Two and a Half Years {Riley}

My sweet wonky boy is halfway to leaving two behind and turning three. Wow.

He weighs 31.4 pounds and stands 38 inches tall. He’s wearing size 2T bottoms but fits into mostly 3T and some 4T tops. He’s in size 6 diapers and size 7-8 shoes.

Here are a few notable things from the past few months:

• He is obviously having dreams now. We have heard him talk in his sleep a number of times. And, on the night of my birthday, he screamed louder than Kenny and I have ever heard before, and I swear I heard him say “get out!” It completely freaked Kenny and me out.
• He is starting to say thank you without prompting (“Thank you, Nola and Nopsi, for giving you a ride in the racecar!”).
• He is obsessed with wiping his eyes if the slightest bit of water or tears is in them.
• He’s getting better at using a fork and is eating great these days.
• He has started asking why, why, why, why…..ALL. THE. TIME. And when I try to turn it back around and ask him why, he mostly responds with “because you want to” and just laughs if I keep asking him why.
• Kenny has taken a different approach to all of the “whys”: he will sometimes respond with a really long and detailed answer, which actually seems to curb the boy’s inquisitiveness. For a bit anyway.
• He seems to comprehend so much these days, and Kenny and I are constantly amazed and impressed by him.
• His animal friends used to be scattered all around his crib but he then started preferring them in a big pile at one end. However, now that he’s in a big boy bed, most of his friends don’t sleep with him anymore. As long as he has giraffe and blanket, he’s good.
• A few months ago he would ask to have his pants changed as soon as he pooped. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with the feeling of a full diaper. More recently, though, he’s gone back to denying that he’s pooped and it doesn’t seem to bother him as much. We are still not any further along with potty training, although Kenny has started reading a potty book to him while he sits on it before his bath.
• He is can pull down his pants on his own, as well as take off his jacket, including unzipping it himself.
• He knows what street he lives on, as well as his full name (first, middle, and last).
• He asks me to tell him the name of a song (“what’s this song?”) as well as the name of the band (“who is the people?”) all the time. He still loves music and now knows Jason Mraz, Journey, and Rush.
• When he falls asleep in the car (which isn’t often) and we have to wake him up when we get to where we’re going, he freaks out, flailing around and crying hysterically. Fun times.
• When asked a question he doesn’t want to answer, even if he knows the answer, he simply replies with “no” or “no, you don’t want to.”
• He asks what day it is all the time and for the most part knows the days of the week.
• He has started making up little nonsensical songs (thanks to music class) as well as stories (“Once upon a time there was a book about Riley…..”). His imagination is really starting to come forward, and I love that.

Here is our two-and-a-half year old Riley-bean, posing in front of his new growth chart he got for Christmas (thanks, Aunt Jaimi!).

We love you SO much, Munchkin!