A Letter to Carter at 23 Months

Little mister Carter man here we are a month from your 2nd birthday.  The invitations to your party have gone out and it will be here before we know it!  Last year I was so emotional about your 1st birthday.  I was sad you were growing up, but I was excited for you to be 1.  I was in a constant tug of war between wanting you to still be an infant and loving you turning into a toddler.  This year I just feel excitement.  I don't know if it's because the changes haven't been so drastic.  Newborn to one year means huge changes.  It means a baby completely dependent on you to an almost toddler getting around on his own.  You have changed so much this past year but not like your first year.  Maybe it's also because I know each year will just keep getting better and bringing more joy.  This will be the last month I do your pictures in just your diaper.  I decided 2 years old is too old for diaper pictures.

You are the sweetest boy and absolutely LOVE to help!  We were at the playground and a little girl was sitting in a car toy with her hands raised as a way to ask for help out.  You saw her, stopped, grabbed her, and started to pull her out.  I rushed over to help you so the girl wouldn't accidentally get hurt.  After lunch and dinner you grab the wash cloth after I clean your face and hands and use it to wipe down the table.  You will take your plate and silverware and carry them to the sink to me so I can rinse them off.  Then I pass them back to you and you put them in the dishwasher.  We didn't even teach you to do that, you just started doing it.  It was like you watched me and thought, "Hey, I can do that!"  You also like to take care of your doll.  You especially like to feed her from her bottle.  One day you were carrying her around and then yelled water and took off running.  I followed you and you were standing on at the fireplace with her bottle you'd pulled off the counter.  Possibly the cutest was watching you play cars while holding your doll.  I know you will be a wonderful big brother!

Wiping the table after lunch.

You are so smart and are learning so much!  You know the names of colors, but if I ask you to name the color of something it's hit or miss whether you will tell me the correct color.  Sometimes you do, other times you yell "blue" or "bown".  Those are your 2 favorite colors to say.  Other times you will point at something and tell me the color on your own without me asking.  You love to point out animals in books, tell me their name, and what noise they make.  At the grocery store you will point at fruits and vegetables and tell me their names.  You also help me put the produce in bags.  We count the items as we put them in the bag.  We've been practicing counting, but only up to 2.  I sing a song to you where I count up to 10 and I count up to larger numbers, but I want you to develop a number sense for 1 and 2 before moving on.  It seems like you really understand what 1 and 2 mean.  When there are 2 objects I will count and say "1, 2" having you say it with me.  Then I'll ask you how many objects are there and you say "2!"  That's what I'm looking for.  I want you to understand that 2 means there are 2 items.  I've even pointed at 2 items together and asked you how many there were and you responded with "2!"

 

Language development has been extremely rapid this month.  We visited my friend, Erin, and her parents.  Her dad commented on how much more you were talking than the last time they'd seen you just 2 weeks before.  He couldn't believe how quickly you are picking up new words!  You consistently say 3-4 word sentences and are beginning to sing.  Your favorite song to sing is Baby Beluga.  You usually sing "Baluba, oh baluba" over and over.  We had tacos on Thursday 2 weeks in a row and the 2nd week you excitedly exclaimed "tacos!" when you saw them.  You are always watching Jake eat and one day when he finished eating you said, "Blueberries all gone," which was very cute!  One day you were brushing your hippo toy's teeth and you said "Bushing hibbo teef".  I swear everything you say right now is adorable!  You call yourself "Caca" and one morning you pointed at me and said mommy.  Then you pointed at yourself and said Caca.  I told you that was correct and you did it over and over.  It was the cutest!  Even with all the words you are picking up you occasionally get frustrated because you can't quite communicate what you want.  One morning you asked for more milk so I brought you some in a sippy cup and you lost it.  It took me a moment before I realized you must have wanted it in your cereal which I'd given you dry.  I asked you if you wanted it on your cereal and you said yes and immediately dried the tears.  You knew what you wanted you just weren't sure how to ask for it.  Something slightly hilarious you picked up this month as a form of communication is attempting to snap.  When you want me to follow you, you look back and move your fingers around like you're trying to snap.  Oma taught you how to snap to music and I guess you picked up snapping to get someone to follow you because you've seen me do it with Harper.  We'll have to address it when you actually are able to snap because it's rude, but I'm letting it go for now.  When I fold laundry and put it away I give you a ride in the laundry basket to the laundry room when I put the basket away.  You've gotten to where anytime you see a laundry basket you push it to me saying "ride".  Since it's gotten colder we run in the evenings with daddy rather than in the morning.  When I tell you we are going to meet with daddy you get so excited and run around saying "Meet daddy!  Meet daddy?"  Like you're afraid I'm going to take too long and we won't get to meet him.

For a while you didn't want to brush your teeth and would run screaming when you saw me with your tooth brush.  It really stunk for me because I'd have to brush your teeth for you and you'd cry.  I never gave up trying to entice you to brush your own teeth.  One morning you saw me get out your toothpaste to put it on your toothbrush.  You saw Elmo on the toothpaste and excitedly said "Elmo bush teef!"  Now in the morning when I tell you it's time to brush your teeth you will exclaim, "Elmo!!!!"  Problem solved!  If you struggle with teeth brushing again I'll have to search for a toothbrush with Elmo on it to make brushing your teeth more exciting.  

