Officially TWO

Will turned 2 in January. However, I feel like he has crossed through the rite of passage and started acting 2 for about 2 weeks. Oh joy! It all started 2 Saturdays ago. We were having some family pictures taken-I wanted to document our little family before Alex joins us in June. I had envisioned all of us piled on the bed, barefoot, Will snuggling in between us...Oh how it did not go as I planned. For the first half he was just acting super silly, not sitting still for anything, sticking his tongue out...he thought he was hilarious. We went outside to take a few pictures and it was chilly so we didn't stay out for long. Once we came inside he was d.o.n.e. He screamed by the door, beat on it. The photographer tried taking some of just John and I to see if it would get Will interested and he proceeded to lay out on the floor, beating both fists and feet on the ground. I thought he was going to make himself throw up. At that point, we called it quits.

We had a few things going against us anyway-Will had been out of school sick from Thursday - Wednesday prior to pictures. Will and I both had the stomach bug. This was our first bout of throw up with Will and wow was it not fun. Just so unpredictable with little ones. You don't know it is going to happen until it is too late. Anyways, he returned to school the Wednesday before our pictures. Friday drop off was the worst it has been since August. I learned Friday afternoon that his favorite teacher who he loves so much and she loves him just as much had fallen down 20 steps and hurt her back. She had been off all week. This certainly threw him for a loop. We also chose to have the pictures taken at my parents house because they just have a bigger set up with much more natural light. They were not there, thinking that would help. But all Will knew was that he was at Kiki and Pops house and he wanted to play. He did not understand why they weren't there, and even more why he couldn't go downstairs and get busy playing. Finally, John worked night shift (something he has to do twice a year) the entire week before our pictures so we only saw him for a few minutes each morning. I think this really took a toll on Will not seeing his daddy at night.
Surprisingly, our photographer actually got some precious shots. Most are candids and not at all what I had pictured in my head, but they documented the stage we are in with Will perfectly :)

About a month before Will turned 2 John made the comment that he didn't think Will was ever going to talk. He said words when he wanted something, but for sure was not overly talkative. My how that has changed. In the past week he is talking in sentences, cracking us up with his perspective on life.
-His first actual sentence was about a week ago. We were riding in the car and he said "Mama go Wawa and Papou's see Gus Gus Bo Bo." Yia Yia and Papou are John's parents. Bo is their dog, and just recently John's sister got a dog that Will is obesessed with. His name is Gus but Will calls him Gus Gus.
-John picked Will up from school the other day and when I got home they were playing outside. When I walked out there Will said "Mama play outside with Dada."
-On our way to church Sunday he said "Ride in the car go to chooch." He said this the WHOLE way there.
-A few nights ago after his bath when I was getting him ready for bed I asked him what pajamas he wanted to wear and he excitedly replied "Choo Choo Chabamas!!!!"
-Anytime he falls down or hurts himself, the first thing he screams is "I'm okay I'm okay." He may start crying after but he always says "I'm okay" first.
-Every day when I pick him up from school I ask him what he did at school that day. He always replies "play choo choos play tatoos with zay zay" Zay Zay is his friend Isaiah and tattos is his word for airplanes. We have no idea where it came from but he has been saying it since about October.
-At night when we bless our dinner, Will can almost say the entire blessing. He says the bolded words "God our father, God our father, We thank you, We thank you, for our many blessings, for our many blessings, AMEN. AMEN.
-He can count to ten (sometimes he needs help). His favorite number is six. If he can't remember what comes next, he just says six!
-He can sing "Row your boat," "If you're happy and you know it," "The itsy bitsy spider," and he chimes in during the ABC's but can't sing them by himself yet. His favorite letter to say is P! :)

His favorite books are The Gobble Gobble Moo Tractor Book, Dooby Dooby Moo, Good Boy Fergus, and Kiki's Blanket. We read each of these every night. Kiki's blanket is about a little monkey who loses his blankie and goes on a search to find it. Well, on the first page it shows Kiki eating a banana. Will pitches a fit until he gets his banana. We have started having to give him half a banana right before bed just because he sees it in the book. John made a good point-at least its a banana and not candy!!

So this is where we are with Will. No new pictures to post. We have been too busy to think about the camera. Plus, Will isn't really into posing these days. While this stage of two has proven to certainly be "terrible" at times, it is equally as fun and hilarious. I try to remember that "it won't be like this for long."