Dear Baxter,

Dear Baxter,
I love you so much.  You are so cute and so sweet and so eager to explore.  I love being your Mama.  You give sweet kisses, you hold my hand, you snuggle better than most.  I just need to talk to you about something, though, okay?  In the mornings, the other kids have this thing called school.  We go down in the basement and they each have a desk.  Sometimes we all do things together, like read a story or look at the calendar or even an art project.  Sometimes I work with each kid individually and need to really focus and concentrate.  Can you do me a favor and stop screaming at the top of your lungs when we're trying to work?  You seem to be having a great time playing with blocks or climbing on the play kitchen or even chewing on the pretend farm animals.  As soon as I try to get some real intense work going or need to give instructions, though, there's nothing that will keep you happy.  The train table doesn't work.  Holding you doesn't work.  Even trying to get you to sleep doesn't work. I've tried waiting to start school work until after you're down for a morning nap.  It worked once, but you caught on!  You completely skipped a morning nap the next day!  I've tried starting school earlier but that seems to make you want to cry earlier.  Oh, yeah, I even tried taking a break to play with just you after doing a little school work, but then I think you got mad that we went back to work again.  I promise one day soon you're going to have your own desk and your own pencil holder and crayon box that you'll love.  Let's don't rush it, though.  For now you just keep playing with those board books you can chew on and cruising around the train table and gnawing on those Thomas trains that will one day be yours.  I promise, too, that the less crying screaming you do while I'm trying to talk, the more time I'll have to play with you!!!  Here's a little secret, too...shhh, come closer...in about 15 years, all the other kids will be old enough to go on to college and guess what?!?! You'll get me all to yourself for THREE WHOLE YEARS!!!  Seriously!!!  Rachel didn't even get that much time before Ford came along.  And poor Ford and Ruby have never had me to themselves, but won't you be lucky?!?!  Just give me a little time now and it will all be worth it!  What do you say?
Love,
Mama
(You know, the lady you think you're still connected to!)