Two!

Okay, so he may think his name his Dole, but he'll get there. I'm more excited that he's no longer calling me 'Daddy' and I have it recorded. That was a rough few weeks...

*Two weeks before his birthday, it's as if a switch was flipped - He's always been a talker (thanks to his grandmothers), but it's amazing that he's actually saying words now. Other mothers told me 2 was the magic age and I knew it would happen... Just not all at once! He usually skips the first letter of each word, but he's easy to figure out more often than not.

*Knows all of his letters - He doesn't know the song, but is a whiz with his alphabet puzzle and alphabet magnets.

*Knows 'purple' and 'yellow.' He loves to color and is learning quickly the six other crayons aren't all 'blue.'

*Bulldozers, fire trucks, garbage trucks, trains and cars... If a garbage truck drives by the house, we have to get his 'I Am a Garbage Truck' book and place it with his two garbage truck toys. If Thomas is on, we must find his Thomas. If he receives new cars at the same time, they are forever matched. It's a lot to remember when he has 50+ Matchbox cars, but Tom and I are told (quite bluntly) when we fail the system!

*I started fearing the Terrible Twos around November - He had two screaming fits in public where I wanted to melt into the ground and a couple at home that were hilarious (throwing himself on the ground and kicking/screaming) but haven't seen too many tantrums since then. *Knock on wood* He's usually very go-with-the-flow and seems to have an understanding that we can go places if he's well-behaved. He's willing to share with other kids and merely shrugs/finds something else if they rip things out of his hands. I'm finding he does well with explanations/praise/promises and outings are easy again. I'm sure our day will come, but for now he's not on lockdown.

*Three hour naps (1-4pm) are still going strong!

*Cole was able to get out of Grandpa & Grandma Z's pack-n-play (December trip) and he brought that skill back to San Diego. We'd hear a loud crash after we put him down and have to put him back in. Six times was the record one night... After two weeks, he was like a ninja and would just appear in our living room after his naps. He got a bad bruise on his face from one of his attempts around Christmas and hasn't done it since. Lesson learned!

*Ketchup, Ketchup, Ketchup. If it's on his plate, he'll dip anything in it. Grapes, yogurt melts, fruit snacks, etc. It's disgusting, but at least he's eating.

*Always in high gear

*A volume button would be awesome

*LOVES books. Same ones must be read over and over and over (and over) on a daily basis. We often hide them hoping he'll let us read new ones, but nope! He would look everywhere for hours, but lucky for him we always manage to find them under the couch.

*Terrified of swings, but will go down the biggest slides at the park without hesitation.

*Cat in the Hat and Wow, Wow Wubbzy allow me just enough time to shower/get ready each morning. Nothing else will hold his attention.

*He got a ball pit for his birthday from Uncle 'Ike' and Aunt 'Arah' - The minute Tom walks in the door each night, Cole starts yelling, "Ball, ball, ball!" They then proceed to play silly games with 120 balls until dinner time. After dinner, round two begins. Poor guy isn't allowed to rest. EVER.

*Very independent, smart, stubborn, observant, witty, shy, and incredibly sweet little boy... I could go on and on!