I'd say the biggest change has been how much Bennett is talking. It's so crazy how every day he says something new that blows us away, like complete sentences. Brad gets home from work and he'll say, "How was work Daddy?" The other day I came out of Eleanor's room and he said, "How was feeding Eleanor Mommy?" The big thing he's trying to get the hang of is pronouns - they are tough! I will say, "Would you like some grapes?" And he will say something like, "You no want grapes!" But more and more often he is getting it right.
He's also really silly and will say and do things purposely to make people laugh. And if you laugh, he will definitely do it again. Like opening gifts...it's a big production. He doesn't even have the wrapping paper off and he's shouting, "Ooooo yeah!" Or "Oh wow!" But we laugh so I think he thinks it's silly. (Or maybe he is that excited?!). He has also taken to calling me Jess, Jessie, and Mommia, and Brad/Daddia when he's being silly.
Ben is active. Climbing. Throwing. Running. Dancing and singing. You name it - he does it. We did a toddler gymnastics class this winter and it was great for him. He is happiest outside, and who and blame him after that long winter? He loves the sandbox, swing set, and walking around chasing birds and collecting things. We have a huge pine tree he loves to play under. And he LOVES when the neighbor girls are outside - they are 8, 6, and 4, and they dote on him and give him so much attention!
Because of his energy, Ben still takes a nap every day. It's anywhere from 1.5-3 hours, most days right around 2. He is up at 6:30am and ready for bed by 7:30pm. He's a super easy kid to put to bed and we have a routine that works really well for him! We try to get out of the house a few times a week for play dates, the zoo, library, or errands because he loves being out and about. Every Saturday, he runs errands with Brad and we all love it!
Ben is so sweet and loving. Especially with Eleanor. He'll touch her gently (usually) and say, "So cute!" He likes to "hold her" and give her little kisses. He also still loves to be held and carried at times, and he loves hugs and kisses (smooches). He makes sure Brad kisses all three of us before he leaves for work every morning. "Kiss mommy! Kiss Eleanor!" He loves to do "double hugs" where we all hug together. He also loves helping. He's really good at cleaning up toys and putting dirty laundry down the chute in the bathroom. He will proudly say, "Did it mom!" Or "I'm helping!"
Ben is a smartie. I think he gets it from his engineer Daddy. I show him something once and he will surprise me by doing it himself right away. If he sees something new he'll say, "What's that?" And you can see him thinking about it and trying to learn. Ben can say his ABCs, count to 13, is starting to count objects, and knows basic shapes and colors. He knows a million songs and loves library storytime. He can say the last word or two on each page of most of his books - it's crazy! As active as he is, he loves snuggling up on your lap to read and listen to a good book. He is also actually beginning to understand playing together, like hide-n-seek, which is so fun! He also loves singing and will randomly sing while playing and riding in the car.
Some challenges with a 2 year old have been discipline, eating, and being told he can't have/do something. We have been doing timeouts, which helps. But he is definitely starting to test limits. He throws daily tantrums and can cry/whine one second and be totally happy the next. He's starting to whine sometimes and says "Huggy mommy" which we have to put an end to soon. Most timeouts are for not listening when we say he can't do something - like stay outside, climb on the couch, etc. He sometimes covers his eyes when we tell him no like then we can't see him, lol. He also has started saying "No thank you" when he doesn't want to do something, like go to bed.
Eating is getting better, but still he's picky about veggies and meat. We always sit together at the table for dinner and he is always served what we're eating. Often he'll try a bite (or lick) and declare, "No like it!" He is really good about folding his hands to pray both at dinner and bedtime.
Some Favorite Ben-isms:
-"Guess what? I love you!"
-"So cute!" About everything/everyone
-"I'm scary" (I'm scared)
-"oh no! Oh no!" Really really dramatically
-"He's a good dog/cat/boy" about any pet he gets near
-"Play Mommy/Daddy! Come on!"
The other day I got kind of sad thinking about how fun Ben is at this age and how much I'm going to miss his constant hugs and kisses and energy and innocent curiosity when he's bigger. We just love him so so much!
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