2 Years/24 Months

Dear Cole,

You are such a big boy now! You are TWO YEARS OLD and I cannot believe it. On one hand the last two years have completely flown by and on the other I can't remember life without you. I feel like you have been with us forever. People have always said that you will grow up so fast and to savor every moment with you because one day you will be a big boy...well, they were right.

You are turning into your own little independent person. You love it when I let you do things on your own and get mad when I think you are still a little young to do other things you want to do. I don't think this will ever change. We will probably always disagree about the things you can and cannot do!

You are such a big helper. When you finish a juice box or a snack you will go to the kitchen and throw away your trash without being asked. You help clean up your toys and put your dirty clothes in the hamper. If I give you the duster you will dust away and you still love to help me unload the dishwasher and washing machine. The most recent task you like to help me with is feeding Finn. You love to scoop out his dog food and put it in his bowl!

I love that you like to be clean and that everything around you has to be clean too. You like to brush your teeth. You brush them all the time. You also like to wash your hands {this might be because mommy is afraid of the swine flu} either in the sink, with hand sanitizer or with wet wipes. We wash your hands like 10 times a day! You always wipe your hands and face with a napkin during meal time and if something spilled you will wipe that up too. If there is a speck or a blade of grass or a piece of fuzz on the floor, your bed or Tags you will point at it and say "ewww" until I come and pick it up. You get this from your mommy!

Your vocabulary has improved but according to Dr. G you are way behind. We saw Dr. G on Wednesday for your 2 year check-up and he recommended we have you evaluated to make sure there is nothing wrong with your speech. Right now you say the following words on a regular basis:
Ba = Ball
Boo = Blue
Wha dis? = What's this?
No = No
Where Go? = Where did he/she/it go? {You say this with the cutest concerned expression on your face with your arms out while you look around}
Mo = More
Du = Done
Hi = Hi
Don = Donald Duck
Ha = Hot
I am sure we have nothing to worry about because so far you have pretty much done everything on your own terms so when you are ready to talk I know you will! We found out what we already know during your doctors appointment and that is you are a big boy for your age! You are off the charts on all measurements and you are a very healthy little man! Here are your 2 year stats:
Weight - 33 pounds
Height - 36 1/2 inches
Head - 20 inches
Dr. G said the rule of thumb on height is, if you double your height at 2 years old that will tell you roughly how tall you will be as an adult. You could be between 6' and 6' 1" when you grow up! Cool huh?!?!

Moving on. You are so funny! You keep us laughing all the time. One of the things that melts my heart the most is to hear your sweet little belly laugh. I cannot get enough of it and will do just about anything to hear it!

You have very distinctive mannerisms that we love so much! The way your arm "does the jig" when you run and how you drink makes you so unique. When you point at something you point with such sharpness and force and you get your whole body into it.

You like being dramatic about things. The way you huff and puff and grunt while going up the stairs makes it sound like you just climbed Everest! You are totally into "fake falling" and rolling and you grunt when you do that too.

You have become curious about cooking and what is in the pots and pans. I often hold you while I stir things on the stove so you can see what I am doing while you repeat "Ha?" {Hot} and I repeat "Yes. It's Hot." You like to watch while I stir and pour things and most recently while I ice cupcakes.

You are a very picky eater. Here is a list of things you will eat:
Very Cherry Yogurt
Toast
Turkey
Turkey Hot Dog
Cheese
Applesauce
Strawberries
Raspberries
Teddy Grahams
Wheat Thins
Chips
Pretzels
100 calorie packs of Oreos or Cheetos
Goldfish
Mac 'n Cheese
Pizza
Chick-fil-a nuggets
Bean and cheese burritos from Bueno
chips and queso
M&M's
....and that is it. No veggies, beef or anything healthy for that matter {except for the fruit}. You are not going to get away with this for long because as soon as you can communicate better with me we are going to change your eating habits {like you can't leave the table until you have taken 2 bites of your peas kind of thing} so get ready!

It is no surprise you are still our little athlete. You still love to play basketball, soccer and golf and most recently you have wanted to play baseball. We will throw the ball to you and you will swing your bat, throw it down and "run the bases" around the living room. SO CUTE!

Your most recent obsession is trains, planes and trucks. You spot them everywhere and you get so excited when you see them!

You are a very shy little guy and I don't think there is much we can do about that. Both mommy and daddy are super shy so it is no surprise that you are too. Sorry buddy!

You have such a sweet heart and you get upset when other people {and even dogs} are upset. You get very concerned and you want an explanation as to why they are upset. You have even pointed out a baby crying in one of your books. You say "awww" every time someone is sad.

You are such a joy and have brought so much light into our lives. We feel so lucky that we have been blessed with such an amazing son. Mommy and daddy are so proud of everything you have accomplished so far in your short life and we can't wait to see what you will do next. We love you more than you will ever know. Happy 2nd birthday little love!

Love,
Mommy