Second birthday in heaven

 JJ,

It’s been a while since I’ve taken the time to sit down and write to you. Your little sister has been keeping me busy. 

Your second birthday just passed. Two. You’d be two whole years old now. You’d have grown into a toddler by now. I try so hard to imagine what you’d look like. But in my head you are forever my bald headed five month old baby. 

I can’t believe this has now been two birthdays that we have celebrated without you. We hosted the 5K again this year in your honor. Once again it was a huge success. This year we broke over 250 registrants and we raised a total of over $10,000 to donate. When I think about those numbers it doesn’t seem real. I can’t believe we had that many people come together to celebrate and remember you, and because of you we were able to raise that much money to be donated for SIDS research and support. 

It really is so surreal to think that my little five month old baby has made that big of an impact on the world. 

We made you a birthday cake again this year (angel food came) and your little sister got to join in the tradition this year by helping make it. We sang you happy birthday and she helped blow out your candle. I got you a big number two balloon. I let her play with it the day after your birthday and it entertained her for hours. I just wish I could see the two of you playing together. 

I know you would be the best big brother and would be happy to share all of your stuff with her and do it with a smile on your face. 

For your birthday this year I also decided to start a new tradition. I had an idea come to me - I thought it would be fun to ask people to send you birthday cards in the mail. I rarely ever get to see your name written in ordinary places as I would have liked to, so getting a piece of mail addressed to you makes me smile. I thought this would be a fun thing to do leading up to your birthday. 

I shared the idea on my social media and never would have expected the amount of responses I got. You have received over 60 birthday cards in the mail from people all across the country - many of whom you never even met. Yet again I am blown away by the number of lives you have touched. 

I hope you can see and feel how many people love you and are celebrating you from up above. I’d give anything to be able to spend just one birthday with you. I hope you enjoyed a big slice of cake and heard all of the angels singing you happy birthday. 

I love you endlessly.

Until the day we meet again,

Mommy





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