Two!

I can't believe our little man is already 2!

Everyday I have at least 3 or 4 moments where I just sit there and think, how did I get so lucky to have this kid in my life!? He is amazing, and the light of my life for sure!
Lately he seems to grow up more and more everyday. The thing that is making him seem so grown up to me recently is his ability to communicate. We talk ALL day long! It's not a bad thing, the opposite really, but he never stops talking or singing! I love it. It keeps me entertained. Being able to talk has made him seem even more like my best friend. He's my little buddy.
The stage he is in now is by far my favorite! It's so fun to have a kid who not only does funny things, but says funny things. He keeps me laughing all day long. I am also loving to watch him learn new things. If you know Josh at all, you know he is an active child, to say the least. Up until this point it has been my trial, but now that I am able to reason with him and he is responding to discipline, him being active is my favorite quality. He plays so well, and is incredibly smart. I love explaining how something works to him and just watching the little wheels turn in his head as he's making sense of what I just said. Then sure enough, 2 minutes later, he's explaining it back to me!
A little over a month ago I realized it was time to start disciplining :/ I realized it was time when we were in Target one day, and he was completely out of control. He wouldn't sit or stand in the cart, wouldn't listen to me when I told him no, and wouldn't stay next to me if I let him down. The whole time he was crying and yelling, making a huge scene every time I would put him back in the cart or grab him as he was running away. I didn't handle it right because it caught me so off guard and had me totally flustered in a matter of minutes. So I left the store as soon as I could and I just sat in the car and cried. I felt like I had lost control and that there was no hope for him, he was just going to be one of those out of control kids that everyone looks at and thinks, what is wrong with his mom, why can't she control him? I'm sure there were people thinking that in Target that day. But Anyway! That is the day I realized it was time. I hadn't done it much before then because I didn't feel like he understood enough yet. Since then I've started time-out and I've had spanked a few times. He responds SO well to time-out, I'm so glad! I've only had to do it a couple of times and ever since all I have to do is say something like, "Josh you can either eat your bites or go sit in time-out." And he'll just look at me with a panic look and say, "no time-out." Then he'll sit there and eat his food. He's SO good in church now (never thought I'd say that), and shopping is getting easier. Not that he was awful before, but all the way around, he's a much better mannered child than he was a month ago. We're working on it more and more each day, and hopefully he'll turn out okay in the end. I definitely don't feel hopeless anymore!
The joys of being a first time mom. We learn as we go, I guess.

At 2:

• Josh is still obsessed with tractors and firetrucks
• Loves to read books
  
• He talks a lot and understands everything we say
  
• Goes to bed at 8:30 and wakes up at 8
• Still takes a 3 hour nap from noon-three
  
• Isn't into watching TV but will sit still for a few minutes to watch certain movies.
• Is the best traveler. Doesn't make a peep the entire 8 hr drive to S. Utah.
• Is such a good eater! Some meals he'll eat as much as Beau and I.
  
• Still drinks a cup of soy milk before his nap and bed time, but we are cutting that out this week getting ready to potty train next month.
  
• Has a binki when he sleeps. Not really sure what we're going to do about that.
  
• LOVES his blanket!
• Will repeat everything and do anything his dad tells him to. Including licking me when I'm not paying attention!
  
• Loves rocking in the rocking-chair
• Is a huge tease
  
• Loves the snow! And thinks he needs to touch it every time he sees it ("touch mom, touch").
• Just started singing. Sings random songs. I have no clue what they are but he sure does.
• Loves to help in the kitchen. Every time I even step in the kitchen, he comes running saying "help help help" then pushes his chair up to counter. I think the count of dropped eggs in up to 4.
• Is totally content just following me around all day as long as I'm explaining whatever I'm doing in detail, and letting him help whenever possible.
• Loves to paint, but will only color for 10 minutes at a time
  
• Loves tools
• Thinks getting his hair cut is quite possibly the worst thing in the world. Not because he's scared of the buzzers, but because the cut hair lands on him and he can't brush it off fast enough. It's like a cat being thrown into water! He freaks!
  
• Loves to jump, just to jump. And he's good at it!
• We have to sing Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam every night before bed.
  
• Loves his bath time
  
• Weighs 25 lbs
• Wears size 24 month clothes
• Size 7 Shoes

Today Josh was explaining to me how Dad was downstairs working and that Mom was upstairs working, and I told him that I didn't have to work, I just got to play all day with the cutest little boy in the world. And it's true. I am so lucky and grateful to be his mom. He is my whole world, and I can't think of anything else I'd rather do than be with him.