Carter: 2 years old!

As I sit here, the kids are upstairs asleep.  Bryce just left for a long backpacking trip yesterday.  So for my Friday night, I'm sitting here catching up on the blog and getting teary thinking about this cutie pie growing up.

Our little guy is not so little anymore.  On April 30th, 2016, he turned TWO years old!  Wasn't I just yesterday sitting in a hospital bed when the nurse handed me our little red head?

Here's to you, our sweet Carter.

You are the sweetest little guy.  And I'm not just saying that because I'm your mommy.  You are always open to a cuddle, especially after naps or in the morning when you wake up.  You will sit content in our lap for much longer than you'd expect from a two year old.  You almost never have a problem sharing, but when something is taken away from you, that's a different story.  Even your tantrums are quite tame with fussing, crying, and wanting someone to comfort you.  You are so sensitive and tender hearted.  You started crying while I was reading "Llama Llama Red Pajama" when the mommy llama was busy washing dishes and baby llama got upset.  When you disobey, which hasn't happened much, you are quick to obey once we ask or count to three.  When in trouble, you keep your head lowered and by even just the change in our tone, you are repentant and walk towards us for reassurance, comfort, and a hug.  You want to do everything your older sister does every day.

With their beloved Walmart garden gnomes

To this day, we can't sing songs when trying to calm you down, especially not "Jesus loves me" because it makes you cry.  I recently tried to sing it and see if it was just a baby thing.  Well, that was a big mistake because you were hysterical within the first few words of me singing.  We're guessing that maybe you were sung to at church when we left you at one point and so it's associated with bad memories....but we're not sure.

You are easy going and generally happy.  You are great in the car seat.

You finally started sleeping through the night around 22 months (with all the moving, traveling, all everything else changing, I finally sleep trained you around then once we were settled in our new house).  You nap 2-3.5 hours every day.  Usually a nap is from 1-3/4pm.  And it's AMAZING.  Sometimes I even have to wake you up at 4:30/5pm.  You go to bed around 7:30/8 and wake up around 6/6:30am.  There have been many days recently where we skip naps and you've never completely lost it like some toddlers.  You are up for playing extra long and then ready for bed when it's time.

I stopped breastfeeding when you were around 18 or 19 months and you still take the bottle before nap and bedtime.  But don't worry, you out there, we brush his teeth and he never falls asleep with it, just a few ounces while we are reading a book and settling down.  After reading books, I rock you for just a couple minutes with your head on my shoulder before I lay you down.  You reach for your green monkey and roll over to fall asleep.  It took awhile for you to go to sleep on your own after I put you down fully awake, but now, you are a pro.  In fact, it takes as little as 5 minutes to put you down and I usually rock you just because I want to, not because you need it.

You love: dogs, balls, lollipops, trucks and tractors, brushing your teeth by yourself, running with your running shoes on (pumping your right arm as you go), trying to keep up with Maddie, trains, cars, airplanes, Mickey Mouse club house, the book and song "Five little monkeys jumping on the bed", and the book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?"  You also love motorcycles and stop in your tracks and stare whenever we see or hear one.

You've also become brave on the trampoline and love playing on it with Maddie.  I'm still surprised at how you just let her bounce you all over it, falling, laughing, and jumping just as much as she does.

You are talking more and more.  You are putting 2-3 words together to combine thoughts and meaning.  It's so fun.  I am losing track of all that you are saying because you're talking all the time.  You love to repeat things that other people say.

Words:
Naan Naan= Maddie
Nack=snack
Yukah=shoes and socks ("kah"=socks, "yu"=shoes)
Teeeet= treat
Bop bop bop= lollipop
Wah wah wun= another one
Lellow=yellow (your favorite color)

You are so well mannered, almost always remembering to say "please" and "thank you."  When hiking, you often say "hi" to people passing by.

You often use your high pitched scream/whine to get what you want.

You are a good eater and generally eat whatever we eat.  I don't think you really have a favorite food.  You don't love chocolate.  When given a chocolate chip cookie, you give it back when you reach a chip or try to spit out the chocolate.  But you do love other sweets like candy or vanilla ice cream.   Oh, and "mum" or gum.  Somehow, you kids expect a piece of gum when we get in the car.  But I try to reserve it for longer rides.

This year, Daddy's birthday was on Monday and your birthday was on Saturday.  So we had birthday cake, just the four of us, on Monday and you two blew out candles together.  You opened your big present from us-a scooter-and loved it.  Throughout the week, you opened up gifts from family like a bouncy donkey, a bubble push mower, a soccer ball net, and a T-ball set.  That week, your biggest priority was to blow out as many candles as possible.  You just couldn't get enough!

On Saturday, April 30th, we went to downtown Portland to a farmer's market, got donuts, and then on a hike in Forest Park.  That night, we stuck some candles in vanilla ice cream covered in rainbow sprinkles.