J=2!

**This post is more for me to remember things about J, but since I'm awful at journaling I wanted to keep it on here! You're welcome to read it, I'm just warning you it's a mushy mom post!**

Dear Jason,

You are two and I can't believe it! Time has flown and crawled by. I look back at pictures and long for you to be the size you were, but I am thrilled that you are older and can do more. Your personality keeps us on our toes for sure, but you are a pure joy and love to laugh. We love that about you!

You kind-of hit two with full force. But that's okay. We've had many more tantrums and frustrations for the past few weeks, but I know that it's all part of you growing up. You get very frustrated when you don't get what you want and even more frustrated when you can't communicate it. We are slowly but surely working through each tantrum and learning some new play skills to help you ease your frustration!

 You have a few words! So far, you say "up!" (pretty much all day. You either want to be held, up on a chair, up on a table, put a toy up, etc), you are also saying "eyes", trying your own version of  "uh oh", and "ow" for Scout. You also say "moo", "nap" (for "quack), and "woof woof" when we talk about cows, dogs, and ducks. You are trying new sounds and sound combinations everyday and we are so proud of you! You can do it, little man! You have also started signing and can sign about 30 words now. (Your favorites are "help", "car", "bird", "airplane", "more", "water", "dog", "go", and waving bye to people as they leave (or trash as it goes in the trash can). You are still showing us just how stubborn you are, since you refuse to sign please and thank you. I think somehow you know that those words are polite and you just don't want to be polite. We'll see how that goes. I've been trying to teach you the sign for "I love you" and you try it, but it comes out more like "live long and prosper". Hey, I'll take it!

You love to show off Scout to everyone that comes over. I love that he's like your furry big brother. Watching you try to get him to chase you or to play your own game of peek-a-boo with Scout is so funny. He's not entirely sure what to think about it, but I'm pretty sure you're oblivious to that fact so it works. You love to take pictures with mom and watch them come up on the screen. You also love the playground, playing with shape sorters, balls, and holding cars. You like to drive them, but mostly to hold them. If you have a car or a tractor in your hand, you are complete! You still love getting in your stroller and going for a walk which makes us so happy. Family walks are our favorite time of the day. You will eat anything we put in front of you, and actually like spicy Mexican or Thai food! You have started to chipmunk your food in your cheek which drives us (especially Dad) crazy. But, the dietitian assured us that is a phase you're going through, so we'll just eagerly wait for that one to be over. You still definitely prefer Dad when he's around, and I have learned to be okay with that. :) He loves to play with you and thinks up games that get you to laugh harder than I ever could, so it's fun to watch and hear you play together. You have learned how to delay something you don't want to do. During treatment, you'll point at toys you want to get or you'll sign "water" to get us to stop the nebulizer. It's frustrating but really cute too. You're struggling with sleeping in your crib and we're moving you into a big-boy bed tomorrow. Once you started to try to climb out or pull your body up into the top corner of the crib we decided it was time! We're praying that this is what you need!

Yesterday at clinic, you were a rockstar! You did well when it was time to be weighed and measured and didn't cry at all when Dr. Chatfield listened to your lungs or looked in your ears. You wanted to "talk" to the dietitian and the social worker, which was great. You didn't even cry at their masks when they first came in. It was such a great improvement from our last clinic visit (well, really since your clean-out)! You weigh 25 lbs 12 oz and are 34 inches tall and of course your head is still in the 90th percentile. We are so proud of you for eating so well and growing so well, it is a really big deal!!

Even with all the worries and frustrations that toddlerhood brings, we are loving every minute of it and know that someday we'll look back on pictures from this age and wish we could have bottled a little bit of it up for later. Sweet Jason, a day never goes by that we don't thank God for you. You truly are a gift to us and He is doing mighty things through you already. We eagerly anticipate all He has in store for this next year!