A Fine Family: Happy Birthday Max

Wasn't I just posting something similar when he turned one? What a year it has been!
At 2 years old Max:

Is the best big brother!
Gives Mallory lots of kisses and shakes/rocks her a little bit too hard.
Takes a 2-3 hour nap after lunch
Says new words every day (finally got to the 50 words by 2 mark just in time!)
Says some 2-3 word phrases like Bye Bye Daddy, I want that.
Loooovvvesss Daddy and is kind of purposely mean to mommy (but I understand)
Loves to jump
Loves being outside and playing with the other neighborhood kids
Loves cars that he can ride in
Gave up baby Einstein and kind of likes sesame street but doesn't watch often
Usually eats with his left hand (even after the cast was on for 3 weeks)
Sleeps in a toddler bed with the railing on
Loves Michael Jackson music (no joke!)
Is starting to eat a bigger variety of food
He says so many things now I can't list them all but some of the cute things are:
Says "binky" when Mallory is crying and runs to get it for her
Says "eat" when mommy is feeding Mallory
Sings the song "I like to eat apples and bananas" but it sounds "I wan eat eat eat appo I wan eat eat"
Runs around saying gigi da gigi da all the time but we're not sure what he means by that, I think he just likes saying gigi
Still says uuhhh and whines for alot of things.
Says "more" "more" when he wants more of something but it sounds like "mama" and he kind of uses it in the same way as "mama" because when I'm in another room and he says it, I come in. He doesn't call me mommy and refuses to repeat mommy after me. And if you show him a picture of all of us and say who's that who's that, he will say Daddy, Max, and then "eh" when we get to me. He's funny. I think its actually very smart and his way of getting back at me for being such a traitor and having a baby.
Says "hachoo" when anyone sneezes
Fills in the blank for songs like Shabbot Shalom____(he says Hey!) and We all fall ____ (he says down!)
Says "Yay!" at the end of a song
Says "Yuck" to things like diapers. Acutally (guck!)
Loves this game I made up where I say "does the baby eat bananas, does the baby eat pancakes, does the baby eat _____. And he just says noooooo nooooooo and shakes his head. Then I ask if max eats those things and he says Yaaaaa yaaaaa!
Plays the hokey pokey on his piano (it plays by itself) and does the hokey pokey
Loves anything he can open and close, take in and out, stack up and knock down
Cracks up when he is being chased, tickled, thrown around, etc
Loves hiding and jumping out
Likes spinning around and making himself dizzy
Is very popular among the other kids at daycare (that sounds weird, but he really is!)
Likes the game where you put something in one hand and put it behind your back and then have him choose which hand
Wakes up between 5 and 6. I'm not kidding, that is an average and one time this week it was 4:30. I guess some things don't change between 1 and 2 years old! That is one of the toughest things about him and we don't know how to change it. Nothing works...going to bed later, going to bed earlier. Letting him scream for an hour. We've tried it all. He continues to just wake up that early and scream until someone goes and takes him downstairs. Oh well, I guess we have our whole lives to sleep.
Says all the animal noises
Points to all his body parts and ours
Says everything is hot even when its cold. Sometimes he touches Mallory and says hot so I think he thinks it means anything you have to be careful when you touch?
No longer sucks his fingers but still twirls his hair, so the cast got rid of half of "the pose". I guess that is a good thing but I think it has contributed to his being up earlier. He used to suck his fingers and fall back asleep.

Max, I won't say you are "easy" but I certainly would not change anything about the little boy you have become. I am so proud to be your mommy and when you run up to me and give me a big hug I always forgive you for all the other mischief you have gotten into that day! I can't believe how fast you are growing up and it makes me sad but I am also excited to see what each day brings. You have had so much change in your short little life and seeing how you have handled all of it so well makes me confident that you will just breeze through any challenges that life will bring you. I love you so much!

August 2008