Happy 2nd Birthday, Henry!

Henry celebrated his 2nd birthday on Saturday, March 24th. We had a really fun party to celebrate, with lots of great family and some of our sweetest friends.

Since I haven't pulled out the baby book in a year, this is where I usually record milestones and stats, so here goes.

Henry is a very playful child who loves to be the center of attention. He's the only child in our home, but he shares the limelight with a sweet little girl during the day so it helps balance out the oldest/only child quirks. He still loves a good game of peek-a-boo and loves to hunt for things. If you ask him where his milk cup is, he will say "Where de milk go?" while shrugging his shoulders.

He follows simple 2-step directions like "Pick that up and put it in the trash" or "Can you get the blanket and bring it to Mama?" He's still in the stage of naivety where if you ask him if you can have something he shouldn't have, like the remote or a cell phone, he will gladly give it to you. I tend to overly praise this response in hopes of him being compliant for a long, long time. :) He loves to ride the tricycle, but can't quite reach the pedals so he runs around like Barney Rubble. He's crazy fast on it and steers like a champ. Every time I see him on it, I think about when he used to run around in a walker, giggling his head off.

He loves his relatives and friends and knows there names or a suitable substitute. He's very loyal to his both me and Mike, which I gotta be honest, I could never get tired of. If he's upset, he always asks for his Mama and Daddy first. On a recent drop off to Sunday school, he screamed, "Daddy! Where are you?" It made me laugh, he was in desperation that his Mama was turning him loose to a room full of other people. He loves his SS class by the way, it just takes a him a couple of minutes to accept being there. The teachers always have great reports on how he played well with the other kids and enjoys being there. Such a relief to know that he's happy while Mike and I go to worship and Sunday school. He usually comes home and devours his lunch and then goes down for a lengthy 3-4 hour nap. It might be Mama's favorite part of the weekend.  :)

And it's funny before you're a parent, you think "Oh I'd never let my kid watch tv. It rots your brain. You should be spending time with your kid instead of watching tv." Well, when the laundry is piled up, dinner needs to be cooked or I just need a few minutes to rest, the tv is a good distraction. He loves Finding Nemo and especially the Cars movie. In fact, there's times where I can hear Owen Wilson's voice playing in my head at night. Anyway, he also enjoys Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and will watch a little bit of Sesame Street too.

His vocabulary has grown exponentially the past month or so. Strangers still need a translator, but his speech is much better now.

Some funny words:

Nater (Tow Mater from Cars)

Donald

Mimmie Mouse (Minnie Mouse)

Doofy (Goofy)

fee fwies (french fries)

Mimmie Mouse dickens (chicken nuggets shaped like Mickey)

mimi - his soft blanket

moon in da sty (moon in the sky)

dar (door) (And I laugh every time. He sounds like a hick!!)

choo choo rain (train)

sowwy (sorry)

He can also "sing" the Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Little Star. The words might not all be there yet, but he knows what he's singing. He still signs for "Please" and "done" which usually helps him from flipping out. His fuse is very short, I can't imagine where he got that. :)

When you ask him what a firetruck says (sounds like), he squeals like a siren and grins really big. He knows the sounds that frogs, dogs, kittens, ducks and cows make. He's a little hesitant to make horse sounds but does a fantastic growl for cars. He points out babies and if they are laying down, he says "Nigh' nigh' baby." If you tell him that someone went bye-bye, he will either say "Bye bye, insert name or object" or he will ask "Where de go?" Such a funny little kid.

**Edit to add stats as of 3/28**
Weight: 25.6 pounds
Height: 33.3 inches tall
Mostly 24 month clothing but still wearing a few 18 months shorts. He's so skinny and short-legged that 24 mo shorts just hang on him.  He just moved to a size 6 shoe but still hanging out in size 4 diapers.

The first two years have been fantastic as we've not only watched Henry grow but watched ourselves grow as parents.  Our patience and stamina to keep up aren't always there, but we try to remember to cherish every single day.   It's been a fun rollercoaster ride that's just begun!