Two

Liam,
You are now a TWO year old! I know I say this every time but, wow, these two years have gone by extremely fast. You are no longer our baby, instead you've grown in quite the lil man! This month you have definitely found your independence which makes me happy and sad at the same time.

I'm glad you want to do things on your own but I also still want to help you, be there for you, and hold you still. You don't like to cuddle very often so when you do (which is normally when your sick or tired), I really savor the moment. You also like to walk everywhere now which can be good and bad. If you're not in a stroller/cart, you like to play a game and run off. You're getting better at listening and will sometimes come back but a lot of times you think it's to fun and will keep running so we chase after you. We're still working on you holding our hands when crossing streets and parking lots.  But you don't always want to do this so we pick you up and you throw a fit instead. You like to help get yourself dressed in the morning which isn't always fun especially when I'm running late. Sometimes you won't let me put your shirt on and I'll have to wait for you to actually put it on though I still try to help. You also like to put your socks and shoes on. Needless to say, I better start getting up earlier in the mornings and getting you up earlier so we can make time for when you want to do the whole morning routine on your own. A new thing you just started doing is you won't let me take your coat off when we get to daycare. You say no and grab your coat tighter so I can't get it off. So I've been leaving it on you and the ladies at daycare take it off you later in the morning.

But then there are moments that just melt my heart. Like when I pick you up from daycare and as soon as you see me you yell "mommy" and come running into my arms. It makes my day every time! Or when you get an ouie and the only way to make it better is to come running to me and I kiss it all better. I treasure these moments!

Your favorite things are still your puppy pillow and blue & white blankey. Now that it's colder out you love your owl hat and will wear it in the house just to wear it. You also love movies and your favorites are "The Croods", "Rise of the Guardians", "Despicable Me", and "The Jungle Book".

We haven't gotten very far on potty training. You went through a week phase where you asked to go potty all the time but now you hardly ever ask. So we decided to wait a while and will try again later.

We enrolled you in your first sport this month, soccer tots. Its once a week, on Thursdays when I'm home with you. Its in an indoor gym that they split in half so they can do two classes at once. Your coach, Coach Mo, is great. She always has new games to play and fun things for you guys to do. But before that she always gets out the "soccer spots" (little plastic circles for you guys to sit on) and puts them in a circle. She rolls the ball to each of you asking your name and you all roll it back to her. You haven't said your name yet even though you can because you are normally shy in the beginning. Then we go through some stretches and then the games begin. Here are just a few. The farmer and fox which is when we tuck a little piece of fabric (tail) in your pants/shirt and then we (parents) run after you trying to get your tail. Coach Mo also will roll hula hoops down the gym floor and have you guys chase them and bring them back to her. Then she'll have you put a hula hoop around your waste like your driving a car and run around cones where a goal will be at the end and she'll have you kick the ball into the goal. That one was fun to watch! Each class always ends the same way where you all play with a parachute trying to shake the balls out of it and then will go underneath it while the parents lift it up and down. Then you guys do a cheer on the parachute and Coach Mo goes around and gives you all stamps. You seem to really like it and every time I tell you we're going to soccer tots you say, "kick ball". The only part that's been hard for you is sitting and listening for a long time and also waiting your turn.

This month we also found out some very exciting news. You're going to be a big brother! I know you have no clue right now but we will work on that as it gets closer. For now, I just point to my belly and say baby.  You've said baby a couple times when I ask what's this after pointing to my belly. But we're also going to get some books about being a big brother and start reading those to you. We're also going to move you into the other bedroom. You and your brother/sister are going to share a room and the other room is bigger. So as soon as we find out what we're having (which will be in December) then we'll redecorate and get you moved it. We also plan to move you out of a crib into a toddler bed. We haven't decided if we'll just take the railing off the crib since it turns into a toddler bed or just get you a whole new toddler bed. In any case, this will give you plenty of time to get used to your new bed and room before the baby arrives.

Yesterday you had your two year check-up. I actually couldn't take you because I was home sick so Grandpa Dave took you. Here is the report he gave me. You weigh 25 lbs and are 34.5 inches tall. The doctor said you're in the middle of the charts on both which is great. You only had to have one shot which was your annual flu shot. Grandpa Dave said you screamed as soon as you got the shot but he cheered you up soon after. Grandpa Dave also said you did extremely well on the exam table while the doctor looked you over. Great way to celebrate being two - a clean bill of health!

Happy second birthday sweet little boy!!

Love,
Momma