Another couple late posts, from August

This is going to be a little choppy, as I've just been dictating to my phone things that I want to remember.

August 4

Guess what! You have been in the big boy bed now for at least a month. Hooray! You don't sleep all night long each night, but you definitely understand that you are too old for the crib now.

You are learning more and more songs. You sing often, and lately it's  "If You're Happy and You Know It." You also love to dance and play your go-tar.

Here's a conversation that made me laugh...a lot.

Logan: "Troy, who's the most annoying person you have ever met?" "I don wan be 'nnoying." "Well, too bad, because you already are." Thinks... "No YOU 'nnoying!" *mommy laughs loudly* Troy: "I so cute!"

Something you say a lot is, "I need___." Every once in a while you do ask nicely and say please without being prompted, but most of the time, we have to remind you. 

I love how you are getting better and better with language. I guess it was about a month ago when you decided the opposite of sleeping is waking. When your sister woke up one morning, you said, "Sister waking!" and I was so impressed by that. 

Just this morning, as we were leaving the house, you said, "Bye daddy. I'll be back. I'm gone!"

You also say, "I 'cary," when you're scared. 

You've also recently learned a U2 song that was automatically downloaded into the iPad's iTunes. I didn't know that until you started singing it the other day. 

Here are a couple videos of you.

Playing drums

At the beach

August 30

You just told me that Stina (miss Christina, your teacher) is your best friend. And you told me the sky was blue. Then you told me you can't fly, either. I just love your little mind!

Yikes. From March 24.

OK my sweet boy, it has been way too long since I have posted in your blog. So much life has been happening and we have been so busy lately. I've been spending a lot of time with you and your sister and I prefer to do that than sit in front of a computer and write about it. But I want you to know some fabulous things about yourself now that you are 2 1/2.

You are learning a lot in preschool, and you are starting to sound more and more like a grown-up kid when you talk. And example of this is the other day, we were driving and you pointed up to the sky and exclaimed, "I see the moon!" It was so sweet and beautiful and fantastic, which is pretty much what I think about everything that you do. You have started throwing a few more tantrums lately, which I giggle at most of the time. At this point in our life, your tantrums don't really frustrate me...yet. I know that they are just part of your growth and part of you finding out who you are.

One of the things you've been doing a lot lately is singing, and mommy just loves it. You use the iPad very well to find little songs that you like on YouTube. Your favorite lately is the finger family song. And you also love 30 Seconds to Mars "Closer to the Edge" video. You found that by accident one day on Mommy's phone, and since Mommy laughed at you and made a big reaction, you kept doing it and then realized that you actually like the song. Now you sing along. 

You are starting to prefer Daddy a little more over Mommy. You guys do silly things together like chase each other and tickle each other. And your favorite nighttime book right now is I Am a Droid, which is obviously a Star Wars book. And that he reads it much better than mommy does, so you prefer a Daddy to put you to bed these days. 

You are still very sweet to your sister, and only every once in a while do you get jealous when Daddy or I are holding her. 

You love the park by our house, and you ask to go almost every day. The weather has been so unpredictable that we have only been able to go a few times, but at least there's a playground at preschool. Speaking of preschool, I have saved a couple of your projects and posted them below, because I love them. Also speaking of preschool, you keep getting sick. I sure hope that this means that you will be healthier later on. But even when you were sick, you are a happy, sweet boy. 

You're still not fully committed to the big boy bed. That's going to have to change soon, though, because Sister is almost too big for her little mini crib. The last time you slept in it, you ended up throwing up--weird stomach bug sweeping the city--so I wonder if that has something to do with why you won't stay put....

Bottom line of all this is, you make my life better.

Love you, Baby!

[need to insert photos of art projects]

Mommy has been slacking!!!

Oh, my sweet boy, Mommy hasn't handled having two babies very well! I haven't been on here to praise you for all the new and wonderful things you have been doing! You are such a sweet big brother and Adayla is lucky to have you. When she was first born, you came right in and wanted to touch her on the head. Made this momma's heart swell!

You are saying so many new words and sentences since you started preschool in January. It's amazing to see how quickly you are learning from your friends. Speaking of friends, you hav been in preschool! Miss Samara had to close her daycare to take care of her mom, and then right after that her husband got a new job and they moved away! We miss her very much and we know she misses you.

And I need to tell you now God worked out the preschool situation: time was drawing near for me to go back to work, and I still hadn't found a daycare for you and your sister. I had heard good things about Bethel Christian Daycare and Preschool, so I called. Well, the director told me that she had room for you each day of the week except for Thursday, but she didn't have any room for Adayla. I made an appointment to tour the campus anyway, and decided I would just pray about it, believing that God would work it out. So we arrived on a Friday morning at the preschool, and the director told us that the previous night, two full-time spots opened up for you and Day! So we knew God wanted you to attend there.

It hasn't all been wonderful, though. You've been sick pretty much since you started. (You actually got sick in the nursery at church when we went to my work Christmas party, and had just gotten over that first cold when you started at Bethel.) And you had a hard time with me leaving you there for the first week, but now you love school. You actually get pretty upset when I come to pick you up.

OH! Important note: you learned how to use the iPad all by yourself. You learned to read the alphabet and numbers because of an app, too! You are SO smart.

I am so sorry I haven't taken more time to write to you since your sister was born. I spent all my time actually hanging out with you in person! Here are a few moments from the past several months:

You and Daddy had a mighty duel!

BVG reserved FunWorks just for our church staff so we went and had lots of fun!

A new favorite place to play

Christmas stud

Your Gold gift this year was a slide!

