Sophie at 1

 Dear Pophins,

You must think that your parents are crazy. Not only do we now have two kids, but we also uprooted ourselves from everything we know and love to move across the ocean to America. I guess for you, you'll never have memories of Leeds (even Jake will only have fuzzy recollections!), and while you'll always tell people that you were born in England (when you're able to talk - now that's a terrifying prospect!), I think you'll always see yourself as an American first, which is weird for me. 

The bliss of being 1 is that everything is new for you, and you know that your heart is where your family is. We're currently living at Nana and Papa's house, and you couldn't be happier as there's an extra pair of hands to look after you and cheer you on as you begin to master feeding yourself and starting to crawl around their house. Your brother never crawled, so it's a brand new experience for all of us trying to keep an eye on you as you explore the world around you. 

You don't mind being cuddled by just about anyone, but there's something special about the way you play with and look for Papa. I wonder if it's a girl thing, but I think it's a baby/grandbaby thing because he was exactly the same with Jake when he was your age. You're very curious and you've got this look on your face half the time like you're trying to puzzle something out. You were very confused by your birthday cake today, but then you smudged some of it in  your mouth and you worked out that this was a Good Thing.

This coming year is full of unknowns for all of us. Your mom and I are looking for our first American house, but we've not really found anything that we like. Staying here with Nana and Papa would be no terrible thing, but at some point we want to stand on our own two feet (just like you're starting to!). We also need to think about daycare for you as your birthday party this year was family only, and we need to get you out in the world to meet some friends and other people. 

If your second year on this earth is anything like your first, you'll handle all the changes that come at you with a wide smile, an infectious giggle and a wave of your fantastically curly hair. I can't wait to see what this year brings for you and know that I'll be there cheering you on as you meet those next milestones. 

Love you,

Daddy

Jake at 4

Dear Jake,

It feels strange to say that I have a 4 year old at home, and your mum/mom and I were talking last night about what we ever did before you. We certainly slept more (though that's more to do with Sophie!) but we're not sure what the pictures were of on our cameras and who we spent most of our time talking about. You are quickly growing up into a delightful boy, one who is kind and caring, who follows the instructions, one who has a great sense of humour and one who we love to bits on a daily basis.

It's been a big year for you (and for all of us) in many different ways. I'm typing this with a cup of coffee at Nana and Papa's house where we moved to 6 weeks ago, listening to your baby sister snuffle in her sleep (as I'm sure you are too). The way that you've accepted and enjoyed these changes has been incredible.

I think you were born to be in America in many ways. You love playing outside, especially on the massive dirt piles that currently litter Nana and Papa's garden. I hope you don't get too disappointed when they get used up on various projects, but the number of those that are planned with you and the other grandchildren in mind will more than make up for it. You love the space of the house and it's fun watching you work out the routines and patterns, as well as where everything goes. Whilst you won't naturally tidy up by yourself, you take a delight in putting things away in their right places.

Your sense of direction continues to amaze us. You learned all the shortcuts on our routes home in Leeds and would routinely scold me for not going mummy's way, which you were convinced was quicker (as was she...). This has continued over here and you're beginning to tell me which roads go where, which boggles my mind as I'm still not sure how much you can see from the back seat. You also love to spot "papa trucks" (pick up trucks) and spent a fantastic afternoon driving around with me saying "yes" and "no" to the driveways, depending on whether they had a papa truck or not. You came up with this game all by yourself (with Hobbes, of course!), which is something you're getting very good at. Your mum and I could sit and watch you play for hours.

The other big change, of course, is your sister. At times delightful, at times annoying, you've taken her arrival in your stride. I think up till a couple of weeks ago you saw her as an intrigue, someone who took attention from you, but was cute about it, someone who sometimes woke you up in the night by crying, but smiles at you constantly. This is until she started to crawl. Her love affair with you (and your toys) is made much easier by the fact that she can now scoot across the mat and get up in your business, which can be annoying. You're getting used to fobbing her off with toys, or getting me or mummy to help distract her. Maybe we'll convince you that playing on a table is a better idea, but it's much more fun to play on the floor.

Finally, we love talking with you. Your vocabulary has grown massively this year, and you're able to discuss so many things with us, from your feelings about Hayden dying, to feeling shy about new adults, to preparing you for small-but-big changes like putting your dody in the mail. This last one is a big step, and one that we earmarked for your 4th birthday. When we tried getting you to give it up before, it didn't really work, but now that you can talk and think about things, you went to sleep without it tonight without a fuss. We love your dedication to logic, especially trying to work out who has driven where in which car, and catching mummy out in a lie when we both stayed home to sort out the house. You're a clever kid.

What a big year Jakey Bear. This next one will see you start daycare, get some American friends, explore more and move into our first house, and as always we can't wait to see what happens next with you.

Love you

Daddy