24 months old

Bear yells everything.  He’s just loud, all the time.  Happy, sweet loud.

He loves to sing and he’s learning more and more words to 10,000 Reasons (His favorite song) as well as some other songs.

He currently counts like this: “seven, nine, ten, leben, two, three, four, five, six, seben…” 

Me: Bear, what are you thinking about?
Bear: Cookies.

Me: (holding out two freeze pops) Bear, red or green?
Bear: Um...yes. (Takes both)

Bear  is learning how to assert himself.  He used to just scream when his sister dragged him around or violated his space bubble.  Today, when she tried to drag him off the couch by the arm he said, "No... pushin... mine hand...Bunny!"  He also accidentally hit himself on the head with her fairy wand and said, "No hittin...Bunny."  I had to remind him that he was the one doing the hitting.  He tattles on her too.  "BUNNY TAKE IT, MOMMY!"  and his all time favorite defense is screaming, "MINE!!!" at the top of his lungs, not necessarily because it is his, but definitely if it is something he wants.

One of his last times in the crib.  I think this was nap time the day before.

On 6/18 he got his big boy bed.  He was so excited about it! He talked about "Ma...big...boy...bed!" for days and days!!!

June 20, I believe was the last time he has voluntarily and successfully nursed in awhile. We were in his big boy bed and he was having trouble falling asleep. He nursed to sleep. Other than that, he refuses, or tries and seems to have forgotten how to do it. I'm kind of heartbroken to let go of that bond, especially since he probably would have nursed for a lot longer if I hadn't gotten pregnant and reduced it significantly.

June 24
We tried to nurse again at naptime. Not really successful. I think we're done. Any more nursing done from this point on isn't really nursing.  Either he has forgotten how to suck or he no longer enjoys the taste of my milk (I've heard it changes in the second trimester) because he occasionally asks to nurse but never sucks, only puts his mouth over my nipple and enjoys the nearness of being with me and rubbing my skin.  By his birthday he had gone a good, couple of days without nursing (I should say without going through the emotions of nursing.  Since 6/20, he seems to have forgotten how to latch)

Bear has taken to giving himself timeouts (He angrily marches off) when he's upset with me and then hollering at me to let him out.

Bear  saw his birthday party cupcakes an hour or so before his party and started singing happy birthday to himself so I think he sort of gets the idea of what it's about.  He also chose to watch rather than participate in most of the birthday fun.  Maybe next year, buddy!

Me: Oh, Bear, you're stinky. 
Bear: Ha ha! Tinky!
Me: Are you stinky?
Bear: No.  I Bear.  I Bear!


Bunny: Mom, I need to poop!
Bear: No poop!

He grabs someone by the hand and says "C'mon!" Very sweetly if he wants them to come play with him.

Me: Bear, these shoes give you stinky feet.
Bear: I'ma wash ma stanky feet!

His big boy bed has worked out very well.  He seems to know to stay in it and even when he wakes up he asks if he can come out.  He also goes to his timeouts and stays there until I tell him he can come out.  He obediently and angrily stomps to the bed and then as soon as he gets there he spends the time out asking, "I come out...now?  I come out, Mommy?"

He and I have sort of gotten into a bedtime routine.  At nap time and even at bedtime I come in and we read a book, then we sing "Oh my soul," then we talk or giggle, and then I leave and he cries for a little bit.  If he can't fall asleep, I come back in and we snuggle and it's usually enough to calm him down so he can sleep when I leave again and teach Bunny her kindergarten lessons for the day.

Happily coloring a Father's Day card for his Daddy.

One last time in my classroom before I finished my time there.

I had to occupy him with the drawer full of office supplies--none of which are mine as I had packed mine away.  He wasn't content with Netflix or with simply running around the room.

Our last morning goodbye as I left for work the very last time.

Last day in daycare, which wasn't my last day of school, actually.

In the garden picking strawberries (that he won't eat) with his sister.  He tries to eat them, but he really doesn't like them.

I told them there was a baby in there so he peeked under and then smiled at me like I was pulling his leg.

After nap time snuggles.  He almost always has 3-30 minutes where he just needs to be held and snuggled when he wakes up.  Then, there's the random day where he wakes up singing and just wants to play.

They were banging their heads on the ottoman for fun.  Bear started it.

Happily carrying the presents for a friend's birthday party.

He climbed up onto this sand thing by himself.  It's pretty high up off the ground too.

Sharing his corn dog with a friend.

Bedtime together.  We don't normally do this much anymore.  We've been slowly phasing it out as I've been feeling better in this pregnancy.

Making "animal crackers."  They're whole wheat, unrefined sugar, sugar cookies.

Baby Bear's first cookie.  At least from this batch.  I don't remember if he was capable of doing this before or not.

We ate salad and some strawberries and cream and something trickled down to his legs and gave him this welt.  It's had me worried that he's allergic to something but I can't think what.

Playing with Uncle David on our visit to CT.

A professional haircut from his Auntie Caroline.

Picnic, kites, and beach combing at our favorite New England beach.

His first look at the beach and he said, "Sandbox!"

My little water baby was scared of the water in the ocean for a while.  Then he warmed up to it, though warm probably isn't the right word since the water was ice cold.

Cracker Barrel with a bunch of my family.

I don't remember what this was about but how cute is he???

His first birthday celebration.  He was showered with gifts from Aunts and Uncles.  He loved it and wanted to open everything.  We didn't let him, of course, because we didn't want to lose any pieces before getting home.

In retrospect, I believe this was his favorite gift.

He wouldn't blow out the candles.  I don't think he understood it yet.

Then he didn't want to get messy so he ate his cupcakes like this.

We went to a rose garden and he made a friend with this little fella.

Family portrait.

Ogling the deserts at the church lunch we had with my family before heading home.

Trying out the potty we plan to purchase for him in a Walmart ta one of our pit stops.

Playing the ukelele with me.  I didn't realize Dave had taken this picture!  I often forget to get myself in pictures with the kids, unless they're selfies.

Sand castles.

Here are pictures from his birthday party at home. He understood more what this was about this time, though he spent most of the time with his Grandpa, eschewing most of the games and festivities.

I bought these cloth diapers on a clearance sale and he's really excited about the diaper with the cars.

Oh, the sweet, baby boy snuggles!

He likes to rub his Daddy's head.  He usually does it when sitting on his shoulders, but apparently that's not a prerequisite for head rubbing.

The last morning he woke up in his crib. 

Playing trains with Daddy at our local library.

He was insistent about putting Daddy's socks on and got very indignant when Dave didn't actually allow him to do it.  I believe he got both the socks and the shoes on his own.

FaceTiming with Auntie Caroline, he was very eager to show her the crazy rain and thunder outside.

In mine and Dave's room for a movie before bed, he chose to snuggle with his sister awhile before hopping into bed with us.

Father's Day at church on Sunday morning.

He was so proud of having put this puzzle together, even though he did it incorrectly.

He loves ice cream cones (eye cree cohn).

He participated in his first full Spanish class all on his own!!!

He has always been very cooperative at his chiropractic adjustments.

He loves visiting Daddy at work.  He misses Daddy so much when Daddy goes to work.

Doggy ears from his birthday party.

What happens every time Baby Bear is in a stuffed animal section of a toy/grocery/superstore.

Furtively trying to get the little girl in the gray and white striped shirt to play with him.  He just loves her.

Getting his Toys R Us birthday balloon a little early.  We used his $3 birthday coupon to buy a duplo set that was already on sale for a fantastic price.

Walking away from the festivities at his birthday party.  Daddy was reading "Harry, the Dirty Dog."

He relaxed and watched as the older kids ate their "doggy food" without hands.

He didn't want to race in the "fetch" game, but he did want to steal the balls.

He spent a lot of his time with Grandpa on this swing.

He had some doggy visitors from next door: Zoey and Brooksie. He loves those doggies.

He loved the happy birthday song and this was his reaction when we blew out his candle.  We didn't realize until his actual birthday that he just wanted us to sing to him over and over and never to ever blow the candle out.  He gets that he is supposed to blow it out but prefers it stay lit.

Three generations.

Playing with a prize his sister won at his party (in one of the games he refused to play)

Birthday family portrait, as is our custom.

A repeat present from his Grandma.  He already had it but didn't realize it because he was so excited to get it again.  He wanted to open it immediately.

Birthday hat from Toys R Us.

Making rainbows.  He feels that he is the only one who should take charge of this hose and gets very angry and intolerant when others play with it.

He absolutely loves the wooden tools from his friends.

More Spanish class fun.  His participation is becoming a trend!

Making silly, breath-holding faces at his sister during lunch.  He scared mommy for a minute or two there because I thought he was choking.

"Hi, chickens"  He loves the chickens at Miss Steph's house.

On the day of his actual birthday I baked him chocolate chip pancakes per his request.

Then we headed off to a zoo about an hour and a half away from us. We knew he would absolutely love it.

Getting ready to ride the safari.

When he threw the crackers he screamed, "Eat it, EAT IT!" to the animals when they didn't take the one he'd thrown.  Later, one at it and he said, "Good job."

After awhile, while still on the safari bus, he told his Daddy, "I love dem."

He was all open-mouth, breath-taken, awe at each animal we got to see.

He and his sister chased the tiniest goat all over the place.  (Not this one)  It was only up to Baby Bear's knees or waist, it was so tiny.

He touched a real alligator...or was it a crocodile?  His Daddy is always trying to tell me he difference and I always forget.

Birthday lunch/dinner at Chick-Fil A has become our tradition.

He was very excited about being in the play set at the Chick Fil A.

He loved his trip to Target.  We'd taken back the duplicate gift he'd been given and had a gift card he could use for whatever he wanted.  He seemed to understand the mission and was grabbing all sorts of things off shelves and throwing them into the cart while Dave and I quietly put them back.  He finally settled on a set of Duplos that weren't for a specific construction, and Dave and I were happy with that so that's the thing that stuck.

  

Opening and playing with his presents when we got home.

He wanted us to sing Happy Birthday to him over and over again.  I think we did it twice before we finally made him blow out the candle.

Ending such a dirty and fun birthday off with a bath was the perfect touch to a perfect day.  I think it was the perfect mixture of things our little guy just loves to do and it was special for him.