two

it happened.  as much as i resisted, our bouncing baby boy has turned into a running toddler.  and it is so bittersweet. 

 

it suddenly feels like we have left babyhood behind, but in its place, we have found the fun that "two" brings.  it brings semi-conversations, it brings books that require longer attention spans, it brings toys that require fine motor skills and creativity, it brings crafts with a little less mess, it brings a desire to "help", it brings more independence at the park, it brings observations that astound us, it brings the ability to break out into song, it brings laughter at the funny things that come out of his mouth, it brings random bits of affection...

 

it brings so much joy.

 finn, you are so many things... smart, funny, well-mannered (most of the time), opinionated, creative, empathetic, and observant.

 

and  you are so boy-ish.  your love for tractors, trains, cars, trucks, motorcycles, helicopters, and emergency response vehicles borders obsession.  you literally wake up talking about vehicles and go to bed dreaming about them.  lately, you have begun lining up your cars and sorting them by color.  you feel so proud when you are finished. 

 

you are working on learning how to jump.  you hate to brush your teeth.  you have a memory that is probably better than mine.  you love chicken, fruit, gold  fish, cheese, burritos, ice cream and guacamole.  you loathe rice and potatoes. 

 

you say things like, "oh boy!"  "oh my gosh"  "i LOVE it"  "LOOK, a transporter!"  "i want water now please"  "i need to go home."  "look what i built, mommy"  "I GO POOPY!"  "the fire truck is red, the race car is red, the strawberry is red..."  "ready, set, GOOOO!"  "i want to go this way",  "here you go", "hi there!"  "i am excited!"  oh, how cuuuute!" and "i don't know" (pronounced "i to-to")

your favorite books are "little blue truck", "goodnight, goodnight construction site",  "goodnight moon",  "the runaway bunny", "go dog go" and any lightening mcqueen/mater books - which cracks us up because we think you fell in love with cars at Disneyland, but when we decided to finally show you the Cars movie last week, you pretty much just cried the whole time until we turned it off. 

 

you try so hard to make something work but you also get frustrated when things don't go your way and we are working on you asking for help instead of crying and throwing your toys.  we are working on your listening skills.  you are slowly understanding the concept of "sharing". 

when you give someone a kiss, you insist on "a hug" too.  you mostly play by yourself, entertaining yourself with little stories and race car sounds.  you adore your blanket, your "cuddle" and i love the way you pinch and rub the silky edge and the way it instantly calms you.

 

you sit in a booster chair, instead of your highchair now. you still love your paci at bedtime and nap time and we are bracing to give up the paci in the next week...yikes!

you have already shown us that being parenthood is so, so much more than we ever anticipated: it is terrifying, it is confusing, but mostly, it is so full of fun and happiness. we are never bored together and my greatest joy is showing you the world and introducing you to new things.  with a simple look, or a giggle, or shrug of your shoulders, you make our hearts flutter. and you have given me an entirely new way to love your daddy. 

 

you are just so much more than we ever expected you to be.  and we love every bit of you.