Two and a Half...

...and I mean Gavin's age, not the show Two and a Half Men. Not a Charlie Sheen fan (not sure anyone is anymore). Would never blog about his crazy antics.

So, Gavin is officially two and half! I thought this milestone deserved a blog post to update our followers, and of course to serve as my own documentation of this very fun and sometimes challenging age. Gavin is everything a two (and a half) year old is supposed to be, a classic toddler-but-I-want-to-be-big-boy kind of kid.

My last major post about his development was back in May, when he was about two years and three months old. So much has changed in his development since then. And some things have just not changed at all (e.g. potty training efforts, pacifier need - I won't dwell on these things, they are small and unimportant at this moment in our lives).

Gavin's language skills are probably the most notable developmental update. My last post about Gavin, I was so excited that he was speaking in short sentences. Well, now it is multiple sentences. And conversations. We can go back and forth with talking, asking questions to him, he asks questions of us (LOTS of them). It's really quite fun, cute, entertaining and fascinating all at the same time. I love that we can ask him a question about his day and he'll recall it for us. "Gavin, what did you and Dadda do today?" He'll answer by spouting off all of the fun and interesting highlights of the day. And you can see the wheels turning as he recalls the events of the day. I love that look of concentration and then excitement when he recalls and is able to share his stories.

And his memory is just impeccable. We were in Traverse City for work this past week. I met up with my boys for lunch at a restaurant that we go to quite often. The restaurant has a lot of fish and boating "stuff" hanging in various spots. The last time we were at this restaurant (a few weeks) ago, we sat at a booth that had a boat motor hanging from the ceiling. Brad must have casually said something silly to Gavin about how the motor was going to fall on Momma. Well, three weeks later, we sat in the same booth. First thing Gavin says "that boat motor is going to fall on Momma". Brad and I looked at each other, me not even remembering that we had joked about a few weeks earlier, Brad reminding me. Geesh, this kid soaks everything up! He does this all of the time - not talking about motors falling on me - recalling things he was told once, casually, and repeating it many days or weeks later. Nothing slips by.

Everyone talks about the terrible twos. I don't know, I just don't see it. Yes, we have our moments, mainly times when Gavin is insistent on showing his big boy skills, but really it's just a joy. He definitely has a bit of a hyperactive, on the go tendency. But I think all boys this age exhibit these traits. I'm not worried. I think it is natural that in situations when we expect him to act like we do, he just doesn't have the skills or experience or interest to do so. Classic example is attending mass each week. It's the LONGEST hour of this kid's life! But we do our best to balance the whole "don't over react" with "don't let him get away with too much naughtiness and disrupt the entire church". Thankfully, our church is filled with young families working on that same exact balance. And God understands, I'm sure he understands, right? It is a bit funny to watch the difference in toddler girls and boys at church. So many times, the little girls sit quietly, engaged in their little toys and books...while the boys (mine included) fly from one thing to the next, never quite satisfied with the few little toys mom and dad let them have...and loudly displaying the little trinkets.

Two other major things I've noticed the past couple of weeks, as we transitioned to two-and-a-half. 1) Gavin adds names to the end of nearly every statement or question, or sometimes the beginning. Regardless, the statement is clearly always directed at someone. And always requires acknowledgement, or it will be re-asked several times. 2) it's a major question stage. "What's that Momma?" . Everything is "what's that", even when he knows the answer. I love the inquisitive nature of a toddler, learning through their parents.

I suppose a third major observance would be story recalling. Gavin can recite his favorite books. Funny that he even wants us to read them to him anymore, because he can rattle off the stories himself. He's still very much into trucks and loves his Tonka books from Uncle Andy and Aunt Karen - best gift ever I think.

His annunciation is getting very good as well. My last post updating on Gavin's development had me phonetically typing how he says words. Now, he pretty much has the words nailed. With a few, cute toddler-dialect exceptions. I love how he says "yellow" - "ew-oooh". The "l's" are a little difficult in certain words.

And he still loves his Disney movies. In fact, we're contemplating taking a Disney cruise this fall...we really need a family vacation! I get excited thinking about how he'll react to meeting his favorite characters. And I like the cruise idea, because he's just too little to enjoy all that Disney World/Land has to offer. Some day, we will definitely take him on that vacation, too. Still a bit of a struggle with the guilty feelings I've blogged so much about. Really, we shouldn't be able to go on a cruise. And so very bittersweet, given it would be our first family vacation since Grace was born. And she can't go with us. It feels so incomplete. But we know that our life needs to go on, as changed and "new normal" as it may be. And I think we would still be able to find very good moments of fun if we do decide to go. We'll see.

Speaking of going on vacation, I mentioned this to an acquaintance recently. She replied by saying "you just got back from a leave from work, do you really need more time off?" Seriously! My time away from work was not a vacation. In fact, it was the farthest thing from one. I'd have given anything to not need that time off in the way I took it. To have had a normal pregnancy, a health living baby. To have used all of my vacation time (that I spent well over a year accruing thinking I would need it to extend my maternity leave). So, if you ever encounter someone in a similar situation to mine, please don't say this to them. While I'm sure it was said not really knowing how it came out, it was not good. I'm sure I could go on and on about the things people say that they shouldn't. Or the things that they don't say that they should. I try to be understanding, knowing that it's often awkward for people to know what to say or do. And here I am judging them...I know, I need to work on this. Add it to the list of my imperfections.

So, Gavin is just thriving. I don't really have any growth updates, given he hasn't been to the doctor since his two year well child. I'd guess he's grown a few inches and probably put on some weight, though he is still a SKINNY kid. I'm just praying that he says on the growth chart for weight, it was a big accomplishment at two years! His appetite is still much improved vs. a year ago. But he is just one of those kids who would rather be playing than taking the time to sit down and eat. Though, he has started to tell us when he is feeling hungry...a sensation I would have otherwise thought he was born without! He does not get that from me...unfortunately!

Gavin, we love you oh so much. Thank you for being you and for bringing such endless joy to our lives!

Here are a couple recent photos to visually document 30 months of life. Blueberry picking and hiding under the dining room table. Love this kid!