Rash Decisions

Dear Sawyer,

One thing that I have learned as a mom is that kids can always come down with the strangest ailments totally out of the blue. Yesterday morning, you had a slight rash around your diaper area, so I put cream on it and it gradually went away. Then around 9pm last night, a rash flared up around your eyes, neck and legs. Your skin was clear one minute and then it wasn't the next. The rash around your eyes seemed to get especially worse especially quickly and you started crying, "My eye burning! Ow ow! My eye burning!" I was so scared and even though it was in the negative degrees last night, I told Daddy we had to take you to the emergency room.

I put a cold washcloth over your eyes to ease the pain and then tucked you into my bed so that I could go call PoiPoi and ask her to come over and stay with GuhGaw and JieJie while Daddy and I took you to the doctor. But while I was on the phone with her, you snuggled into my pillow and immediately fell asleep. Daddy and I looked at you and wondered if we should wake you up. On the one hand, I wanted to take you to the ER because I was really worried that the rash might keep spreading and somehow affect your vision. But on the other hand, you were sound asleep and I didn't want to wake you up and take you out in freezing temperatures if I didn't have to. For several minutes, I seriously didn't know what I should do. Ultimately, Daddy and I decided to let you sleep; if you were able to sleep, then the rash probably wasn't hurting you that much.

We were going to take you to the doctor first thing this morning but then you woke up and the rash was completely gone! There wasn't a trace of any redness on any part of your body and you seemed totally fine. So weird! But so lucky that the freak rash didn't turn out to be anything serious.

Love,
Mom

Copycat Behavior

Dear Sawyer,

Funny things you have done recently:

- We were playing in your room and you accidentally hit me really hard in my eye. When you saw that I was hurt, you grabbed your toy stethoscope, used it to "look" at my injured eye and said, "Let me check you."

- You (and the rest of the world) love the song "Despacito" (yes, I realize that the lyrics are wildly inappropriate for you but you don't understand Spanish so, um, whew) and I often hear you singing, "Pacito pacito."

- You might have a future career as an actor on Saturday Night Live because one of your favorite things to do is to imitate people's expressions. Whether you are reading a book or watching TV, you often stop and pose like a person or character you see. Below is a photo of you imitating the Monopoly guy on the Crispix box:

Haha! You look just like Mr. Moneybags!

Love,
Mom

I Heart Daddy

Dear Sawyer,

When Daddy was taking out the garbage tonight, you heard the garage door open and thought Daddy was going out somewhere. Then you said the sweetest thing: "Daddy going again. DiDi missing Daddy. When Daddy come home, DiDi make happy again."

I told you Daddy was just putting the trash on the curb and when he came upstairs a few minutes later, you ran over to him and gave him a big hug. *melt*

Love,
Mom

Coloring Outside the Lines

Dear Sawyer,

Bittersweet thing you did today: I had to cook dinner so PoiPoi took you into the study and locked the baby gate. She tried to play with you but you ran to the gate and started crying, "DiDi want Mama! DiDi want Mama!"

Funny thing you did today: Despite having three kids, I still haven't learned -- don't leave a toddler alone with markers! GuhGaw did it, JieJie did it and you did it this morning -- you found a marker and colored yourself with it.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

To whoever invented washable markers, GOOD CALL.

Love,
Mom

Happy Greetings

Dear Sawyer,

The way your face lights up every time I walk into the room, the way you exclaim, "Mamaaaa!" and the way you run toward me and embrace me--I live for that!

Love,
Mom

Party Animal

Dear Sawyer,

Last year, we saw Santa at the place where you get your hair cut and you were so terrified of him, you started crying and ran away when I tried to put you next to him for a photo. This year, Santa visited your school and you walked right up to him, climbed onto his lap and posed for a picture. Tada!

When Santa first walked into your classroom, you didn't smile or shout but your eyes did widen a LOT and you followed him with your eyes all around the room. You were a little timid when we were waiting in line to take a picture with him but you were one of the braver kids--others cried or wouldn't sit with Santa without their parent--and quietly said thank you when he gave you a little gift.

After meeting Santa, we made a paper stocking craft, played with the toys in the classroom and then snacked on all kinds of yummy treats. It was a cute holiday celebration and shortly after we got home from it, I left you in your room for a little bit to clean up some things. When I went back to your room, I found you fast asleep on the floor:

You clearly partied pretty hard, haha!

Love,
Mom

Shattered Glass

Dear Sawyer,

You're usually a very cheerful guy who is always smiling and laughing. You also like to hide and when someone finds you, you often giggle with glee. So it was strange when Daddy found you hiding under the dining table tonight and you just looked at him somberly. He asked you to come out but he said you didn't move and that you looked so serious. He left you alone and walked into the living room . . . and that's where he saw the broken ornament on the floor. You had been jumping up and down in the living room and the vibrations on the floor made a glass ornament fall off of the Christmas tree (and it was your personalized "Sawyer" ornament, too!). You apparently panicked and ran under the dining table to hide! Haha! Awww!

Love,
Mom