Flashback: Two and a half

Ethan's going to be three next week, and I never published this post from when he was two and a half. I guess I was waiting to put in photos, but clearly that's not happening.....It's amazing how much has changed just in the few short months since I'd written this post. So here it is...long and without photos...
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Our little dude is just getting so big. Two and a half! He's got such a gentle spirit. So kind and loving.

At his 30 month appointment, he'd grown about two inches and gained about two pounds. His cheeks are filling about a bit. His blonde hair is getting smidgen darker (although who knows what will happen when it meets the sun again). At his 2.5 year check up, I made it all the way to the end of the 3 year old development sheet. He wanted the PA to read to him, which of course he obliged. He was thrilled with how much Ethan liked to read, and how many animals he could name (Seriously, he has no idea the list of animals that he can rattle off). We were just thrilled that his growth is back on track.

I have to say that I think his Little Gym classes are to thank for a lot of the gross motor skills items that I was able to check off that development list. Things like jumping over objects and galloping. He is learning so many skills there. He can do forward rolls (he could barely do them in Jan, but now he rocks them) and monkey jumps (hands on the floor, legs jumping). He is gaining the bravery to get up on the low beam by himself and even attempts to walk it himself. His favorite is doing "basket hangs" on the bar ..they put fake groceries on his belly...he thinks it's hysterical when he "drops the eggs." And of course, there's jumping. He loves to jump off high platforms onto the mat. It's his absolute favorite.

In the fall, we took part in a four week Family Place program at the library. It was playtime for kids, but there were child development experts there to talk about a variety of things from play to nutrition. One of the experts was actually able to solve our 27 months of sleeping problems. If I ever cross her path again, I seriously owe that woman dinner. Amazing. Turns out we needed to sit down and talk with him about why he needed to let us sleep, why he need sleep, and to provide him with items that he thought that he "needed" at night. So his "dream light" turtle to act as a flashlight, some books, some stuffed animals...In case he needed to talk to them. Suddenly, our waking and crying and need for mommy at night dwindled away, and he falls asleep by himself now. For awhile, the books were really really important and very specific. Then for awhile, it was the stuffed animals. So many "friends" that practically formed a cocoon around him at night. Now it's just specific blankets and all the friends at the foot of the bed. Maybe 2 or 3 friends get to be up by his head. Gotta watch though, sometimes he says "they're bothering me!" As time has gone on, sleep has improved--for all of us. He still may wake up once or twice a night if he needs tucked back in. His favorite sleep position is on his belly in a tight little fetal position...his feet crossing over each other under his bottom. So cute. He sleeps all the way up at the end of his crib, his head usually smack against the crib rail.

So diapers. Ethan started potty training in January. He's still not the greatest at letting us know he has to go, but he has the rest of the routine down. Baby steps. He can pull his pants on now, and he flips his coat on over his head with much speed and grace these days. He's also starting to get the putting on a shirt thing down. It makes him really proud when he puts his jammies on by himself at night.

He loves songs and music. Besides of course, Yellow Submarine, his newer favorite is Queen's Bicycle....and "Rock You." This winter we started taking some music classes at Gymboree. I wanted to give him some opportunity to hear some different music and to practice listening and rhythm. He learned the Queen songs there. I love that he can tap out the "short, short, long" rhythm of We Will Rock You. It's awesome. I've definitely seen growth from the classes, although we're not taking them this spring. Regardless, it's been a good experience. Surprisingly enough, his favorite songs besides Queen he learned were actually from the Asian music week. A song about a frog and the frog says "Gero gero gero gero, Gua gua gua." (or something like that!) and "See the hungry dog, sitting all alone. Waiting just to chew, on a juicy bone."

