard him in awhile.

At first I was mad. But then I realized what he was doing and I was blown away. Not only did I feel like the worst mother ever, but I was blown away by his ability to be fed up with mom not paying attention to him telling her he was hungry and taking things into his own hands. And going from place to place trying to find some food for himself.

He's become very affectionate. He loves to give kisses and hugs and pets his little brother while saying baby. He likes to hug Gary, thought it's with such force that Gary doesn't like it. He gets upset if he makes me mad. He knows I'm angry by my face and will cry and give me hugs and kisses as if to say he's sorry.

He's able to climb up anything and everything and one thing he's trying to learn is the fence around our backyard, lol. He's gotten to the top and only needed to throw his leg over the other side and climb down.

He understands everything you say to him and even though he doesn't talk, he lets you know what he wants. He's starting to point at things and grab your face and turn it that way until you guess what it is he's looking at. He'll keep pointing and babbling frantically until you say what the thing is. I'm getting pretty good at guessing the things he's showing me. He loves squirrels, motorcycles, dogs, cats, birds, pretty much anything that moves. It can be hard to figure out what he's talking about, except with vehicles.

2 years has made such a difference in my little man. I can't believe how much he's changed and grown and how smart he is. Happy birthday big man. You mean the world to me and have from the minute I felt you kick inside of me. I can't live a day without your smile and I love that you're mine!