it's gonna be a good one...i can feel it...

dear little leah,

wow. a new year. your fourth calendar year. that's kind of crazy, don't you think?

you've already had a lot happen to you during your short little life, and some of it hasn't been so much fun, so i completely understand you behavior when we tried to get you excited about welcoming a new year. but i have a feeling this year is going to be a great year.

each new year's eve, your daddy and i make predictions for the upcoming year. we also read the predictions we made the year before to see how well we guessed what was going to happen.

i wasn't such a good guesser this year. in fact, it was probably my worst year yet.

i thought you would be walking {check}, running {check}, jumping {nope}, speaking in sentences {uh uh}, sleeping in a big girl bed {nah}, and potty trained {no way}. and those were just the things i wrote down. i knew as i opened the sealed envelope with 2009 scrawled across it that i probably didn't guess many right. this year, i think i'm going to do a better job.

i know things are different. it's not that i've lowered my expectations, i've just changed them a bit. i predicted things that can be reasonably reached. i know you won't be talking or jumping and you most likely won't be potty trained. but i think you'll be a better communicator. i think we'll be able to figure each other out a little more. i think {i hope} we can get into more of a routine this year so the day-to-day stuff won't be so darn hard.

i hope i can sit back and relax and enjoy you a little more. you're still my little leah, you know. we still read together, giggle together, cry together, cuddle together, play together, make messes together, get ready together and love each other together.

i just think it's going to be a good year. i can feel it.

bring it on 2010. the laytons can take it.

love,
mommy