In daycare, he's in Young Preschool. He started there in October, I believe. It was a great move for him. I can never believe how much he learns. All the times when I think I'm teaching him a new word, and  he already knows it. Or he sings a song I didn't know he'd heard. Or talks about a book we've never read together. It's really cool. OH, and he actually EATS there...and even tries some carrots and broccoli from time to time. Not a home. No sir. My favorite is when I pick him up...and the interactions he has with his friends. He has to run around and hug every friend. He even has to visit other classrooms on many days before he will leave. And I love when he has "conversations" with his friends. It's priceless. His vocabulary is so big, and his words are very clear. He frequently says more complex thinks like "I would like it if we could..." instead of "I want..." He asks all sorts of detailed questions about the things he sees.

Other favorites of Ethan's? Zooming cars. He has I dunno, 100+ cars and trains? And he zooms them from one end of the house to the other, one at time, and lines them all up in a neat little row. Many times they're sorted, by color or type. With all those cars, he knows when one is missing. He had me searching the house high and low the other day because Finn McMissle was missing...and he just couldn't rest until he was found. Zooming cars however, is an activity that he's happy doing independently  The new found independence is amazing for all of us.

He still feels the need to fill up his "Ethan bag" (a bag with his photo on it from daycare when he was 15 months old) when he leaves in the car, no matter how short the drive. More often than not, it needs filled with cars or animals. Always has to have a BLUE sippy cup with a blue lid of "chocolate milk" in the car (no more Nuks in the car!). All "chocolate milk" (Pediasure) has to be in a blue cup with a blue lid. Sometimes it has to be poured in a special way (A little more, a little more, two little more...It's his way). And the garage door. Ethan has to be the one to push the button to open and close it. Just don't think of forgetting to let him do it.

All pancakes must be cut with cookie cutter in the shape of a "Frosty" (as in, the snowman). If you ask him what he wants for dinner, he'll probably answer "snacks." Stuff he may or may not eat: Pretzels (soft or hard), Noodles with Parmesan cheese, chicken nuggets (especially from Wendy's), vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, peanut butter, hamburger beef, tacos (especially from Taco Bell or La Cocina)--just the meat with cheese, hummus, salsa (even if it's a little spicy), sushi (Seriously, he picked off the rice and avocado) and wasabi (Ok, he only had it once, but it has to make the list for the coolness factor), guacamole, goldfish crackers, grilled cheese (with tomato soup if we're lucky), baby yogurt with sprinkles, corn bread, mandarin oranges, pears, strawberries, peaches, and apple slices.

He's a stickering machine. He used to place them in one big stack in the middle of his paper, but now he spreads them out...almost with precision, equal distances apart from each other. He'd sticker all day if you let him. His sticker creations are actually quite amazing. His counting is improving quite a bit, and he's very interested in letters. He loves to watch Scholastic's books on DVD, and Disney and Pixar movies. Loves to be read to. He'll bring a huge pile to read and just sit. He thinks it's very cool to borrow books from the library.

Teeth brushing is quite the complicated ordeal at our house. Ethan has three toothbrushes that we just can't get rid of (Although I have traded them out for the exact same ones already). One is Elmo, one has a hippo on it, and the other has Tow Mater from Cars. He brushes with each one, on his own, with training toothpaste. Then we put on "blue toothpaste"--the real kid's fluoride kind. He brushes with one, and then we brush for him with the other two. Seriously, such an ordeal twice a day. But that's how he is..each of those brushes is just too important to his little toddler heart. Next time he goes to the dentist, I'm going to have to call ahead and tell them not to give him a brush or we'll have to deal with four brushes!! (Seriously, I'm not kidding).

So big, but still my baby boy. For the first time in his whole life, baby included, he digs cuddling. Sitting on a lap on the couch or laying on the bed snuggling. If I lay next to him, his ear looks the exact same to me as it did two and a half years ago. And he has a cute little mole on his right cheekbone. He finds a lot of comfort in holding hands. Always did as an infant too. He often wants to hold hands in the car (Ugh- makes for tired arms). He calms himself by very gently rubbing the tips of his little fingers on the palm of his hand, or rubbing together his finger tips. Love that. Just like when he was an infant, he still likes to bury his face in my hands when he's tired.