Will turned 2 on November 11, the day we left on our family vacation. Since we were taking him to Disney World, we didn't have a party, but I wanted to post a little update on Will before any more time passes.
Will is just a joy to be around. He has such a sweet nature - he loves to cuddle and give hugs. I frequently hear "Carry up, Mommy!" which is his way of asking me to pick him up and carry him - I almost always oblige. My favorite part of our bath routine is right after he gets out of the tub - he loves for me to wrap him in his hooded towel and pick him up for a long snuggle before we put on his pajamas.
Will is inquisitive, and he loves to learn. He learned all of the letters in the alphabet about 4 months ago and loves to point out any letters he sees. As of about 3 months ago, he knows the basic sound every letter makes, and one of his favorite songs to sing is the one from LeapFrog's The Letter Factory. He loves to count (I've heard him to go to 14, but haven't worked with him to see if he can go higher) and knows all of the basics of colors, shapes, and animal sounds. He has a terrific vocabulary and tries to repeat every word that is new to him. Clearly he is brilliant. ;)
He likes lots of different toys, but his favorites are trains, the play kitchen and all of its accessories, Lego Duplos, his Hess toy truck, Little People, and his plastic animals & dinosaurs. He also loves to pretend and has quite the imagination. He will frequently say something like "I'm a pirate! Yo ho ho!", "I'm a lion - ROAR!!!" or "I made a bat! Look at my bat, Mommy. It's MY bat." while brandishing a long mailing tube. There is a striped bug that frequently makes it into his stories - I have yet to see it, but he assures me it is around.
After all of our sleep struggles, he is finally a really good sleeper. He loves his toddler bed and goes to bed easily around 8 - bedtime routine is a few books (he loves to be read to), a couple of songs, and a prayer. We rarely hear from him once we walk out of the room until around 6:30 - 7 the next morning. He usually naps for 1.5 - 2 hours each afternoon, going down around 1.
The kid loves to eat. He is still good about trying things, but his favorites are typical kid foods - pizza, mac & cheese, chicken nuggets, quesadillas, and pasta. He usually has a waffle or pancakes, yogurt and a smoothie for breakfast - he loves smoothies, so I'm able to get some veggies in then (I usually mix in spinach, carrots, or both with the fruit). His favorite snack is still a Plum Organics food pouch, and since it is another way to get vegetables in him, I haven't discouraged it. Other frequent snacks are apple slices, yogurt sticks, almost any kind of cracker, cereal, dried fruit, or diced pears.
Shortly before reaching two, he reached the tantrum phase - oh so fun! Will is determined and strong-willed (we named him appropriately), and he will quickly and loudly let you know if he doesn't like something. He is already very familiar with our time out spot. Fortunately, he is just as quick to get over these episodes, apologize if necessary, and move on.
Will loves his sister very much - they always run to hug each other when I pick them up on school days, and he always asks if she is up when I go into his room to get him in the morning or after nap. Although they fight like most siblings, they are best friends and love each other very much. I love listening to their conversations, and I pray that they remain as close throughout their lives.
Will is our precious boy, and we love him so much. Happy 2nd birthday, My Will!
