c in the pool

two!

carter brian,

it's your second birthday! you are 24 months old and mommy completed her "goal" of writing about you each month for the first two years! i'm thinking we'll back it down to a 6 month update, unless mommy feels that's too long and then we'll do a quarterly update. anyway...

you are two! and you know it! it's so cute when we ask you how old you are. you try to show us, but still don't quite have the finger part down. maybe by the time you are three you will! ;)

you make us smile dozens of times a day and are one special boy! we are so lucky to have you in our lives! you are and will forever be mommy's sweet boy!

you...

...are 34 and 3/4 inches tall! when you factor in tip toes and an outstretched arm, you have QUITE the reach! we'll find out your weight next monday at your appointment with dr thole!

...can count to 10 (thanks to Elmo's World! mommy's now on the hunt for an Elmo DVD that talks about colors and shapes, to help with your mastery of those concepts!)

...love to say "baby fall down" if you trip, fall or pretend to fall.

...insist on riding in the car cart at publix and whole foods. you start asking for it as we turn into the parking lot!

...got your own area on the patio for your birthday. you love your bball goal mommy and daddy got you and the water table brady got you! i can't wait to see you play with the sand and water table that aunt nikki got you! i can see you playing for hours with the sand and dump trucks!!

...push Ernie, Elmo and/or Cookie in your shopping cart that grandma and grandpa z got you for your birthday!

...are fascinated by bball goals, bulldozers, diggers, cranes and gas stations these days! you point them out ANY time you see them while we are driving! you even pretend that your food is any one of these things during mealtimes.

...had so much fun at brady's house the other day that you've asked for "bray-ee house". i guess mommy needs to step up the fun factor over at our house!

...know you are "car-er" but still refer to yourself as baby. but by far the cutest thing is when we ask you "who's in mommy's belly?" and you answer "nah-ee". :)

...eat off the plates and bowls like mommy and daddy do most of the time, but still mostly use your size silverware.

...(still) love pizza (in any form), french fries and smoothies! oh, and you really like mommy's homemade mac and cheese she makes for you, especially when she uses the shells! :)

...celebrated your birthday with grandma and grandpa at fort desoto; and with mommy and daddy at busch gardens and with a pizza party at home; and will celebrate with nana and papa, uncle don and G.G. in brooksville this weekend! (and aunt cheri came over the day after your birthday to see you open your gifts from her!)

23 months

carter brian,

time is just FLYING by these days! mommy's been a bit of a slacker on your blog--not many wordless wednesdays, this month's update almost a month late--but mommy is pregnant and tired and planning your birthday and natalie's nursery!! ahh!! :)

BUT all of this information is accurate for 23 months because i wrote it all down, but just haven't found the time to type it up and upload photos. until now. :) i don't love you any less though! i promise!

at 23 months, you...

...sit FORWARD facing in your car seat and LOVE it! we didn't intend to turn you around quite this soon (our plan was to turn you around once we put natalie's seat in in a few months because there isn't room in the acura for two rear facing seats) but we bought you a new (big!) toy and needed to be able to put the seats down to fit it in. or so we thought we needed to!

...got a brand new (to you) upgraded kitchen just because! (well, because you played with soraiya and saw all her cool toys, so mommy just had to get you something new!)

...are doing MUCH better with utensils at mealtime

...wear 24 month pajamas

...had a "phase" where you seemed to anticipate nighttime and did NOT want to sleep. thank goodness that his passed!!

...are "potty learning." you earn stickers when you go pee pee on the potty, which you LOVE but we've decided to wait to potty train you once things settle down after mommy and daddy's anniversary trip and your birthday!

...say "uh oh" when you drop something

...found a new place to play

...discriminate between bicycles and motorcycles

...LOVE hanging out with "Bray-ee" (= Brady) and "Bray-ee papa" which is fortunate because mommy likes hanging out with Brady's mommy! :)

...took off your pajama bottoms the other day all by yourself, which we speculate you learned from "Elmo jacket" (= Elmo's World Head to Toe)

...really seem to understand when we set boundaries. for instance, you run to the chopped tire pit at the park after mommy said no. mommy says, "uh oh, uh oh" and you stop and go do something else. then, you go back to the pit, but stop and say "uh oh".

...DRINK FROM A CUP! i'm not gonna lie, mommy wasn't sure that this day would EVER come!

...love "Do Your Ears Hang Low" and the chicken dance (cheep cheep cheep flap flap flap wiggle wiggle wiggle clap clap clap)

...color on daddy's white board in his office every chance you get!

...like watching bball with daddy on the ipad

...are really into dipping foods into sauces (i.e. tzatiki and ketchup) these days but like the dip off instead of taking a bite

...do better snacking these days, especially in the car (now that mommy can see you better).

and

...know that you are gonna be TWO! you just don't quite have the "2" fingers down yet. you don't do "peace", you show your thumb and pointer finger.

here are some other favorites from this months: