Ethan is TWO!!

My baby is no longer a baby.  He is not quite a big kid.  Terrible and terrific all at the same time.  He is TWO!  He is energetic, cuddly, sweet, affectionate, and smart as a whip.  He is all boy.  He loves trucks, well, anything that moves really.  With that we decided to sneak  invite ourselves onto a local construction site where a large furniture store is being built.  Unfortunately, we had a downpour the night before, filtering into the morning.  We didn't let that stop us.  It just slowed us down a bit.  But, like I said, he is ALL BOY!  A little mud never hurt anyone.  So our good friend, Martin, was a sport and agreed to still go out.  Thank you so much.  You captured his mischievous personality to a tee.  He is definitely starting to get more of his Daddy's adventuresome personality as he gains a little more confidence in himself.

What our shoes looked like quickly!

So pensive

At two he is loving life.  His personality emerges a little more each day.  And let me say, he is a nut like his parents.  He is the best and silliest part of us both, and a few characteristics of some aunts and uncles too. He has really started loving music and dancing.  His favorites are the Itsy Bitsy Spider and the ABC's.  I am finding it is a big help when I need to get him to take a bath and go to bed.  He dances to his favorite playlist, a.k.a, Toddler Radio on Pandora, while he is in the bath.  After we get our pjs on we switch over to some softer background music while we read and rock for a bit.  I catch him dancing to commercials, his favorite tv shows, and to whatever is playing in the car.

He also loves fruit snacks, really, all food right now; spinning around in circles to make himself fall, his new room (no, he has not moved in there yet, maybe soon), swinging the refrigerator door open, using a regular cup, his new batman car, playing basketball, sticks and rocks (can't say how many random rocks and sticks I find in the car or house), and throwing the ball for Turk.

Ethan has started using some two word phrases, mostly things like "Bye Dada".  He knows about half of his letters and a few numbers, not in order but, we are working on it.  He can now use a cup without a lid (only at the table).

This boy knows how to extend a birthday celebration into a week's worth of activities.  Tuesday, we met up with Sarah and Abigail,or Abby as he calls her, at the aquarium for some fish fun.  We scoped out the fish, rode the carousel, and had some lunch.  Thanks for being such great friends to meeting in the middle to have a special birthday celebration!

This bag later was used for some shoplifting that wasn't noticed for awhile.  Don't worry, the Mickey car was returned to the Disney store as soon as I noticed it.

Me and my boy riding the "neighs"

Ethan and his posse

His "cheese" face

On his actual birthday, Dad took the day off of work.  He woke up to a balloon party in his bed.  We followed it up with a morning at the pool, an after lunch trip to the mall for yet another carousel ride, and yummy shakes after naptime.  

He was pretty tired after his afternoon fun.

Cheesin' for the camera with his dump truck night light

He fell asleep with his night light.  I found it later covered under a blanket.    Can we keep this moment forever?!

This boy is growing up so fast.  I so wish we could push the pause button for a little while.  Since that isn't going to happen I plan to bottle these moments to cherish for years to come.  All of the Ethan snuggles, hugs, kisses, full face embraces he gives me, the way he squeezes his eyes shut to yell our names, the way  he sort of squints his right eye when he smiles a really big smile.  All of it.  These are the fastest two years of our lives.  We couldn't ask for a better kid.  We feel so blessed that we get to be the parents to a wonderful little person with a shining personality and loving heart.

We love you so much sweet boy!