Happy Second Birthday, Baboren!

I can't believe S. it two! I remember so vivdily our struggle to get pregnant, my pregnancy with him, and his sudden, scary, wonderful birth a month before his due date that it seems impossible two years have passed since then. Yet, his two-ness is undeniable. The sharp increase in tantrums in the last month and the even sharper increase in his vocabulary are clear signs of his two year old status.

Some wonderful things about Mr. S at two:
1. He still loves giraffes.
2. He has started pretending he is a dog, chasing the cat around the house accompanied by one of the real dogs.
3. He speaks in complete sentences, using me and my correctly.
4. He is loving and kind. He shares his food, blanket, and toys with others (especially his momma).
5. He has started really testing out tantrum throwing, especially while in time out. He has started trying to make himself cough so hard he almost pukes to show us how mad he is.
6. He understands everything we say.
7. He loves music, and loves to sing and dance.
8. He sleeps in a twin bed now and when he gets up in the morning, he politely knocks on his own door and calls out to let us know he is awake.
9. He loves cars and trucks, particulary Matchbox cars. He also loves drawing and coloring, building things with legos and blocks, and pulling out every toy he owns and dumping them on the floor.
10. Recently, he chose a favorite blanket that he likes to "nuggle" with and that he calls "nonni."
11. He is very independent and a little bit of a daredevil. He has a wicked little grin he can't repress when he's about to do something he knows I won't like.
12. He loves to read and look at books.
13. He is a true animal lover. He loves his dogs and any book or show about animals.
14. He brushes his teeth pretty much on his own.
15. He is a clown and will do something over and over again as long as it gets a laugh (including biting his mom on the butt).
16. He loves repetition (see above) and will do the same task or game over and over and over and over and over. . . . .until the end of time.
17. He goes to sleep well and mostly sleeps through the night, but if it's too hot he can't sleep and if he wakes up he can't go back to sleep (just like his mom).
18. He loves movies like his dad does.
19. One of his favorite meals is sardines, crackers, veggies, and fruits (I know, I know, but it's good for him and I promise not to send sardines with him to school). In fact, this is what we had for his birthday meal.
20. He is the best, sweetest, kindest, smarted boy in the world and we love him so!