This past Saturday we celebrated your 1/2 birthday. I can't believe you are officially 2.5 years old - such a big kid! You continue to amaze us everyday with your laughter, your kindness, your spirit, your development, and your ability to ALWAYS keep us on your toes. You are such an amazing little man.
Currently you are wearing a mix of clothing sizes. Shirts are most often 2T but your pants/shorts are anywhere from 12-18 to 2T depending on brand. You still have stubby little feet and are wearing a size 5.5W shoe. You are 33" tall and weigh 28lbs (as per the last check at the doctor's office during one of Colin's well-being checks). You are in size 4 diapers.
You always sleep through the night now. Bedtime is a breeze. We have dinner as a family, you get a bath (this is your special time with Daddy) and then he brushes your teeth, reads you a story, sings you a song, and puts you to bed. You tend to go to bed anywhere between 6:30pm and 7:30pm depending on when we had dinner and how sleepy you are. You currently sleep with a pillow and your "ella" blanket as well as a Minnie Mouse and a book. In order to sleep you need to have your music, your elephant humidifier and your dinosaur night light all turned on. You are quite the mover in your sleep and I'm never certain where in your crib you will be when I peek in on you via the monitor. You have spent one night in a toddler bed at Grandma and Grandpa's house when we went down recently but you (and we) are not ready for that BIG step just yet. You typically sleep until 7am. You have been taking "rest" time since turning two and more often than not you are falling asleep for at least an hour. This week its been more like 90 minutes, sometimes even 2 hours so I'm certain you are growing!
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| so sweet! |
You are still a stinker when it comes to eating! You do not like to try new things. Waffles, French Toast, Chickie, noodles, fruit, pickles, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, and popcorn are what you will eat. Mommy tries to get you to experience new foods but I simply won't force you. Instead I sneak in veggies and other things that are good for you and you take a vitamin twice a day. I will often mix ground flax seed in with your pancake mix, muffin mix, smoothies. I put chia seeds in your smoothies and pancake mixes and sometimes in your yogurt (which you still think is ice cream). I freeze veggie babyfood pouches in popsicle molds and you love eating them! Its a battle of will little guy and Mommy wins sometimes :)
You use a fork or a spoon 90% of the time and you seem to have a preference for your left hand at this time. Though you still switch during the meal so it remains to be seen which will become your predominant hand. I have recently started teaching you how to drink from a cup or water bottle. You still like to keep your entire mouth open when you drink so its a little tricky but you will get there.
Your vocabulary is amazing. There is simply no other word for it. You have so many words I can't even begin to count them. You can sing songs, recite nursery rhymes and books, you remember lines to movies and apply them appropriately in your life (your famous line right now is "I can't" which is from the movie Frozen - we can't stand when you say this!). You can sing your ABCs, you recognize all the letters and you can count to 17. You can spell your name and Colin's name and little did we know - you can spell FROZEN. You are slowly learning to use proper words to describe actions and past/present tense (i.e. we went, I did, they did). Its so much fun to watch you learn. You know your colors, you know quite a few shapes, and you are able to touch and count up to 10. Some of your conorisms that are still around are:
"ella" - is your blanket or elephants
"ya ya" - now only refers to Auntie Sarah
"bedopbedop" - dinosaurs
"Talin" - Colin
"Tonor" - Conor
"poppop" - popsicle
"my sings" - my swings
"ahhh" - water/drinks
You also have a funny way of emphasizing certain words, sounds, phrases. Its hard to put them to paper but the inflection in your voice when you say thing often makes me laugh. Some of the things you say make me laugh (and others) not only because of what you say but how you say it and when. You will often blurt out "I so excited" in a high pitched voice when doing something you want to do (this makes Sharon laugh every time). When on the swings going really high you have started to say "this is Ammmazing" which is from the movie Frozen. The other night you said to Colin "don't touch my penis baby Colin, I trying to pee on the floor." Mommy couldn't help but laugh because I was so proud that you knew you were needing to pee but it was funny just the same. Another famous thing you say is "he so happy" every time you pull Colin's binkie out of his mouth. We are not certain where you got this from but its cute.
Some of your favorite things are:
(1) to be outside playing - you get so very upset when its time to come in
(2) the movie FROZEN
(3) Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Show
(4) playing trains & trucks
(5) going to the mailbox
(6) going to the park/beach
(7) playing "rescue" with your tow truck and fire truck
(8) doing things "all by myself"
You continue to be a great big brother to Colin. Sometimes it challenging for you because you want so very much to play with all the toys and you don't always want to wait for his needs to be taken care of (and he's a needy guy). We have had a few moment of difficulty but Daddy and I are trying to be patient and remember that this is new for you too. Now that Colin is older and actually plays we have noticed you getting a little bit more jealous and wanting to share toys less but its something we are working on. Despite what might go on at home during playtimes you are still always so proud to introduce him over and over again to your friends and people we meet. You also are able to make him laugh like no other - he lights up when he sees you and the two of you are hilarious together. You try very hard to engage in him your play and you offer him toys or his binkie when he is upset. We have enjoyed watching you grow as Colin has grown, as your role of big brother has changed.
In another 6 months you will be three and 1/2 way through your first year of school. I know all to well that day will be here before we know it (and we will celebrate with a Mickey Mouse theme according to you) because time moves so quickly these days. Happy 1/2 birthday little man - we love you!
xoxo
Mama & Dadda
