Twenty Three Months

I can't believe this will be my last monthly post and you will be TWO in a month. Weren't you just the sweet little seven pound ten ounce itty bitty baby that was handed to me in the hospital? It's bittersweet. I have spent a lot of time lately looking at those old photos and comparing them to the photos of you now. A lot of times I laugh and smile, and at times I cry a tear or two. You are growing up so fast and sometimes I wish I could just bottle you up and keep you this way forever. On the other hand, you amaze me each day with how much you learn and how much you love. You will always be my "baby". 

Life around the age of two has definitely been trying. But, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Your sweet kisses and silly laughter make up for the temper tantrums. I love to see your little personality blossom. You are so innocent. You learn so much by watching and listening. You make us laugh daily, you test our patience, and you never cease to amaze us. 

You still love people. You are Mister Social. You now say hello and bye to everything and everyone as well as thank you and please. I hear these phrases constantly "Bye bed!" in the morning when we leave your room. "Bye house" when we leave the house. "Hi Dadda night night" when you walk over to Daddy's side of the bed in the morning because you think he is still here. "Cank ew Mama" (thank you Mama) probably 100 times a day. "Cank ew taco" or whatever you just ate. "Peas nilk" (please milk) and the list could go on and on. 

You are such an athlete. Your motor skills are incredible. At first I thought I was biased, but you seem to make jaws drop with the things you do. Your golf swing is insanely good for a child. Your precision and concentration when you hit the ball blow us away. You line balls up and kick them in the goal like it's natural. You climb (thank God not out of the crib yet), you jump, you run - you are constantly on the go. Although you love sports, you also love to color, to put puzzles together, to grab things with your tongs, to stack blocks and my favorite - you love to CLEAN!

Every day you say several new words. I gave up trying to list them all. But, here are some cute things you talk about.

"read book" - you want to read books when you wake up, before nap, and before bed. 

"more books" and then you want more!

"I want ___________" fill in the blank with almost anything - you want it

"Night Night with Mama" - since our coast trip you are saying this constantly because I let you sleep in bed with me

"Kiss the baby" - you always want to kiss your new brother or sister in my tummy

"Choo Choo Timmy" is Thomas the Train's name - sorry Thomas!

You name most of the Sesame Street characters - "Elmo, Abby, Nom Nom (Cookie Monster), Er-ee is both Ernie and Bert, and HA HA HA is the Count" 

You have started naming some colors - I let you choose which color Flinstone vitamin you want every morning and you always say "Furfle" (purple)

Counting is still not going so well, but that's ok. To you, numbers go in this order - "1,2, NINE?!, Dos" You seriously crack me up. We will get it before kindergarten.

"I want to brush teeth" - yay!

You are obsessed with "cake" and know that the little pink boxes Kate brings over contain cupcakes! 

When we ask you a question you raise your hand and say "MEEEEE!"

Whenever you see someone with an ouch you want to kiss it. Let's stick with just kissing mommy and daddy's ouchies. 

You love "iccccce" 

When I ask you a question like "Are you ok?" you always cough first and say "mmmmm hmmmmmm." You always get the cough in though. Funny guy.

You still tell us "no" sometime but you have stopped using your finger and you have started just shaking your head and saying "no no no no no" in a sing song voice. Your new favorite word to use with us is "STOP!" We have at least come to the point where you say "please stop!" John and I just roll with it. We stopped saying no and started asking you to stop and look where it got us. HA! 

 You are loving this summer at home with Mama, going on play dates with our friends, playing outside with Daddy when he gets home from work, sleeping in and eating popsicles.

I saw this quote the other day and it couldn't be more true. "I thought I was a perfect parent, until I became a parent". I try every day to be perfect for you, but I'm not. The best part of that is that we are growing and learning together and that makes us as close as we are and the bond that we share indestructible. There is nothing like the love between a mama and son. I can't explain my love for you, because I would never find the words. HAPPY TWENTY THREE MONTHS, BUG!