So handsome

You love your sister

You do not love Santa Claus

Brave Little Explorer ready for his first day of school!!

Miss Kim is helping you play.

Sometimes you crowd your sister just a little bit.

Poor baby. We thought you had pink eye but it was just a terrible sinus infection causing goopy eyes!

Love you, Baby!

Not a Baby Anymore

Officially, we can't consider you a baby. You're TWO! (However, I will ALWAYS call you my baby. Protest all you want; it won't change a thing.) You are such a fun, fabulous, handsome, energetic, opinionated little boy! I cherish every moment I get to spend with you.

One of the reasons we know you're not a baby anymore is because you transitioned yourself to a "big boy" bed. One night when we went to put you to bed, you pointed to the twin bed in your room and said, "Dah dite." So I asked you if you wanted to sleep in that bed, and you said yes! Daddy removed the box spring and frame so that the mattress was right on the floor, and we put pillows down just in case you rolled off. But you haven't yet, as far as we know! And there have only been two times in the last month that you have gotten up after we have put you down. You have done so well in that bed and I'm so proud of you! (You are still taking some naps in the crib.) The next step is me finishing the toddler bed I got for you. It needs a new coat of paint, and it just seems like I can't find time! Or when I do have time, it's too hot outside. But it's FINALLY cooling off, so hopefully I'll get it done in the next week or two.

I'm going to combine two posts in one, since I got so very busy that I missed posting last month. Yesterday you visited the ER for the first time! You were bouncing on a rocking horse toy in the nursery at church, and you fell and hit your head on a rocking chair, I believe. There was some blood and some tears, but by the time I got to you, you weren't crying. Julie Elliott, Michele Cooper, and Josh Penwell all took very good care of you at church, and then we headed to the Kaiser ER where you got 2 staples in your head. And you were so brave! You cried for just a little bit, and then you were back to your sweet, happy self. And of course, we took you to get some ice cream, simply because you asked for it. :^}

As far as new things you can do: you are counting to 10 on your own, you are learning how to recognize letters, you know colors, and you're starting to speak in sentences. No still seems to be your favorite word, even when you mean yes. Hopefully that changes soon!

Here are some photos from the last 2 months:

You just decided to cuddle with me one day in Daddy's chair, and I was in heaven.

And shortly thereafter you took my water and the chair. Such a big boy!

You and I went to Pismo to visit Gabby and Makayla after she got out of the hospital and I snapped this photo of you sleeping because I just couldn't resist.

Some snacks from your bug birthday party! These are caterpillars and ants on a log.

Butterflies from your bug party.

The bug party snack spread

Your bug cake that Grandma Lety made.

You had a cupcake. Pretty sure you loved it!

First Cowboys game of the season. Cheese!

Daddy bought this new mustache cup for you.

You are just too handsome with your new shirt and new Storm Trooper shoes!

I looked away for a minute and you covered yourself in a veggie pouch!

Your cousin Mark married Laiken on Catalina Island Oct 2, and this is you and Uncle Eric the night before, looking out at the boats on the water.

After the wedding, we stayed at Nana's house for a couple nights. And since it was still hot outside, I promised you we could go swimming. Well, you and I and Brother were out there for all of 15 minutes before you were shaking from the cold water, so I let you "swim" in Nana's bathtub for a bit after. 

First Sharks game of the season. Cheese!

This was the morning after you spend the night with Miss Samara and her family. Daddy and I had gone to the first Barracuda game in San Jose, and it looks like you REALLY missed us... ;^}

This photo stabs me through the heart, in a very good way. You are such a sweet little prayer. We pray before bed and before we eat, and if we forget, you always remind us. 

LOVE YOU SO MUCH, BABY!

Two-year-old Photos

You're almost TWO!

Oh my baby boy, why aren't you a baby anymore!! I mean, I still call you "Baby". I'll probably always call you that. But you are turning into a little boy now, and it's fun/sad/amazing to watch! You are speaking in sentences sometimes now, and are VERY good and copying what you hear. Too good, in fact--Daddy and I have to be much more careful not to use words like "idiot" and "stupid".

We've had some fun times over the past month, but I didn't get very many photos. But here are a few!

At Haggen in Pismo, end of July. This better be the only time we see you in a police car!

Grandpa's 70th birthday party, Bakersfield, 8/15/15

You and your sister, chillin

You were showing Daddy the "cah-dat" that you found on the beach.

You and me, Baby

Love you, Baby!

2 in 2 months!

It's crazy to me that in (less than) two months, you are going to be two years old. You're my baby! And you just keep growing into a little boy. you are starting to speak in phrases and sentences, and it's so fun to experience your learning process! Yesterday, you said, "Let's go, Mama!" as we were heading out the door to church.

Your newest interest has helped me determine the theme for your birthday party: Minuscule. This is an animated series about bugs, and you LOVE it, even more than Harry the Bunny. So I've started gathering some ideas and we've enlisted Grandma Lety to make the cake and cupcakes. I hope you love it!


Here are some of my favorite moments from the past month:

You've started trying to walk in our shoes.

So silly!

You love your shades.

I made paleo popsicles or July 4 and you loved them!

And after you ate one you were covered in fruit juice, so we jumped in our little pool!

You came home from Papa and Grandma's with a blue beard (courtesy of Papa sharing his TMNT ice cream pop)

Gpa Max! Looks a little like someone I know...

Summer buzz! (I didn't like how your hair had been cut, so I had it all taken off!)

You were out looking for bugs with Grandma Lety and she snapped this photo. Love your face!

Some videos!
Watching yourself laugh

Finding your jam

Cars with Daddy (I just love your wind-up action!)

New phrase!

Love you, Baby!