Sonny @ 2 years

Growth & Appearance: Your hair is long, past your shoulders and you’re more often referred to as a girl than a boy which truthfully has incited a whole internal monologue about gender and how silly it all is that we all conform to these weird standards society has set; pink for girls, blue for boys. Kind of ridiculous. We love your long hair, albeit the fact the front hangs into your food and is most always caked in yogurt or tiny chunks of avocado. That said, you’ve gotten somewhat used to having your hair brushed and will sit for a good comb through with minimal whines (on a good day, anyway).

You are approximately 36 inches tall and weigh 30 lbs. You’re in size 5 diapers and size 2-3 clothes. Your nose has been running so I assume you’re getting your two year molars but I haven’t actually checked because, well, who cares.

Sleeping: The days of two naps a day are slowly proving to be a thing of the past. On most days you wake with your brothers, a bit before you would on your own due to the shared room / school schedule, around 7am. We’ve started pushing back your morning nap to 11am, instead of 10, and you’re sleeping 2-3 hours. Depending the time you get up, we’ll sometimes still try for the afternoon nap, around 4 or 5 for an hour or so. Some days it’s a nice break, even if it’s only a half hour or so. Then bedtime, around 7:30pm or so.

You can climb out of your crib with ease… we used to have your crib at the base of the bunkbeds but we found you on the top bunk one day which you accomplished by climbing up on your crib and then pulling yourself up and over the base of the top bunk. So we’ve moved your crib away from the base of the bunkbeds and surrounded it by pillows and don’t wait long before you wake up to come get you.

You sleep with your blanket, which you call your ‘daddy’ (just as your brothers do as well) and most always have your ‘toy of the day’ (typically a conglomerate of toy cars).

Eating: We still sit you in your highchair at home but tend to let you sit in a chair if we go out. Gone are the days we can keep you strapped it; it’s more enjoyable for all to allow you the freedom to roam.

You through your entire plate when you’re done or over eating what’s been served, sending food flying across the floor. It’s one of your more annoying traits at the moment and the primary reason Jimmie has put on the pounds.

You like what you like and you don’t like what you don’t like. Your favorites seem to stay the same, with avocado being a long time hit and one you rarely turn down. Same with greek yogurt. You’re back on a banana kick but not with the same gusto as before. You like noodles and certain kinds of chicken you devour. We’re still giving you whole milk but I’m pretty sure now is the time we’re supposed to switch you over to 2%.

Though messy, you prefer to feed yourself and aren’t half bad. We just need to be better about pulling your hair out of your face cuz, gross.

You ask for snacks constantly. Oftentimes in place of a meal. A trait I’m sure you’ve adopted from your brothers that causes me a big giant eye roll.

Development:

You’re independent and confident; eager to do things on your own.

You can go up and down the stairs on your own, depending who’s watching you; I tend to let you do it while your Papa seems to think that every other time you would die had he not been there supervising your decent.

We bought you a little scooter for your second birthday and you’re able to peddle; not well but you get around and you thoroughly enjoy riding with your brothers. In fact, one of your favorite things to do is to sit in-between my legs while on your brothers bike and be carted around the yard. That ends in tears every time because, well, it ends.

You know all your primary colors; green took you longer to learn than the others. You can count to three. You communicate well and know several words. My favorites are the way you say ‘Hooper’ (‘Pooper’) and ‘Van’ (‘Ban’). You also often use ‘no fair’, ‘stop it’ (‘shop it’), and ‘what are you doing?’ (pronounced as one seemingly long run on word: wha-yr-do-ing).You also use a hefty dose of unnecessary emphasis on certain syllables with various words and is much of the reason why 2 year olds are my favorite.

You attempt to play catch with your glove on the wrong hand and by putting the ball in your glove and then letting it roll / fall out. Over and over, on repeat. You could play for an hour. I, however, cannot.

While you still let out a good scream every now and again, the frequency of such seems to have dissipated. Or we’ve gotten used to you. I’m quite honestly not sure but I do favor the former because it’s easy to argue the fact that there is no getting used to a scream of that pitch.

Relationships: Your daddy’s boy and on any given day can be found curled in under one of the arms of your Papa. To be fair, he’s much more generous with screen time and cuddles are most always associated with a favorable amount of screen time. You also love your g’pa; a guys-guy through and through.

