Last Monday we celebrated your second birthday. You're two. TWO...but if I asked you on that day, you said "noooooooo two". Apparently, you and Nana practiced too hard and you were tired of it by then. You're pretty good at "no" these days, among other things. I think my favorite right now is "Hold you, Momma". This means you want ME to hold YOU, though some days I think I'll blink and you'll be big enough to hold me. You also say "I'll get it!" when the phone rings or you drop something. It's pretty freaking cute.
I think your vocabulary is what has blossomed most in the last six months. Words are changing and developing so quickly. Just last week you went from the ever-present "baybit" (blanket) to "blankie". Out of nowhere. Now you won't say anything close to baybit anymore. Just blankie. Weirdest thing ever. I love listening to you repeat a word until you get it right or until I acknowledge that you've said it (a million times). Except when I'm driving. It's important to be quiet while Momma's driving. We'll probably have this same talk again tomorrow morning.
Your ability to reason things out for yourself is pretty cute too. I love watching your little brain and body go through the motions of figuring something out. You mimic and play the things you see me doing. We now stand side-by-side and "cook" together at the counter. Your only requirement is that there must be real pots and pans and real food. I don't know that you'll ever fully appreciate a play kitchen. You're much too literal (and hungry) for that.
And your memory!!! I'm amazed at the things, places, and people you remember. I took you to visit my office and you chirped all weekend about the girls upstairs. You know the story of the children's museum so well that you can tell me parts of it yourself. You repeat phrases from books or point things out before I even ask. Either I'm really predictable or you're pretty smart. We can look at the US rug map you have in your room and you point out where Unc Zach is (Illinois for basic training), where Daddy went to college, where you live, where Nana, Grandmama, and Grandaddy live, where Pawpaw lives, etc. It's pretty impressive. You also know your Aunt Becka solely from the FaceTime relationship that you have with her.
On that note, your grasp of technology is kind of alarming. You can now open the iPad, slide your finger to unlock it, scroll through pages/groups of apps, find PBS kids, open it, and choose Daniel Tiger all by yourself. Astounded. I have no words.Also, you are absolutely obsessed with all things trucks/construction/vehicles right now. If it can move on wheels, you want to know about it. Taxis, buses, trains, trucks, tankers, diggers, dump trucks, tractors, and sometimes boats and everything in between.
You're getting really great at eating, too. You had a fairly strong hatred for vegetables until very recently. Now I can offer them to you and you cheer! I'm amazed every single time it happens. You really love corn on the cob, carrots, and green beans. It often works for me to call something "yummy" to get you to try it...yummy peas, yummy broccoli, yummy chicken, etc. You still prefer a pasta and red sauce dish over just about anything else, but you also won't say no to a bite of your Daddy's chips and salsa.
There are some things you're still not doing. You're nowhere near being ready to potty train. And I think I'm okay with that. For now we'll just stick to using your kid toilet as a stall tactic so you don't have to take a bath, because, of course, that's always fun. You're also not dressing or undressing apart from your shoes and socks. You're perfectly content to have me put clothes on you and take them off. If I ask you to help, you say some version of "Momma do it" every time. At this rate, I'll still be getting you dressed when I send you off to college.
I could probably keep writing forever since you're just so freaking awesome.
I love you kiddo.
Momma