I limit your screen time as much as possible.  You watch Sesame Street on the tablet in the car and when daddy gets up early with you on a weekend morning he watches tv with you.  At first I wished he wouldn't let you watch so much tv, but then I decided it was special daddy time so I gave in.  The only time you use the tablet is in the car when we are on a longer trip.  A few different days after you woke up from your nap you brought me the tablet asking for Elmo.  I was tired and you were so cute I entertained the idea, but decided against it.  I knew it was a habit that once started would be hard to break.  I talked you into reading books instead which you were equally pleased with.

You decided to put your rain boots on partway through the shoot and then took them off again shortly after.

I was so excited one night after dinner when you came to me with your legs crossed and said "potty".  You sat on the potty for about 20 minutes and never did anything.  I was a little bit bummed because I thought you were starting to notice when you need to go potty, but I realized you still don't quite get it.  You usually know when you need to poop, but don't tell me.  I just know because I see you squat down to poop.  I still don't think you know when you need to potty because a few times I've let you go without a diaper and you get upset and cry when you potty and look at me like you are so surprised it happened.  Sometimes you even look at me and say "potty?" as though you are asking me if you really did potty.

You were more interested in mommy snuggles than picture taking.

Standing behind me sucking your thumb and twirling my hair.

Jake has become such a good friend.  You love him so much.  When you see something of Jake's that he left behind you get so excited and yell "Dake!" as you point at it.  You also yell out his name and go running when you hear him wake up from a nap.  There have been a few days when he napped longer than usual.  You would look at me and say "Dake, ni ni?" like you were surprised he was still asleep.  You are getting much better about sharing with him.  You aren't always the best friend, but you are working on it!

You can close doors, but aren't quite there with opening them yet!

Eating is still a favorite and this month you try to get snacks all morning long if we are home.  Anytime you see someone eating you go stand by them and stare at them as though willing them to share with you.  You'll even do it to kids you don't know when we're at the park!  One of your favorite foods this month is peanut butter.  You like to even eat it plain.  Fruits are still your favorite although you love many vegetables.  Green beans have been a favorite this month.

Reading is also a favorite.  You are always saying, "boo (book without the "k" sound)" and carrying books around.  When you are quiet and I'm in a different room I typically find you reading.  You like to read books to yourself saying the words you know.  One that you read quite frequently is Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes.  It is adorable to hear you exclaim "Oh no!" and the colors.  We have The Going to Bed Book and you always say "Oh no!" and point to the pig on the cover who is sleeping under the steps while everyone else is going up the steps.  It makes me laugh every time!  Another book you really enjoy is Goodnight, Baby.  It has different baby animals on ribbon attached to the book and you love to match the baby with it's mommy.  You are so funny doing it because you'll turn the page and say no to each animal before finding the right mommy.  For example you had the baby lamb and you'd turn and say "Baa, no!" until you got to the page with the sheep.  You are the cutest!

Pulling the animals out of the barn while reading Goodnight, Baby.

 

Halloween was a blast and you were so cute trick or treating.  We practiced trick or treating throughout the week so by Friday you had the words "trick or treat" down.  You would walk right up to the house and knock on the door.  Sometimes you said trick or treat on your own, other times I'd prompt you to say it.  When you were handed candy you responded with "thank you".  Everyone was very impressed with you and your train stroller daddy followed along with.  We still have Halloween candy in a container on our counter.  Last week you got into trouble for sliding a chair over to the counter and rifling through the candy without permission.  I caught you eating a Reese's cup.  Randomly this week you started walking into the kitchen, pointing at the container, and saying "trick or treat" in hopes of being rewarded with candy.  It was so adorable and I wanted to give you a treat, but I knew it would become a horrible habit so I refrained.  I did give you a piece after lunch one day when you walked over and said trick or treat.  Then you took the candy in the corner and hid from the dogs to eat it.  You are the funniest person I know!

Hiding in the corner to eat your candy!

Carter, life is so much better with you in it.  You are the sweetest little boy and I love you so much. I'm so excited to be home with you and to celebrate your birthday next month!  We will be celebrating with fun birthday-themed activities all week long.  I am so thankful to call you my son and I love you more every day!

Now on to daddy:

Every week you know more and more words and it is so much fun listening to you talk! Sometimes you get excited and string together gibberish, but that is fun too! I love when you ask for something and then say thank you when you get it, you have such good manners.

You're so mobile and have such a keen mind for what you want and what you want to do. It is a wonderful trait and its fun following you around as you explore you world, learning, having fun, and occasionally getting into mischief. All good things for a little boy to do!

Your 2nd birthday party is coming up and it will be so much fun as you will have all of your uncles, aunts, and grandparents here to celebrate with you. It will also be car themed and you absolutely love cars! I cannot wait until you are old enough to understand what you Grandpa Cox does for a hobby, I am sure that you will love to watch and help him work on cars! (and when you're a little older, we will get you with your Uncle Paul and his favorite hobby, but we can't tell momma!)

Love you buddy!

No more pictures, please!