2 and 1/2!

I've been wanting to write this post since you turned 2 and 1/2 on December 28th. But as a new mommy of 2 I'm finding it hard to find time to blog like I used to. Since this is my journal for myself and my kiddos I need to work harder at it because there is so much I don't want to forget!

I am still in awe that it's been 2 and a half years since you were born. It feels like you just arrived in my life, that I just became a first time mommy of a new baby. In these past 2 and a half years you have taught me so much about myself and I have probably changed about as much as you have in these past 2 and a half years. The change you make going from a woman to a mother is so undescribable. Having you has made me re-think every thing I do. You have made me a better person because I know you are watching everything I do, so now every action I take I think about if it is the mold I want to set for you. Every relationship I have I think twice as hard about if it's a good relationship for me to model the behavior I want you to replicate. Thank you so much for the gift you've given me, being your mommy has been the best thing I have done so far.

And on to the good stuff!

At 2 and a half you:

Have some amazing "Kaydenese". There are so many things you say that when I hear them I think I need to write them down b/c I don't want to forget your toddler "speak". Some recent ones: "mommy why does the baby crying make my head hurt?", "uh huh, yep, I know it", "I love mommy, I love daddy, I love Necken, I love didi", "let's go namma's way", "My loves it so much!", "who you talkin to?", "what you talking about?", "dat not right", "My go bye bye?", "why you do that mommy, why?"

Love sweets! You have your mommy's sweet tooth, something I tried really hard to avoid. After having Namma here for a month and then Christmas you are addicted to candy! We try to limit it as much as possible and only let you have some if you've ate a good meal. Gummy bears and starburst are your favorites which isn't a mommy thing, I'm all about chocolate:)

Trains are still your favorite toys. You love love love them. You bring them to bed with you and lay them all on their side to tuck them in at night. And you still like to make random things into trains, like animals, you love to put your animals in a safari train.

You also love your big firetruck G&G Hingst gave you, if the trains aren't in bed with you, then your BIG firetruck is. You lay it on it's side and cover it up to go to bed with you.....can't be too comfy.

You are sleeping worse than you were at 2:) At 2 you were in your bed until about 5am and now you usually come over to our bed at midnight. If daddy tries taking you back to your bed you usually make several trips back to our bed. Some nights daddy gives up and stays in your bed with you.

The biggest change at this stage is that you are a huge daddy's boy. Ever since your baby brother entered the picture you have switched from being a mama's boy to a daddy's boy. I never thought this day would come. You were such a mommy's boy I didn't think daddy could ever compete at all. But we are there and apart of me is very happy you two are bonding more than you ever have before, but another part of me is super sad about this transition. It is a huge sign to me that your growing up and I don't like it at all.

LOVE your Grandparents and Uncles and your future Auntie Carrie. You talk about "namma this, gampa that, uncle mart this" all day long. If we see something green you'll tell us all "dat Carrie's favorite", or something red "Dat Uncle Mart's favorite", etc. If we are on a walk you'll say "my want to go namma's way" or if you want frozen blueberries, "my want namma's kind". "My want to go see Gampa Hingst", etc. Gabe is another favorite, he is your cool big cousin and all he does is great according to you! It makes my heart happy that you love your family so much!

Still adjusting to being a big brother. This transition has been alot harder than I had imagined it would be. Apart of you loves him so much. But another part of you is still very sad that you aren't the only one anymore, that you have to share mommy and daddy and everyone else with this little person. You give him alot of kisses and hugs everyday but the next minute you'll tell us you don't like him. I don't even like writing about it because it makes me sad that you feel this way. But I do want to remember this transition time and be able to look back and watch how your relationship developed. I'm hoping I soon get to write that you and he are best friends and inseperable, until that time we are just giving you alot of positive reinforcement when things do go well with the 2 of you. You do love helping with him, you have picked out some pretty good outfits for him, you like helping give him a bath and scrubbing his feet and pouring water on him but you refuse to help change his diaper, you tell us "it's too high mommy"....I know the real reason, it's too stinky:)

You and mommy have started a weekly date night:) (daddy is very jealous!). Since Breck has arrived you really miss our alone time. If we are going somewhere you'll tell me "don't want my baby to go, just mommy and me" and most of the time your baby does get to go so our compromise is having a date once a week where it is just you and me. You get to pick what we do, sometimes you'll pick Starbucks, sometimes you'll pick Krispy Kreme donuts, and last week you picked a make your own yogurt place. You get very excited for our date night and tell daddy "ha ha, you can't go just mommy and me" and I smile:)

Love your friends. Since Breck has been born we don't get out as much as we used to but you still love your friends. You talk about them alot, say thank you to Jesus for them every night and get very excited if we are going to see them or they are coming to your house.

Love climbing, going down the slide and playing at the park. And love digging in the sand and building things with sand toys.

Have gotten really good at riding your bike and scooter, your gross motor skills are advancing very nicely :)

Love to sing songs, "Dinah won't you blow" is one of your favorites right now (imagine that, a train song:)

You still take one nap a day. Sometimes you fight it and a few days you've even refused it but you still need it. Usually go down between 1 and 2 and sleep for 2-3 hours.

We love you to the moon and back 1000 times little man. Thank you so much for making me smile a million times a day. You are the best part of me and I feel so forever blessed to be the one you call mommy!