Turning 2!

Someone please tell me how this happened! How did my little baby all of a sudden become a 2 year old toddler?! We celebrated Collen's 2nd birthday this weekend. He doesn't turn 2 until Wednesday, so I'm clinging to my "baby" 1 year-old for a few more days. :)

 The past 2 years have been nothing short of amazing with Collen. He is absolute joy personified! He is one of the happiest children I've ever known. He has his moments that are not so joyous, but of course we all do.

 Some quick facts about Collen at 2:

 1. He is a people person. He doesn't know a stranger (which terrifies this momma, but he comes by it honestly with 2 parents who can talk to just about anyone).

 2. He is silly. Giggly, wiggly, goofy, corn-ball silly. He comes by that honestly, too.

 3. He loves music and is learning a few songs now. His favorite songs: "The Wheels on the Bus", "Old MacDonald", "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", and "Ring Around the Rosy."

 4. He loves animals - all animals! His favorite animals at the moment are: alligators, horses, dogs, cats, and fish.

 5. He is smart! He is using a lot of full sentences. I can't even count them. And he is getting really good at saying "please" and "thank you." He knows all of his letters; he can count from 1-15 (on a good day); he knows most of his colors; he can point to almost any animal and call it by name; he can work an I-Pad like a pro!

 6. He loves his Mommy. :) He kind of has no choice. He spent a lot of the summer with me and spends a lot of time with me in the evenings now that I'm back at work. The nature of football season turns him into a Mommy's boy. Don't worry....when Daddy's home, he loves hanging out with Daddy. They're best buds, and Mommy quickly becomes forgotten once Daddy's played with him for a while. Oh, but let a boo-boo occur....no one but Mommy can make it better. All it takes is a kiss and a snuggle, and he's all better.

 He is more and more fun every single day! I love this age. I know people like to dub 2 as the "terrible twos" but so far, they have been wonderful for us! Of course, we have tantrum moments and moments of defiance, but he's a child. That's going to happen. It's our job to teach him how to respond in those situations and how we expect him to act. He quickly catches on the importance of being patient and kind in order to get his way rather than the alternative (most of the time). We haven't had to do much in the way of discipline just yet, but I know it's coming.

 Big milestones to reach in the coming months/year:

 1. Get rid of the paci! It was one of my goals this summer, but it just didn't happen. He relies on it so much to help him fall asleep. We were able to take it away until only nap time and bed time, and he has done very well at complying with that. Now, making the transition over to no paci at all....I see that as being a big hurdle. But, we'll tackle it when he's ready.

 2. Potty training. Collen has no interest what-so-ever. We got him a little potty for his bathroom. He likes to sit on it when we are in the bathroom, but ask him to use it....no way! Jeremy was able to get him to go #1 in his potty after a bath one night, but it took a lot of coaxing. This isn't one we are going to push at all. When he's ready, he's ready. I don't want to traumatize him with it. I'd rather it be something he wants to do rather than something we force him to do.

 3. Becoming a big brother! In 2 short weeks, Collen will be a big brother to a baby sister! He will be a wonderful brother! Collen loves babies and is so gentle with them. Charlotte is one lucky little girl! 


Here are some pictures from Collen's birthday party this weekend. We kept it pretty small (although you wouldn't have known it with everyone crammed into our little house!) - only inviting a few friends from church and close (in distance) family members. We went with a Curious George theme this year since he is Collen's absolute favorite! It went very well, and I think Collen had a great time!