You watch your brothers with much admiration and mimic whatever activity it is that they’re engaged in. You’re more trusting of Hooper, who is more likely to tend to your needs and give in to your demands. Hooper takes on the appropriate big brother role whereas Van is more sensitive to his toys being passed down and his prized possessions being touched and potentially ruined. Hooper has these moments as well, but they’re fewer and further between.

You love Jimmie but get overwhelmed when he’s in your face. And given your height, he tends to be in your face often. But you have a lovely relationship; he’s very tolerant of you trying to ride him and of you playing with his food and water bowls.

Favorites: You’re in the phase where matchbox cars, or anything with wheels, is your jam. You love your garbage truck toy, your dump truck, you small wooden trucks and so on and so forth. At any given time you have 3-4 favorites that you tote around with you everywhere.

Van @ 2 years, 6 months

Growth & Appearance: You’re getting so big so fast. You’re really not far off from Hooper’s height and weight. Someone the other day asked if you guys are twins. You’re able to share a lot of clothes; t-shirts and shorts, for sure, and pants depending on the length. If you can’t share pants, the day Hooper grows out of them, they go into your drawer and fit you perfectly. 
You’re fiercely strong. Even your “big squeezes” kinda suffocate the air out of me. 
You’ve had a bracelet tied around your little wrist since July. You’re great with wearing hats.  If there’s a pair of reading glasses lying around, you will find them and wear them. Always. 
Eating: The terrible twos are in full force and it shows at the table. You have no time to eat. You either eat what’s in front of you in record time or push it away and want down. It’s so hit or miss. Breakfast is usually good, but by dinner, you’re over it.
Your favorite foods are bananas, chicken nuggets, yogurt, though it all really changes day to day. The other day you scarfed down green beans and I didn’t even know you liked them.
You sit in a regular chair at the table, but we have yet to transfer the highchair into the garage. So far, so good though.
You’re obsessed with “shoda” (soda). I’m trying to convince your Papa that he should drink something better, like say water, so we can teach you better habits. Until then, you’re a magnet to the stuff. 
Sleeping: You’re woken up by Hooper every morning. On the days he has preschool, you’ll typically go back to sleep. I think if you had it your way you’d get up around 8 or 8:30. Hooper has you up closer to 7. You still nap in a pack-n-play that’s squished haphazardly into the spare bathroom. You’re in bed around 8:30.
You most always fall asleep with at least two toys and one book snuggled in next to you. And, of course, you’re still attached to your blanket.    
Talking: You had the best stutter that literally lasted for about a week and then completely disappeared. You speak in full sentences and understand concepts.
When you want to know what something does, you ask, “What’s it due’s (does), mama?”, to-which-I-answer, “It due’s ____”.
The other day I said to you, “Van, it sounds like you have a runny nose”, to-which-you responded, “No, Mama, it’s walking’ “.
You pronounce waffle as “raffle”, like you’re from the mid-west or something, mouth as “noufth”, and nothing as “nuffing”.
You also say things a little out of order, like when you dropped something and wanted me to pick it up and said, “Why you not pick up it?”. 
Development: You are stubbornly independent and want to do everything by yourself.
You took a toy truck away from a boy smaller than you at the park the other day. When he started chasing you to get it back, you threw his truck in the trash can. It was not a trash can you could stick your hand down. Way to make me look like number one mom.
You throw a mean tantrum. We haven’t had to suffer through too many in public, so I guess there’s that.
You have a big personality, are easy going, and a lot of fun. Your Papa and I have already coined you as “life of the party”.
You hit me and it hurts. I’m kind of scared of you becoming a teenager if I’m already dodging your punches now.
You have taken to potty training well and are learning fast. It hasn’t been without it’s trials and frustrations, but I gather in the whole scheme of things it’s been okay. You wear choines at all times, minus napping and sleeping. You ask, at times, to go to the bathroom; other times you simply drizzle just a little in your undies and then tell me, at-which-point I take you to the potty.
You still copy everything Hooper does or says.
You can hop on one foot.
You make the best mean face and the best happy face, on command.
You have no fear and love to jump off of surfaces that are taller than you are.    
Favorites: You love cars and planes and anything, really, with wheels. You also still love balls and ask often to play catch. You like making pretend food in your pretend kitchen. We allow you to have your scooter indoors and you ride it all around the kitchen and family room. You play great with Hooper and love to go along with whatever game he is playing. Stewart Little is a movie you ask to watch often. Also a cartoon on Netflix called “Puss & Boots”.

Click To Vote For Us @ Top Baby Blogs Directory!