Everyday holds the possibility of a miracle...: 24 Months (that's TWO YEARS!) Old...

Dear Nathaniel,

TWO!

Today, my son, you are twenty-four months old. This marks TWO YEARS for you on this earth. The past two years have been, by far, the best of Mommy and Daddy's lives. You are an incredible kid and it is such a joy to watch you learn and grow.

Happy family before your birthday party

This month started your obsession with "The Nuppets", aka "The Muppets". You LOVE to watch anything muppet related on television. It started with watching the 2011 movie, "The Muppets", and has quickly spiraled! You can't get enough of the "Mahna, Mahna" song at the end of that movie, so Daddy found it for you on YouTube. That led to watching other Muppet video clips and songs on YouTube. Daddy loaded all of the original Muppet Show episodes on the computer for us to watch, and you simply adore them! Mommy loves it too - they had some great guests and great music, and I find it much more enjoyable to watch than some of the other programming options available for young people! We've even pulled out some of the old Muppets movies and you love them, too. This all led to your first trip to the movie theatre! "Muppets Most Wanted", the newest movie, came out on Mommy's birthday. So, we decided to take you to one of the dine-in theaters around here for lunch and to see your "Nuppets". You loved it! (Truthfully, so did Mommy and Daddy - great movie and it was fun to see you enjoy yourself!)

"Reading" the menu at the movie theatre

March was filled with preparing for your birthday party, celebrating Mommy's birthday, and going to see the musical, "Anything Goes" that Mommy worked on at school. Of course, we also had your gym classes to keep us busy, and generally everything else that goes along with having an almost-two-year-old!

With some of your special party decorations before your guests arrived!

Now, Mommy can say that you are pretty much growing out of all of your 18 month clothing. There are a few shirts here and there that we will still put you in, but for the most part, you wear 24 month, or more commonly, 2T clothing. Your feet have obviously grown, so we're going to have to go buy you new shoes very soon!

Check out the fedora! You love hats! You rarely leave home without one!

This month, we took the tray off of your highchair and moved you to the dining room table to eat like a big boy. You are loving it so far! Sometimes, this leads to you eating better meals and it seems like you are less picky. Other times, it seems like you just enjoy sitting at the table and challenging Daddy to be a short order chef and come up with various food options for you. I wouldn't really label you a picky eater, per se, but you know what you like and what you're in the mood for, and if we serve you something that you aren't in the mood for, you will turn it down (even if it is one of your favorites!).

Yummy at the table!

Like Mommy said last month, your sleep schedule is great. You go to bed around 7:30 pm and wake up between 6 and 7:30 am. Mommy has had to wake you up to say, "Goodbye" before going to work lately. You must be growing! No sign of your two year molars yet, but I'm sure they will start to make their way in soon. Unfortunately, you seem to be showing signs of having allergies, just like your parents. Hopefully they won't be too bad for you, buddy. Sorry that we passed that down to you!

Naptime with Mommy

It is finally warming up outside, and we have gotten to spend more time playing in the yard and taking walks. Mommy and Daddy are really looking forward to getting to play outside with you more. You love to go on your slide and take any opportunity you can to sneak a few turns on the slide in (including when we are walking to the car to go somewhere!). You have tons of toys to use outside, and it is going to be a fun spring/summer getting to explore with them!

Stealing a turn on the slide...

You are a funny guy, and now that you talk more and more, we are getting to see your sense of humor shine through. You love to sing the "Mahna Mahna" song, and even try to mimic how they do it on television when you are singing. You also enjoy "counting us off" and getting Mommy and Daddy to sing or play an instrument for you. "One, one, one, two, three!!" is your version of counting us off. You are also very bossy when it comes to our cat. When you see Ella doing something that you don't think she should do, you exclaim, "Ella, no!". You are often using your words to tell us what you are playing with - "balloon", "car", "slide". You also ask to go outside by yelling "OUTSIDE!". Mommy and Daddy remind you to add please to that! We've found that if we ask you if you have a dirty diaper, if you emphatically tell us "No dirty diaper", that, in fact, means that your diaper is wet! You also like to tell us "no nap", or "no sleepy", or "all done" (at meals). You are asserting your independence, and even if we don't like the answer you are giving, it is good to see you growing and learning that you are your own person. (And, like the diaper, if you say "no nap" or "no sleepy", that often means that you really are ready for nap time or bedtime!)

Cereal, cup of milk, and your "friends"

Nate, this is the last monthly update that Mommy is going to be writing. It's absolutely incredible to read back through these and see how much you have grown and changed through the past two years. You bring so much joy to our lives, and by all accounts (our own and that of others), you are just a happy little boy. There's not much more that we could ask for you buddy, just that you always stay happy no matter what life throws at you!