Tyson: 2 Years

Can't say enough about this kid!  Sure do love him.  Tyson is such a cute 2 year old... 2??? Yikes!  I can't believe he's growing so much.  And he really is becoming such a little boy that we interact with all the time and have to definitely watch what we say now.  He is quite the observer and very smart and just plain silly too.  He knows how to get us laughing and that is just the cutest.  Love his personality - he's all the above and sweet and just the best.  Yes, we still have to get up early for him, but he brightens our day.  David and I both look forward to spending time with him and love chatting about all his accomplishments and memories each night.  He's definitely finding his own voice and figuring out what he likes and doesn't like and we are cautiously entering the 2 year old phase.  He's a great kiddo and we are so lucky to have him.

Here's what he's been up to these days and some cute pictures we took at age 2.

• Favorite Food: Fruit Snacks, Milk, Cheese, Eggs, Bagels, Hamburgers, Mac and Cheese (and peas), Fishies, Granola Bars, Oatmeal, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Chicken and Rice, Desserts ;)
• Disliking Food: Vegetables, Really anything fruit if it has been a few days he will give up on it - bananas, grapes, etc., vegetables we have to negotiate to get him to eat, some meat too.
• Sleeping: One nap still around 12:30, wakes up between 6-7, most of the time at 6 when D is on break or we are on vacation, of course.  We get him to bed regularly at 7:15/7:30 still.
• Favorite Toys: New slide in May, his stuffed animals, loves his new small toys like Pixar, Mario and Animals, magnets, blocks, car tracks
• Favorite Activities: Drawing in a box, playing with water outside in tubbies, Mickey Mouse TV show, painting with water outside, pretending toys are sleeping, dancing to music with mama, swimming, coloring, chalk outside, the park, loves hide and seek with him or also hides his stuffed animals all over and then pretends to look for them - is he outside? no, downstairs? no, etc., loves to trampoline or jump on couch or bed, reading books, singing songs
• New phrases: Will say any word we say like mentholadum, adding "ia" to lots of words, saying no, says "to infinity and beyond!", sings songs randomly on his own, sings "head shoulders shat-ta-ta" his own version ;), starting to say many more phrases I can't keep up - copies what we say too - watch out!
• Stats as of 2 Yr Doctor Appt:
• Learning: As of 6/15 can sing ABC song all by himself very fast, knows 1-3 counting; Can say the letters of his name and identify them along with several other letters; Once you tell him something once, he knows it - vocab, stories, anything. Knows his shapes and colors
• Physically: As of 6/3: can open doors and climb into tub on his own; Can jump with both feet; Climbed out of crib one night only on 7/14
• Potty: We've been putting Ty on the toilet for a few weeks just to get him used to it.  His first pee happened early May in the potty and then a week later he did both #1 and #2.  After that he strayed away after having a constipation weekend and potty was rough so he really hasn't been interested since then.  Every few weeks he may ask to go but mostly he says no way if we suggest.
• At Doctor: 26 lbs 6 oz weight (30%); 34 1/8 inches tall (50%); 

• We moved!!  Calling everything "new" - new house, new bed, etc.
• Adding "ia" to several words normally but when crying says Daddia and Mommia the first week in the new home adjusting
• Rash on his bottom for 2 weeks in May
• Crazy fear of flies started 6/6
• Laughed after peeing on floor one night 6/9
• In June, getting better at playing with other kids; During July, he's not liking to play with kids as much now so decided for his birthday party it will just be family or cousin kids; Doing playdates with Owen, Graham and Hazel more though still
• Knows when Mickey Mouse is on and can turn both on sometimes, asks 2x a day
• We catch him singing spider or dinosaur or abcs in car or when waking up
• Hides his hand in his shirt or somewhere to be silly when playing with someone
• Becoming way too independent - saying no to mommy or daddy to most things he wants to do - not cool! Even to mommy singing!
• Started disciplining with stuffed animals to help him listen - if we have to take some away for the day or something they go upstairs on our bed. Lasted maybe 2-3 weeks, but he got it
• Crazy fake laugh with Autumn and Jaz when they visited this summer a few times
• All through July Autumn helped babysit Tyson once a week for a few hours, he loved it
• Got out of his crib!! And hating it 7/14
• New bed routine after screaming and climbing out of his bed - new routine, lots of calming down and negotiating, new fan, new music, door left open, etc.
• Loves scarves from library time and sings and dances to hokey pokey at home
• Swimming wise - Doesn't like water pads but loves swimming - he doesn't want to float but loves to jump off the side and play on the stairs after the first couple times warming up to swimming
• Said his own prayer somewhat on his own on 7/15. Loves to pray with our help or if not with us he says a quick one fast missing a lot of stuff
• Sits his stuffed animals up on the kitchen table to eat with us and sometimes they get bibs
• Colors circles a lot more than just the random scribbles before