Holt is 2!

 Yeah, so I'm a little late posting this, by one month to be exact. For one I was waiting for his dr's appt so I could include his stats, and for two, I am so exhausted and also trying to "nest" which doesn't come naturally to me like all the other preggos. I find it annoying, but that's another post in itself.

So on July 20th, my baby boy turned 2! This was not as emotional for me as him turning one for obvious reasons, one of them being, we didn't have to move cities in the same weekend. I did get a little teary eyed when everyone was singing him Happy Birthday and his eyes just lit up with such joy! We started the day by getting donuts with Daddy before he went to work. After that Meme came over so he could open her presents. Grandpa and Lala came in town that evening and we all went to his favorite restaurant, Lupe Tortilla's for dinner. I was skeptical of how he would react when they waiters and waitresses came to sing Happy Birthday to him, but he actually really enjoyed it. Not to mention the ice cream they brought him! He stayed up late opening presents from Grandpa and Lala and fell asleep in his glider, he was still transitioning to his new big boy bed.

On Saturday we celebrated him all day and had a Cat in the Hat birthday party for him. There were over 50 people there to celebrate Holt! He loves Cat in the Hat or Go Go Go as he calls him because of the theme song, so to see him everywhere in the decorations was quite exciting for him. I made Cat in the Hat cake toppers and we also served, Seuss Juice, Who-Burgers, Thingama-Nuggets, One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish, and Cat in the Hat Cakes.

Celebrating the Birthday Boy at his Party

I was dreading his 2 year appt because of how he reacted a few weeks prior when I took him in for a limp, a limp that so conveniently disappeared when I was trying to show the dr. That appt did not go well, he started screaming as soon as they tried to weigh him and screamed until we left. Luckily, his 2 year check up went much better. He was in a great mood, even proudly pointing out Mickey Mouse on Dr. Cohen's tie, and did not shed one tear...minus the shot. He doesn't need another shot until he is 4! The doctor asked me if he spoke at least 50 words, more like 500! This kid repeats everything and has an incredible memory. He asked if he put 2-3 words together in a sentence, sometimes it's up to 5 and he is learning to count. He knows all his colors and we can pretty much carry on a conversation. He tells me what hurts when he gets hurt and where Mommy needs to kiss it and make it better. He tells me what he wants to eat or for a snack or what kind of juice he wants. When he wakes up in the morning he calls for me, "Mommy, where are you? Open door please!" This part of having a 2 year old is great! The tantrums and the frustrations a 2 year old experiences, well those are more challenging days. He is very sweet and knows his manners. He says bless you, thank you, please or "I nicely" when I asked him to ask for something nicely. I'll take it. I'm quite impressed with his good manners and even though the cashier at HEB doesn't know what "I nicely" means when Holt asks for a sticker, I am at least proud he is attempting the proper use of his manners. A 2 year old will certainly test a Mommy's patience and I'm learning to just walk away when he can't be calmed. A few minutes later when he is calm, he is back to his sweet self, whew.

His 2 year stats are:
35.5in tall (75%)
26lbs (25%) Not surprising, the kid survives on swallowing air I'm pretty sure
Size 7 shoe
Size 5 diapers

He likes most fruits, will not eat meat, loves his milk, and prefers to snack rather than eat a real meal. We've actually rewarded him for eating pizza, that's how bad of an eater he is. I can't even call him picky because that would mean he actually tries different foods, he doesn't even try most the things I put in front of him. I know it's a phase and has a lot to do with the age, so I do my best to get him nutritious snacks at least and limit his sugar...as much as you can for a 2 year old with a sweet tooth.

He continues to be Kyle and I's greatest blessing to date and we cannot wait to see him become a big brother in a few short weeks!

"Big Boy" Bed Transition

Right before Holt turned 2, we decided to transition him to his "big boy" bed. It is really still his crib just with a conversion kit that blocks about 75% of the front. It is much lower than the crib front (which will eventually be his footboard on a full size bed) and he can climb in and out of it through the opening with ease. I was dreading this transition because he has always been such a good sleeper in the crib. He was taking 2-3 hours naps and rarely waking up at night. I couldn't help but wonder/fear that might all change when he could get in and out of his bed. I also knew that this transition needed to take place before Jett's arrival. I have heard from other mom's how difficult this transition was, how bedtime was a 2 hours struggle at night, how their kids destroyed their rooms, or woke up earlier in fear of this new found freedom. I thought I better get it over with now rather than change him later when, most likely, I will just be getting Jett to sleep through the night. Kyle and I bit the bullet and 20 minutes later his bed was transformed. He calls it his new bed. I'm not sure how long he will consider it new, but for now it is his new bed. Every morning I go in there and proudly announces "In Olt's new bed!" Then he tells me the "sun out, moon night night." I know, I know...he's a genius. :)

Showing off his "new" bed

I must say, the transition could not have gone any better. His first slumber there was at nap time. We have a video monitor so I could easily see if he was in his bed or not. When he wasn't in his bed and I didn't hear him reading to himself anymore, I sent Kyle to see where he was. He said he was on the floor. I just had to see this myself. The first picture below is how I found him. I decided to make him a pallet on the floor going forward just in case. Sometimes he used it, sometimes he didn't. One time I did not make the pallet, so he took the liberty himself and made one where he happily slept. These are some of the interesting ways I have found him since the transition. After about a week or two of finding him in strange places, he has learned to get in bed himself, even at nighttime. We haven't had to move him in about 3 weeks. Whew! The one drawback, when he drops his George on he floor and wakes up in a panic because he can't find him. I've seen George on the floor a few times on the monitor and tiptoed in there to pick him up in the middle of the night so he doesn't freak out and wake us up. I couldn't be happier with my "big boy"!

First Naptime

After fighting bedtime for a few minutes, he gave in