Two years old

We have officially entered the terrible twos again. These two years have flown right by, and now we have one big two-year old on our hands!



(That was the only non-closeup I could get!)

He has changed so much since one year ago...but before I get there, it's hard to think how much he has even changed in six months since he was 18 months old:


And then to go back six months before that...at one year old:


And six months before that at 6 months old...


And three months prior to that at 3 months:


And that dark-haired newborn who slept all day long can no longer be described in either of those ways...


Seriously! Who was that kid, anyway? :)

At two years old, Parker is a fireball...a little bundle of energy who loves to laugh and get into trouble (in a fun, mischevious way).


He is chatty and I think he "talks" very well for a child his age. His sentences aren't all that "proper," but he manages to string 3-4 words together to clearlly convey his messages. He says things like, "Downstairs. Do it, self" and that means he wants to walk downstairs without holding my hand. If I say something he doesn't want me to say (like to discipline him) he will say, "No say that!" or "No do that!" And he understands things that surprise me all the time. Earlier this evening I was kneeling down in front of him and he started pushing on me saying "Over!" (meaning he wanted to push me over). I told him "no" that I was on the hard floor and "Mommy might get hurt." He looked at me and said, "Hospital." I thought it was funny and it surprised me that he even knew that!



I love him dearly, but the boy is a mess. He is T-R-O-U-B-L-E!


All of these laughing pictures are because I was begging him to sit still for just one second, but he kept trying to get away from me and I had to hold him down a bit (which made him laugh). Monthly photo shoots are very tiring because I spend the whole time chasing him down and plopping him back in the chair to get one picture before he jumps out again! He thinks he is quite hilarious. I disagree.

Then he finally gets tired and sits there and sucks his thumb for awhile. Yes, he still sucks his thumb quite religiously and he twirls his curls at the same time. His hair is certainly his security blanket, and though he has had three (or four) haircuts at this point, we don't cut off too much for fear he wouldn't sleep for weeks!

Speaking of sleep, he is not quite the super sleeper he once was, but he doesn't give us too much trouble. He goes to bed usually around 7:30-7:45 and he usually is up by 7ish (if not before). He naps for about two hours a day. He would nap longer, but I usually wake him up around 4 and that helps him go to bed more easily at night.

We haven't had his official 2-year WBV yet since we are in the midst of a health insurance change, but I did take him for a checkup the week before his birthday and he weighed 33 pounds, 4 ounces. I measured his height the other day and I think he's 36 1/2 inches tall. Both measurements put him well into the 90th percentiles for height and weight. (Just for fun, Thomas was 28 pounds and 36 inches (with shoes on) at age two.) The boy is SOLID. You'd think he's not a picky eater...but you'd be wrong! He really doesn't eat much meat at all and he really just picks at mealtimes. He does, however, drink lots of milk (probably time to switch from whole milk!) and he'd be happy as a peach if we let him eat fruit all day long. He loves strawberries, grapes, applesauce, blueberries and most fruit...though he seems to be cooling off on his love of bananas.

He can sing his ABCs pretty well, but we still can't seem to get him to learn to recognize all of his letters. I don't think we work with him as much as we did with Thomas, but then again, it just doesn't seem to come as naturally to him either. Then again, at his age, Thomas couldn't say his ABCs and Parker has known them for awhile. He can count to about 13 (though he frequently skips "6" for some reason).

Before I go any further, I should clarify that even though Parker loves to make mischief, he is also very loving and sweet. And when he realizes he has truly made you angry he gets so upset. He still frequently loves to be held and at times he is so sweet...he will lay his head on my chest while he sucks his thumb. It's sweet. Or he will let me hold him (ask me to hold him, rather) while he sucks his thumb and twirls MY hair! He loves to do that.



He loves to read books, though he prefers the ones that are shorter and sweeter (not like his brother's longer, more complicated books!). He has memorized many of his favorite books and will sometimes finish my sentences when I read.

He also loves his brother and wants to be around him and near him (and drive him crazy!). It's really fun watching their relationship grow and develop. Sure, sometimes they fight and bicker, but they also often really get along quite well. What really makes me smile is when Thomas sometimes translates things for me. Sometimes I can't understand what Parker is saying and Thomas remarkably gets it quite clearly and is able to help me out. He and his brother really do understand each other quite well.



He's heavy as lead and he loves to make trouble, but he is a sweet little fella and we love him so. Our family would be incomplete without him. I hope these next few years will slow down a little bit. I want to enjoy these final years of the preschool time! I'm so proud of him for all that he is at this point in his life and I look forward to watching him grow in the years to come! I just wish he'd slow down a little bit! :)