I know that sounds weird, but really, before now it has been really fun watching progression but they were things like sitting up, walking, saying gibberish and so on. You are now starting to exemplify real human traits, and it is really exciting!

This was a big 6 months for you. You took your second trip to Hawaii (brat) when we went to Maui in April. You are beginning to say real words and structuring sentences, which is really helpful. You discovered television, which you absolutely love (Daniel Tiger and Thomas the Train are your current favorites). And bubbles, ohhhh sweet bubbles. You love them like nothing else.

This was also a big 6 months in all our lives. First, WE ARE HAVING ANOTHER BABY! You are going to be a big sister to….a little brother! One you can play with, torment, grow up with, torment, and take care of. We found out towards the end of March, and he is due November 10th. We are still working on a name, but we are down to Ethan and Wyatt (I am pulling for Ethan). He will be around 2 years and 8 months younger than you, and you are really excited about him. You don’t completely understand the concept, but we told you your baby brother is coming. You frequently point to mommies belly and say “I like your belly” or “Your baby brother”. I have put on some weight recently, so you are also a fan of my belly :). Your mom and I are extremely excited, and are in the process of preparing for his arrival. This means, among other things, moving you out of a crib and into a big girl bed.

Another item that occurred was that we bought and moved into a new house! We bought a house in the North End and sold the one in Harris Ranch. We ended up closing on our house on a Monday (April 25th) and moving into the new one later that week (29th). It was an incredible stressful move due to the timeline, and compounded due to us having returned from Hawaii on the 23rd and your mom’s birthday on the 28th. Oh, and I had to travel the 25th-27Th which made things really fun. Was madness, but we got it done. It is a brand new build. The owner was the founder of Balihoo (Pete Gombert) and they bought it with the intention of moving in after the renovation. Circumstances arose and that plan changed, so we jumped on it. Right now North End is an incredibly desirable place to live, and getting a place there is really tough. We totally lucked out, it’s absolutely gorgeous. We plan to be in it for a long time.

Regarding work, we are in the process of an acquisition where we would become part of a larger entity. We don’t know which one yet, but there are a few interested parties and it will likely happen sometime in October. This is exactly what I was hoping would happen, as being the leader of product and then having that product sold is pretty fantastic for a career. It should also mean a decent payout, which always helps.

Another first was your mom and I took our first vacation since you were born. With the new guy on the way we figured it would be our last chance for a while. Originally we were slated to go to New Orleans as I have never been there and your mom has an odd obsession with the South. However, there is currently an outbreak of something called the Zika virus which is transmitted through mosquitos and can lead to birth defects. It has not been found in New Orleans as of yet (mainly an issue in third world countries currently), but NO is a likely target for when it does make it state side due to the swamps and humid nature. Ensuring that we don’t run the risk, we switched our plans to Chicago. I go to Chicago about twice a month for work, but your mom had never been. You stayed with Mia while we were away, and appeared to have a great time. Your Uncle Matt met us there and we did all the touristy stuff I had never had the chance to to previously (included some pictures below).

I finally feel like we are in a place where things are a little more figured out. You are at the point when we go places we don’t have to pack up the entire house, and we can handle things as they come. You sleep better and eat well. And above all else, you are getting more fun by the day. We go to the store and you drive the the car shopping cart or push the baby cart at Trader Joe’s. Hiking in a backpack is one of your favorite things to do, and you are also in a dance class that you attend with mom. We are in a good place, and just felt like we would disrupt it all over again with the second kid. 🙂

Cannot begin to tell you how incredible you are, and how much you are loved. Undoubtedly bias, but you are better behaved and far more compassionate than any child you spend time around. You share, you have manners, you tell us you love us on a regular basis and just can’t believe how well you have turned out so far. Cannot imagine our lives without you. Look forward to you turning three in a few months and updating you on all the changes.

I love you more than you will ever know.

Love, Dad