Dear Jasiel,
Could you be any cuter? Sometimes I shriek with delight at your overwhelming cuteness. And you shriek right back at me. Oh little sweetie, you have mama's heart all tied up in lovable knots. I miss breastfeeding you. I teared up the last time I fed you. It was bittersweet: I felt a great sense of accomplishment in having given you 6 months of breast milk; but I regretted my milk supply fading before a full year.

Dogs scare you. You don't like Milton to get too close. You stick out your bottom lip and well up with tears. I don't blame you. From your perspective, Milton probably looks as big as a dinosaur. You startle easily. You jump in fright if a door slams or I sneeze unexpectedly. Sometimes you burst into tears if I laugh too loudly. You are a gentle, sensitive baby. I hope you don't mind that we are a big, loud family.

Jasiel, you are almost crawling! You are up on both knees and rocking back and forth. This month you noticed your sister had a toy you wanted. Somehow you wiggled and rolled your way over to her and engaged in your very first tug-of-war. I'm sure this is just the beginning.

You are quite content to survey the world from the safety of Mama's hip and would prefer that I carry you around all day. Unfortunately, there are things like meals, laundry and chores. Also, you have a twin. She likes to be held every now and then, too.

You are a happy, contented baby with a ready smile. I wish you'd take longer naps, but it seems you are a light sleeper like your Daddy. I love you to pieces, sweet little Jasie. xoxo, Mama.

Dear Jorai,

Oh my goodness, sweetheart, you are a tiger! You got up on hands and knees a week before your sister and started pulling yourself all over the floor. You can get around very well, now. I'm not ready for you to be mobile!

You have quite the personality. While playing in your exer-saucer, you attack this one particular toy with a vengeance. It's a plastic flower and for some reason, this thing makes you super angry. You grab it, put it in your mouth then arch your back and yell bloody murder. We've taken to calling it The Cursed Flower. Even when we try to spin you away from it, you turn back around and go after it again!

Last week while I was feeding you some organic sweet potatoes, you threw your first mini-fit. You didn't want to eat those potatoes. You didn't want to sit on Mama's lap. You arched your back, threw back your head and yelled: MA-MA!!!! I'm not kidding. Daddy and the kids looked up and said: "She just said Mama!"

Well, you never did it again so it was probably a fluke. But I'm just wondering if you know more than you let on? Hey! Are you reading this right now? Go back to being a baby, right this minute!

I can't wait to see what you will do next. I love you with all my heart, Jorie. xoxo, Mama.

And as evidence that no-one makes you two laugh like Jude can, I offer this: