Cucumber Retchless: Week 19

Yes, we missed week 18. I didn't even take a picture. And, you will notice, this week I am not wearing the designated weekly photo shirt. I was already dreading these weekly photos and clearly not being as on top of them as I should have been. I realized that a major reason for this was the mandatory outfit I selected. So, I decided to throw my "rules" out the window and just get a picture taken each week, regardless of the outfit. I would rather have each week chronicled than be missing weeks here and there because I just wasn't up for putting on a white tank top.

So, without further ado, let's catch up...

How Far Along: 19 weeks.

Size of Baby: The length of a cucumber.
 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Probably around 10. The scale sent me into a tailspin last week so I really might just throw out this category.

 

Maternity Clothes: I finally pulled them all down and I am happily rocking a few shirts but my maternity pants are still swimming on me. I can still wear a couple pairs of my normal jeans and all my Lulu stuff so I am just re-wearing the same thing over and over and over!

Movement: Still little flutters here and there.

 
Symptoms: Heartburn. I never had this with Noah but have had a couple of really bad bouts over the holidays. I am sure this is a combination of eating a ton of rich, indulgent food along with being pregnant. Hopefully with Christmas behind us, the heartburn is too.
 

What I Miss: Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine. The holidays were/are rough. Reading all these posts back make me think that a 12 step program might have been a good Christmas gift (kidding, of course)!   

 
Girl or Boy: Boy! And, my mom knows his name...so if you would like to take a run at her, odds are she will spill the beans!
 

Belly button In or Out: Innie.

Stretch Marks: Nope. Never got any with Noah so I am hoping that is my good fortune for this pregnancy, too. 
 

Cravings: Sweets. I have zero self control in this department which is so unlike me. There are some New Years resolutions on the horizon to tackle this "problem".

Best Moment This Week: Christmas by far! It is definitely crazy to think that next year we will be celebrating with our two boys!

Almost half way!

It's a....

BOY!

Yes, I am officially outnumbered in this family (it was even with Noah, Scott, Me & Nana). That said, we could not be more excited! As you read last week, Scott had his dreams of a little girl...but now that we know that this little baby is a boy, we are truly both very excited. 

I am really most excited for Noah as I think that having a brother to do all things "boy" with will be pretty special. I am sure I will retract these words when there is jealousy or a full blown wrestling match going on in my living room, but to watch these two grow together and form a relationship as brothers will be really really amazing. 

Some answers to questions that you might not even ask:

• Why not make the sex a surprise? When I was pregnant with Noah, Scott wanted to wait to find out...I pulled the, "I am carrying this baby for 9 months and have a major Type A/OCD personality so I win". That said, my compromise was to make #2 a surprise. When this pregnancy rolled around, Scott decided he couldn't wait to find out! PHEW!!!! 

• Right now there is zero chance of Baby #3. I will never say never, but as of right now, this shop is closed after May.

• Name. While we have pretty much settled on a first name (middle is still in debate) I think we will keep this to ourselves until this little one makes his appearance. There was something special about sharing Noah's name when we announced his arrival and I think we will do the same for this little guy.
• Sleeping. As with most newborns, this little one will camp out in our room for a few months. When he is ready for his crib, he will move in with Noah. I am not sure that this is the forever solution, but for the toddler years, they will be housed together!  

I think that is all the big stuff for now. If you have any questions, fire away.  

Sweet Potato Retchless: Week 17

Ummm, we are three weeks away from hitting the halfway mark. Where is the time going?!

I am super excited today because on Monday we get to find out if this sweet potato is a boy or girl (I have my very strong inclinations, cough cough boy cough cough) but it will be so exciting to get the final verdict. That said, here is the conversation at our house lately:

Steph: It would be really fun to have two boys. They will fight, sure, but they will also have such a great friendship (I hope anyway).

Scott: But, a little girl.... (he trails off with a look of wonderment in his eyes)

Steph: Well, you were responsible for this portion of baby making so I can't help you there!

Scott: I guess if it's a boy we'll just have to go for #3.

Steph: Leaves room.

Scott brought up today that I just don't seem as cheery so far this pregnancy. And that is partially true. Allow me to explain...

I am THRILLED to be having another baby. I am really looking forward to a snuggly newborn and a sibling for Noah. I was just looking back on pictures of an infant Noah and got all giddy and excited. (Please remember, parents get amnesia for what happens other than snuggles in the first few months of life...there are no sleepless nights or crying!)

What I am not excited about is the 9 months of being pregnant thing. The first time it was so new and shiny. I loved getting my weekly updates and reading about what our little one was doing inside. This time, I delete them 99% of the time or roll my eyes about what new and scary dangers are lurking in my home for my unborn child. What I finally concluded is that I will probably embrace this pregnancy around my third trimester, when I have a real bump (not just an ever expanding midsection, thighs, and butt) and the holidays filled with parties and occasions for me to miss my sparkling wine have passed. 

I can't imagine I am the only one who finds the second go around a little less magical?! I feel like a horrible person typing this as one day the growing little potato inside of me will read this. Hopefully Baby understands that I don't love them any less, just the process. Maybe I can liken it to assembling Ikea furniture. The first bookshelf is kind of fun...reading the directions, working with your partner to get it all put together, and finally using the piece you worked for seven million hours to build.  But then imagine being sent a couple more to put together...not nearly as fun! It just starts to look like a lot of wood, nuts, and bolts.

How was that analogy? Good, bad, completely ridiculous?

Regardless, that's where I am. Please take away from this that I am so very thankful and blessed for this little person...just being honest about my current emotions. 

Ok, positive notes: I am still feeling great! And, thankfully, my intense desire for sweets has chilled out. Also, we are gearing up for a final Bay Area holiday push and it just gets more fun as we get closer to Christmas. I think I'll do a separate post on Noah this holiday season. Suffice it to say, he is really making it all that much more special! 

I'll leave you with my 17 week picture and a promise to bring some cheer to this ole blog early next week! 

Hello sweet potato!

Grapefruit Retchless: Week 16 {and other random happenings}

I am only a touch late this week, and that is because of a computer malfunction (which magically fixed itself, hooray for Macs) so I am calling this post a win! 

I hopped on this scale this morning and it is looking like I am up about 6 pounds total so far. This is exactly the amount I had gained with Noah at this point so I am really happy about this. I actually went into this pregnancy about 5 pounds lighter than I did with Noah but expect to round out at about the same final weight. I have a weird theory about lighter people gaining more weight during pregnancy...it is based on exactly zero medical facts so I will keep the details to myself! BUT, I believe I will gain closer to 25 or 30 pounds with Grapefruit versus 22 with Noah. 

In other news, I feel great! My energy is 100% back and I feel strong and motivated. I have been true to my posts and have upped the hiking/walking while continuing to go to Bar Method regularly. Noah has, thankfully, embraced sitting in the Bob while I huff and puff around the Dish for an hour! My eating has been so-so but I am sort of embracing that. I don't indulge much when I'm not pregnant (wine is my empty calories), so I am taking the caloric deficit the wine left to enjoy a few more special treats.

Pushing this guy up hills is no joke. Kristina, please come take over!!!

Well, that was boring...weight and food. What else? We have been busy now that the holiday season is officially upon us. Holiday parties, Christmas shopping, preparing for travel, and regular day-to-day life has kept us hopping. The good news is, I feel up for all of it (aside from a few too late nights which made for a cranky, sober, pregnant wife!) and I am looking forward to the crazy that awaits in St. Louis. 

A few lot of pictures from some recent fun. 

We took Noah on his first real train ride. He LOVED it and wasn't happy about the getting off to get lunch part.

He looked so big sitting by himself in his seat.

We visited Santa (before Thanksgiving...the shame!). No hysterics but he still isn't a fan of the big guy.

We played in Mom's boots. He gets super silly in the evening and we have so much fun watching his antics.

I turned 30 and was spoiled rotten!

Lunch at the Rosewood. Love these girls.

We took selfies in the mirror. Ps-my Invisalign is done, and my teeth make me happy!

We learned how to dip the animal crackers right in the peanut butter jar.

We hosted Thanksgiving and I got some very special snuggles in with baby Leonardo!

We took our annual day after Thanksgiving trip to Napa. That sweater looks like a tent...and I thought it was all "chunky and cute".

We immediately took down the turkeys and put up the Christmas! Noah was a huge help ;-). Also, toys are taking over my house...we are going to have to move to make room for all Noah's stuff!

Nana is tired of being told she can't eat the decorations.

Noah had his very first school pictures taken. My heart actually can't handle the cuteness.

These two continue to make my life brighter every day.

Yet another annual...we made our trip to San Francisco for some delicious lunch and shopping.

2011. Noah was all of about 4 weeks old.

2012.

We braved the craziness that is Union Square pre-Noah as well but failed to document it as we lived there and didn't really think much of a quick trip downtown ;-).

Well, I think that about gets us up to date. Hope your holidays are off to a great start!

**I'll add in a 16 week bump picture as soon as my photographer gets home from work! 

***a friendly reminder that I am much better at keeping up with Instagram so if you would like to find me there, I am Steffy7210.

Orange Retchless: Week 15

Oh, man! I was doing so good staying on top of my blogging and here I am super late on my update. I have forgotten all of my fun anecdotes for the week and I am just going to knock this out with some quick answers:

How Far Along: 15 weeks-ish. Since baby is measuring ahead, I could technically be considered 16 weeks today.

Size of Baby: Orange (5 inches)!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 3 pounds. It's funny, I looked back to my post at 15 weeks with Noah and I was all kinds of whiny and I feel the same this week with Baby 2. I just feel like I am gaining weight in my thighs/butt and I am really not thrilled. So, I am going to step up the walking/hiking around here to hopefully keep everything in shape until May!

Maternity Clothes: Not quite yet. Some days I swear I could use some elastic and other days my regular jeans are just fine.

Movement: Still little flutters here and there.

 
Symptoms: Not much. Since my dad reads this, I will put this a nice way...my bras are getting too small. This was not a symptom I had with Noah but with this baby it is a bit out of control...not to mention uncomfortable.

What I Miss: Not too much. Feeling pretty even keel these days. 

 
Girl or Boy: Doing another check on the 16th. Hopefully little one cooperates this time.

Belly button In or Out: Innie.

Stretch Marks: Nope. Never got any with Noah so I am hoping that is my good fortune for this pregnancy, too.

 
Cravings: I still have a sweet tooth but I am not really craving anything too unusual otherwise.

Best Moment This Week: Picking a boy name! We have about 5 on the short list for girls that we both love but the boy name was giving us a headache. I think we finally settled on a winner though! 

Happened to be in a grey shirt today and didn't feel like switching to white. Back on track Friday!

Apple Retchless: Week 14

No, we are not going all Gwyneth and naming our baby after a fruit. Baby R just happens to be the size of an apple this week!

I swear I have had a lot more doctor visits with this little bean than with Noah up until this point. And the really odd part is that everything is going perfect so it is just kind of lucky! So far, at each appointment we have been able to see Baby R which, of course, always makes me happy.

This week I had a normal OB visit and was expecting to just get a little Doppler action to listen to the heartbeat. However, we got to talking about the gender and Dr. R said, "Let's try and see!" and zipped down the hall to grab the ultrasound machine. Made. My. Day. Unfortunately, Baby wasn't cooperating and tucked the umbilical cord between its legs so we weren't able to find anything out. 

But, I got to see the little bean and confirm that at my next appointment before we leave for St. Louis for the holidays we get to try again. Absolute worst case, we'll find out New Years Eve. Fingers crossed Baby cooperates before that.

In other news, I am up a total of 3 pounds which is some kind of miracle because last night I made cookies with 14 tablespoons of butter in them. In reality, that sounds horrific but most cookie recipes call for two sticks which is actually more. But, seriously, 14 tablespoons!?!?! They tasted heavenly and hit this preggo's sweet craving right on the head.

What else did I learn today? Oh, I can have two of my very favorite things...sushi and wine. Don't freak out...the guidelines are:

     Sushi - my doctor has done a lot of research on this subject and said the raw fish component is not the issue as almost all fish that comes into the United States has been sanitized and doesn't carry a risk of listeria. That said, he gave me some guidelines for picking a reputable restaurant and I took those down and made a date for lunch with my raw fishy friends tomorrow (update: I stuck to salmon and it was every bit as wonderful as I had hoped)! There is still the mercury concern so I have to be cognizant of what kinds of fish I choose and what quantity I eat, but I'll take those restrictions happily!! 

 Wine - I got clearance for a very occasional glass of wine. This came as my 30th birthday is fast approaching on Sunday and all I really want for the big day is a big glass 'o red! Permission granted with the guideline, "make sure it's a really good bottle!". Thanks, Dr. R, I will!

Otherwise, I got a ton of reassurance that everything is going great and to keep up the good work.

Our hot water heater is on the outs so please excuse my awesome hair! I borrowed some hot water from Kristina this afternoon and feel much more like a respectable member of society!

As far as how I am feeling...pretty good. I am actually starting to be interested in healthy foods again and so far this weeks mission to eat healthier is going great (aside from my butter laden indulgence). I have swapped fruity pebbles out for bananas, apples, and yogurt as snacks. I have not, and have no intention of giving up my beloved animal crackers though. That is my pregnancy, and breast feeding, treat and I will not let those little carby crackers go!

Ok, that's enough blabbering. See ya next week.

Lemon Retchless: Week 13

Going to go with the old fields this week:

How Far Along: 13 weeks. Baby is measuring about 5 days ahead though. I have determined that my new due date is "May" as it keeps moving around so much!

Size of Baby: Size of lemon.

Our little thumb sucker.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 2ish pounds? I have decided I need to get off our scale and stick to my doctor's scale exclusively. Scales and I aren't best friends when I'm not pregnant (I get really mental watching the numbers fluctuate day to day, morning to night) and I just think I need to focus more on how I am feeling versus what the scale says.

Maternity Clothes:  Nope and not really needing them. So far all my normal pants fit!

Movement: I swear I can feel this little peanut rolling around. It isn't so much kicks but just little butterflies. Not sure whether people say they feel the baby earlier the second time since they know what to be waiting for? I feel like with Noah I second guessed everything as gas but with this little one I would say I am 99% sure I can feel him/her.

 
Symptoms: Really starting to feel like I am coming out of the first trimester funk. My energy is back at Bar Method and in general I feel really good.

What I Miss: My normal appetite/food choices. See below under cravings. Oh, and wine. Always wine.

 
Girl or Boy: ?? At the latest, we'll know on New Year's Eve.

Belly button In or Out: Innie.

Stretch Marks: Nope. Never got any with Noah so I am hoping that is my good fortune for this pregnancy, too.

 
Cravings: Pizza. Animal Crackers. Fruity Pebbles. Cake. Carbs, carbs, carbs. Honestly, I'm getting frustrated by this. I want to want healthy food but it just sounds horrible and my ability to have any self control is just out the window! Hearby declaring next week "eat better week". Fingers crossed.

Best Moment This Week: Seeing the little peanut at our NT Ultrasound on Monday. Baby was flipping and flopping all over the place and we had to stare at our cute little Lemon for quite some time to get the pictures we needed (no complaints here)! We ultimately got all the measurements we needed to confirm that everything is going great so far and we have a healthy little bean growing away!

This little peanut was sitting straight up!

Noah @ 12 weeks. Do you see a family resemblance? Kind of crazy to think that this is a now two-year-old

Since I am posting this late, I will tell you that my normal jeans are only comfortable for about an hour and then I feel like a sausage. I see a trip to the attic to pull down my maternity clothes happening sooner than later.

First Day of School

I know, I still owe you a birthday party post. But, I am just so excited about Noah's first (and second) day of school that I had to get this one up first. 

While I will not share publicly where Noah goes to school, I will say that we made the decision based on the fact that the school has a 2s program and has a rolling start so he was able to start right after his second birthday even though classes actually began in September. So, while we found our school by default, it has turned out perfectly. Of course, we liked the curriculum and staff too!!

The few days before Noah actually started school we talked about it a lot. We got his new shoes and talked about his "school shoes" a lot. I don't think there were any major surprises going in to the big day, but I was definitely still nervous. Of course, there were the obligatory first day of school pictures:

First Day of School, 2013!

Scott came along for drop off the first day and we learned the lesson that being early for preschool does no one any good. The teachers don't open the doors until exactly 9am so we were left in the hallway for a good 10 minutes. Noah got a little clingy during this time as the other kids were starting to fill the hall and the energy became a little hectic (parents must walk all kids in so there were a lot of people around). We did see some familiar faces from gymnastics and soccer which was great though! 

Finally, the big moment came and it was time for Noah to go in. He walked in, saw some PlayDoh, and that was it. I asked for a kiss and he obliged (Dad, too) and then headed straight back to his craft. At that point, all that was left was for us to leave. 

It was all fairly anti climactic. There were no tears and no phone calls (by either the school, or Mom!). I was definitely anxious as I drove away. It is odd to spend pretty much every waking moment with your son for 2 years and then suddenly leave him in someone else's hands without knowing his every move! Add to that that he doesn't really talk and there is really no telling what he does all day! We got an agenda so we have some clue, but never get a lot of additional information from our little guy. 

The important part is that he loves it at school. When I picked him up on Tuesday he was happily participating in story time and had the biggest smile when I went in to get him. 

My mom came up with the idea for the P. I will have one for each grade he enters and I added the chalkboard paint so I could write the year. Unfortunately, Noah+chalk=smudges. I imagine as he gets older we'll have better luck!

I figured Thursday would be the big test as he knew what to expect and could react with some historical knowledge. We pulled in the parking lot and I started hearing, "school, school, school"! We were early so I made the decision to just let him play in the car versus the hallway scenario. Nope...he wanted "out. school.". He was ready for his second day and headed in without a second thought! 

The only funny thing that I have found is that each day when I have picked him up he has a cow puppet in hand. He shows it to me very excitedly each day but then gladly puts it away before we go home. Something tells me it might be a bit of a security thing that he likes to hold on to. Seems like age appropriate behavior (especially starting a new school) and I appreciate that the teachers just go with it and let him have it. 

Also, today was picture day (I know...could it get any cuter?!). I didn't have high hopes for him actually smiling, but got him all dolled up anyway. Side note, watching parents get their kids ready for school on picture day is hilarious. There was more face wiping, hair brushing, straightening of clothes than I could imagine (of course, I participated as well!). Turns out, he would absolutely not sit for a picture. His teacher recommended I take him down for another try and I got the exact same reaction. He wanted nothing to do with the picture man. So, what's a mom to do? Remember Halloween? M&Ms for the win. Again. 

Picture taken. School loved. Win. Win. Win. 

He definitely wasn't sure why I wanted him to stand in front of the door with that P!

Can't wait to see all his little mind learns this year! I'm sure I'll share more funny school stories as we go but I am just so happy that this is going so well. It truly is great for everyone. I can get so much done, including my work out, freeing up my time with Noah for real quality time, and my evenings for pure family time. Again, win. 

Noah News: 2

When did I become a mom to a 2 year old?! Noah turning 1 seemed very real and normal. Him turning 2 is kind of blowing my mind. I feel like time is moving at warp speed!! I can only imagine what having a second baby will do to this!!

BUT, this post is all about Noah.

My boy.

Food: Noah is a pretty typical toddler when it comes to eating. He is a fairly erratic eater and vegetables are a challenge to get into his cute little bod. His favorite foods are hot dogs (if you ask him what's for dinner, the answer is always hot dog), macaroni and cheese, Knorr pasta, pizza, yogurt, and granola bars. When he is truly hungry, he can put away food like a teenager, but most of the time it is a bite here or there and then off to the next thing. He has found his sweet tooth since his first birthday which works out nicely as a bribe from time to time. In the beverage department, he gets his water with a smidge of apple juice, almond milk, and as a special treat...a sip or two of Dad's Gatorade ;-).

French Onion Dip is a food group, right?!

Physicality: Holy smacks is this boy physical. To finish up the food topic...Noah hasn't sat in a high chair since he was maybe 18 months? He prefers to stand in a big boy chair to eat. At restaurants this works great, however, at home, it poses a challenge as we have trouble getting him to stay and focus on his food for more than 2 minutes. He prefers to take a bite, run around and burn it off, and then return for a second bite. This is something we swore we would never allow...but live and learn I suppose. In addition to his mealtime antics, Noah is constantly on the move and testing the limits of his little body daily. He jumps, hops, gallops, flops, crashes, climbs, and runs perpetually. The only time he is truly still is first thing in the morning when we snuggle to watch a show, and when he is in his crib.

Jumping off couches (right onto Mom) is a favorite pastime.

Sleep: One thing Scott and I did succeed at is making Noah a good sleeper. Noah takes a 2-3 hour nap daily (1-4pm) and sleeps through the night, every night. Currently he is sleeping from about 8pm-7am. He is also a rockstar about being flexible about sleeping. He can push through without a nap when needed and has stayed up much too far past his bedtime on a handful occasions with no ill behavior to show for it. He does tend to get a bit spun up when he is over tired, but he is happy as a clam and just tears around a little extra wildly. So far, he hasn't tried to escape from his crib, nor shown any dislike for his current sleeping arrangement. He always wakes up in a completely different position than we lay him down in so I think a big boy bed might be a ways off.

One thing that doesn't get to be too far off is saying goodbye to paci. Currently, Noah only gets paci (and bear) when he is sleeping and for about 15 minutes after coming out of his crib. It is actually a pretty powerful tool for convincing him it is time to take a rest. Just mention p&b and he goes running for his room. But, before Baby #2 makes an appearance, we hope to cut paci out of the equation. I'll be sure to post updates on that.

Noah also still sleeps in a sleep sack. Blankets are just not his jam (he tells me to take them "off!" whenever I try to cover us up in the morning) and he frankly doesn't like anything in his crib other than bear and 3 extra pacis.  But, again, we are nearly the end of this phase, mainly because we are running out of sizes, so we need to find a way to keep our little goose warm at night without his sack.

After his haircut. He's a perfect client for those lollipops!

TV: "No screen time until 2". Well, we broke that rule. Although, not terribly, and mainly because of Noah. Noah isn't really all that interested in TV. When he doesn't feel well or just wakes up, he'll zone out in front of the TV, but otherwise he takes a casual glance and moves on. I've tried to use it as a distraction at restaurants or on the airplane and he lasts about 5 minutes before wanting to do something else. 99% of the time, I am thankful that he would rather be catapulting himself off the couch than watching TV, but during that 1%, I sure could use the help!


When he will watch, his favorite shows are The Cat in the Hat ("Cat Hat"), Curious George, Sports Center (I kid you not...he is a sports fanatic), and any YouTube video involving trains, diggers or airplanes. By far, his most favorite thing to watch is "Ouchies" with Papa. Ouchies is a video of the Isle of Man motorcycle race where riders go flying off cliffs (presumably to their demise) among other not-two-year-old-appropriate scenes. He loves it, and the time with Papa is adorable, so we permit it.

This boy loves his Papa (and digger!).

Talking: Not a whole lot of action here. Noah can say a lot of single words and does a fairly good job of getting across what he needs. Well, he can tell me! I am pretty sure to the average person, he speaks a lot of gibberish, but I know what his funny words mean (i.e.- "nonny" means snail or tennis) and so we get along just fine. He isn't putting together two words yet, and doesn't really seem all that motivated. I'll be anxious to hear what our pediatrician has to say at his two year appt, but I imagine it goes something like this, "kids all talk at their own pace, and he is so physical that he is concentrating on that instead of talking". But, I'll report back.  Report: Dr. T said that when kids have around 50 single words, they typically hit the developmental milestone of starting to string a few words together. I did a count of all the words I could come up with that he says and we are right around that 50 mark so I imagine we will see some more combinations, soon. That said, he said we have nothing to be concerned about for at least another six months.

One hilarious thing has has done in the past few days is start calling me mom. He definitely uses mama and mom interchangeably, but it is just so funny to hear his little voice say, "Mom!". He is also getting quite bossy with Scott and I, but in a fun way. He makes demands about where we should sit, who he wants to play with, and who should leave the room (this is all communicated with "Dada" and a pat wherever he should be seated, or "Off" with a little hand gesture indicating that I am not welcome to join the boys playing!).

No big deal...just hanging out in my toy bench.

Activities: Currently we are consistently doing gymnastics and soccer. We were really good about swimming lessons weekly this summer and early fall, but now it is just too cold to think about hopping in the outdoor pool where our program is held. The pool is seriously heated, but the getting in and out part is just not really appealing. Plus, three days after Noah's birthday, he starts school! I'll do a separate post on his school after his first day, but we are really excited for him to spend time with kids his age and have some structured activity sans mom & dad. 

He knows his Sambas are his soccer shoes and loves to get them out on Fridays.

Injuries: Nothing major enough to send us to the hospital, but with all the crazy running, the boy has had his share of falls and bumps/bruises. Most recently, he pulled on one of my potted plants and brought the entire thing crashing down onto his head (this one had me calling my mom to make 100% sure I didn't need to take him to the ER...mind you he was back up and running 5 minutes after the incident), and he also slipped and slammed his head into my parent's bathtub during our visit. It is pretty amazing what their little bodies are designed to withstand, but it still sends my heart racing every time we have a big fall. The little ones (knocking his head on a table, running and falling straight forward, getting knocked down by Nana) are no sweat and he just dusts them off and moves on.

I could seriously eat him up.

Heart: My boy has the best heart. In the midst of running like a banshee, he will run over and give the biggest/best snuggle in the whole entire world. He gives kisses constantly and loves to have his boo boo's kissed, as well as give anyone/anything else with a boo boo a kiss (he has been known to knock his stuffed animals into things on purpose just to give them a kiss). He also has a funny habit of "food snuggles". Lately, whenever he is eating, he like to tuck in for a big snuggle with me while he chews. It starts about half way through his meals and just makes my heart melt.

He also loves his friends and his Nana (and Harvey!). He has started giving everyone hugs and is a great sharer. He rarely gets upset if someone takes his toy, he just moves on. His love for animals is amazing and he is always extremely gentle and, if anything, just tries to over snuggle sometimes. That said, he is not immune to the occasional toddler outburst of giving Nana a swift smack or kick. But, it is few and far between and on the whole I am so proud of the sweet, loving, generous little two year old I have.

Waiting for Dad to come home from work.

Terrible Twos: I don't really think two is terrible for us. There are definintely moments when I have to say, "oh, man, are you two!!!!". This is usually the result of him being frustrated by not getting what he wants, me taking something away that he wants (because he is throwing it, or it's not kid approved), or him not being able to communicate what he wants. We haven't had any need for time outs and most of the time if I can take a minute to sit down with him and talk calmly, we can diffuse the situation and he rebounds great. Again, there are moments where I lose my cool and just have a little tantrum of my own, "Noah! Stop whining! What do you WANT?!". Even at 30 we all have our moments.

Freeze! His favorite game and most effective tool for stopping his very fast running!

Potty Training: While Noah is starting to become aware of all things potty related, I think we are a ways off (like, a year!) from actually using the potty. He has a toddler potty and will sit on it from time to time, but has yet to do anything "formal" in there. He is aware of when he is going #2 these days and will often tell us when he has gone and needs to be changed. So, the good news is, he is becoming aware of it, and doesn't show any signs of fear of the toilet. In fact, flushing is one of his favorite things to do.

Loving his birthday present from Grandma & Papa.

Fears: Pretty much anything that moves without warning (i.e.-remote control cars, motion activated toys/decorations, garage doors, paper shredders). He tends to get pretty startled by these items and comes running. He much prefers wooden or plastic toys that make zero sounds!

Soaking up life as a family of 3.

Likes: Car, trucks, diggers, trains, helicopters, airplanes, buses...are you sensing a theme? His other theme, as I mentioned, is sports. He loves all things sports and can name pretty much any of them that are on TV, in addition to loving to play all of them.

We can't walk by PBKids right now. He pretty much glues himself to the window!

Obviously, I could go on and on and on. But, I think that gives you a pretty good picture of what our boy is up to as a two year old, and serves as a great reminder of this amazing time in his life. I am sure I will feel this way at every age he hits, but this age is my favorite so far!

The #1 reason I am not looking forward to taking paci away...he doesn't make a peep on the plane!

Stats:
Height - 33.5"
Weight - 25.5 lbs (up to the 25th percentile from the 5th)
Haircuts - 12
Airplane Flights - 20 (possibly 22...I think we had layovers on one of our flights to/from St. Louis)

Up next...an actual birthday recap. But just to give you a glimpse:

The table waiting for the birthday boy to wake up on Saturday!

It took him all of about 20 seconds to realize that those presents were to be opened!

CAR!!

More soon...