Ethan turns 2!

Last Thursday Ethan turned the big "2" and he reminded everyone he saw by saying, "happy birthday to you." The lady at the grocery store asked him his name the other day and he said, "two." It was pretty cute. His actual birthday was pretty low key because we are having a family birthday party for him this weekend (Thomas theme - his favorite). So, we opened a few little gifts and gave him his own cupcake with two candles which he had to blow out multiple times. So, although we'll have more birthday pictures coming, I thought I'd take a minute to document some things about him at this age.

• Weight: 25 lbs./25th percentile(wears size 18-24 months finally!)
• Height: I can't remember the number but he's in the 50th percentile
• Loves playing "chase" and wrestling with daddy.
• Loves playing with his Thomas trains (he has all the names of his trains memorized), puzzles, baseball, cars and trucks.
• Favorite shows are Sesame Street, Barney & Bob the Builder
• O.C.D. tendencies: goes around the house with a wipe cleaning the walls, his toys, the floor, etc.; has to have all the upstairs doors shut and lights off before we can go downstairs; has to have everyone in their particular places to keep activities structured the same way every time; spends several minutes throughout the day cleaning the toe fuzz from his little feet, etc.
• Tantrums: They've begun right on cue! We were in the store on his birthday and I foolishly thought I would put him in the shopping cart and do some shopping. As soon as I attempted to put him in, he stiffened up his body, arched his back and started screaming hysterically. The more I tried to reason with him and put him in, the more he resisted. He was crying and screaming so loudly that everyone in the store was watching us (no doubt thinking that I was beating him or something). So, I gave up. We spent the shopping trip with him pushing the cart (freaking out if I touched the bar to steer it).
  
• Talking: Ethan has gotten really good at talking and letting us know what he wants. He can put several words together and constantly amazes us with the things he knows. We've found that we have to watch ourselves with words such as crap. The other day I dropped something and he yelled out "crap!" Oops. :)
• Learning: Ethan has pretty much mastered all his colors, shapes, and emergency vehicles! That's right - he loves any sort of truck or rescue vehicle and insists that we read those same books every night. He can count to 10 and is working on the teens.
  
• Sleep: Right now we're in a really good phase. After 2 years, he finally sleeps for about 11 hours at night and 2 hours for naps. Of course, he still loves the baba so I don't know what will happen with his sleep if it disappears.

We are so blessed to have this special little person in our lives. We just adore everything he does and love his sweet tender spirit. Happy Birthday our little guy!

Ethan's tongue after eating a blue fruit snack.

Ethan opens a plastic t-ball set.

Taking a whack!

Blowing out his candles (for the third or fourth time?).

Ethan digging into his cupcake. Yummy!